Do Fish Drink Water?

by Bill McLain

  Venus, the Roman goddess of love, favored the rose above all other flowers. Because the color red represents strong feelings, the red rose is now a flower of love.

  Fine threads are woven together to make beautiful lace. Hundreds of years ago, women were required to be coy. If a woman saw a man that interested her, she would drop her lace handkerchief in the hopes he would pick it up, return it to her, and engage in conversation. People soon began to associate lace with romance. Even today, paper lace decorates candy boxes and valentine cards.

  Venus’ favorite birds were doves because they remain with the same mates for their entire lives. Doves have become Valentine’s Day symbols of loyalty and love.

  Where did the custom of kissing under the mistletoe originate? (We come in peace.)

  Mistletoe has long been associated with peace. However, no one completely agrees on the origin of kissing under the mistletoe.

  Ancient Romans believed that mistletoe had the magic power of peace. If opposing soldiers met under a mistletoe-covered tree, they would temporarily put down their weapons and declare peace for the day. In later times, in both England and Scandinavia, it was customary to hang mistletoe over doorways. Anyone who passed under supposedly came in peace and was greeted in a friendly manner, perhaps with a kiss. This probably accounts for the current custom of kissing under the mistletoe.

  There are many legends about mistletoe. One Scandinavian legend states that Loki, the god of destruction, killed Baldur, the god of peace, by shooting him with an arrow made from mistletoe. Other gods and goddesses were saddened by Baldur’s death and asked that his life be restored, which it was. In appreciation, his mother Frigga hung up the mistletoe and promised to kiss all who passed under it. Because of this, mistletoe became the symbol of both forgiveness and love.

  In England’s Victorian era, it became stylish to kiss under the mistletoe. Many homes used a “kissing bow” made of two loops decorated with apples, oranges, mistletoe, and other greenery.

  FACTOIDS

  It was once believed that mistletoe came from bird dung because it often appeared on branches covered with bird droppings. Because of this, the Anglo-Saxon words mistel for “dung” and toe for “twig” were combined to form mistletoe, which means “dung on a twig.”

  In certain parts of England, mistletoe is burned on the Twelfth Night. If not burned, the belief is that all who kissed under it will never get married.

  During the Middle Ages, mistletoe was hung from ceilings and over doors to ward off evil spirits and prevent witches from entering.

  The ancient Celts called mistletoe uile, which means “all healer.” They believed it could cure anything, including epilepsy. Modern science has shown that mistletoe contains the drug phoratoxin, used to improve blood circulation and slow the heart rate.

  There is an old superstition that if you place a twig of mistletoe under your pillow you will not have nightmares.

  Mistletoe is a partial parasite. Like a true parasite, it grows on trees and sends out roots that penetrate the tree and suck out the nutrients. However, it can also grow by itself just as any other plant.

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ancient Druids gathered mistletoe during the winter solstice. Because it had no roots in the earth, they believed it was of divine origin or was created by lightning. Druids also believed that the oak tree was sacred to the gods and mistletoe growing on an oak tree was especially magical.

  When gathering mistletoe, the Druid high priest would climb the tree to cut the mistletoe with a golden knife. The mistletoe was not allowed to touch the ground and was dropped into a white linen cloth. It was then taken to a temple and placed beneath the altar stone for three days. On the fourth day, the priests chopped the mistletoe into pieces and gave it to their followers. The priests kept the white berries to use in healing diseases.

  Because this solemn ceremony took place when we now celebrate Christmas, mistletoe eventually became associated with that holiday.

  What is the origin of celebrating New Year’s Eve? (Ringing out the old, ringing in the new, giants beware!)

  Celebrating the new year is probably the oldest holiday in the world. Virtually every culture from the beginning of time has had some custom to signify the coming of the new year.

  Over 4,000 years ago the ancient Babylonians celebrated the coming of the new year around the end of March. This is a logical time for the celebration because it is the time of year when spring begins and new crops are planted. Like us the Babylonians made New Year’s resolutions. However, rather than resolving to lose weight or quit smoking, their most popular resolution was to return farm equipment they had borrowed.

  During the Roman Empire, the calendar eventually went out of synchronization with the moon. To put things back in order, Caesar let one year last for 445 days. In 153 B.C. the Roman senate declared that January first would be the beginning of the new year. Although this arbitrary date has neither astronomical nor agricultural significance, today we still consider it to be the start of a new year.

  The Romans continued to celebrate the new year but the early church condemned the holiday as pagan and continued to oppose the festivities throughout the Middle Ages. As a result, the New Year’s Day holiday has only been celebrated by Western nations for the past 400 years.

  FACTOIDS

  Using a baby to signify the new year started in Greece around 600 B.C. The baby was carried in a basket to represent the rebirth of Dionysus, the god of fertility. The image of a baby with a New Year’s banner was brought to the United States by the Germans, who had used this symbol since the fourteenth century.

  To celebrate the new year in Tibet Buddhist monks create sculptures made from yak butter, some reaching as high as 30 feet.

  Many New Year’s traditions include pigs. For example, in Austria each new year starts with a dinner of roast suckling pig. In most parts of the world the pig symbolizes moving forward into the new year. A pig moves forward with its snout to the ground.

  In Crete nothing is thrown away on New Year’s Day, not even waste. It is believed that throwing something away that day will decrease the wealth of the family during the coming year.

  In most Muslim societies New Year’s Day is observed by wearing new clothes. In Southeast Asia birds and turtles are released for good luck during the coming year. In India, Hindus place shrines next to their beds so they will see beautiful objects when they open their eyes at the start of a new year.

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The Chinese celebrate the New Year holiday a month or so later than we do. There are 12 animals in Chinese astrology and each year is named after one of them. Thus, it might be the “year of the dragon” or the “year of the snake.” The cycle repeats every 12 years.

  Firecrackers are always associated with the Chinese New Year holiday, stemming from an ancient Chinese legend. This legend tells the story of a foul-smelling giant who lived on the western side of a village. If someone offended the giant, he would inflict malaria on them. One of the villagers suggested that they might scare the giant away if they created a great deal of noise. So the people of the village made a huge pile of bamboo stems and set them on fire. As the stems burned, they exploded and frightened the giant so badly that he ran away and never returned.

  So the next time you see firecrackers at the Chinese New Year celebration, you can be sure that no foul-smelling giants will be lurking nearby.

  How did the custom of trick-or-treating on Halloween begin? (Have you ever carved a face into a turnip?)

  There are a number of plausible theories about the origin of trick-or-treating. Most date back to around 800 B.C. when Britain was occupied by the Celts. At the end of summer, near our month of October, the Celts held a festival called Samhain, meaning “summer’s end.” To celebrate the festival, the Celts gave food offerings to the gods and often went from house to house asking for food donations to present to the gods. Younger Celts would ask residents for gifts of kindling to keep the Samhain bonfire burni
ng throughout the festival.

  Other authorities believe that in 370 B.C. the Celts, who were a farming people, had a “night of mischief” around the time of the Samhain festival. During that night, after a rendezvous at some predetermined spot, groups of boys would rush toward farmhouses, racing to see who would be first to open the kitchen door latch. The people in the house would hand them white bread or money as a levy through half-opened doors.

  Another theory is that during medieval times costumed celebrants would sing and dance as they paraded through the streets, stopping at each house to ask for drink and food to reward them for their performance.

  Whether the custom of trick-or-treating originated in 800 B.C. or in medieval times, it is certainly an ancient custom and one that shows no signs of disappearing today.

  FACTOIDS

  In the eighth century there were so many saints that there were not enough days in the year to give each saint a unique day. So Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel to honor all saints and in 837 Pope Gregory IV ordered that All Saints’ Day would be observed to honor all the saints. All Hallow Even was the evening before All Saints’ Day (hallow means “saint” or “holy” in Old English). All Saints’ Day was originally called “Hallowmas.” The name Hallow Even was eventually shortened to Hallowe’en and finally to Halloween.

  Halloween is usually celebrated only in North America. The customs built upon ancient Celtic traditions were brought to this country by Irish immigrants who left Ireland because of the potato famine.

  Because pumpkins never grew in Europe, the original jack-o’-lantern was a turnip. The turnip is a favorite vegetable among Europeans.

  Apples are also an ancient Halloween tradition. It was believed that if you peeled an apple in front of a mirror lit by candlelight you would see an image of your future spouse. The longer the unbroken peel, the longer your life was to be.

  Because the Celts had to rekindle their home fires from an ember taken from the Samhain bonfire, they had to walk home in the dark. Being afraid of evil spirits on this night, they dressed in costumes and carved grotesque faces in their ember holders to frighten the evil spirits. This is the origin of wearing frightening costumes on Halloween.

  In the fall, the migrating monarch butterflies return to Mexico. The ancient Aztecs and many Mexicans of today believe that each butterfly carries the spirit of a dead ancestor. These spirits are honored during “the Days of the Dead” (Los Dias de los Muertos), which are celebrated during Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day (October 31 through November 2).

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The term “jack-o’-lantern” is derived from an Irish folk tale prevalent in the eighteenth century. Jack tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree and then trapped the Devil in the tree’s branches by quickly carving the symbol of a cross in the trunk. It took a long time for the Devil to escape. When Jack died he was not allowed into heaven because of the mean and stingy life he had led. The Devil remembered how Jack had tricked him and refused to let him into Hell. So Jack was destined to walk the earth for eternity. The Devil felt somewhat sorry for him and gave him a burning coal to light his path. Jack had been eating a turnip and put the coal inside the turnip. Now, we place a candle in a pumpkin for our “jack-o’-lantern.”

  What is the origin of the Christmas tree? (Did a tree help make our country free?)

  No one knows for sure exactly what started the custom of decorating a Christmas tree.

  One legend claims that Saint Boniface started the custom in Germany in the eighth century. Saint Boniface found a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree and became so angry that he cut it down. Almost instantly a small fir tree sprang up from the center of the oak stump and reached the sky. Saint Boniface told the onlookers that this would be their holy tree because it was evergreen, a symbol of everlasting life.

  Many authorities believe that the origin of the Christmas tree is based on more ancient customs. On December 21, the shortest day of the year, ancient Egyptians decorated their homes with green palm branches to symbolize life’s triumph over death. Romans used evergreens to decorate their homes during the winter festival of Saturnalia, which honored Saturnus, the god of farming. Ancient Druids placed evergreen branches over doors to frighten away evil spirits.

  Some think that the custom of decorating Christmas trees was started by Martin Luther. In 1500, Martin Luther was walking through snowy woods, enthralled with the stars, the landscape, and the branches of the snow-covered evergreen trees that shimmered in the moonlight. When he got home, he placed a small tree in the house and decorated it with candles in an attempt to show his children the majesty surrounding Christ’s birth.

  Aside from the myths and legends, the modern Christmas tree originated in Germany and the first written reference comes from the sixteenth century. The tree started out as a prop in a play about Adam and Eve, was adorned with apples, and was called a paradise tree. Because December 24 was the feast of Adam and Eve, people began setting up paradise trees in their homes on that day. At first they hung apples on the tree but later they added wafers, symbolizing the host. Eventually the wafers were replaced with cookies.

  Although popular among German Lutherans, it was not until 200 years later that the Christmas tree became a custom throughout Germany. German mercenaries who were hired by the British to fight the American colonists during the American Revolution brought this custom with them to the Colonies and by the nineteenth century the custom had spread throughout the United States.

  FACTOIDS

  In 1851, the first Christmas trees in the country were sold by Mark Carr, who lived in upstate New York. Carr cut down trees in the Catskill Mountains, hauled them to New York City, set up a stall, and quickly sold them all. A small tree sold for five or ten cents, a 20-foot tree cost a quarter. The Carr family continued the business for the next 47 years.

  A Christmas tree might have been instrumental in our winning the American Revolution. While General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River on a bitterly cold Christmas Eve, the German mercenaries had left their guard posts to celebrate around a candlelit evergreen tree that reminded them of home. General Washington was thus able to surprise the British forces and defeat them.

  During the Depression, few people could afford landscaping and nurseries could not sell their evergreen trees. They cut them down and sold them as Christmas trees. Because the trees were more evenly shaped than wild trees, customers preferred them and Christmas tree farms started springing up around the country.

  Puritans banned Christmas trees in New England, and as late as 1870 schools in Boston held classes on Christmas Day.

  In 1890, A.F.W. Woolworth introduced the first glass Christmas tree ornaments from small cottage glass-blowing shops in Europe.

  DID YOU KNOW?

  At Christmas we often hear the story of the three kings and their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We all know what gold is, but many people have no idea what frankincense and myrrh are.

  Frankincense and myrrh are similar. Each is the sap or resin from a tree that grows in the Middle East. To speed up sap gathering, large cuts are made in the tree trunks and the desert sun quickly dries the oozing sap to form hard, knobby clumps of sap called tears.

  Frankincense was burned as incense and produced a strong aromatic odor. It was also used as a cosmetic by the Egyptians. Myrrh was used for diverse medicinal purposes. The Egyptians used myrrh as part of the embalming process.

  Frankincense and myrrh are believed to have great therapeutic qualities and can still be purchased today, usually as incense or oils. Most of these products are imported from Somalia, but some still come from Middle Eastern countries such as Oman.

  More questions? Try these websites.

  CHRISTMAS

  http://wilster.com/xmas/

  A comprehensive Christmas site covering the origins of Christmas and Santa Claus. It lists a number of countries around the world, tells you how to say “Merry Christmas” in th
e language of that country, and describes how Christmas is celebrated in that country.

  SANTA CLAUS

  http://www.santaclaus.com/

  Features Christmas around the world and frequently asked questions about Santa Claus, holiday stories, recipes, games, and more.

  ADVENT CALENDAR

  http://www.rooneydesign.com/main.html

  Click on XMAS at the top of the page to see the Advent calendar. Every day click on the appropriate number to see the animated feature for that day.

  THANKSGIVING

  http://www.night.net/thanksgiving/

  This site provides a history of the first Thanksgiving, games, songs, recipes, and more.

  VALENTINE’S DAY

  http://www.america.net/seasonal/valentine/

  This site has a history of Saint Valentine’s Day, some romantic gift ideas, how to say “I love you” in other languages, and information about the language of flowers. There are also links to other sites about love.

  SAINT PATRICK’S DAY

  http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

  Read about the legend of Saint Patrick’s Day and the legend of the shamrock. This site also has a list of Saint Patrick’s Day parades around the world, as well as a variety of sites related to Ireland. You can see a list of Irish clans or discover your Irish roots. There are also two links to children’s pages.