June/2009/
The recognition
of Father’s Day grew out of the celebration of
Mother’s Day. The first observance of Father’s
Day occurred on July 5, 1908 in West Virginia
(the same state that held the first Mother’s
Day) at the Central United Methodist Church in
Fairmont.
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May/2009/
The celebration
of Mother’s Day unofficially began in the early
1900s. Anna Jarvis was born outside the small
town of Grafton, W. Va., in 1864 to Granville
and Ann Marie Jarvis. As a child, young Anna
watched her mother volunteer for a number of
social causes to better their hometown. For
example, Anna’s Mom, Ann Marie, worked to
provide nursing care to Civil War veterans and
fought for better sanitation practices for her
community. Read
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December/2008/
During the
holiday season, many families decorate their
homes with a Moravian star. While these unique
multi-pointed stars are beautiful, they also
have a rich history. The star originated in the
German towns of Niesky and Kleinwalka in the
1830s. The stars were used as craft projects to
help demonstrate geometry lessons to young boys
attending Moravian school. Read
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November/2006/
Veterans Day
was established to honor servicemen (and now
service-women) who had enlisted or were drafted
into the armed forces. The day, however, was not
always called Veterans Day; its original name
was Armistice Day, and it was created following
World War I to honor those veterans who had
served in the “War to End All Wars.”
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December/2005/
The tradition
of bringing evergreen boughs and even whole
trees indoors during the Winter Solstice began
in Europe well before reliable written records.
These early indoor trees, however, were not
adorned with fanciful decorations. Relatively
modern Christmas tree traditions began in the
16th Century, with the Protestant reformer
Martin Luther being credited with first
decorating a small evergreen tree with candles.
These candles represented the stars in the sky
that twinkled over Bethlehem. Read
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