Journal: February 2006 Archives

Yesterday was Presidents Day, tomorrow is Washingtons Birthday and today is simply the flux that exists between the two. Typically, there would be a post on Presidents Day as well as Washingtons Birthday, however, after researching the history of Presidents Day and discovering that it actually started as a celebration of Washington's Birthday, I felt that a post in the middle of the two would be more appropiate.
Without getting you more tangled up than a can of fish hooks, heres the nitty gritty on the two events.
Washington's birthday was celebrated by the public prior to his presidency due to his role in the American Revolutionary War.
Washington's Birthday on the Julien Calander actually takes place on February 11. In his later years Washington began to rock his birthday out on the 22 of February.
The reason we celebrate his birthday on the third Monday of February was to streamline federal holidays. The Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 sought to combine a celebration of Washinton and Lincoln's birthday in one holiday called Presidents Day. However, the final version of the Bill only lists Washington as an observance.
You can see how this gets higgly piggly real quick-
So, Presidents Day celebrates Washingtons Birthday on the third Monday of February- which means Presidents Day can never occur on the 22 or the 11, either would prove to be more accurate descriptions of Washingtons Birthday.
One tradition that has rung true- to a certain extent- is that a member of the Senate should read Washington's farewell adress on his birthday. Up until 1973 the address has always been read on or within a day of the 22 of February- since '73 it has been a roll of the dice as to when we read the document. This year Senator Ken Salazar read the address on the 17 of February. I have posted the address below. Please, take a minute and read the words of the United States of America's first President; George Washington.

I try to post on all holidays, although, I recently missed Abe Lincoln's Birthday. Sorry about that one Abe. I'll post the Gettysburg Adress next year.
Today, is Valentines Day. So, we will first start with a history lesson- as with all modern holidays it begins with a pagan rite.
The story goes as follows:

-The History of Saint Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.-
this excerpt is from:http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
- Albert Einstein

goodness, multiple shows around the corner. I have been busy, not posting, but busy none the less. I am preparing multiple bodies of work for different venues and attempting to streamline the production process to the most effiecent timetable possible. Those of you that work in the studio may know that is simply wishful thinking. So, my hands are full, but, as bodies of work are completed, they will be posted. For now, I have added a new edition to the Botanical Series. Enjoy.