Tag: holidays

Labor Day 2015

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Holidays> Labor Day

rosie the riveter poster

Today is Labor Day in the U.S., and Labour Day in Canada. It’s a holiday that traditionally marks the end of summer in this part of the northern hemisphere. In the U.S., it also marks one of the last three-day weekends of the year that lots of people get. Columbus Day isn’t as widely observed, and Veterans Day is always November 11. This year it’s a Wednesday.

So here we are, the last weekend of Summer. This also used to be the last day that it was fashionable to wear white until next Memorial Day. How things have changed on the fashion front!

In Atlanta, it means that the daily temperatures have dropped from the mid-90s to the mid-80s. The outside is getting more tolerable again. Whoopee!

I was tempted to just post a “Gone Fishing” notice for today, but I don’t think I could catch anything as adorable as the kittens those two fishermen caught in Alabama last week.

So in case you missed it on YouTube, here is the video of two guys who turned fishing for catfish into fishing for kittenfish:

New Year’s Day 2015

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Holidays> New Year's Day

happy 2015

Happy 2015! 

Last night at midnight, wherever you are and whenever that was, is when the big celebration took place.

Peach Drop 2009We’re back in Atlanta, and they drop a giant PEACH at midnight here. Considering just how many streets in the metro area are named Peachtree something-or-other, the big peach is not a big surprise.

But our peach and New York’s crystal ball aren’t the only things falling at midnight. Wikipedia has a big list, but here’s some of the ones that caught my attention:

There’s a place in Bermuda where they drop a paper-mache Bermuda onion.

Lots of places in Florida drop citrus fruit. Not just the Oranges that get dropped in Orlando and Miami, but Sarasota drops a pineapple and Brooksville drops a tangerine.

In Maine, Bangor drops a beach ball, and Eastport drops both a maple leaf and a sardine. A sardine!

But my favorite is my own hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. I wish they still did this, but it doesn’t look like they do. They used to fly a pig, so that once a year, it could be said that pigs do fly.

But only once a year.

I hope that each and every one of you has a happy 2015.

Chrismukkah 2014

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Christmas> Hanukkah> Holidays

christmas-vs-hanukkah

Today may be Christmas as well as the last day of Hanukkah, but there are plenty of holidays to celebrate in late December.

And if none of the others appeal, there’s always Festivus.

But seriously, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Solstice or simply that the days have started getting longer again, have a happy whatever you are having, and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Labor Day 2014

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Holidays> Labor Day

In the U.S. the first Monday in September is designated as a holiday. For Labor Day, a whole lot of us get the day off from, well, labor. Or at least the kind that generates a paycheck.

681px-LABOR_DAY_1942_-_NARA_-_535654

The image above is from Wikimedia Commons, and was created by the Office for Emergency Management, Office of War Information, Domestic Operations Branch for Labor Day in 1942.

Which makes it both a terrific poster and domestic war propaganda at the same time.

Also very apropos for today, over the weekend we went to MOHAI, the Seattle Museum of History and Industry. While we went for the tasty Chocolate exhibition, MOHAI has many marvelous exhibits about the industrial history of Seattle, including galleries devoted to the Seattle General Strike of 1919. Fascinating!

 

Leaping Leprechauns & Frolicking Fairies-The All Things Irish Blog Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Leaping Leprechauns and Frolicking Fairies Blog Hop> St. Patrick's Day

Welcome to Leaping Leprechauns & Frolicking Fairies – The All Things Irish Blog Hop!

This hop is hosted by Gin’s Book Notes and Candace’s Book Blog, and is a celebration of all things Irish or Fairy-related. Today, Celtic myths are us!

I used to live in Chicago, and every St. Patrick’s Day the city dyes the Chicago River green! This year, the “greening of the river” happened on Saturday, March 15, so that the town could get started on their celebrating early.

green river 1It just feels wrong that St. Patrick’s Day is a Monday this year–this is a holiday that seems almost designed to be a weekend!

But maybe by the actual day you’ll be all celebrated out, and ready to curl up with a good book or two. Here’s where the hop comes in.

I’m giving away a $10 Gift Card from either Amazon or B&N, or for international hoppers, a book from Book Depository up to $10. The winner will be able to make their own little celebration. To enter my hop, just fill out the rafflecopter and tell us your favorite story about the Fae Folk or based on Celtic mythology.

Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks is still one of my favorites. Tell us yours!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win more prizes, just visit the other stops on the hop!

Labor Day 2013

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Holidays> Labor Day> Seasons

Today is Labor Day in the U.S. For a lot of us, that means a three-day weekend (I’m still on vacation and still at WorldCon)

This also marks the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of fall. But looking for an image to add to this post, I cam across the one below in Wikipedia. It’s from the Labor Day Parade in New York in 1908. This is the float of the Women’s Trade Union League. Look at the women on the float, and at the spectators. It reminds of us of how far we’ve come, and how far we have to go.

WTUL Labor Day 1908
1908 Labor Day Parade, float of Women’s Trade Union League, New York