Good Friday 2013- Commemorating the sufferings of our Savior

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It is the day to commemorate the passion and death of our savior- Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified. It is the day to commemorate the sufferings of our Lord and his death on the Cross. There are number of traditions that are observed on this day. Since the early days of Christianity, the Christians never celebrated any Mass on this day. On this day, special liturgy is celebrated by the Church where the account of the Passion as per the Gospel of John is read out. Continuous Prayers for special intentions are offered in Church.

Christians honor the cross by coming forward and kissing it. The Good Friday Liturgy gets concluded when the distribution of Holy Communion is done. The service in the church is solemn so no organ is played and vestments are either in purple or black. The day of the Good Friday depends on the Day of Easter so every year the date changes.  If people are eager to know when the Easter 2013 is then it is on 29^th March, 2013.  The Good Friday is also known by other names like Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday or Easter Friday.

The Good Friday is the day after Maundy Thursday. The observance of Good Friday includes rituals like people fasting and praying. Catholics who are more than 18 years of age and below 60 years are required to fast on this day. It means they can eat only one complete meal or two smaller meals during the day and cannot have food in between.  Catholics over the age of 14 should not eat meat or any food made of meat on Good Friday. Good Friday is observed during Holy Week that is the part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday.   

Apart from people doing fast, church services are held in the afternoon usually around midday to 3 p.m. to remember the hours when Lord was hung on the cross. Processions are also held in many countries e.g. India, Italy, Mata, Spain and Philippines. Handmade kites are flown in Bermuda on Good Friday to represent the cross on which Jesus was hung. The custom of kite flying has been practiced since 19^th century. On this day, general air of sadness id felt in many towns and villages. In Poland, people fast on dry bread and roasted potatoes. A decoration of eggs on Easter is also very popular practice since ages. 

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Getting Ready For The Christmas 2012

Before one could get ready for the Christmas 2012, the first question that will come in mind – when is Christmas 2012? People like to know the exact day of week when the Christmas is falling as many people plan holidays to different places during that time. There are vacations in schools, colleges and offices thus people like to spend the entire time with their family and friends enjoying to the fullest.   Every year Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December. The Christmas in 2012 falls on Tuesday, 25th December.  Christmas is the most important cultural and religious celebration for the Christian community all over the world.

The exact date of the Jesus Christ’s birth is not known but 25th December is celebrated as the day of Jesus Christ’s birth by the Western Christianity. This date was slowly followed by the Eastern Christianity.  Christmas was the day of celebration and joy for the Christians but with time, the non-Christian community has also started taking part in it. On the Christmas Day eve, Christmas Carols are organized. The tradition and practices of the Christmas have changed a lot with time.  Singing the Christmas Carols is one of the very old Christmas practices that is still followed. People go to church for their Christmas prayers. The most attractive part of the Christmas especially for the children is the Christmas gift. Gifts are not only awaited by the children but the adults also wait for the Christmas gifts. It is believed that Santa Claus delivers gifts to everyone on the earth on the eve of Christmas. 

Celebration of Christmas or any other festival needs long time planning. People have already started planning and arranging gifts and other things for the Christmas 2012. There is a large industry of cards, gifts, dresses and many other things that revolve around the Christmas celebration.  Christmas is the day of joy and happiness. People like to enjoy the day with the family, friends and other dear ones. Special dishes are prepared on Christmas and people take lunch and dinner together. The Special dishes that get prepared during the Christmas are-roast turkey, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, pies etc.  People decorate their house and Christmas tree with streamers, holly, bells and other things. Bethlehem star and the idols of Jesus, other Mary are kept in the houses.  People gift cards, gifts and flowers to their friends and dear ones. There is no doubt that people have already started counting the days for Christmas 2012.

Honoring The Workers Across World on Labor Day

September 2rd, 2012 is the Labor Day. The workers across entire USA and the world are looking forward towards when is the Labor Day 2012. Every year, Labor Day is celebrated as the American federal Holiday that is observed on first Monday in the month of September. The workers look forward towards the Labor Day as it is the day when the economic and the social contribution of the workers towards the society get recognized.  The history of the Labor Day dates back in 1882 when this day was first proposed as the holiday by Matthew Maguire, who was a machinist and was working as the secretary of Central Labor Union in New York. 

People have different views regarding who had actually proposed the Labor Day Holiday. According to some in May 1882, Labor Day holiday was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire , general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor who got inspired by the annual labor festival that got celebrated in Toronto Canada. The first state that declared the Labor Day a holiday was Oregon in 1887. In 1897, the Labor Day was declared as a federal holiday though by this time already thirty states had made Labor Day celebration official.


How to celebrated labor day had already given as an outlined sketch in the first proposal of the Labor Day as a holiday. In public places, street parades get organized to show the spirits and strengths of the workers.  The parade is followed by the celebration of the Labor Day for the workers and their families. Prominent people deliver speeches on Labor Day. As the years passed by, the Labor Day is now regarded as a day of rest and a day meant for parties.  There are events held by various labor organizations.  

The other forms of celebrations on the Labor Day are- picnics, barbecues, display of firework, arrangement of water sport and public art events. Many families avail this occasion to go on for travelling.  For many retailers in US, the Labor Day is considered as one of the important sale weekend as many prospective customers get this day free to out in the market and shop.  The Labor Day has lost its significance as the celebration of working people and is getting treated as a day which marks the end of the summer. There are people who are looking forward for when is Labor Day 2012 this year as for many of us it is still a day to commemorate the hard work put by the labors in their respective fields.

Halloween - Time of Celebration As Well As Superstitions

Are you searching for when is Halloween 2012?  The answer is it is on 31st October which is a Wednesday. People are looking forward toward this day which is full of mystery and horror. The origin of Halloween dates back to the ancient time. Halloween is the time known for celebration as well as superstitions. The starting of the event might have happened in a different way but over the time, this event has evolved as a day which is full of fun-filled activities especially the child-friendly ones and it is genuinely a day which is funny and scary at the same time.

Halloween 2012 like any other event will be celebrated as the community event. The modern USA has the Halloween tradition ‘trick-or-treating’ which is enjoyed by the children very much. On this day, the All Souls’ Day parades used to happen in early England. The poor people used to beg for food and families used to give them ‘soul cakes’.   The countdown for the Halloween has already started. The special costumes and food are the specialties of this day. For the children trick or treat is a customary celebration on the Halloween Day.

During Halloween 2012 , the children will wear different types of costumes especially the scary ones and  go from house to house asking treats from the house owners for candy or money and at the same time they will ask them a question  ‘trick or treat’?  In case the homeowners fail to give them the treat, they will do mischief which is mentioned as ‘treat’ by them. The time of Halloween falls between autumn and winter and it is the day of superstition and celebration. The costumes for the Halloween are generally made after the supernatural figures such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, monsters and skeletons.

Halloween Day is an annual holiday and people are waiting to participate in the costume parties, bon fires, and scary story telling activities.  The other events that will make the Halloween 2012 a fun-filled day are the apple bobbing, jack-o-lanterns and other types of pranks.  Special food items are made on the Halloween day. The regular food items are given some special shape and look on the Halloween day. Using the jams, ketchups, mayonnaise and bread, people make scary shapes so that children can enjoy their food.  So for each one of us the countdown’ when is the Halloween 2012 ‘has started.

Scare The Spirits This Halloween

Celebrating traditions and holidays first start with knowing what day it will fall in the year. This year, if you are looking forward to celebrating Halloween, then be informed that it will fall on a Wednesday.

Halloween 2012 falls on a Wednesday

For those who are asking when is Halloween 2012, the answer would be on October 31. As any calendar will tell you, this day happens to fall on a Wednesday. With this holiday just around the corner, it is recommended to make the preparations as early as possible especially if you plan to throw a chilling yet fun Halloween party. It’s also time to check if the pumpkin will be ready in time for Halloween in keeping up with the tradition of pumpkin carving.

The word Halloween sprouted from the Catholic Church and is a contracted corruption of the so-called All Hallows Eve. Roman Catholics celebrate the All Saints Day or some call it as All Hollows Days on November 1 each year. This day is allotted to give observance and honor to the saints. The evening before that is called All Hallows Eve, later on was shortened to Halloween. Used to be, this festival is celebrated solemnly and is a far cry from the partying and celebrations that we know today.

But as time and tradition was passed from one generation to another, changes are bound to happen thus the festivities changed as well.

Nowadays, Halloween is one of the most celebrated holiday all over the world where children can get to go trick or treating in their scary and cute costumes. Although children are the main targets of this holiday, adults also join the festivities giving them the chance to dress up in their desired costume. A lot of family tradition has also been created in observance of this holiday and one that is most popular is pumpkin carving. This activity had brought fond memories for many families thus it’s been a tradition that was also passed down from generation to another.

Aside from Halloween 2012, there are other holidays that are worth finding out and celebrating with your family and loved ones. To get to know more about these upcoming holidays, you can log on to: day-finder.com/halloween-2012.html

Yom Kippur: The Day Of Atonement

Yom Kippur could easily be referred to the most auspicious and significant holiday for the Jews. Many who don’t follow any other Jewish custom would still refrain from eating, drinking (water too) and shall attend and pray in synagogue services. When is Yom Kippur 2012?

Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri. Yom Kippur 2012 is on Wednesday, September 26. The name itself means it is the Day of Atonement, the day when a person can ask God for forgiveness for his sins. However, it is not to be confused with the sins that one has done with or against others but the sins one has done in the past year with regards to God. The day is in its essence one’s last day for appeal, retribution, the very last chance for repentance and the last chance to avert the judgment. If one seeks atonement of sins against others, one must confess, reconcile and try and if not undo then at least right the wrongs that one has committed. All of this needs to be done before Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is a day when no work must be done. For a full 25 hour period one must not either eat, drink and begin the fast before evening on the day before Yom Kippur and end it after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. There are other restrictions well in place too, a person must not wash, bathe or anoint one’s self with any products (make up, perfumes). Leather shoes and having sex on Yom Kippur are a complete no-no. However, any of these restrictions may be lifted whenever there seems to be any danger to life or limb. Women in childbirth as well as children below the age of nine are not allowed to participate in the fast. People with an illness should consult a doctor and meet a rabbi to seek advice.

The entire holiday is spent in prayer (synagogue). Orthodox synagogue services begin as early as eight or nine a.m. in the morning and go up to three in the afternoon. People go back home for a nap in the afternoon and come right back for afternoon and evening services that go on till nightfall. Everyone one wears white on the holiday which symbolizes purity and brings to mind the picture of one’s sins becoming pure and cleansed and as white as snow itself.

A Time for Penance and Charity – Ramadan 2012

Before going into the various concepts and origins, let us see when is Ramadan 2012? It will commence on July 21, 2012, with the sighting of the new moon. However there will be a difference in timing as the new moon will rise in the eastern part of this planet and travel across the globe to the western world. Not only that, the date of start of Ramadan is advanced every year as per our solar calendar of 365 days. This is because all events and festivals in the Muslim world are as per the Islamic calendar which is a few days less than the general calendar followed by the rest of the world.

Ramadan 2012, as is the case every year, will be a period of fasting. This is the very essence of Ramadan. Fasting cleanses the body and soul of all ill will, ill thoughts and ill motives. It is a period when the whole being is devoted to Him. Prayers are to be recited five times a day, wherever one might be, facing the holy city of Mecca. It is a matter of the mentality and one need not compulsorily go to a mosque if there is not one around. It is the inner piety and religious frame of mind that is important.

All devout Muslims are expected to fast during the period of Ramadan. Children are excused but they too follow in their parents footsteps to prepare themselves for later life. The elderly and the sick are also not required to fast. As compensation, they can be compassionate to the poor and needy and arrange for their mass feeding. Pregnant women and nursing mothers too are exempted, though they are expected to make it up later or feed poor people as recompense.
 
This is also a time for abstinence. During fasting or even during the full period of Ramadan, all worldly luxuries are expected to be kept at bay. Devout Muslims even sleep on the floor. Sexual intercourse is refrained from during the day, that is, the period of fasting. The mind should be devoted to God only. Self discipline and control of one’s feelings like anger, lust and hatred are to be kept aside and the whole being is to be tuned to the service of the Prophet.
  
Ramadan 2012 is from July 21, from the vision of the new moon for a period of 29 to 30 days till the sighting of the new moon again. This period of penance and piety culminates in Eid- al- Fitr, a day of rejoicing and happiness in memory of the Prophet and at the thought of having come out clean in body and mind. For more info about Ramadan 2012 visit www.day-finder.com/ramadan-2012.html