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The Catch Archives
Table of Contents: 2004
December 20, 2004 The Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah Hanukah. Chanukah. Hanukkah. The Festival of Lights. It's one of the most important of the Jewish holidays. The holiday goes back almost 2,400 years, and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history. It takes place every year in mid to late December. While its date varies if you go by the western calendar, in the Hebrew calendar Hanukkah always falls on the 25th day of Kislev. The History of Hanukkah Almost two and a half millennia ago, Judea was ruled by Antiochus, a Syrian king. He attempted to assimilate the Jews into Greek culture, commanding them to worship Greek gods while oppressing Jewish culture and religion. Many Jews refused to do so. Led by Judah Maccabee and his brothers, the Jewish people, after a three-year struggle, overthrew their Syrian oppressors. When Jerusalem's Temple was reclaimed,
the Hebrews found it defiled by statues of the Greek gods and other religious
artifacts. They cleared out the foreign icons and rededicated the temple on the
25th day of Kislev. As part of their campaign of oppression, the Greeks had
systematically defiled any Jewish religious item they could find. So when the
time came to light the N'er Tamid, the Eternal Light of the Temple, the Jews
could find only one sanctified jar of oil—marked with the seal of the High
Priest. It was enough to last one evening. The lamp was lit with this small jar
of oil and, miraculously, stayed lit for eight days, until more oil suitable for
the temple was found.
The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight. In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking. In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside. Christmas Traditions Christmas. For many of us, no other word evokes more memories of childhood. Perhaps that's why Christmas traditions are so important to so many families. Christmas decorations, Christmas cards, Santa Claus, and the inevitable mad scramble of last minute gift shopping: they're all part of one of the most enjoyable—and stressful!—holidays of the year. There's a sense of continuity in celebrating in the same special ways year after year. Christmas Gifts Most of our important Christmas traditions aren't as old as we often think. Take gift giving for instance. It's hard to imagine Christmas without presents under the tree, but the practice of buying large fancy gifts for Christmas Day didn't really get rolling until the 1860s! In 1867, Macy's, the major department store in New York City, stayed open until midnight Christmas Eve. Seven years later, in 1874, they were the first to design their window displays around a Christmas theme. That was the start of the gift-giving craze (so if you, like many people, feel that Christmas has become too commercial, now you know who to blame!). Before Macy's, and their brilliant marketing move, gifts were given, but they weren't as important a part of Christmas as they are now. The tradition goes back all the way to the Three Wise Men, who brought gifts of gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to the infant Jesus. Boxing Day Christmas traditions also include giving to the poor; the British tradition of Boxing Day—the day after Christmas—dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Churches would open the alms box the day after Christmas and distribute the money to the poor. Boxing Day hasn't escaped the commercial blitz either—now it's best known for department store Boxing Day Sales! December 25 While some Christmas traditions are relatively recent, some go back thousands of years. Even the date is a tradition, rather than an established fact. When all is said and done, no one knows the precise date of Christ's birth. December 25 was chosen by the Church around 400 AD, in an attempt to replace the various pagan winter solstice celebrations with a decidedly Christian one. Mistletoe The use of mistletoe is another hanger-on from pagan times, when it played an important role in both Celtic druidism and the Asgardian myths of Scandinavia. The Church was concerned with the plant's pagan past and substituted holly, making it a symbol of Christ. The sharp leaves of the holly plant represent Christ's crown of thorns, and the red berries are a symbol of his blood. In spite of this attempt to stamp out mistletoe as a Yuletide symbol, the practice of kissing under the mistletoe has persisted to this day. Caroling Caroling is an old Christmas tradition. It dates all the way back to ancient Greece, and originates in the word choraulien, meaning "to dance to a flute." By the Middle Ages, it meant "to sing and dance together," and over time caroling became associated with Christmas songs. Christmas Cards Sending Christmas cards is a recent development. The tradition began in England, and was helped along by the development of the public "Penny Post" and the speed with which the new railroads could deliver mail. At first the cards were almost exclusively religious, but they slowly branched out to include humor and non-religious sentiments. Family Traditions Families who celebrate Christmas have developed numerous family-specific traditions over the years. For some families, Christmas means a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Other families battle over the issue of whether Christmas should be spent with "her" side or "his" side of the family this year. Many young families with working parents now opt to stay home. Another firm tradition is the timing for opening gifts. In some families, late-night Christmas Eve is the preferred time. Families who attend midnight services at church open their gifts when they come home in the wee hours of Christmas morning. In the commercial version of Christmas, small children wake at the crack of dawn to run and check whether Santa has come. Many families open gifts in their robes and slippers on Christmas morning. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Webography: History of
Hanukkah and Christmas Traditions courtesy of www.a-traditional-christmas.com November 30, 2004 So here are three key lifestyle routines Europeans have that we could learn from:
*From White Wines May Keep You Healthy, NBC11.com
November 24, 2004 How much do you know about the origins of Thanksgiving? You'd be surprised how much is myth vs. fact. Here's a look at the most common myths courtesy of the historychannel.com The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn't originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into something different from the original parts." - James W. Baker, Senior Historian at Plimoth Plantation MYTH: The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and the pilgrims celebrated it every year thereafter. FACT: The first feast wasn't repeated, so it wasn't the beginning of a tradition. In fact, the colonists didn't even call the day Thanksgiving. To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday in which they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational activities that the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in during the 1621 harvest feast--dancing, singing secular songs, playing games--wouldn't have been allowed. The feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the pilgrims minds. MYTH: The original Thanksgiving feast took place on the fourth Thursday of November. FACT: The original feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11. Unlike our modern holiday, it was three days long. The event was based on English harvest festivals, which traditionally occurred around the 29th of September. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941). Abraham Lincoln had previously designated it as the last Thursday in November, which may have correlated it with the November 21, 1621, anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod. MYTH: The pilgrims wore only black and white clothing. They had buckles on their hats, garments, and shoes. FACT: Buckles did not come into fashion until later in the seventeenth century and black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions. Women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet, and gray, while men wore clothing in white, beige, black, earthy green, and brown. MYTH: The pilgrims brought furniture with them on the Mayflower. FACT: The only furniture that the pilgrims brought on the Mayflower was chests and boxes. They constructed wooden furniture once they settled in Plymouth. MYTH: The Mayflower was headed for Virginia, but due to a navigational mistake it ended up in Cape Cod Massachusetts. FACT: The Pilgrims were in fact planning to settle in Virginia, but not the modern-day state of Virginia. They were part of the Virginia Company, which had the rights to most of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. The pilgrims had intended to go to the Hudson River region in New York State, which would have been considered "Northern Virginia," but they landed in Cape Cod instead. Treacherous seas prevented them from venturing further south
From Cursed to First
by Bruce Fine Bruce Fine is a comedy writer, comedian, actor who's diehard devotion to the Boston Red Sox spawned the creation of From Cursed to First (www.fromcursedtofirst.com). Bruce's passion lent much needed spirit to the Boston Red Sox and their unwavering fans. Here now is his final From Cursed to First newsletter after the Red Sox won the World Series after 86 years by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4 game sweep. The sweep that would end the famous Curse of the Bambino. Check-mate…From Cursed to First becomes fate! I believed, yet I still can’t believe it. I dreamed it many times, yet it all still seems like a dream. I called my Dad as soon as Sierra grounded out to Pokey, at 12:01 on October 21, 2004. There was no conversation at first, just two men yelling, “Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God.” They did it! The lesson for you kids out there. Two hundred million dollars can’t buy heart! No other team in baseball could do what this 2004 Red Sox team accomplished this week. They conquered the mighty Bankees with heart, and with class. Game six forever will be etched in my mind as the prime example of the difference between the Red Sox and the Yankees. On one side, Curt Schilling, the horse, with a blood-soaked sock. The poetic symbol of the blood and sweat sacrificed for all things Red Sox. Seven strong innings to lead his team, ignoring pain. On the other side, the best player money can buy, A-Fraud, (the ass) trying to cheat his way on base with a bush-league move. And whining when the umps had the gall to get the call right. Horse vs. Ass. And the horse won. They did it. And we helped. Needing motivation, it was the fans who were the spark. After the humiliating Game three loss, “Senor Octobre” and the “Idiots” looked out at the stands. “We saw a lot of fans crying and feeling hurt and I think myself and all of my teammates, we were worried about it and kept that for ourselves. And that's one of the big reasons for us to come to the field and represent the way we did the last four games.” -- ALCS MVP David Ortiz on what motivated the Red Sox, after last season's heartbreaking loss, to win four straight games to strangle the pennant away from the Yankees. Papi, you represented us in ways sports fans only dream of. Thank you, gracias; we will always remember what you did for us in 2004. There are some things in life that seem to happen in slow motion. For me it was my wedding, my son’s birth, the first time I did stand-up, and….Johnny Damon’s grand slam in Game seven last night. As it happened, I jumped up and down and pumped my fists wildly, knowing that Red Sox fans across the nation were doing the same thing, and knowing that we had the lead we needed to kill the curse. The game took forever after that, but worth every second. From 0-3 to 4-3. From Cursed To First! No Joy in Mudville This year's major league baseball playoffs have stirred emotions many
of us never knew we had. Maybe its because the world is in such
turmoil, domestically things are a mess, we're on the verge of potentially
another election fiasco, and things are just down right gloomy. So
why not turn your hopes toward the men on the diamond? I did. Casey at the Bat Exactly as first printed, June 3, 1888 , San Francisco Examiner The outlook wasn't brilliant for the
Mudville nine that day; But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also
Jimmy Blake, But Flynn let drive a single, to the
wonderment of all, Then from 5,000 throats and more there
rose a lusty yell; There was ease in Casey's manner as he
stepped into his place; Ten thousand eyes were on him as he
rubbed his hands with dirt; And now the leather-covered sphere came
hurtling through the air, From the benches, black with people,
there went up a muffled roar, With a smile of Christian charity great
Casey's visage shone; "Fraud!" cried the maddened
thousands, and echo answered fraud; The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his
teeth are clenched in hate; Oh, somewhere in this favored land the
sun is shining bright; -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In May of 1888, a 24 year-old Harvard graduate wrote one of the most famous works of baseball literature in history. The poem, "Casey at the Bat," written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, was published in the San Francisco Examiner on June 3, 1888, instantly becoming an American classic. 2003 marks the 115th anniversary of "Casey at the Bat" and although it is over a century old, the timeless tale remains a favorite to this day. The hometown Mudville nine, down by two runs with two outs in the final inning of play, need to get their best player at bat and victory will be theirs. However, the mighty Casey is three batters down in the order and preceded by two less apt hitters, Flynn and Blake. Amazingly, the two reach base with hits leaving the game to be decided by the local town hero. With the crowd cheering, Casey steps to the plate and STRIKES OUT! The surprise ending made "Casey at the Bat" one of the most beloved sports poems in history and became the cornerstone for many other works, some of which reside at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. A copy of the score of composer William Schuman's 1953 opera, "Casey," as well as numerous books and paintings about the poem are in the Hall of Fame's extensive collections. Visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and discover the enduring might of Casey. Autumn: A Time of Change During the course of each year Nature signals the change of seasons in numerous subtle and some very obvious ways. None is more obvious than fall foliage especially here in Vermont. But why do the trees change colors and eventually shed their leafy green uniforms? Native legends says hunters in the sky killed the Great Bear each autumn dripping his blood on the earth, turning leaves red. Roasting bear meat spilling from a celestial kettle turned other leaves yellow. Science says chilly days and growing nights precipitated by the earth's angle relative to the sun, convince cells in leaf stem bases that it is time for a change. The cells begin to die. The dying cells form a wall preventing nutrients from reaching the leaf. As this happens the green pigmentation of leaves, chlorophyll, begins to break down unmasking the yellows and oranges that are present all year in the leaf. As cells continue to die the stem eventually weakens to the point where the leaf flutters to the ground. With no leaves, the tree, safe from freezing, lies dormant the remainder of the winter. The marvel of Nature's autumnal journey can be seen from the middle of September through to the weeks before Halloween. Take a drive north from Massachusetts to Canada along the Green Mountains on Route 100 or head east from Lake Champlain to the White Mountains on Route 15. Visit the land where legends still live, the Northeast Kingdom, traveling Routes 5A, 114 and 105. Enjoy the harvest markets, country fairs or hike and bring a fishing line. Oh, and don't forget to thank the heavens' hunters for the spectacular crimsons and golds that adorn our trees for these special weeks. James Ehlers is a fly-fishing guide, a hunting guide, and career naturalist. He lives in Underhill, VT. My Big Fat Greek Olympics I've always wished I could participate in the Olympics--any sport. I've just always wanted to be there competing and striving for the best in something. So whenever the Winter or Summer Olympics roll around, I find myself hopelessly addicted. The return to Greece for this years Olympics has brought much discussion about the Greeks in general--particularly in concern to their ability to ready Athens on time for the Games. Well, they did it. And in watching all the different Greek officials interviewed throughout the media coverage, I'm thinking Nia Vardalos really had it right on with MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING. The Greeks exhibit such an enormous pride in their heritage. Although comical at times, it's also quite inspiring and has compelled me to revisit Greek mythology and take a closer look at the history of the Greek people. We've put together a list of sites that highlight key points in Greek culture and history. It's something worth checking out when you realize how much we truly do owe to the Greeks. Enjoy! According to historic records, the first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC. They were dedicated to the Olympian Gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia, famous for its magnificent temples of the gods Zeus and Hera. They initially had a religious character and combined a number of ancient sporting events, many of which were based on ancient Greek myths. Read more Where do the Greek myths STOP? At what point in time can we assume that the essence of Greek mythology was lost? The decision as to when exactly the essence was lost is strictly arbitrary, but when I read Greek myths as told by the Roman, Ovid, circa 20 B.C.E., I get a little skeptical as to the depth of his insight... after all, he was a thousand years, a language and a culture away from the origins of the myths... all he could possibly tell us is how Romans viewed Greek mythology... this is important for the study of the Romans but not of the Greeks. Read more Greek Myths are all that’s left of the ancient Greek religion. About 1200 b.c.e., the residents of, what we would call, Greece and Asia Minor shared a common belief in a group of deities that came to be known as The Olympians. Read more
Adopting a Pet: Cats
Cat Care:
Info from Sarah's Kitty Diary:
Also, be sure to check your local listings for a&e networks, Cats! A special all about our furry feline friends, airing the week of June 20, 2004.
Weekend Getaways
May 6, 2004
Too Much Reality? The popularity of reality shows, in particular, The Apprentice, is causing people to be glued to there TV sets constantly. Not just to watch the show, but to watch the recap of the show on ten different entertainment news channels. I have to admit, I got hooked on The Apprentice as well as, The Bachelor, Average Joe...what can I say? They hook you in, and then it's all over. But lately I've been realizing the impact of reality TV, on my IQ. Which has effectively dropped about 12 points, (although part of that could be living in Los Angeles). I've decided I'm getting WAY too much reality. As Jimmy Kimmel put it, "There are more people on reality TV shows, then actually living in reality." It's true! So this week on the Catch, I've decided we need to find other things to do with our time. Here's some ideas: Read! - Yes, remember that thing we learned when we were four? It still works! And it actually improves our intellect as opposed to depleting it.
Exercise - sitting on my couch watching reality TV has only advanced the size of my behind. Instead of television, try the gym, take a walk, go for a bike ride! Do some stretches, take a Yoga class. The possibilities are endless! And you'll feel so much better about yourself.
Go to a Movie - Hey, it beats watching Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. And we're about to embark on the big summer movie season with tons of sure to be blockbusters. Take a class - This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I have a couple of friends who take sculpture class. I'd like to take a language class. I'd also like to take horseback riding lessons. There's lots of dance classes I'd like to take including tap. There's so many things you could do, and for relatively little money. Most community colleges have adult education programs and many cities have the Learning Annex. Take a sailing class! That will get you outside, and teach you the basics on how to sail. Take a music class! It's never to late to take up a musical instrument. Taking a class is a great way to meet new people, expose yourself to something new that will broaden your horizons, help you grow, improve yourself. Check your local community college websites. Here's a couple other links to get you started. Socialize! - Get out and visit with your friends and family. People are what really count in this life and our connections with them. Don't forget that. And whatever you do, get out of reality, and back into, reality. Enjoy! Happy Easter and Happy Passover!
March Madness It’s March Madness, baby! Do you know what that means? Time for Dick Vitale and oodles of betting pools at the office and tons of discussion at the water cooler about rankings and major coverage by all networks of every game… And don’t forget about every sports bar in town with drink specials and team favorites. If you live in a cave, then you don’t know that right now the NCAA Men’s and Women’s national basketball championship tournaments have begun. The tournament starts with 64 teams. The final team is the National Champion. I usually don’t keep up with the teams, but this year our local team, UNR (University of Nevada, Reno), has made it to the Sweet 16! So in honor of the underdog UNR, and in honor of this annual tradition that keeps every sports fan on the edge of their seats, check out great links to the NCAA Basketball Tournament:
February 23, 2004 Alice Paul was a key figure in the Women's Suffragette Movement. Her efforts helped ratify the Nineteenth Amendment securing voting rights for women. She authored the Equal Rights Amendment and initiated gender equality in both the United Nations Charter and in the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The film focuses on the period leading up to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, Alice Paul's militant and radical tactics toward bringing about change and the conflicts within the women's movement itself. It's amazing to think that less than 100 years ago women were unable to vote. Can you imagine being a citizen of this country who has to obey it's laws yet is unable to have a say it drafting them? Many illegal immigrants no doubt can relate. Imagine being born a U.S. citizen yet unable to cast a vote for President of the United States by virtue of the fact that you're a woman. It's unfathomable to us today. It makes one re-evaluate the term, voting is our right. Many of us abuse that right by neglecting to vote. Don't take this right for granted! If it weren't for the efforts of women like Alice Paul and her fellow Suffragists, we would not have this right at all. Empowering others to instigate change is something that we as advocates of eating disorder awareness commit ourselves to every day. Don't forget, the vote didn't come overnight. I am truly inspired by these amazing women who refused to give up the fight. And I refuse to give up this fight. Keep the faith everyone! Our time is coming. More about the HBO film, IRON JAWED ANGELS can be found at, http://www.hbo.com/films/ironjawedangels/ For more information on the Women's Suffragette Movement, check out these links:
How to Be a Good Listener It’s important for all of us to be good
listeners. Our loved ones need to
talk and we need to listen well to them, to let them know we care.
It’s a reliability issue, and when you’re not a good listener, people
will come to you less and less for conversation and confidence.
And beyond our personal lives, it’s important for us to be good
listeners in the professional world, if we want to get ahead, if we want to be
successful and part of a strong team. So many times we get lost in our lives, too
concerned over our own problems to want to listen to other’s discuss theirs.
But if you listen, you just might learn something about yourself.
There are three ‘R’s in listening:
Respect, Realize & Respond…
Respect
the person that you’re listening to. When they know you are listening to them, not just hearing
their words, they will know you respect them and they will respect you and
appreciate your time. Realize what
they are saying. Realize you may
just have been in their shoes. Respond
gently and in as much detail as they’ve given to you.
Avoid opinions at first, but respond with your own life experience in the
foreground. EffectiveMeetings.com has six points for every good listener:
Some recommended books on the art of listening: • The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships • The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction • Listen Up: How to Improve Relationships, Reduce Stress, and Be More Productive by Using the Power of Listening January
19, 2004 In the mid to late nineteenth century, Rutgers and Princeton played the first ever college soccer football game. The game was formed using adapted London Football Association rules. For about a decade, rugby gained favor with ivy league schools over soccer, and modern football began to form from rugby. In 1876, the first rules for American football were developed. And from there, American football has grown into being the hugest commercial sport in the world. In 1902 the National Football League (NFL) was launched after football teams began popping up across the country. Teams began paying athletes to play in exhibition games. The popularity of the sport grew fast across the nation, and franchises soon launched from state to state. Television and radio networks competed to gain sole contracts to air and feature the football games. 1967 brought the NFL’s first “AFL-NFL World Championship Game”, now known as Super Bowl I. The game was played by the Green Bay Packers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers, coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi, beat the Chiefs, 35-10. This year the Super Bowl is being held in Houston, on Feb. 1, 2004. Beyonce Knowles is set to sing the Natinoal Anthem. Aerosmith will perform in the pre-game show. Half-time entertainment is to include Janet Jackson, P.Diddy, Nelly and Kid Rock. For more Super Bowl history, visit these links:
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