Our April 6 meeting will include a Board Meeting at 1 pm with the General Club meeting to follow at 2 pm in the St. Martin Library.
The winner is ... Click on this link to see the results of the exhibit judging for GULFPEX 2019
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It's official --- GULFPEX 2020
will be April 17-18, Friday-Saturday. Put this on your calendar NOW. |
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Mission and Vision of the National Women's Council
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The mission of the National Women's council is to promote economic, political, and workplace equality.
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The vision of the National Women's Council is to be the premier organization for women's equality.
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The goals of the National Women's Council is to advocate, empower, and educate.
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Prominent Mississippi Women On Stamps
Activist and writer Ida B. Wells-Barnett first became prominent in the 1890s because she brought international attention to the lynching of African Americans in the South. Wells was born a slave in Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1862. At the age of 16, she became primary caregiver to her six brothers and sisters when both of her parents succumbed to yellow fever. Incensed by the murder of some friends, Wells launched an extensive investigation of lynching. In 1892, she published a pamphlet, “Southern Horrors,” which detailed her findings. Through her lectures and books such as A Red Record (1895), Wells countered the “rape myth” used by lynch mobs to justify the murder of African Americans. Through her research she found that lynch victims had challenged white authority or had successfully competed with whites in business or politics. As a result of her outspokenness, a mob destroyed the offices of the Free Speech and threatened to kill Wells. (Commemorative stamp issued February 1, 1990)
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Fannie Lou Hamer was born in 1917, the 20th child of Lou Ella and James Lee Townsend, sharecroppers east of the Mississippi Delta. She first joined her family in the cotton fields at the age of six. Although she managed to complete several years of school, by adolescence she was picking hundreds of pounds of cotton a day. In the early 1940s she married Perry Hamer, known as Pap, and worked alongside him at W.D. Marlow’s plantation near Ruleville, in Sunflower County. Hamer’s ability to read and write earned her the job of timekeeper, a less physically demanding and more prestigious job within the sharecropping system.
Through 1962 and 1963, Hamer continued to work for desegregation and voter registration. She would also become involved in relief work, distributing donated food and clothes to the poorest Delta residents. Hamer had spent her entire life in poverty, and she understood that the fight for economic security was a crucial component of the Civil Rights movement. (Commemorative stamp issued February 21, 2009) |
Why March is National Women’s History Month
Local Celebrations
As recently as the 1970s, women’s history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration for 1978.
The week March 8th, International Women’s Day, was chosen as the focal point of the observance. The local Women’s History Week activities met with enthusiastic response, and dozens of schools planned special programs for Women’s History Week. Over one-hundred community women participated by doing special presentations in classrooms throughout the country and an annual “Real Woman” Essay Contest drew hundreds of entries. The finale for the week was a celebratory parade and program held in the center of downtown Santa Rosa, California.
Mobilizing a Movement
In 1979, Molly Murphy MacGregor, a member of our group, was invited to participate in The Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, which was chaired by noted historian, Gerda Lerner and attended by the national leaders of organizations for women and girls. When the participants learned about the success of the Sonoma County’s Women’s History Week celebration, they decided to initiate similar celebrations within their own organizations, communities, and school districts. They also agreed to support an effort to secure a “National Women’s History Week.”
Presidential and Congressional Support
The first steps toward success came in February 1980 when President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. In the same year, Representative Barbara Mikulski, who at the time was in the House of Representatives, and Senator Orrin Hatch co-sponsored a Congressional Resolution for National Women’s History Week 1981. This co-sponsorship demonstrated the wide-ranging political support for recognizing, honoring, and celebrating the achievements of American women.
A National Lobbying Effort
As word spread rapidly across the nation, state departments of education encouraged celebrations of National Women’s History Week as an effective means to achieving equity goals within classrooms. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, Alaska, and other states developed and distributed curriculum materials for all of their public schools. Organizations sponsored essay contests and other special programs in their local areas. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities were celebrating National Women’s History Week, supported and encouraged by resolutions from governors, city councils, school boards, and the U.S. Congress.
Each year, the dates of National Women’s History Week, (the week of March 8th) changed and every year a new lobbying effort was needed. Yearly, a national effort that included thousands of individuals and hundreds of educational and women’s organizations was spearheaded by the National Women’s History Alliance.
National Women’s History Month
By 1986, 14 states had already declared March as Women’s History Month. This momentum and state-by-state action was used as the rational to lobby Congress to declare the entire month of March 1987 as National Women’s History Month. In 1987, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity. A special Presidential Proclamation is issued every year which honors the extraordinary achievements of American women.
Presidential Message 1980
President Jimmy Carter’s Message to the nation designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week.
“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.
As Dr. Gerda Lerner has noted, “Women’s History is Women’s Right.” – It is an essential and indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.”
I ask my fellow Americans to recognize this heritage with appropriate activities during National Women’s History Week, March 2-8, 1980.
I urge libraries, schools, and community organizations to focus their observances on the leaders who struggled for equality – – Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, and Alice Paul.
Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people.
This goal can be achieved by ratifying the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that “Equality of Rights under the Law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”
By Molly Murphy MacGregor, Executive Director and Co-founder of the National Women’s History Alliance
National Women's History Alliance Calender for March. Click on Calendar for the link.
http://www.nwhp.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/
As recently as the 1970s, women’s history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration for 1978.
The week March 8th, International Women’s Day, was chosen as the focal point of the observance. The local Women’s History Week activities met with enthusiastic response, and dozens of schools planned special programs for Women’s History Week. Over one-hundred community women participated by doing special presentations in classrooms throughout the country and an annual “Real Woman” Essay Contest drew hundreds of entries. The finale for the week was a celebratory parade and program held in the center of downtown Santa Rosa, California.
Mobilizing a Movement
In 1979, Molly Murphy MacGregor, a member of our group, was invited to participate in The Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, which was chaired by noted historian, Gerda Lerner and attended by the national leaders of organizations for women and girls. When the participants learned about the success of the Sonoma County’s Women’s History Week celebration, they decided to initiate similar celebrations within their own organizations, communities, and school districts. They also agreed to support an effort to secure a “National Women’s History Week.”
Presidential and Congressional Support
The first steps toward success came in February 1980 when President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. In the same year, Representative Barbara Mikulski, who at the time was in the House of Representatives, and Senator Orrin Hatch co-sponsored a Congressional Resolution for National Women’s History Week 1981. This co-sponsorship demonstrated the wide-ranging political support for recognizing, honoring, and celebrating the achievements of American women.
A National Lobbying Effort
As word spread rapidly across the nation, state departments of education encouraged celebrations of National Women’s History Week as an effective means to achieving equity goals within classrooms. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, Alaska, and other states developed and distributed curriculum materials for all of their public schools. Organizations sponsored essay contests and other special programs in their local areas. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities were celebrating National Women’s History Week, supported and encouraged by resolutions from governors, city councils, school boards, and the U.S. Congress.
Each year, the dates of National Women’s History Week, (the week of March 8th) changed and every year a new lobbying effort was needed. Yearly, a national effort that included thousands of individuals and hundreds of educational and women’s organizations was spearheaded by the National Women’s History Alliance.
National Women’s History Month
By 1986, 14 states had already declared March as Women’s History Month. This momentum and state-by-state action was used as the rational to lobby Congress to declare the entire month of March 1987 as National Women’s History Month. In 1987, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity. A special Presidential Proclamation is issued every year which honors the extraordinary achievements of American women.
Presidential Message 1980
President Jimmy Carter’s Message to the nation designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week.
“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.
As Dr. Gerda Lerner has noted, “Women’s History is Women’s Right.” – It is an essential and indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.”
I ask my fellow Americans to recognize this heritage with appropriate activities during National Women’s History Week, March 2-8, 1980.
I urge libraries, schools, and community organizations to focus their observances on the leaders who struggled for equality – – Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, and Alice Paul.
Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people.
This goal can be achieved by ratifying the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that “Equality of Rights under the Law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”
By Molly Murphy MacGregor, Executive Director and Co-founder of the National Women’s History Alliance
National Women's History Alliance Calender for March. Click on Calendar for the link.
http://www.nwhp.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/
International Women's Day
International Women's Day, March 8, 2019, is sponsored worldwide by the United Nations. However, the UN did not originate this special celebration. The roots of this celebration goes back to the late 1800's and early 1900s. It grew from women's socialist movements and early women's trade union groups.
The first International Women's Day was held March 19, 1911. Women socialists and trade unions held an earlier Women's Day on the last Sunday in February, 1908. The event grew from there, and has been celebrated annually since. The focus is upon women workers, and advancing women's rights in the workforce, politics and society.
The first International Women's Day was held March 19, 1911. Women socialists and trade unions held an earlier Women's Day on the last Sunday in February, 1908. The event grew from there, and has been celebrated annually since. The focus is upon women workers, and advancing women's rights in the workforce, politics and society.
Daylight Saving Time:
Set your clocks AHEAD one hour at 2 am on March 10. (Do not lie to the preacher about missing his sermon because you forgot to set your clock!)
Set your clocks AHEAD one hour at 2 am on March 10. (Do not lie to the preacher about missing his sermon because you forgot to set your clock!)
Laissez les bons temps rouler
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Happy Mardis Gras! The phrase "let the good times roll" is most frequently heard during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, as it is a Cajun expression. Cajun French, or Louisiana regional French, is derived from the language of French settlers who colonized the Mississippi Delta area and intermarried with Cajun settlers. The language includes different grammatical structures and unique words not found in a more classic variety of French.
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However, the phrase "laissez les bons temps rouler" is not grammatically correct in French. If you were to say this phrase in France, you would most likely get the response "cela ne se dit pas," which means "that's not said here," because it is not a typical French saying.
Mardi Gras, also called Shrove Tuesday,or Fat Tuesday (for 2019 that will be March 5), in English, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three King's Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.
The first Mardi Gras parade held in New Orleans is recorded to have taken place in 1837. The tradition in New Orleans expanded to the point that it became synonymous with the city in popular perception, and embraced by residents of New Orleans beyond those of French or Catholic heritage. Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage, from Pensacola, Florida; Galveston, Texas; to Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana; and north to Natchez, Mississippi, have active Mardi Gras celebrations. In the rural Acadiana area, many Cajuns celebrate with the Courir de Mardi Gras, a tradition that dates to medieval celebrations in France.
"I think that I may say that an American has not seen the United States until he has seen Mardi Gras in New Orleans."
- Mark Twain, American writer (1835–1910)
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday occurs on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season. It occurs 40 days before the Christian celebration of Easter. Tradationally, most Catholics follow the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) who established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox. The spring vernal equinox in Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.A. is on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 4:58 pm CDT. However, the vernal equinox and the full moon are not determined by astronomical observation.
Easter is delayed by one week if the full moon is on Sunday, which decreases the chances of it falling on the same day as the Jewish Passover. The council’s ruling is contrary to the Quartodecimans, a group of Christians who celebrated Easter on the day of the full moon, 14 days into the month.
If this is not complex enough, you need to know Gregorian and Julian calendar dates for a truer picture.
What is a Cajun and what is a creole?
Cajuns are the French colonists who settled the Canadian maritime provinces (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) in the 1600s. The settlers named their region "Acadia," and were known as Acadians. In 1713, the British took over Canada and expected all settlers, including the Acadians, to defend the kingdom. The British demanded that the Acadians adopt the king's Protestant religion.
Over the next forty years, the Acadians' refusal to abdicate became a political and religious threat. The British government seized farms, burned villages, and expelled Acadian families. Families were separated as British soldiers loaded them onto ships with different destinations. Family members were shipped all over from New York to the West Indies. Some were sent down south to the Louisiana territories. Many Acadians found some acceptance in Louisiana, with its strong French background and Catholic heritage. Many family members were reunited there as they sought to locate one another.
It is here the Acadians eventually became known as "Cajuns." Cajuns developed their own distinct lifestyle in the swamps and surrounding areas of South Louisiana. Cajun contributions to New Orleans and Louisiana are immense, and have improved the quality of life we now enjoy.
Cajuns aren't Creole, and a Creole isn't a Cajun. Creoles as an ethnic group are harder to define than Cajuns. "Creole" can mean anything from individuals born in New Orleans with French and Spanish ancestry to those who descended from African/Caribbean/French/Spanish heritage.
Unlike many other ethnic groups in the United States, Creoles did not migrate from a native country. The term Creole was first used in the sixteenth century to identify descendants of French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers living in the West Indies and Latin America. There is general agreement that the term "Creole" derives from the Portuguese word crioulo, which means a slave born in the master's household. A single definition sufficed in the early days of European colonial expansion, but as Creole populations established divergent social, political, and economic identities, the term acquired different meanings.
In Louisiana, the term Creole came to represent children of black or racially mixed parents as well as children of French and Spanish descent with no racial mixing. Persons of French and Spanish descent in New Orleans and St. Louis began referring to themselves as Creoles after the Louisiana Purchase to set themselves apart from the Anglo-Americans who moved into the area.
Creole cooking is the distinguishing feature of Creole homes. It can be as subtle as Oysters Rockefeller, as fragrantly explicit as a jambalaya, or as down to earth as a dish of red beans and rice. A Creole meal is a celebration, not just a means of addressing hunger pangs.
Creoles in New Orleans have played an important part in the culture of the city. Creoles, like Cajuns, have contributed so much to New Orleans art, music and social life; without them, New Orleans wouldn't be the unique city it is today.
Mardi Gras, also called Shrove Tuesday,or Fat Tuesday (for 2019 that will be March 5), in English, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three King's Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.
The first Mardi Gras parade held in New Orleans is recorded to have taken place in 1837. The tradition in New Orleans expanded to the point that it became synonymous with the city in popular perception, and embraced by residents of New Orleans beyond those of French or Catholic heritage. Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage, from Pensacola, Florida; Galveston, Texas; to Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana; and north to Natchez, Mississippi, have active Mardi Gras celebrations. In the rural Acadiana area, many Cajuns celebrate with the Courir de Mardi Gras, a tradition that dates to medieval celebrations in France.
"I think that I may say that an American has not seen the United States until he has seen Mardi Gras in New Orleans."
- Mark Twain, American writer (1835–1910)
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday occurs on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season. It occurs 40 days before the Christian celebration of Easter. Tradationally, most Catholics follow the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) who established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox. The spring vernal equinox in Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.A. is on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 4:58 pm CDT. However, the vernal equinox and the full moon are not determined by astronomical observation.
Easter is delayed by one week if the full moon is on Sunday, which decreases the chances of it falling on the same day as the Jewish Passover. The council’s ruling is contrary to the Quartodecimans, a group of Christians who celebrated Easter on the day of the full moon, 14 days into the month.
If this is not complex enough, you need to know Gregorian and Julian calendar dates for a truer picture.
What is a Cajun and what is a creole?
Cajuns are the French colonists who settled the Canadian maritime provinces (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) in the 1600s. The settlers named their region "Acadia," and were known as Acadians. In 1713, the British took over Canada and expected all settlers, including the Acadians, to defend the kingdom. The British demanded that the Acadians adopt the king's Protestant religion.
Over the next forty years, the Acadians' refusal to abdicate became a political and religious threat. The British government seized farms, burned villages, and expelled Acadian families. Families were separated as British soldiers loaded them onto ships with different destinations. Family members were shipped all over from New York to the West Indies. Some were sent down south to the Louisiana territories. Many Acadians found some acceptance in Louisiana, with its strong French background and Catholic heritage. Many family members were reunited there as they sought to locate one another.
It is here the Acadians eventually became known as "Cajuns." Cajuns developed their own distinct lifestyle in the swamps and surrounding areas of South Louisiana. Cajun contributions to New Orleans and Louisiana are immense, and have improved the quality of life we now enjoy.
Cajuns aren't Creole, and a Creole isn't a Cajun. Creoles as an ethnic group are harder to define than Cajuns. "Creole" can mean anything from individuals born in New Orleans with French and Spanish ancestry to those who descended from African/Caribbean/French/Spanish heritage.
Unlike many other ethnic groups in the United States, Creoles did not migrate from a native country. The term Creole was first used in the sixteenth century to identify descendants of French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers living in the West Indies and Latin America. There is general agreement that the term "Creole" derives from the Portuguese word crioulo, which means a slave born in the master's household. A single definition sufficed in the early days of European colonial expansion, but as Creole populations established divergent social, political, and economic identities, the term acquired different meanings.
In Louisiana, the term Creole came to represent children of black or racially mixed parents as well as children of French and Spanish descent with no racial mixing. Persons of French and Spanish descent in New Orleans and St. Louis began referring to themselves as Creoles after the Louisiana Purchase to set themselves apart from the Anglo-Americans who moved into the area.
Creole cooking is the distinguishing feature of Creole homes. It can be as subtle as Oysters Rockefeller, as fragrantly explicit as a jambalaya, or as down to earth as a dish of red beans and rice. A Creole meal is a celebration, not just a means of addressing hunger pangs.
Creoles in New Orleans have played an important part in the culture of the city. Creoles, like Cajuns, have contributed so much to New Orleans art, music and social life; without them, New Orleans wouldn't be the unique city it is today.
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Purim Jewish Holiday |
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The jolly festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). Purim 2019 begins on Wednesday night, March 20, and continues through Thursday, March 21 (March 22 in Jerusalem). It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day,” as recorded in the Megillah (book of Esther).
The Persian Empire of the 4th century BCE extended over 127 lands, and all the Jews were its subjects. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he arranged a beauty pageant to find a new queen. A Jewish girl, Esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen, though she refused to divulge her nationality.
Meanwhile, the Jew-hating Haman was appointed prime minister of the empire. Mordechai, the leader of the Jews (and Esther’s cousin), defied the king’s orders and refused to bow to Haman. Haman was incensed, and he convinced the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all the Jews on the 13th of Adar, a date chosen by a lottery Haman made.
Mordechai galvanized all the Jews, convincing them to repent, fast and pray to G‑d. Meanwhile, Esther asked the king and Haman to join her for a feast. At a subsequent feast, Esther revealed to the king her Jewish identity. Haman was hanged, Mordechai was appointed prime minister in his stead, and a new decree was issued, granting the Jews the right to defend themselves against their enemies.
On the 13th of Adar, the Jews mobilized and killed many of their enemies. On the 14th of Adar, they rested and celebrated. In the capital city of Shushan, they took one more day to finish the job.
Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian. The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his diabolical scheme.
You can pronounce this name many ways. In Eastern tradition, it is called poo-REEM. Among Westerners, it is often called PUH-rim. Some Central-European communities even call it PEE-rim. (WARNING: Calling this holiday PYOO-rim—as English speakers are sometimes wont to do—is a surefire newbie cover-blower.)
Purim is a two day event beginning at sundown on the fourteenth day of Adar, (March 20, 2019), the twelve month of the Jewish calendar.
Every race and religion has their solemn and their festive holidays. Purim is the most festive of the Jewish Holidays. Children dress in costumes and people give gifts. Usually solemn synagogues are turned into festive arenas. Children shake noise makers called "Graggers".
The festive holiday centers around Queen Esther, King Ahasuerus (or Achashverosh), Mordecahi and Haman. The event took place in the Persian Empire in the fifth century, B.C. It is a celebration of a major victory against oppression of the Jews at that time.
(We use G-d or Gd because spelling out the entire thing is a form of taking the holy name in vain. I am always cognizant of it when I type it out, even in text)
https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/645309/jewish/What-Is-Purim.htm
(Chabad.org is a division of the Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center · Under the auspices of the Lubavitch World Headquarters. In everlasting memory of our founder, Rabbi Yosef Y. Kazen, pioneer of Torah, Judaism and Jewish information on the web. Dedicated by Moris and Lillian Tabacinic · In loving memory of Menachem Mendel and Shaindel Tabacinic )
The Persian Empire of the 4th century BCE extended over 127 lands, and all the Jews were its subjects. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he arranged a beauty pageant to find a new queen. A Jewish girl, Esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen, though she refused to divulge her nationality.
Meanwhile, the Jew-hating Haman was appointed prime minister of the empire. Mordechai, the leader of the Jews (and Esther’s cousin), defied the king’s orders and refused to bow to Haman. Haman was incensed, and he convinced the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all the Jews on the 13th of Adar, a date chosen by a lottery Haman made.
Mordechai galvanized all the Jews, convincing them to repent, fast and pray to G‑d. Meanwhile, Esther asked the king and Haman to join her for a feast. At a subsequent feast, Esther revealed to the king her Jewish identity. Haman was hanged, Mordechai was appointed prime minister in his stead, and a new decree was issued, granting the Jews the right to defend themselves against their enemies.
On the 13th of Adar, the Jews mobilized and killed many of their enemies. On the 14th of Adar, they rested and celebrated. In the capital city of Shushan, they took one more day to finish the job.
Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian. The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his diabolical scheme.
You can pronounce this name many ways. In Eastern tradition, it is called poo-REEM. Among Westerners, it is often called PUH-rim. Some Central-European communities even call it PEE-rim. (WARNING: Calling this holiday PYOO-rim—as English speakers are sometimes wont to do—is a surefire newbie cover-blower.)
Purim is a two day event beginning at sundown on the fourteenth day of Adar, (March 20, 2019), the twelve month of the Jewish calendar.
Every race and religion has their solemn and their festive holidays. Purim is the most festive of the Jewish Holidays. Children dress in costumes and people give gifts. Usually solemn synagogues are turned into festive arenas. Children shake noise makers called "Graggers".
The festive holiday centers around Queen Esther, King Ahasuerus (or Achashverosh), Mordecahi and Haman. The event took place in the Persian Empire in the fifth century, B.C. It is a celebration of a major victory against oppression of the Jews at that time.
(We use G-d or Gd because spelling out the entire thing is a form of taking the holy name in vain. I am always cognizant of it when I type it out, even in text)
https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/645309/jewish/What-Is-Purim.htm
(Chabad.org is a division of the Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center · Under the auspices of the Lubavitch World Headquarters. In everlasting memory of our founder, Rabbi Yosef Y. Kazen, pioneer of Torah, Judaism and Jewish information on the web. Dedicated by Moris and Lillian Tabacinic · In loving memory of Menachem Mendel and Shaindel Tabacinic )
April Circuit
- USA Transportation Series PNC Strips of 3
- Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
- Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
- Italian Colonies
- Libya
- USA Coils Line Pairs and PNC Strips of 5
- USA Coils Line Pairs and PNC Strips of 5
- World Wide Airmail
- USA Back of Book – Early Locals (Pony Express, Wells Fargo, Hussays)
- World Wide Airmail
- Australian States
- World Wide Airmails
- USA Back of Book – Officials, Special Delivery, Revenue, etc.
- USA Mint to 1940
- USA Mint – Interesting Eclectic Mix
Trivia question: What was the last year in which Hawaii issued its own stamps?
Just an interesting piece of useless information: In addition to being National Women's History Month, March is also National Celery Month. Love that stalk!!
March 7, 1945 -- U.S. troops invade Germany via Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen.
