Christian: Think you know Santa? Try St. Nicholas!

December 6, 2010 by

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6: If your home is among the millions of Santa Claus households—start today with the feast of St. Nicholas—the “real” Santa Claus!

Today, we’re recommending the world’s best website for exploring the stories, art, crafts, traditions and real-life religious expressions related to St. Nicholas: The online St. Nicholas Center, a nonprofit, ecumenical effort to link together all good things related to St. Nick.

All around the world, Christians and non-Christians alike will be remembering the saint with various ethnic rituals. Some children will be setting out their shoes in hopes of receiving candy and some households in the Netherlands will be “rained on” with candy from upstairs—a sure sign that “Sinterklaas” has come! Find out about distinctive celebrations around the world at the St. Nicholas site.

VALUES OF REAL ST. NICHOLAS AREN’T FAR FROM SANTA CLAUS

Surprisingly, the real St. Nick had a life quite similar to the rituals used to remember him. His story still appeals to the masses. (Here’s an in-depth version of that history.)

St. Nicholas was originally Nikolaos of Myra, born in modern-day Turkey in the 3rd century. While many saints were martyrs and remembered as such, St. Nicholas was a bishop who lived out an example of heroic virtue and died peacefully. He was known for providing dowries for girls who had none; saving young children in dangerous situations; giving gifts in secret; and professing Christ in times of persecution. (Wikipedia has details, too.) Centuries before the Roman Catholic Church began formalizing canonization procedures, St. Nick was hailed as a saint by people across the breadth of the Christian Church. (Check out a St. Nicholas timeline at St. Nicholas Center. You also can read about debates over St. Nicholas’ sainthood.) So many miracles have been attributed to his intercession through the centuries, in fact, that he has become known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker! In 1809, the New-York Historical Society retroactively named Santa Claus the patron saint of today’s New York City.

FAMILY CUSTOMS FOR GREETING ST. NICHOLAS A.K.A. SANTA CLAUS

According to Clement Moore, Christmas Eve is the time to hang stockings by the chimney with care—but according to European tradition, St. Nicholas Day is the time to leave out stockings and shoes in hopes of receiving candy and small gifts. European children often leave out a carrot and hay for St. Nicholas’ horse, too, just as American children leave out milk and cookies for Santa Claus. There are many Nicholas-related treats around the world, too! Here’s an index to online recipes, including “Dutch Bishop’s Wine” and cookies from Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Ukraine—oh, and bread recipies, too. Yum!

If your family is in search of a Christian way to celebrate St. Nicholas Day, try this tradition: Have an older male in the household dress up as St. Nicholas, and have him sit down with children, one by one, and invite them to examine their consciences. Intriguing? Children can also find games, coloring pages and more at St. Nicholas Center. Children will not only be rewarded for good behavior with treats and gifts from St. Nicholas, but they will begin preparing for Jesus’ birth in an age-appropriate way.

National Observance: It’s all about love on Adoption Day

November 19, 2010 by

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20: Family is all about love, and today, a special kind of love is celebrated—the love that binds families touched by adoption. Although the entire month of November is dedicated to honoring adoption, today is National Adoption Day. From coast to coast, adoptive families, friends, volunteers and supporters will spend time at adoption events, fundraisers and more. Since the year 2000, more than 30,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day! Interest in National Adoption Day has been growing rapidly, too, and what began as 17 adoption events in 2001 has grown to more than 345 events across America.

PBS POV Videos Encourage Adoption—Take a Look!

PBS Television recently broadcasted a four-part Adoption Series, and ever since, the network has been in search of viewers’ opinions of their own families. As part of a look at the “changing face of the American family,” PBS has allowed viewers to upload their own adoption videos to their website—and site visitors can vote for their favorites starting today! If you’re interested in this PBS Point of View (POV) contest, visit the PBS website.

As was pointed out in a recent article in the Guardian (access it here), one major aspect of the adoption process still stands out among the rest … you guessed it, it’s religion! As the article’s author describes his own experience with adoption, he shares how his own religion—Hinduism—halted several adoption chances, particularly because birth parents retain certain rights over their birth child’s future religious upbringing. Birth parents are typically allowed less input on their child’s future eating habits, study habits or way of life—but religion remains a major exception.

International Observance: Get spooky—it’s Halloween!

October 29, 2010 by

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31: Light up those jack-o’-lanterns and get your candy ready—it’s Halloween! (Wikipedia has details.) What began as a festival of the dead for the ancient Celts has transformed into today’s costume-clad, spooky secular holiday. So if you live in the United States, Canada, Ireland or the UK, it’s All Hallows’ Eve—and time to get haunting! (Halloween traditions are beginning to spread to other areas around the world, too. Read more at the American Folklife Center, part of the Library of Congress.)

Halloween actually began almost 2,000 years ago, in a somewhat chilling festival known as Samhain. (The History Channel’s interactive site has lots of Halloween fun facts.) The ancient Celts recognized the New Year as Nov. 1, and so the day before—Oct. 31—marked the “death” of the harvest season and the beginning of a long, difficult winter season. Since death was such a dominant part of this festival, the pagan Celts held that the barriers between the world of the dead and the world of the living were open tonight. So, rent a scary Halloween movie tonight! These ancient people believed that when the dead returned to the world of the living, the spirits would sometimes possess people and stir up trouble.

If you’re in the mood to dress up, that tradition also has ancient roots, too. It’s believed that some Celts would dress up in elaborate costumes to scare away the spirits of the dead on Oct. 31. (If you’re hosting a party, check out ideas at HGTV.com. And kids—get your ideas at Kaboose.com!)

This festival of the dead began to change when Christian missionaries arrived in the towns of the Celts, and in attempts to change Samhain practice, the missionaries began spreading word of a following “redeeming” day on Nov. 1. The Feast of All Saints continues to be marked by the Western Christian Church; if pagans wanted to honor the spirits of the dead, the Christian missionaries would continue that practice—only now, through a more holy day that honored the souls of the faithful departed. (If you’re a Catholic and wondering how to view demons, psychics, ghosts and more, learn more at AmericanCatholic.com or FishEaters.com.)

Not all Christians believe that Halloween should be celebrated at all—but among those who do, some are encouraging their towns to move the festivities to Oct. 30 this year! In towns like Benton and Bryant, both in Arkansas, Halloween celebrations are being moved to Saturday so as not to interfere with church attendance on Sunday. It’s a good thing that these towns aren’t eliminating Halloween events altogether. Many local businesses depend on it. According to the National Retail Federation, it’s expected that consumers will spend around $5.8 billion on Halloween-related items. (TheStreet has more.) If it’s the recession you’re worried about, don’t be spooked by that, either—Halloween spending has increased by almost 1 billion from last year.

Finally: If you’re interested in making this Halloween a “green” one in more than one way, check out an article from the Miami Herald on having an environmentally friendly Halloween.

Anniversary: Protests Rise On Mother Teresa’s Centennial

August 26, 2010 by

President Reagan honored Mother Teresa with the Medal of Freedom in 1985THURSDAY, AUGUST 26: Today we honor a Nobel Peace Prize winner, beatified Catholic nun and a woman who, through actions and deeds, reached across nations and faiths—Mother Teresa. Arguably among the most humble and influential people of our time, Mother Teresa’s 100th birth anniversary is being celebrated today. (Wikipedia has details on her life, as does American Catholic.) In addition to her life’s works, Mother Teresa is known by millions for her wise and universally-applicable quotes, one in particular being on her take on holiness:

“Holiness is not the luxury of a few. It is everyone’s duty: yours and mine.”

Apparently, this woman believed in everyone.

Officially a Catholic nun, Mother Teresa was born Aug. 26, 1910, in Yugoslavia, of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship. (Mother Teresa is being honored in several Indian newspapers today, including The Hindu.) By the time she was 40, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in India, and she serviced the downtrodden in society—the ill, poor and orphaned—for more than 45 years of her life. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (the Nobel Prize website holds her biography); one year later, India honored her with its highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. When Mother Teresa died in 1997, her charity was active in 123 countries; after her death, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II. Mother Teresa needs just one more proven miracle before she can earn canonization in the Catholic Church. (USA Today features an article that questions her possible sainthood.)

Like many faith leaders, Mother Teresa was born into a family of few needs—it wasn’t until her father’s untimely death that the family initially began to see difficult times. A few years later, at 18, Mother Teresa began considering a life in service to God, as her fascination with missions grew. With a great desire to serve like those she read about, Mother Teresa began her own mission. In contrast to many saints of the Church, however, Mother Teresa was known for having spiritual doubts when she saw lepers, starving orphans, death and less-than-humane living conditions during her missions. Some argue that her perseverance through doubt makes Mother Teresa an even greater figure; others question her faith.

Arguments over Mother Teresa’s influence will heat up today and tonight in New York, as protesters rally against the decision to not light the Empire State Building in honor of the nun’s centennial. (The New York Times has an article.) It’s expected that several thousand protesters will line 34th Street between 6 and 7:30 p.m.; William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religions Rights, has been organizing the protest since June. If granted their wish, protesters will see the building lit in blue and white tonight.

(By ReadTheSpirit columnist Stephanie Fenton)

(NOTE: To see more short articles about upcoming holidays, festivals and anniversaries, click the “RTS Magazines” tab at the top of this page and select “Religious Holidays.”)

Anniversary: 50 Years Separate Echo and iPad Apps

August 11, 2010 by

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12: If you’ve ever wondered where the technology for GPS, satellite radio and the iPad all began, look into a little something known as Echo; it was just 50 years ago, today, that NASA launched Echo, its first communications satellite. Although Sputnik 1 functioned as the first artificial satellite, Project Echo was NASA’s first passive communications satellite experiment. (NASA and Wikipedia have details.) The translation? Project Echo was a balloon satellite that reflected telephone, radio and television signals, and bounced the signals between different points on Earth. Echo 1 burned up in 1968, but it nevertheless made a deep imprint on communications history.

Is religion involved here too, though, you ask? You bet.

Ironically, the suggestion for geostationary satellites as ideal telecommunications relays began with a science fiction author and inventor. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, author of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” published his idea in writing in the October 1945 edition of “Wireless World.” (Wikipedia has more, as does the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.) Themes of religion and spirituality are abundant in Clarke’s writing, although his personal feelings toward the subject varied during his lifetime. Clarke’s indecisive religious views didn’t affect the future use of his technological idea by churches, though! Today, iPhone apps are well-versed in religion and faith: Catholics can pray a digital rosary, Muslims can calculate the times for their five daily prayers, Jews can email prayers to Jerusalem and have them placed into cracks in the Western Wall and Buddhists can shake their phones to spin a prayer wheel.

The uses of communications satellites for religion don’t stop with apps, though: GPS users can find a nearest house of worship or even a kosher restaurant. Churchgoers who live in remote areas can save a drive and “attend” Mass by viewing a podcast. (Reuters recently published a related article.)

(By ReadTheSpirit columnist Stephanie Fenton)

(NOTE: To see more short articles about upcoming holidays, festivals and anniversaries, click the “RTS Magazines” tab at the top of this page and select “Religious Holidays.”)

Anniversary: What’s Up, Doc? Bugs Bunny Turns 70!

July 27, 2010 by

TUESDAY, JULY 27: “Eh … what’s up, Doc?” Recall all of those famous catchphrases as the infamous bunny named Bugs celebrates his 70th birthday! This week in 1940 the first official Bugs Bunny—in his full form—debuted in a cartoon called “A Wild Hare.” Bugs even used his famous aforementioned catchphrase in his first cartoon! (Wikipedia has details.) Although the bunny had previously appeared in various cartoons a few years prior, it was in 1940 that he came out of his rabbit hole, voiced his opinions and began revealing his ever-so-mischievous personality.

The famous bunny began his life as a wild hare—just as the original cartoon title suggests—but slowly began maturing and settling down. In fact, his name was originally displayed in quotes, as in “Bugs” Bunny, since the word “bugs” was often used as a nickname for people who were crazy or loopy. Although he was full of mischief, Bugs was rarely malicious; in all but one or two cases, the bunny acted against villains only in self-defense. Years later, this Warner Bros. Studios mascot earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Play Bugs Bunny games and much more on this Looney Tunes website.)

Rabbits have played an important role in various cultures and religions long before Bugs Bunny made his impact on America, though. Ancient pagans viewed rabbits as symbols of spring fertility, and the rabbit was central to their elaborate spring festival. Even the three Abrahamic religions have ties with rabbits, although the ties are also linked with controversy. In both the Bible and Quran, the Lord instructed Moses and Aaron not to eat animals that both chewed cud (cud is food that had been previously and partially digested) and did not have a split hoof, completely divided. As stated, these animals included the camel, the rock badger and the hare, or rabbit. (Read various biblical translations here.) Some commentators say the Bible simply is inaccurate here—rabbits do not chew cud. Other scholars argue that Moses looked at the hare and assumed it chewed cud, based on its peculiar chewing habits.

(By ReadTheSpirit columnist Stephanie Fenton)

(NOTE: To see more short articles about upcoming holidays, festivals and anniversaries, click the “RTS Magazines” tab at the top of this page and select “Religious Holidays.”)

Anniversary: Bicentennial of P.T. Barnum, His Hoaxes, Humbug … and Let’s Fix His Most Famous ‘Quote’?

July 4, 2010 by

MONDAY, JULY 5: “There’s a sucker born every minute!” As we celebrate P.T. Barnum’s bicentennial today, we recall that acid remark as Barnum’s most enduring slogan, right? Well, think again! Check out Wikipedia’s exploration of the famous Barnum quote and make your own judgment. (If you’re skeptical of Wikipedia, here’s another historical site making the same argument that PT did not utter his most famous “quote”!)

In fact, rather than remembering Barnum as the ultimate con man, we might remember him as the ultimate in social-network marketing! In the era before Google Trends and Nielsen web tracking, Barnum had his pulse on the American psyche. His shows were more than hokum—especially his triumphant tour of the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind in 1850. In an era before radio, Jenny Lind’s tour likely was the first world-class operatic voice many Americans had ever heard.

It’s not hard to connect the dots from Barnum to 20th century American religious trends is it? From tent revivals by faith healers to the zenith of the televangelists—and even into principles of megachurch marketing today—American religious entrepreneurs owe a huge debt to Barnum.

Barnum was a devoted Christian who carried the Bible with him everywhere and read it from cover to cover several times. He credited Christianity for the “most serene happiness” of his life. At the end of the 19th century, his autobiography “The Life of P.T. Barnum,” sold more copies than any other book, second only to the New Testament! His publicity skills were to thank for that, of course.

His hometown of Bethel, Conn., is throwing a 200th birthday party for him today. Check out this coverage in a local online newspaper.

The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Conn., also is celebrating his bicentennial.

It’s true that Barnum’s promotions used some unfortunate stereotypes of ethnic diversity, including “cannibals” he exhibited, for example. But Barnum was born 200 years ago in a far different America. Email us, please, if you’ve got thoughts about the great showman’s legacy at [email protected]

If We Toss Out “There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute,”
Here Are REAL Quotes from Phineas Taylor Barnum

Without promotion, something terrible happens—nothing!

The foundation of success in life is good health.

I believe this world is in great measure what we choose to make it.

Every crowd has a silver lining.

AND, FOR HIS BIRTHDAY, here’s P.T. Barnum describing his own birth 200 years ago: My first appearance upon this stage was on the 5th day of July, Anno Domini 1810. Independence Day had gone by, the cannons had ceased to thunder forth their remembrances of our National Anniversary, the smoke had all cleared away, the drums had finished their rattle, and when peace and quiet were restored, I made my debut.

(By ReadTheSpirit columnist Stephanie Fenton)

(NOTE: To see more short articles about upcoming holidays, festivals and anniversaries, click the “RTS Magazines” tab at the top of this page and select “Religious Holidays.”)