Why Do We Call This Holy Week?

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At this season of the year, we celebrate the grandeur of God’s creation in the beauty of the flowers and the return of the robins. We clasp our loved ones in rituals of food and drink, laughter and embrace. Some of us will also sit in services of silence, music, and sacred readings. We will contemplate the mystery of the holy and the sanctity of all life.

In the Christian calendar, yesterday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. During this week Christians are asked to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross, an event that took place nearly two millennia ago at a place which still remains the epicenter of religious and political violence today.

By lunar coincidence, this week also marks, on Tuesday, the festival of Pesah, or Passover, the most celebrated Jewish holiday of the year. Passover commemorates God’s deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Jesus had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his disciples when he was caught in the web of events that led to his death. While most Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the New Testament weaves the central events of this week into one overarching story of redemptive history. As St. Paul put it, “For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

To those who would reduce the meaning of this week to a mere fable connoting existential truth, Christians say: “What you call myth that is history!” and, conversely, “What you call history that is a myth!” The myth of human self-sufficiency, the illusion that the ebb and flow of nature’s passions are all we need to build a human life upon, the fantastic hoax that lasting moral order in the world can be derived from the will to power or political ingenuity alone

It is the fact that something happened back then and there, in space and in time, something so shattering that the grinding wheels of fate were stopped by it and death is now no longer allowed to have the final word.
Friday begins the religious holiday of Passover.

What Is The True Meaning Behind St. Valentine's Day

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Each year on February 14 we peruse the store shelves for the perfect gift or card for a loved one. According to Hallmark, more than 163 million cards—not including packaged kids’ valentines—are exchanged. And it’s not just an American phenomenon. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Italy and Denmark.

But why? How did this holiday of love and romance originate and, more importantly, how did St. Valentine become involved? The answers to those questions are not easy ones. Valentine’s Day is a holiday shrouded in mystery and legend.

The origins of St. Valentine’s Day lie in the ancient Roman fertility festival Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February 15. During the festival, young women would place their names in a large urn. The young men would draw a name from the urn and then be romantically linked with that young woman for the following year. Still other legends cite the fact that February 14 marked the date when birds began mating.

A quick quiz: St. Valentine was:

a)  a priest in the Roman Empire who helped persecuted Christians during the reign of Claudius II, was thrown in jail and later beheaded on Feb. 14.

b)  a Catholic bishop of Terni who was beheaded, also during the reign of Claudius II.

c)  someone who secretly married couples when marriage was forbidden, or suffered in Africa, or wrote letters to his jailer’s daughter, and was probably beheaded.

d)  all, some, or possibly none of the above.

If you guessed d), give yourself a box of chocolates. Although the mid-February holiday celebrating love and lovers remains wildly popular, the confusion over its origins led the Catholic Church, in 1969, to drop St. Valentine’s Day from the Roman calendar of official, worldwide Catholic feasts. (Those highly sought-after days are reserved for saints with more clear historical record. After all, the saints are real individuals for us to imitate.) Some parishes, however, observe the feast of St. Valentine.

The roots of St. Valentine’s Day lie in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on Feb. 15. For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. On Lupercalia, a young man would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for the year.

Pope Gelasius I was, understandably, less than thrilled with this custom. So he changed the lottery to have both young men and women draw the names of saints whom they would then emulate for the year (a change that no doubt disappointed a few young men). Instead of Lupercus, the patron of the feast became Valentine. For Roman men, the day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of women, and it became a tradition to give out handwritten messages of admiration that included Valentine’s name.

There was also a conventional belief in Europe during the Middle Ages that birds chose their partners in the middle of February. Thus the day was dedicated to love, and people observed it by writing love letters and sending small gifts to their beloved. Legend has it that Charles, duke of Orleans, sent the first real Valentine card to his wife in 1415, when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. (He, however, was not beheaded, and died a half-century later of old age.)

Day 2: Celebration of Kwanzaa – Kujichagulia (self-determination)

KUJICHAGULIA: “In a time in which occupation and oppression of countries and peoples are immorally presented as necessary and even salvational, the principle of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) rejects this and reaffirms the right of persons and peoples to determine their own destiny and daily lives; to live in peace and security; and to flourish in freedom everywhere.”-Dr. Maulana Karanga

Day 1: Celebration Of Kwanzaa – UMOJA (Unity)

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I graduated from California State University Long Beach where the founder and creator of Kwanzaa, Dr. Maulana Karanga, taught African American studies.  At that time, I didn’t have great knowledge of the significance of the holiday but I saw its impact.  As people pledged Black Greek letter organizations, many of the line member adopted the name of a particular principle (and the very least, an African name) as their identification.   It was an ignorantly powerful time of expression.

According to Dr. Karanga,  “The core message and expansive meaning of Kwanzaa is rooted in its role as a rightful and joyous celebration of family, community and culture. Indeed, it is a celebration of a people in the rich and complex course of their daily lives and in the midst of their awesome and transformative movement thru human history. It is a holiday that grew out of the ancient origins of first-fruit harvest festivals which celebrate the abundant good of life and all living things and the good of earth itself and all in it. It rises also out of our modern struggle for an inclusive freedom, a substantive justice, a dignity-affirming equality, and a life-enhancing power of our people over our destiny and daily lives. And it bears the mark and message of both models and movements.”-  Ingrid Michelle
Kwanzaa has 7 principles associated with it.  Each day until January 1, 2010, I will share a little about each principle and its true meaning.  Hopefully you’ll be able to weave a portion of their tenets into your life.

• Umoja (Unity) To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

“Surely, in a world ravaged and ruined by war, defined by division, oppression and varied forms of greed, hatred and hostility, the principle of Umoja (Unity) invites an alternative sense of solidarity, a peaceful togethernes as families, communities and fellow human beings.

It teaches us the oneness of our people, everywhere, the common ground of our humanity with others and our shared status as possessors of dignity and divinity. But it also encourages us to feel at one with and in the world, to be constantly concerned about its health and wholeness, especially as we face the possibility of climate change and other disasters around the world.”- Dr. Maulana Karanga

Fact: Christmas Does Not End On December 25!

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The Twelve Days of Christmas are the festive days beginning Christmas Day (25 December). This period is also known as Christmastide and Twelvetide.

Unfortunately,because there a drive to start the “christmas selling period” there is a misunderstanding that Christmas ends promptly on Christmas Day. That is 100% wrong.

The Twelfth Night of Christmas is always on the evening of 5 January, but the Twelfth Day can either precede or follow the Twelfth Night according to which Christian tradition is followed. Twelfth Night is followed by the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January. In some traditions, the first day of Epiphany (6 January) and the twelfth day of Christmas overlap.

Over the centuries, differing churches and sects of Christianity have changed the actual traditions, time frame and their interpretations. St. Stephen’s Day (or Boxing Day), for example, is 26 December in the Western Church and 27 December in the Eastern Church. Boxing Day, the first weekday after Christmas, is observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations. 28 December is Childermas or the Feast of the Innocents. Currently, the twelve days and nights are celebrated in widely varying ways around the world. For example, some give gifts only on Christmas Day, some only on Twelfth Night, and some each of the twelve nights.

Is Your Christmas Shopping Causing Debt???

How to avoid debt while Christmas shopping this year

WRITTEN BY DAMON CARR

FRIDAY, 09 DECEMBER 2011 09:44

Can you believe it’s the month of December already? It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Retailers are open extended hours seeking to claim the money in your wallet. Every charitable organization known to man is soliciting you for money. Friends and family are dropping hints about certain gifts that they would enjoy this year. People in the office are asking you to chip in on a gift for the boss. Your church is passing around an extra offering plate for a present for the Pastor.

You believe in your heart that “it’s better to give than to receive” but in the back of your mind you’re thinking, “give me a break”. “No can do,” says mortgage, car note, student loan, credit cards, lights, gas, cable, house phone, cell phone, internet, insurance, and Uncle Sam. “We understand that you’re in a giving mood but don’t forget you have bills to pay!”

As a financial adviser I sit as the proverbial fly on the wall and listen to the conversations you’ve been having with yourself and your significant other. I heard you cry out in a moment of stress—“the paycheck don’t stretch far enough to feed, shelter, and clothe the family, provide basic utility and transportation for the family while at the same time give to charitable causes and save for future needs, wants, and goals.” I know that you’re doing the best you can to make ends meet. You’d like to avoid using credit cards. You’d like to save a small portion each month starting in January so that when Christmas is here you have the money to shop for gifts. The reality is you’re having a tough enough time trying to meet the financial demands of today.

Christmas is upon us. You frantically wonder how you’re going to come up with the money to do your Christmas shopping. You’ve thought long and hard. You’ve concluded that you’ll get the money you need for Christmas one of two ways: 1.You’ll skip various bills this month and pay them when you get your tax refund. 2. You’ll reluctantly use a credit card with the intention to pay it off within the next 6-months. Caught up in the emotion of the holidays, it may not have dawned on you that this is exactly what you did last year, the year before and the year before. That plan isn’t working.

Below are some ideas that will help you enjoy Christmas and avoid debt this holiday season:

* Set a spending limit and track you’re spending—If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Before you do any shopping decide how much you’re going to spend for Christmas. Keep track on how much you’re spending so that you don’t go over your limit. Only use cash or debit card when shopping.

* Make a list and check it twice—If it’s good enough for Santa Claus, it’s good enough for you. Make a list of all the people you plan on buying gifts for this season. You now know how much you plan on spending and who you’re purchasing gifts for. Check your list not twice but three times. As you review your list the third time write a dollar amount on how much you’re going to spend on each person on the list.

* Keep your guard up—Don’t be tempted by your existing creditors attempt to defer payments on your loans and the merchants attempt to offer you discounts should you open and use a store credit card. They have one of two things in mind—get you to spend money you don’t have or force you to pay interest you can’t afford.

•Look for great deals—Make it a goal to get discounts on every gift you purchase. This will help the money you’re spending on Christmas go further.

•Limit discretionary spending—Temporally reduce or eliminate spending on entertainment, dining out, and other activities you do for pure joy and amusement. It’s better to give than receive, right? Sacrifice something you enjoy doing and use the money you normally spend to purchase gifts.

•Give the gift of time—Quality time with loved ones is perhaps the best gift you can give. It’s FREE and INVAULABLE. In this fast paced society we live in, we rarely get to spend quality time with loved ones where there’s no distraction. Make an earnest effort to spend time with someone you care about. The memories you’ll gain from the experience will be more valuable than any gift you can purchase.

•Give a helping hand—Offer to baby sit, shovel snow, mow the lawn, prepare a meal as a Christmas gift to someone you know who can use a break.

•Get a part-time job—If you’re still short on money, consider a part-time job to fully or partially pay for your Christmas purchases this year. There are plenty of part-time jobs available during the holiday season. It’s better to work a couple extra hours now and pay cash for your Christmas gifts then to neglect bills or accumulate debt and work extra hard the entire year trying to catch up on bills and payoff debt you’ve created during the holidays.

•Remove adults from the list—You did all the above and you’re still contemplating whipping out the credit card. Time to trim the list. It’s been said that Christmas is for the kids. You’re adult family and friends will understand when you say that you spent your entire Christmas budget on the kids this year.

(Mortgage and Personal Finance Expert Damon Carr is owner of ACE Financial. Sign up for Damon’s FREE Online Newsletter at www.allcredit­experts.com. Damon can be reached at 412-856-1183.)

http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6017:how-to-avoid-debt-while-christmas-shopping-this-year&catid=41:business&Itemid=37

Should You Buy Before or After Christmas???

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Holiday Scams & How To Avoid Them

What the (real!) Better Business Bureau wants you to know about this familiar holiday scam


by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

As much as you would like to believe it, no, you didn’t just win a brand new Mercedes Benz or $1 million just in time for the holidays.

That telephone call you may have received about your exciting “win” in a sweepstakes or lottery is just a scam, according to the Better Business Bureau, which is warning people to be on the lookout for such fraud.

Ironically, the scam artists perpetrating this current con are actually claiming to be from the BBB and they’re pointing people to a look-alike BBB website under the official sounding name: http://www.better-businessbureau.org/. But this site contains misinformation and fraudulent claims.

The real BBB website, which is the only legitimate one you should use, is http://www.bbb.org/.
This con serves as a reminder that financial predators typically prey upon people’s innocence, their need or their greed. So don’t give con men the opportunity to take advantage of you.
Of course, with the holidays right around the corner, it sounds so very appealing to think that you may have won some fabulous, expensive prize or that you may have hit the financial jackpot.

But don’t be fooled. These bogus promises of winnings – which have targeted consumers nationwide and especially in Virginia and Michigan – are no more real than Santa Claus’s elves.
In reality, the calls appear to be coming from the 876 area code out of Jamaica.
That’s why BBB officials remind consumers that, for starters, the BBB does not conduct sweepstakes. So no one from the BBB would ever call you saying that he/she is an “agent” authorized to grant you a prize.

Additionally, the BBB urges people not to fall into the trap of turning over personal or financial information over the telephone to a stranger. That’s just setting yourself up for identity theft and financial fraud.

Instead, if you get a bogus sweepstakes call that is allegedly from the BBB, you should record the number and the conversation, then contact the BBB’s Scam Portal.
In the meantime, follow these other tips from the BBB to avoid becoming the victim of a financial scam:

Don’t ever give out your credit card number, social security number, or personal data to someone you don’t know

Don’t ever pay any money upfront in order to collect supposed winnings. Legitimate sweepstakes don’t charge you “shipping and handling” or “taxes” on your win upfront.

Don’t ever wire money to strangers. If you lose your money, it’s gone forever and chances are you won’t be able to track down the recipient.

As I’ve said before, it’s a shame that scammers never take a break: not even for the holidays. On the contrary, during this time of year the financial hucksters and con artists seem determined to come out in full force to part people from their hard-earned dollars.

But it’s up to you to turn the tables on these economic predators, and make sure you use sound financial practices—and some good old -ashioned common sense—to avoid becoming a victim of someone who intends to do you financial and personal harm.

Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas

Thanksgiving Recipes

Create a crowd-pleasing feast with top-rated Thanksgiving recipes for turkey, stuffing, side dishes, desserts and everything else you need to host your best Thanksgiving dinner yet from Alton, Bobby, Paula and more.


Visit Food Network for recipes.

What is Labor Day?

Posted by Elev8.com

Labor Day is more than just a day off from work.The first Labor Day in the United States was observed on September 5, 1882, by the Central Labor Union of New York. It became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority.

Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date originally chosen by the CLU of New York and observed by many of the nation’s trade unions for the past several years was selected rather than the more widespread International Workers’ Day because Cleveland was concerned that observance of the latter would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair, which it had been observed to commemorate.

All U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the territories have made it a statutory holiday. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer.

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations,” followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday proceeding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

New York City  has the biggest Labor Day parade  in the country which, has been adopted by the West Indian Culture as a day to celebrate their heritage. The day begins with a Mass said by the Bishop of Brooklyn at St. Gregory Church located at the starting point of the parade. After Mass all the church goers begin the march down Eastern Parkway followed by a myriad of floats and dancers. The  parade hosts over 2 million viewers. and over 2 thousand participants.