Neddy's Palaver

What We Never Learned About the Thanksgiving Holiday

Most Americans, including Southerners, have been taught that it was the New England Pilgrim’s non-religious Thanksgiving Feast that was the very first Thanksgiving in our New World. However they forget that the Spaniards in what is now Florida probably held religious Thanksgiving services, and … long before any Europeans, including Spaniards, set foot in the Americas, the native peoples celebrated harvest festivals with dances and rituals, such as the Cherokees’ Green Corn Dance.

The first documented European Thanksgiving service held in North America happened on May 27th, 1578, in Newfoundland. Later, a Thanksgiving service was probably conducted by British Europeans in New England, the Popham Colony of what is now Maine, in 1607, and that same year there was the documented Thanksgiving at Jamestown in Virginia. The Jamestown colonists gave thanks for their safe arrival, and held another Thanksgiving service in 1610, after the arrival of a long-awaited supply ship. Virginia settlers at Berkley Hundred were required by their charter to celebrate a yearly Thanksgiving service observing the day of their first arrival, which they did until an Indian uprising wiped out most of the Virginia colony. All of these Thanksgiving services in America were held years before the three day Thanksgiving celebrations of feasting, gaming and drinking, in 1621 and 1623, held by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts. It was the June 30th, 1623 religious and social festival of the Pilgrims which seems to have been the origin of today’s Thanksgiving Day.

After the Revolutionary War, in 1789, Elias Boudinot, a Massachusetts solon, moved that a day of Thanksgiving be held to thank God for giving the American people the opportunity to create a Constitution to preserve their hard won freedoms. The motion was approved by Congress and on October 3, 1789, the President George Washington proclaimed that the people of the United States observe “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer” on Thursday, the 26th of November.

(Reference: Encylopedia Smithsonian)

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
~Ephesians 6:4

When I am:

• Four years old: My daddy can do anything.
• Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.
• Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.
• Eight years old: My dad doesn’t know exactly everything.
• Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.
• Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn’t know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
• Fourteen years old: Don’t pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.
• Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he’s hopelessly out of date.
• Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
• Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he’s had a lot of experience.
• Thirty-five years old: I’m not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.
• Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.
• Fifty years old: I’d give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn’t appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.

Father’s Day Web Sites
What’s a Dad
Annie’s Fathers’ Day Page
Happy Father’s Day by Charlene
Dazzle Lady’s Father’s Day
Jess Cannon’s Home Page
Cyber Grandma’s Happy Father’s Day

He died on a Friday, but He danced on the following Sabbath.
He was “The Lord of the Dance.” ~ VOCAL mp3 sample

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame,
The holy people said it was a shame,
So they whipped, and they stripped, and they hung Me high,
And they left Me there on the cross to die

I danced on a Friday, when the sky turned black,
It’s hard to dance with the Devil on your back,
Oh they buried My body, and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the dance and the dance goes on.

They cut Me down, but I lept on high,
I am the light that will never, never die,
But I’ll live in you if you’ll live in Me,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.

~~from “Lord of the Dance” by Sydney Carter

On the fourteenth day of February, half way through the second month of the year, the birds of the fields begin the choosing of their mates who will help them feather their nests and raise their brood. This yearly event went not unnoticed by ancient humans who came to celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day in emulation of the ways of the birds.

The fowl of the air continue to reveal sweet mysteries of life for humans of the female gender on Valentine’s Day. The young woman who spies a robin redbreast flying o’er head on Valentine’s Day, will marry a sailor. A young woman who first sees a lowly sparrow, is prophesied to marry a pauper who will spend his life making her happy. And the fortunate young girl who spots a goldfinch on Valentine’s Day, will marry a rich man.

Bring down the holly, the mistletoe and the sparkling lights - Christmas is officially over, proclaims Neddy.

Today, the Day of Epiphany, marks the official end of the Christian tradition of “Twelve Days of Christmas”. The celebration of Christ’s life begins with Christmas day, December 25th, and ends on Epiphany, January 6th. The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation in Greek and refers to God manifesting or revealing himself to mankind by coming to earth as a physical being in the person of Jesus. The tradition has come down from the centuries that Christmas, marks the birth of the baby Jesus, and Epiphany, the twelfth day, recognizes the coming of the “wise men” from the East to witness that miraculous birth.

The twelve days between the two special Christian holidays are days of joyous celebration. January 6th, the twelfth day, marks the end of Christmas, and in our modern times it is when we remove all Christmas decorations to their storage boxes and the new year begins in earnest.

Although Christmas and Epiphany are festivals of Christiandom, all the world can celebrate their significance - that the God of the universe loves each and every one of his children.

There Are Twelve Days of Christmas

Today is Eve of Epiphany. In our modern time’s hustle and bustle, Old Christmas Eve, as it is also known, is a forgotten day, a lost celebration of old Europe and the middle ages. On this night, God’s Holy Spirit reveals Himself upon the earth to those of faith. Late at night, across the world, cattle and sheep in dark barns and fields, can be heard praying in their animal languages. One must listen very quietly to hear them as they celebrate the witnessing of the animals of so very long ago to the visitation of the Magi.

"When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." ~~Matthew 2: 9-11

Old Christmas Eve

Pepys’ Diary ~ 6 January 1659/60

Rodanthe Celebration

Grandpa’s Birthday

Some Children See Him ~~by Alfred Burt

Some children see Him lily white
the infant Jesus born this night
Some children see Him lily white
with tresses soft and fair.

Some children see Him bronzed and brown
the Lord of heav’n to earth come down
Some children see Him bronzed and brown
with dark and heavy hair (with dark and heavy hair!)

Some children see Him almond-eyed
This Saviour whom we kneel beside
Some children see Him almond-eyed
With skin of yellow hue!

Some children see Him dark as they
Sweet Mary’s Son to whom we pray
Some children see Him dark as they
And, ah! they love Him so!

The children in each different place
Will see the Baby Jesus’ face
Like theirs but bright with heav’nly grace
And filled with holy light!

O lay aside each earthly thing
and with thy heart as offering
Come worship now the infant King
’tis love that’s born tonight!

’tis love that’s born tonight!

~~Matthew 2: 9-11 Listen to the Christmas Story, as recorded by Saint Matthew, according to the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

A Neddy Christmas

Old Christmas Eve :: January :: 2006

Today, the Eve of Epiphany, was Old Christmas Eve to the pioneer mountain folk of Appalachia. On this night they knew the Holy Spirit to be abroad in the …

The Boar’s Head

Dan Snyder - the ‘Grinch who Stole Washington’s Christmas‘ and destroyed its classical music. (Daniel Snyder, on left with Coach Joe Gibbs, from ExecutiveBiz)

Every year, from Thanksgiving until after New Year’s, Washington’s classical radio station, WGMS FM has been offering incredibly lovely Christmas music. It is available on the Internet too.

Now comes the sad news that our wonderful station is being turned into a Sports-News broadcast by its soon to be new owner, Daniel Snyder. WGMS has got to be the best classical radio station in all of America. How can this come to pass? Why does Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, want to be forevermore known as the ‘Grinch who Stole Washington’s Christmas’?

According to the present owners of WGMS-fm, Bonneville International Corporation, Mr. Snyder made an offer to them that they could not refuse. A Bonneville executive involved in the negotiations explained, “If someone wanted to buy your house and was willing to pay 50 percent more than it was worth, you’d do it.”

Almost 4% of Washington area residents listen to WGMS, and Bonneville claims that the station has been profitable, generating $9.7 million in advertising revenue in 2005. However, according to The Washington Post listeners are predominantly old and advertisers are seeking young people who do NOT listen to classical music. What a pity and why is that? It certainly hints at a failure of the educational system in the Washington DC area that youngsters growing up here are not taught an appreciation of beautiful music.

Yes, we can listen to classical cds, etc, but the enjoyment of hearing commentary from the exceptional broadcasters at Classical WGMS cannot be equaled. Because Dan Synder has accumulated more money than any one person could know how to handle, he has taken it upon himself to use that fortune to destroy the musical culture of his own community. (43)

These recipes are from Carolyn of “Angel Grace Notes.”

CHRISTMAS BROCCOLI (0- pts.) Steam 1 cup of broccoli and cauliflower until barely tender. Marinate in Walden Farms 0-pt. Italian dressing. Toss with thinly sliced red bell pepper. BEAUTIFUL AND DELICIOUS!!!

ITALIAN TORTELLINI SOUP — (A beautiful and delicious supper that refrigerates and makes GREAT LEFTOVERS for busy December days)
Makes eight 1 1/2 cup servings at 3 pts. each

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 large can stewed low-sodium)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup sliced zucchini
2 cups frozen cheese filled tortellini
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 medium green pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.

Saute onion and garlic until tender in olive oil. Add beef broth, water, tomatoes, carrots, seasonings and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in tortellini, zucchini and green pepper. Simmer an additional 30 minutes.