Friday The 13th!
Beware superstitious friends: It’s Friday the 13th again! Here are some fun facts about the day you might not know:
Fear of the day is likely rooted in Christianity.
Jesus was crucified on a Friday and ever since the day has been associated with “general ill omen,” Michael Bailey, a history professor at Iowa State University who specializes in the origins of superstitions, told USA TODAY Network. Weddings in the Middle Ages, for instance, were not held on Fridays and it was not a day someone would start a journey, Bailey said.
Thirteen guests are believed to have attended the Last Supper, the night before Jesus was killed, according to Stuart Vyse, a psychology professor at Connecticut College. And Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is considered to have been the 13th guest, Vyse said.
The superstition’s origins are mysterious.
It’s unclear when Friday and number 13 became linked in the way we think of them today, according to Vyse and Bailey. There are no mentions of Friday the 13th before the 19th century.
Fear of the day itself has an official name.
It’s called paraskevidekatriaphobia. Not sure how to pronounce it? NPR offers this handy audio guide.
You’re not more likely to make a trip to the hospital.
A 2011 German study published in the World Journal of Surgery explored whether there is a link between Friday the 13th and an increase of blood loss and the frequency of emergency room visits on those days.
Researchers reviewed 3,281 days at a hospital facility that included 15 Friday the 13ths. They found no correlation.
“Our data indicate that such beliefs are myths far beyond reality,” the study concludes.
Chocolate Cake Day
Chocolate Cake Day is a a chocolate lovers delight, and a day to eat cake. Why, this a day to “bake your chocolate cake….and eat it, too!”
On this day, a white or yellow cake will not do. Nor, will part chocolate, part white suffice. It must be chocolate, all chocolate. You can make milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate fudge, or any other type of chocolate cake.
There are three objectives of Chocolate Cake Day: To bake a chocolate cake. To decorate a chocolate cake. And, to eat a chocolate cake. Of course, if you are too busy to bake or decorate a cake, then just eating a chocolate cake will certainly do!
Enjoy!
Houseplant Day
Today’s obscure holiday is Houseplant Day! The big holidays are over. The decorations have been put away for another year. The house looks a little plain, a little drab. In the greyishness of January, your eye catches something in the corner of the room. Why, it’s a houseplant! Funny, but with all of the holiday hubabuloo, you’ve all but forgotten your houseplants.
Today is THE day to get back to tending to, and loving your houseplants. And, it’s also a day to appreciate just how special and important they are. They are therapeutic, lifting your mood and outlook. They add warmth and a calming effect. If you are a gardner, they give you an opportunity to play in the dirt, until spring arrives in the far, distant future.
Growing houseplants is pretty easy. They need a little sunlight, water, occasional nutrients, and a little love..
Play God Day
Today is Play God Day. A day that encourages us to do something nice for someone. Pray for someone or with someone. Think about it, if you were God, what would you change in the world? Your life? Bring back? End? Do a good deed on this day so others can see God working in you.
Our 30 Day Challenge Begins Monday – Just $30 + hst!
Start 2015 off with our best deal of the year! You do not have to be a current member and even if you don’t think you can finish the challenge, it’s still a great deal! $30 fo 30 Days of Yoga! Sign up today! Deadline is the day of the challenge – Monday January 5th!
January 2015 Schedule – Starts Sunday January 4th!
HVF – Hot Vinyasa Flow
GWF – Gentle Warm Flow
WVF _ Warm Vinyasa Flow
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in the Roman Empire since 45 BC.Romans originally dedicated New Year’s Day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings for whom the first month of the year (January) is named. Later, as a date in the Gregorian calendar of Christendom, New Year’s Day liturgically marked the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, and is still observed as such in the Anglican Church and Lutheran Church.In present day, with most countries now using the Gregorian calendar as their de facto calendar, New Year’s Day is probably the world’s most celebrated public holiday, often observed with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts in each time zone.
Happy New Year! May your 2104 be filled with happiness and prosperity!
National Chocolate Day
We hope that you haven’t quite had your fill of chocolate during the holidays, as today is National Chocolate Day.
As we researched this day, we were a bit perplexed. Most of us have been enjoying chocolate treats all month long. All of the holiday parties have ample supplies for chocolate candies, cookies and other treats. Christmas get-togethers and Christmas stockings have plenty of chocolate. Wherever you go this month, chocolate of some kind has been less than an arms length away.
Equally confusing is the fact that National Chocolate Anything Day occurs earlier in the month. We wonder why there are two practically identical holidays so close together.
Then the answer dawned on us…… Chocoholics! If you count yourself in this group, and we hope you do, then every day should be National Chocolate Day!