The Travelin’ Grampa Touring the U.S.A. without an automobile

Special Supplement Christmastime Calendar

Vol. 8, No. 12, 2015

Illustration credits: Dec. 1891 Scribner’s magazine; engraving based on 1845 painting by Carl August Schwerdgeburth.

Left: The First Tree, the Oak of Geismar, drawn by Howard Pyle, for a story by that title, by Henry van Dyke in Scribner’s Magazine, Dec. 1891. Pictured is Saint Boniface, in A.D. 772, directing to where the tree is to be placed. Right: First Lighted , said to have been in the home of Martin Luther, in 1510, or maybe 1535. Some scholars claim the first Christmas tree was put on display near Rega, in Latvia, in 1530. Or maybe near Tallinn, in Estonia, in 1510.

In the USA, there’s more to Christmastime than Christmas Traveling abroad, Grampa notices most natives tend to resemble one another and share a similar culture. Not here in the USA. Our residents come in virtually every race, creed, skin color and geographic origin. In our country, at this time of year, we celebrate a variety of holidays, in a wide variety of ways. There’s the Feast of the Nativity, aka Christmas, of course. Most celebrate it Dec. 25; others on Jan. 6. celebrate their 5th day of Pancha Ganapati Dec. 25. There’s Chanukah. Or is it spelled ? And let’s not forget , several year- ending African American holidays invented in 1966 in Long Beach, Calif. Sunni Muslims say Mohammad’s birthday is Dec. 24 this year. Shia Muslims say Dec. 29. Continued on next page

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In the USA, there’s more to Christmastime than Christmas Continued from previous page In Indonesia and Malaysia, the birthday of the prophet Muhammad is a big holiday. Some Muslims virtually ignore it. Some think it’s wrong to celebrate his birthday. is a big deal for Filipino and Mexican Americans. For other folks it’s merely a time for last minute shopping. Our Lady of Guadalupe is venerated on Dec. 12 by Mexican Americans. Some consider her both the Virgin de Guadalupe, mother of , and the Aztec mother-goddess Tonantzin. Mexico City has a big new Our Lady of Guadalupe basilica, adjacent to an older one. Nearby is a chapel where a temple honoring Tonantin once stood. Dec. 8 commemorates the in some churches, but simply Mary’s Conception in other churches. It’s also Bodhi Day, ’s Day of Enlightenment. Holy Innocents Day, recalling King Herod’s soldiers killing innocent children, is Dec. 27, 28 or 29, depending where one worships. Some call it Chidermas Day. On Dec. 28, some Mexicans and Puerto Ricans celebrate Día de las Máscaras (Festival of the Masks). It combines April Fools Day and aspects, including costumed paraders and playing pranks. Sadly, one of our most popular Christmastime holidays is , a big shopping day, which now begins at 6 a.m. on Thursday, which is Day, and encompasses Saturday and even Sunday, followed by Ciber Monday, an on-line shopping day. Saturday seems our latest “day,” to encourage folks to “buy local.” Wonderful or weird, what all our holidays seem to share is – they are Americanized, some so much they now only vaguely resemble what they were when and where they originated. Grampa has compiled the following:

Holiday Season 2015-16: Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, etc., special days:

Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving Day: Many families gather for a big meal on this day, ostensibly to express gratitude to God, one another or whomever. Big retailers open from 6 am ‘til after midnight, to kickoff Black Friday bargain sales early. Nov. 27 – $$$ Black $$$ Friday, gigantic shopping day. In theory, this is when retailers move from “being in the red” to “being in the black,” i.e., profitable. In olden days, some accountants used red ink to denote an unprofitable transaction, and black ink for a profitable one. Nov. 27 – Robert E. Lee’ Birthday celebrated in Georgia Nov. 28 – $mall Business$$ $aturday: Introduced by company in 2010, this is said to be the small retailer’s version of Black Friday, which generally is viewed as a holiday dominated by big retailers such as Walmart, K-Mart, Target, et. al. Nov. 30 – Ciber Monday: Starting in 2005, this became when retailers presumably offer big bargains via the Internet. On-line buying on this day this year reportedly hit $2.68-billion, versus $608-million on the second such Ciber sales day in 2006. A survey suggests that more than 50% of these purchases were by folks at work using their employer’s computer. Dec. 6 – Day: As the tale goes, a 4th Century bishop’s spirit centuries later began putting candy coins or/and other gifts into the shoes or stockings of young Dutch children, as they slept. In some places, he met them in person. This spread from Holland to Germany, Switzerland and other European countries, where he became known as Sinter Klaus. In and elsewhere, a companion, Black Peter, a Moor youth, carries a sack of gifts. After Clement Moore’s 1822 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas that began “Twas the night before Christmas” became popular, St. Nick Continued on page six.

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Picture credits: Allahabad Museum, New Delhi. ; Prof. J. B. Disanayaka, Soba magazine, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Ganesha, aka Ganapati, and his mother Parvati. Gautama Buddha beneath the holy Bodhi tree.

Hindu kids get gifts on Pancha Ganapati’s 5th day, Dec. 25 Pancha Ganapati is for some Hindu children in America what Christmas is for neighbor Christian kids. It honors Ganesha, aka Ganapati, patron of arts and guardian of culture, and runs for five days, Dec. 21-25. Like Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa, it’s very family and child oriented. Instead of a tree, a statue of Ganesha is its centerpiece. Surrounding decorations may include: ornaments, evergreen branches, little colored light bulbs, etc. Each day, children dress and decorate the statue in a different bright color: yellow, blue, red, green and lastly orange. These reflect Ganesha's five key abilities. Each day, they offer the statue a tray of fruits, sweets and incense. Then the family prays and sings hymns. Unlike cookies set out for Santa, everybody gets to eat these goodies. Every day, too, children give Ganesha a beautifully wrapped gift, and he, being generous, returns the gifts to the children on the 5th day, Dec. 25. Hindu clerics insist the gifts be inexpensive or at least not extravagant.

USA Buddhists celebrate Christmassy-like Bodhi Day Dec. 8 is Bodhi Day, when American Buddhists decorate a Bodhi Tree to celebrate when Prince Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and became Buddha 2,591 years ago, while sitting beneath a fig tree at Bodhgaya, India. All celebrants can’t use a fig tree, of course, as these flourish only in places like Florida and , although the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture says they grow as far north as Philadelphia. Nor is trimming a Bodhi tree on Bodhi Day a worldwide Buddhist practice. It’s done mainly where Christians predominate. “Wherever Buddhism goes, it picks up the customs and bits of the culture from the country it arrives in,” explains a Buddhist Continued on next page.

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Continued from previous page. web blogger who calls herself Monastic Mom “Of course, Buddhism isn’t alone in incorporating celebrations,” she reminds us, recalling that Christians have adopted ancient pagan and Solstice customs, including: trees, eggs, holly wreaths, logs and . “The Buddha expounded that we should, as Buddhists, fit into the neighborhood in which we live,” points out Alden Smith of DoItYourself.com.

For Hindus, Pancha Ganapati has its serious side, too On Dec. 21, observant Hindus make amends for past misdeeds, insults, etc. It’s also when family members point out the best qualities of other family members. Dec. 22 is for practicing love and harmony among neighbors, relatives, friends, etc. To faraway relatives and friends, letters are sent, phone calls made, apologies offered, forgiveness given. Dec. 23 is for promoting love and harmony among co-workers, business associates, and folks in general. Debts and disputes are settled on this day. Dec. 24 emphasizes the importance of music, art, drama and dance, especially in the home but also elsewhere. Dec. 25 is for doing what promotes love and harmony via charity and religiousness. Gifts are opened on this day.

Three ideas for celebrating Bodhi Day To recall when Buddha, after fainting from hunger, was nursed back to health by a compassionate lady who fed him rice and milk, Merlyn Seeley, writing for Zen Buddhism Examiner, suggests American Buddhists on Bodhi Day eat a bowl of rice and milk. “Second thing you can do,” he says, is “string a bunch of or colorful lights throughout your house or on your house. Turn them on each night for 30 days.” Decorate a live fig tree, he says. Or place fig leaf-shape decorations on any live tree or large plant, to represent the original Bodhi tree. “A very good way to get Buddhist children involved in the observance of this day is to make Bodhi cookies,” he advises. “Since the leaves of the Bodhi tree are heart shaped then a Valentine cookie cutter would work perfect for this.”

Prophet Muhammad’s birthday is Dec. 24 this year Many Muslims celebrate Muhammad’s birthday, aka , as a joyful holiday that involves singing, praying, and reciting what’s written in the Quran, their basic holy scripture. “Nowadays, the holiday can also include processions, decorated mosques, and poetry readings,” says Vicki Garlock, whose blog Faith Seeker Kids, is about religions and holidays from a children’s angle. “After all,” she declares, “it’s a birthday party,” where “kids hear stories about the life of Muhammad, eat treats, and play games.” Garlock teaches Sunday School at Jubilee Community Church, in Ashville, North Carolina. On the island of Java, in Indonesia, the holiday is called Sekaten and has a -like atmosphere, with traditional food, sweet treats, toys, games and other goods sold from brightly lit stalls. Friends and family members meet, while “singers, dancers, games, music and carnival rides all contribute to the overall sense of delight,” she says. Some Muslim clerics condemn celebration of Muhammad’s birthday. “Even in Indonesia, some Muslims voice concern that people care more about the Javanese aspects of the holiday and/or having fun than in honoring the prophet Muhammad,.” She says. It is a public holiday in Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and 43 other countries.

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Photo credits: Melissa Mayntz, LoveToKnow.com; White House.blog.

Left: Kwanzaa candles, part of an African American “tradition” dating back to 1966 in Long Beach, Calif. Right: National Chanukah Memorial on The Ellipse park behind the White House in Washington DC.

Chanukah is about an ancient Mideast oil crisis Chanukah celebrates rededication in 165 BC of the temple in Jerusalem, after brave Jewish warriors, led by Judah Maccabee, chased invaders out of the city. The Jews, to purify the temple, needed eight days lamp oil, but had only enough for one day. God worked for them a miracle. The lamps burned brightly eight days. To celebrate this, at Chanukah, Jews today light candles instead of an oil lamp. A candle holder called a menorah holds eight candles, plus another, in the middle, called a taper, for lighting the others.

Black Friday shopping mania has gone worldwide British and Canadian shoppers’ version of Black Friday is , Dec. 26, the day after Christmas day. South Koreans call theirs Beulfe, four bargain shopping days in October. Many retailers in Canada and the U.K. now have both Boxing Day and Black Friday. British Airways offers bargain flights both days. China's version is Singles Day, on Nov. 11. It's the opposite of Valentine's Day. Instead of buying stuff to give to someone else, Singles Day is when you buy stuff for yourself. Mexico's version is El Buen Fin. Roughly translated as “the nifty weekend.” It is actually four days, following the Nov. 18 commemoration of that country’s 1910 Revolution. Folks in Dubai, a small Middle East nation, have White Weekend, a two-day shopping festival. India's big shopping days are in October, prior to its annual Festival. Russia’s version of the USA's is in January.

Boxing Day, Dec. 26, isn’t about prize fighting From about 1830, wealthy British householders, to display their magnanimity, a day after Christmas, gave servants and tradesmen gifts in a package that came to be called a “Christmas box.” Thus, the day got called Boxing Day.

Dec. 26 also is St. Stephen’s Day, Wren’s Day & Xmas #2 Almost forgotten is: folks used to celebrate St. Stephen's Day on Dec. 26. Some still do. It’s a Catholic religious holiday in Italy, Finland, and parts of . In , it is both St. Stephen's Day and the Day of the Wren or Wren's Day. In , which is in the U.K., it is also Boxing Day. It is a sort-of second Christmas Day in: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. In South Africa, it is called the Day of Goodwill.

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Continued from page two. mainly arrived not Dec. 6, but Dec. 24. In the USA, he’s best known as . The real Saint Nicholas was a bishop in , a Byzantine Greek town of the Roman Empire and now mostly ancient ruins 334 miles (538 kilometers) from Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) in a part of Turkey on the Mediterranean Sea. Dec. 6-14 – Chanukah or Hanukkah: Minor holiday in Israel. Major Jewish holiday in USA, thanks largely to a few 19th Century rabbis in Cincinnati. Starting at sundown Sun. Dec. 6 and ending sundown Mon. Dec. 14, an eight days celebration. Dec. 8 – Bodhi Day or Buddhist Day of Enlightenment recalls when the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree between 563 and 483 B.C. Dec. 8 – Immaculate Conception Day, when Roman Catholics honor Mary, mother of Jesus, being born without Original Sin everyone is said to inherit from Adam & Eve. Until 1854, it was known simply as Mary’s Conception Day. Many Christians still call it that. Dec. 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic holy day. Spanish conquerors of Mexico in 1520 destroyed a temple of the Aztec mother-goddess Tonantzin. In its place they built a chapel honoring the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. In 1531, a “Lady from Heaven” aka “Mother of the True God” is said to have appeared there. Some believe Mary and Tonantzin are identical. In 1622, a shrine was built there, and in 1709 a basilica. Except for St. Peter’s in the Vatican City at Rome, the Guadalupe cathedral is arguably the world’s most visited Catholic church. Dec. 12 – 18th annual Running of the Santas: On this day, 5,000 or more guys and gals in Santa Claus suits jog from tavern to tavern in Philadelphia. Poor imitators of this pub crawl have popped up in Chicago and New Orleans. Dec. 13 – St. Lucia Day is when Swedish households welcome “St. Lucy,” a teenage girl crowned by seven lit candles while carrying a tray of hot beverage and Lucia buns. Dec. 16-24 – Posadas Navidenas is nine days of Latino celebrations up to Noche Buena, aka Christmas Eve, which in Mexico is very special, while Christmas Day less so. Some Mexican American kids get gifts from The Holy Child on Dec. 24 or Jan. 6. Dec. 17-24 – Saturnalia: Ancient Roman festival honoring the god Saturn. Dec. 21-25 – Pancha Ganapati is a 5-day Hindu festival honoring Ganesha, deity of the arts, culture, and overcoming obstacles. In the USA, it’s child oriented, resembling Christmas. Ganesha often is depicted with a human-like body, four arms, and a nose like an elephant’s trunk. Dec. 21 or 22 – or Yule is the shortest day of the year and when winter officially begins. Date depends on location. It’s a Wiccan holiday. Dec. 21 – St. Thomas the Apostle Day for many years, but now switched to July 3. On this date, in olden days, unmarried females would step onto a stool to get into bed, throw her shoes toward a door so that they pointed outward, and then sleep with her head at the foot of the bed, with the expectation she would see her future husband in a dream. Dec. 23 – is a phony holiday made popular by a Seinfeld comedy TV show episode. Dec 24, 2015 – Prophet Muhammad’s birthday for Sunni Muslims. It’s five days later for Shia Muslims. In Indonesia and Malaysia it’s a big holiday. Some Muslims virtually ignore it. Dec 24 – On this day, George Washington’s birthday is “observed” as a legal holiday in Georgia and Indiana, during which all nonessential government offices are closed. That’s Georgia the state; not Georgia the country that’s a neighbor of Russia and Turkey. Continued on next page.

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Continued from previous page. Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve: After dark, many Filipinos attend Panunulúyan, during which a couple portraying a wary Joseph and pregnant Mary go from house to house seeking lodging, each time being told there is no room for them there, that the place already is filled with other travelers. Then, the couple walks to a church where a manger in a stable scene awaits. Here the birth of Jesus is celebrated at . Dec. 25 – Feast of the Nativity, better known as Christmas. Dec. 26 – $$$ Boxing Day $$$ in Australia, Canada, U.K., Hong Kong, etc., isn’t about prize fighting. It resembles Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the USA, a big shopping day. Where it’s officially celebrated, banks, schools, government offices, etc., are closed. Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 – Kwanzaa honors African culture and traditions. Invented in 1966 in Long Beach, Calif., its name comes from the Swahili word kwanza, meaning “time of first harvest.” Dec. 26 – Zarathosht Diso honors the Zoroastrian prophet Zarathush. “Wise men” who visited Jesus at likely were followers of Zoroaster, an ancient Persian religion. When the religion originated isn’t certain, but it is thought to have been between 600 B.C. and 1800 B.C. Greek historian Plutarch supposed maybe 6000 B.C. is said to have as many as 2.6-million followers worldwide, about 12,000 in the USA and maybe 7,000 in Canada.. Dec. 26 – Saint Stephen's Day or Feast of Stephen. Eastern Orthodox celebrate it Dec. 27. ♫ Good King Wenceslas ♫ is a popular carol about a king who gives alms to poor peasants on the Feast of Stephen. It's a public holiday in: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden and Poland. In Ireland, it’s called “Wren’s Day” in connection with tales about Jesus and wren birds. Dec. 26 – Proclamation Day in South Australia. It’s their 4th of July. Dec. 27 –Feast of the Holy Family is a Roman Catholic holy day honoring Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Not much is said in the official Gospels about this family. A few novels describe Jesus childhood, notably Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice, Hidden Stories of the Childhood of Jesus by Glenn Kimball, and The Childhood of Jesus Christ by Henry van Dyke. A novel titled The Childhood of Jesus by J. M. Coetzee is a fraud. It says nothing about Jesus as a boy. Dec. 28 – Holy Innocents Day or Childermas Day is celebrated on this day. Eastern Orthodox celebrate it Dec 29. It recalls when Judea’s King Herod, having heard a possible claimant to his throne had been born in Bethlehem, ordered his soldiers to kill all its children up to age 2. Dec. 28 – Día de las Máscaras or Festival of the Masks has been celebrated by Puerto Ricans since 1823, with King Herod’s soldiers not killing children, but riding around on chariots doing funny things. Pranks are played on this day in some Mexican and Puerto Rican towns. Dec 29 – Prophet Muhammad’s birthday for Shia Muslims, but Dec. 24 for Sunni Muslims. Dec. 31 – New Year's Eve. Like and St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a big boozing time. Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day: From 1568, Roman Catholics were obligated to attend mass on this day to recall the Circumcision of Jesus. In 1960, its theme changed to the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. However, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran church services on this day continue to emphasize Jesus’ Jewish circumcision ceremony, at which time he officially was named, akin to Christians formally naming a child during a baptism ceremony. Jan. 1 – St. Basil's Day at Orthodox churches. Greek children get gifts on this day. Jan. 5 – is deadline for removing Xmas decorations. Superstition holds that any remaining afterward invites something bad happening. It’s also a Shakespeare play’s name. Continued on next page.

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Continued from previous page. Jan. 6 – or Three Kings Day or recalls the Magi visiting the Christ child at Bethlehem. They often are called “the 3 Wise Men” or “the Three Kings.” Gifts are given this day in many Puerto Rican homes. Protestant churches hold Epiphany services on this day, which in 2016 is a Wednesday. Eastern Orthodox churches on this day recall the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Some Eastern churches recognize Jan.19 as Epiphany. Jan. 10 – Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is theme of Catholic Sunday mass this day. Jan. 14 – First day of New Year on Julian calendar, replaced by Gregorian calendar in 1752. Jan. 14 – First day of Pongal, a 4-day Hindu harvest festival. Jan. 15 – Robert E. Lee-Stonewall Jackson Day in Virginia. Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King Day is on a Monday this year, making a 3-day weekend. Jan. 18 – Robert E. Lee’s birthday, legal holiday in , Arkansas and Mississippi. Jan. 19 – Confederate in Texas. Georgia has renamed its April 27 simply “state holiday.” Jan. 24-- First day of Buddhist Mahayana New Year 2559 and year’s first full moon. Mahayana Buddhists mainly are in: China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Tibet and Vietnam. Theravada Buddhists in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand begin their new year in April of our calendar. Feb. 1 -- , a Pagan holiday, midpoint between winter and spring, celebrates solar energy and its impact on farm crops. In Ireland, it’s Saint Brigid’s Day. Some say that on Imbolc Eve, she visits the homes of good people and blesses them while they sleep. Feb. 2. – Day, 40 days after Christmas, recalls Jesus being taken to the temple at Jerusalem by Mary, his mother, for his presentation to priests there and her participation in a traditional Jewish purification ceremony. Candles for church use are blessed on this day. Feb. 2 – : An old English poem goes: “If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another fight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again.” German emigrant farmers in Pennsylvania later decided if a local groundhog sees its shadow on this day, winter will persist for another six weeks. This myth still persists. Feb 3 – St. Blaise Day, when Catholics get throat blessed, and in Paraguay, churchgoers parade and attend a pretend bullfight. Flowers, ribbons and money are tied onto the bull’s tail. Feb. 4 – Day in California and . 7 – Superbowl 50 Sunday, when National Football League top football teams clash at Levi Stadium, near San Jose, Calif. NOTICE: It’s 50 this time, not Roman numeral LXXI. Feb. 8, 2016 – First day of 4713 (Year of the Monkey). Buddha is said to have gathered a dozen animals on New Year's Day and dedicated to each a year. To wit: a dog, goat, pig (boar), rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, and rooster. It's said that a human born during a year named for one of these animals will share some of that animal’s traits. Also calling this the first day of the new year are: Brunei, Formosa (Taiwan), Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Feb. 15 – Daisy Gaston Bates Day and Washington's Birthday celebrated in Arkansas. Bates was an activist who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Feb. 15 – Presidents Day – Abe Lincoln was born Feb. 12; George Washington Feb. 22.

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