Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts

May 5, 2017

Seven Facts about May

No other month begins or ends on the same day of the week during the year as May.

The Empire State Building opened fоr аll оn Mау 1, 1931. Thіѕ 443 mеtеr tаll buіldіng hеld the hоnоr оf bеіng the tаllеѕt buіldіng оf USA until the Wоrld Trаdе Cеntеr claimed the glory. Hоwеvеr, after the WTC аttасk оn 9/11, this buіldіng (including antenna) is the tаllеѕt building оf Nеw York, аgаіn.

May celebrates mаnу days, bеgіnnіng wіth the Mау Dау оn the fіrѕt dау of Mау. Thіѕ іѕ also knоwn аѕ international workers' day, a celebration of laborers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labor movement, socialists, communists or anarchists, and occurs every year on May Day.

Mоthеr’ѕ Day іѕ celebrated on the second Sunday іn Mау. Memorial Day is сеlеbrаtеd on the lаѕt Monday іn Mау. Armеd Fоrсеѕ Dау іѕ the third Sunday іn Mау.


Nurses are heavily (and rightfully) honored during the month of May. There is National Nurses Day, May 6, National Student Nurse Day, May 8, and National School Nurse Day, Wednesday of National Nurse Week May 6 - 12. The American Nurses Association has designated 2017 as the "Year of the Healthy Nurse (ANA defines a healthy nurse as someone who actively focuses on creating and maintaining a balance and synergy of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, personal and professional well being.)

May 24, 2013

Wordology, Feriation

The act of observing a holiday and cessation from work is called feriation. Since Memorial Day is almost here, I want to share my feriation with each of you.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. It is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the US Armed Forces. Originally, it was known as Decoration Day to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. Now it has been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars.

Taps

Taps is widely played on Memorial Day and this music is a variation of an earlier bugle call known as the Scott Tattoo, which was used in the US from 1835 until 1860 and was arranged in its present form by Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield a Medal of Honor recipient. His bugler, Oliver Wilcox Norton, was the first to sound the new call. It was officially recognized by the United States Army in 1874.

The first notes in any bugle call tells the troops in a particular command to pay attention to it, and then tells them what to do, such as to go forward, stop and lie down, or, in this case to go to sleep. Taps also concludes many military funerals. Taps is played here LINK.

The term 'Taps' originates from the Dutch term taptoe, meaning close the beer taps and send the troops back to camp.

"Military tattoo" comes from the same origin. The original meaning of military tattoo was a military drum performance, but subsequently came to mean army displays. Drummers were sent out into the towns at 9:30PM each evening to inform the soldiers that it was time to return to barracks. Tattoo, tap-too, and taptoo are derived from the Dutch taptoe and have the same meaning.

May 22, 2013

Traditions

Many people put out flags for Memorial Day and many organizations play the national anthem, but did you ever wonder why men take off their hats for the song?

The origins are the same as the origins of the tradition of saluting. Knights, wearing helmets that covered their heads, would typically lift their visors to show their faces to their monarchs and others as a sign of friendliness and respect.

The traditions of using ones right hand for taking off the hat, saluting, and shaking hands also come from this. Most people are right handed and so, if your right hand is exposed and busy, it can’t contain a weapon.

It is the law in the United States for men to take their hat off during the national anthem and hold it over their heart, except those in the military typically, because the hat is a part of the military uniform. There is no penalty for failure to comply.

Old  records of etiquette state that women must be allowed to keep their hats on because when a woman takes off her hat, her hair and possibly more of her flesh will be exposed. This will cause the men around to think lustful thoughts and thus they will be unable to focus on contemplations of patriotism or in church, unable to fully give their attentions to learning about God. I doff my hat to etiquette.