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This
month we are going to take a look at....
December!
The first part of the word is decem, which to those of you who will study Latin,
means ten (10).
Why would the twelfth month be called the tenth?
Well before the reformation of the calendar, the Romans recognized ten months
with December being the last and March the first.
After two months were added, many lost sight of the fact of the "mis-naming"
and so it remained. During a long
period, the month only had twenty nine days (29) but Caesar changed that also by
adding two (2) days.
December was originally viewed as the beginning of winter (Even though the
solstice did not occur until the 22nd) .
In New England, the twenty-first (21st) had been set aside and called
Forefather's Day.
Yet as far as all the wonders that history has to offer, think of what your
counterparts did in those periods without TV and all the other conveniences.
Oddly enough, in a small section of a journal, I found a young girl's notes she
kept about December. There were
many questions of "whys" and among them were :
How are the evergreens able to live now when all else is dead?
Why is not the ice rippled as the stream is during the summer?
Why does the freezing water crack the pitcher?
Why does the milk push its way up through the bottle's neck when it freezes?
Finally there was a note about being sent out to play many times as, "Mum
says it is good to have fresh air. The
house is too closed up, and we already
looked at the Sear's book."
The last thing we will cover is mayhap the most unique Christmas gift I have
seen yet.
A star.
If you think I am joking, think again. How
many of us who have read history recall someone wishing for or on a star, and
how much importance stars have they played in the lives of our history?!?!
Now you can actually have a star named after you, or as a gift to someone.
It costs $40.00, but it is a toll free number. 1-800-282-3333
International Star Registry of Ingleside, Illinois.
They started in 1979, and have sold well over 400,000 stars!
When you call they will send you a brochure explaining that for $40.00
they'll put the name of your choice (up to 35 characters) on a specific unnamed
star! It even comes with a certificate and precise coordinates so that your
heirs can actually locate it.
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