october

Of Holiday Fun and Facts

October

October 2th
Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is celebrated on Tishri 10 of the Hebrew calendar,
which falls in early autumn. This Sabbath of Sabbaths is observed by fasting,
confession to God of sins committed during the last year, and prayers for forgiveness.
Observance begins with the Kol Nidre service of repentance.
Observance begins at sunset on the date indicated

October 8th:
Chicago Fire Anniversary

Anniversary of the great fire in 1871 which destroyed 1/3 of the city.
Celebrated as part of Fire Prevention Week.

October 9th
Canada's Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA

Also on this date:
Sukkot

Jewish harvest festival and time for giving thanks.
Observed on Tishri 15th by the Hebrew calendar.
Observance begins at sunset on the date indicated and lasts two days

October 12th:

Columbus Day

Columbus, Christopher 1451 1506 European discoverer of the New World, born in Genoa, Italy.
He went to sea at 14, was shipwrecked off Portugal, and settled there in 1470.

His plans to reach India by sailing west were rejected by John II of Portugal,
but finally supported by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.
He set sail from Saltes (3 Aug 1492) in the Santa Maria, with 50 men,
and attended by the Pinta and the NiÒa. He reached the Bahamas (12 Oct),
then visited Cuba and Hispaniola (Haiti), where he left a small colony.
He returned (15 Mar 1493) to be received with the highest honors by the court.

His second voyage (1493-6) led to the discovery of several Caribbean islands.
On his third voyage (1498-1500) he discovered the South American mainland,
but after a revolt against his command, he was sent home in irons
by a newly appointed royal governor. Restored to favor in Spain,
he went on his last great voyage (1502-4) along the southside of the Gulf of Mexico.

He died at Valladolid, in Spain, but in 1536 his remains
and those of his son Diego were removed to Santo Domingo, in Hispaniola.
They were returned to Spain in 1899, and interred in Seville Cathedral.

ALSO ON THIS DAY
Farmers Day

Created in 1915 to stimulate interest in agriculture.

National Children's Day

Day to honor and be kind to children. Proclaimed by President Clinton in 1997
"As we observe National Children's Day this year,
let us recommit ourselves to creating a society where parents can raise healthy,
happy children; where every newborn is cherished, where every child is encouraged to succeed,
and where all our young people are free to pursue their dreams."

October 16th:
Bosses Day

Day to honor and be kind to bosses

ALSO ON THIS DAY

Sweetest Day

Day to honor and be kind to one's sweetheart

October 18th:

Alaska Day

Commemorates the transfer of Alaska from Russia
to the United States in 1867.

October 23rd
Start of Scorpio astrological sign

Scorpio, the scorpion.

ALSO ON THIS DAY

Mother-In-Law's Day

Day to honor and be kind to mothers-in-law

October 24th:
United Nations Day

Commemorates the ratification of the U.N. charter in 1945

Last Sunday in October:
Daylight Savings Time ends

Daylight Savings Time (DST) denotes the period of the year when clocks are set back in the winter
(fall back)and ahead in spring(spring ahead)allows the clock hour to better match the cycle of daylight and night.
DST was originally suggested by Benjamin Franklin in 1784.
It began to be commonly observed during World War I. DST was formally adopted through the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

October 31st

The prehistory of modern Halloween celebrations can be traced back to the
ancient Celtic ceremony of Samhain, named after the Celtic Lord of the Dead. The festival,
observed on the first day of November, symbolized the first day of the new year and the first day of winter.
During this holiday, Druids - sorcerer-priests - kindled giant fires upon the Irish hillsides to scare away winter and evil spirits. The Celts believed that the dead rose on that night between October and November and tried to frighten the demons and witches away. To protect themselves from the evil spirits, they put on grotesque and terrifying costumes to blend in.

Another festival considered to be a predecessor to our contemporary Halloween is the observance of the Eve of All Hallows which flourished in the Christian era. The Church, hoping to detract from the eve of the festival of Samhain, channeled people's attention to All Saints' or All Hallows on the first of November and All Souls' on the second. The clergy encouraged people to remember the dead with prayers instead of sacrifices. However, some of the customs associated with Samhain - night of the wandering dead, lights from bonfires, and costumes - continued to be practiced on the Eve of All Hallows.

Today, Halloween is still influenced by customs of the past - evil spirits, symbols of the dead, pranks, and ghoulish disguises - and, in some small way, when you light a candle inside a jack-o'-lantern, you are imitating the ancient Celtic Druids.

Please have a Happy and Safe Halloween

October

October 8th: Chicago Fire Anniversary

October 9th Canada's Thanksgiving

October 12th: Columbus Day

Columbus, Christopher 1451 1506 European discoverer of the New World, born in Genoa, Italy. He went to sea at 14, was shipwrecked off Portugal, and settled there in 1470.

He died at Valladolid, in Spain, but in 1536 his remains and those of his son Diego were removed to Santo Domingo, in Hispaniola. They were returned to Spain in 1899, and interred in Seville Cathedral.

ALSO ON THIS DAY Farmers Day