Preserving Nature

I so enjoy visiting any kind of nature preserve, a state or national forest or park, or even a local park that preserves natural spaces. Forests, wetlands, seashores, lakes, mountains, deserts . . . all are places to marvel at the beauty and delicate balances in the natural world. I'm always amazed by God's creativity and workmanship in the variety of landscapes, plant life and wildlife. And sometimes I also remember to be grateful that someone had the foresight to preserve a natural area and protect the wild spaces in some way from being trampled in our efforts to build and to tame.

I think I appreciate the parklands more now that I live in a city. I'm not an outdoorsy person really, but I like a good walk in the woods, a hiking trail that's not too difficult, watching birds, and stargazing. I wonder if I took for granted our country location before we moved here, and now that my home is surrounded by parking lots and other buildings rather than my own unmowed lawn and neighboring farmland, I realize that I need those walks in the woods.

I watched an interview Tucker Carlson did with Robert F. Kennedy Jr not long ago, and towards the end of the interview, RFKJr expounded on why he got involved in environmental causes and his beliefs about the value of nature. He believes nature is where we meet with God, and that there is a deep connection our souls have to nature. Of course, I don't know exactly what his theological beliefs are, and at a guess I'd say there are likely many differences between his ideologies and mine, but I loved what he said about nature.

I don't call myself an environmentalist in any way, and I definitely don't agree with what I would call extremists, because we don't and shouldn't worship the earth or its creatures. But I also believe that since humans are meant to steward the earth, we do need to manage its resources wisely and make sure to not do harm to God's creation. God gave Adam and Eve a beautiful world to care for, to populate, and to bless; and it's because of sin that God's world began to experience death and ruin. So it's really our responsibility to partner with God to care for his world as best we can.

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

~Genesis 2:15~

The earth suffers for the sins of its people,

for they have twisted God's instructions,

violated his laws,

and broken his everlasting covenant.

~Isaiah 24:5~

Preserving and enjoying the beauty of the natural world is our part of our mandate, and should be something we do with a heart of gratitude and worship to the Creator. Because I do think that God has put something in our hearts that is drawn to nature and therefore to God. We were meant to be in the Garden.

When I originally wrote this piece, I wanted to add some quotes and a brief bit of research into the people who led the way in establishing our system of national parks and nature conservancies. The first name that came to mind at that point was John Muir.

John Muir was passionate about nature, and his advocacy was instrumental in establishing the National Park Service, and the modern conservation movement. He believed wild spaces should be accessible for everyone, not just the elites. He was a relentless traveler, explorer and naturalist, and a prolific writer about these adventures. His articles and books inspired interest in the natural world, and in 1890 led to Yosemite being set aside as a national park. He was also influential in establishing Sequoia, Mount Rainier, and Grand Canyon as national parks. And of course, there's the John Muir National Historic Site dedicated to him and his work. 

Quotes from John Muir:

Wilderness is a necessity . . . there must be places for human beings to satisfy their souls.

Look! Nature is overflowing with the grandeur of God!

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

Hiking - I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, "A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them."

I love that, and I didn't know that was the origin of the word 'saunter'. I'm going to try to use that word whenever suitable from now on!

God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.

Well, I'd say that God CAN save the trees, but the point is that it's kind of our job to look after them, isn't it?

President Theodore Roosevelt, who worked with John Muir to make the first National Parks a reality, was also known for his love of nature. He was known as the 'conservation president' and used his authority to protect wildlife and public land. Under his leadership the United States Forest Service was established, along with 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves. The federal bird reserves have since become national wildlife refuges and today are managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Park Service wasn't created until after Roosevelt left office, but his administration had helped create 23 of the 35 sites that the new Service would manage. 

Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance. ~Theodore Roosevelt

Conservation means development as much as it does protection. I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us. ~Theodore Roosevelt

John James Audubon was best known for his contributions to ornithology, as his collection of over four hundred life size prints of birds was, and still is, a standard when it comes to depicting and describing birds. His personal life is a much more complicated grab bag of what we'd call good and bad, but his name was chosen for the Audubon Society by its founder, George Bird Grinnell after being tutored by Audubon's widow, in recognition of Audubon's contributions to wildlife art and natural history.

Never give up listening to the sounds of birds. ~John James Audubon

A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children. ~John James Audubon

Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand. ~Henry David Thoreau

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. ~Frank Lloyd Wright

And I wanted to include this clever, but very sad, bit by George Carlin. We don't want America to be known this way, and that's why conservation and preservation of natural spaces and resources is so important.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.

~Psalm 36:6~

This post is adapted from the original Five Minute Friday - Preserve, which first appeared on A Fresh Cup of Coffee in September 2024

See my related post: A Wildlife Refuge PhotoJournal

Sources for this section include: NPS John Muir National Historic Site; Audubon Society; NPS Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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From the High School Lesson Book - Labor Day

In the United States and Canada, Labor Day (or Labour Day in Canada) is on the first Monday in September. It's been a national holiday since 1894 and was originally a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. Most other national holidays mark a significant historical event, usually associated with an armed conflict, but Labor Day isn't tied to any specific person or event, and has no religious background either.

All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation. ~Samuel Gompers

The first Labor Day celebration was on Tuesday, September 5th, 1882. The Central Labor Union selected this day and planned a demonstration and picnic in New York City. In 1884 the first Monday of September was established as the date for an annual celebration, and the Central Labor Union urged other cities to set aside this 'workingman's holiday'. 

Industry had been growing since the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s and the working conditions were not always safe or wages fair. Labor unions formed to try and address these issues, and were becoming more vocal in doing so. They began organizing strikes, rallies, and protests, and unfortunately some of these turned violent.

Poorly paid labor is inefficient labor, the world over. ~Henry George

Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. ~Abraham Lincoln

In the spring of 1894, the American Railroad Union called for a boycott of Pullman cars, which crippled railway traffic. To break the strike, the government sent troops to Chicago, leading to riots, violence, and the deaths of a dozen railway workers. After this, in a move to quell further unrest, President Grover Cleveland suggested making Labor Day a national holiday and then signed the legislation making it so. 

Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. ~Albert Einstein

For most Americans, the Labor Day long weekend is considered the end of the summer season, and the beginning of a new school year and football season. Many will host or attend a cookout. Ironically, since it's a big retail sales date, a lot of retail workers may actually be spending more time at work this weekend rather than getting the day off! So maybe if you're shopping or dining out today, be extra kind to those workers!

Hard work should be rewarded by good food. ~Ken Follett

If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend. ~Doug Larson

Incidentally, in Europe and Asia, Labour Day is at the beginning of May.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ~Confucius

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our work keeps the world going, in a sense. It keeps us going as a society and as people. We may be grumpy about having to go to our jobs when we don't feel like it, be tired and just wish we could be lazy, and feel weighed down by the responsibilities we have as part of our work. We can have lousy attitudes about going to a job and about all the work we have to do just to keep our homes and families functioning. And of course we need to take a break and rest regularly! In fact, God established a pattern of creative work and rest from the beginning, and commanded his people to observe that rhythm in order to keep work and rest in proper balance. 

You are to labor six days but you must rest on the seventh day; you must even rest during plowing and harvesting times.

~Exodus 34:21~

But God intended for us to do the work of looking after the world and participating in the creative work of managing and tending all of creation. And intended that we would find joy and blessing in doing it. So as much as we might grumble about work, most people find that they get bored and must find something productive to do even if they don't need to go out and get that paycheck. Maybe a day like Labor Day is a good opportunity for us to get our work back into balance!

How happy is everyone who fears the LORD,

who walks in his ways!

You will surely eat

what your hands have worked for.

You will be happy,

and it will go well for you.

~Psalm 128:1-2~

Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

~Ecclesiastes 5:18-20~

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This post appears first on A Fresh Cup of Coffee as W.Q. - Labor Day

Sources for this post include: Office Holidays, History

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Canada Day

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Happy Canada Day!

On this Canada Day, I have a brief history to share, along with a few quotes about Canada Day.

On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act united the three colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada (now the two provinces of Ontario and Quebec) into a single country within the British Empire. This Act of Parliament was known as the Constitution Act, and it granted Canada substantial freedom from England, although it remained a part of the British Commonwealth, and most Canadians of the time still thought of themselves as British citizens. The Dominion of Canada became a kingdom in its own right, although the British Parliament maintained some rights of limited political control. The first official celebration of Dominion Day marking this occasion was held in 1917, on Canada's 50th birthday. The centennial, in 1967, was the first truly widespread celebration of the birthday.

The national anthem, O Canada, was established on July 1, 1980.

O Canada!

Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,

The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

God keep our land glorious and free!

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

A few years ago, the third line was changed to "true patriot love in all of us command," but it doesn't quite come naturally to me yet!

Canada received full and complete independence from Great Britain on July 1, 1982, and later that year, the name Dominion Day was officially changed to Canada Day.

Our hopes are high. Our faith in the people is great. Our courage is strong. And our dreams for this beautiful country will never die. ~Pierre Trudeau

Canada is the homeland of equality, justice and tolerance. ~Kim Campbell

I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind. ~John Diefenbaker

Whether we agree politically with these former Prime Ministers or not, they said the right things on occasion, which I suppose is probably true of most politicians. Here's what a British Prime Minster had to say about Canada:

There are no limits to the majestic future which lies before the mighty expanse of Canada with its virile, aspiring, cultured, and generous-hearted people. ~Winston Churchill

I hope he's right. I hope Canadians value their freedom and all the advantages they enjoy and fight to keep those freedoms.

Canadians have an abiding interest in surprising those Americans who have historically made little effort to learn about their neighbour to the North. ~Peter Jennings

I have actually found that to be true, especially when we first moved to the USA and were surprised at how much we had to explain about Canada.

Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain. ~Pierre Trudeau

Hysterically funny, amazingly talented people. That's what I think of when I think of Canada. That, and cold beer. And mountains. ~Richard Patrick

You forgot hockey and curling!

Here are some links to my past articles with background on a few Canadian treats we enjoy, and the recipes:

Canada Day Butter Tarts

Eating the Americas - Poutine.

Eating the Americas - Nanaimo Bars.

French-Canadian Tourtiere

This post is based on this earlier article: Canada Day 2019.

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Pentecost

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Today is Pentecost on the Christian calendar, and in my experience, it seems that non-litrugical churches don't put much emphasis on this day. In fact, many evangelical believers don't even know what it is! Some of the churches I've belonged to have marked Pentecost and others have not made much of it, so it took me awhile to figure it out. Now, I believe it's quite important, for two reasons. First, it's one of the festivals that God commanded his people Israel to celebrate, which means it was a foreshadowing of how the law would be fulfilled when Messiah came. And second, that fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost recorded in the books of Acts was effectively the birth of the Church. 

Pentecost is a celebration of God . . . a celebration of God's power . . . a celebration of God's desire to empower us and to dwell within us. ~Mark Hart

From the day of Pentecost until the present time, it has been necessary to be of one accord in prayer before the Spirit of God will work with mighty converting power. ~John Mott

My brethren, do you believe in the Holy Ghost? . . . Have we such a reliance upon the Holy Ghost? Do we believe that, at this moment, He can clothe us with power, even as He did the apostles at Pentecost? Do we believe that, under our preaching, by His energy a thousand might be born in a day? ~Charles Spurgeon

So what IS Pentecost? In the Old Testament, when God gave the law to Moses at Sinai, he instructed Israel to celebrate certain festivals every year. One of those was Shavu'ot, or the Feast/Festival of Weeks. This was a harvest celebration that took place 50 days after Passover. The 50 days is where the Greek name Pentecost comes from.

Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name―you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you.

~Deuteronomy 16:10-11~

This was a huge party to celebrate how God had provided and would continue to provide, and everyone in Israel was invited! All of Israel was expected to be there, and everyone who worshiped the God of Israel was supposed to be welcome! 

So on the first Festival of Weeks after Jesus' death and resurrection, Jewish people from all over had come to Jerusalem to celebrate. Jesus had returned to heaven, but he had told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come to them. They must have been ready to celebrate the Festival of Weeks as the law required, and I wonder whether they expected something very special to happen on the Day of Pentecost? They were all together and in prayer, and it was special indeed!

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

~Acts 2:1-4~

The following quotes are excerpts from the article What is Pentecost? And why is it important? at The Bible Project:

In Acts 2:5, Luke says that Jews "from every nation under heaven" were gathering in Jerusalem at the time for the Pentecost feast . . . It is one of three main festivals that brought hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem for a big celebration.

The "whole world" had come to them.

 

Pentecost sparked an international effort to include everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish, into God's family, which is one reason we see the "speaking in tongues" miracle happening. In Greek, "tongues" can refer to real human languages, and that seems to be Luke's point in Acts 2:8. He captures the question everyone is asking: "How is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?"

So what is Pentecost Sunday all about? It's about this unexpected (yet expected) moment in 1st-century Jerusalem when the apostles' heads caught fire, when a strange indoor windstorm swirled through a packed party filled with international travenelers. It is the day foreshadowed by every wind-and-fire episode in the Old Testament and the day Jesus promised would happen as he quoted the prophet Isaiah. It's the moment his loving Church began, and it's the beginning of a new, peaceful world. Happy Pentecost!

And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone who the Lord our God calls to himself."

And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation."

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

~Acts 2:38-41~

This post appeared first on A Fresh Cup of Coffee.

Wednesday Quotes 2024 is hosted by Marsha at Always Write. The original version of this post is linked at WQ#169: When You're Blue Find Hopefulness In the Neighborhood

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The Purim Story

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(This article has been updated for 2024, and I'm sharing it the day before Purim. Purim 2024 begins at sundown on Saturday, March 23rd, and continues through Sunday night, March 24th. The original article was posted on February 25, 2021, and I have left my references to 2021 dates alone rather than rewrite too much.)

I'm pretty late to today's party, but did want to acknowledge the celebration of Purim today! 

If you're not Jewish (I'm not), you may be wondering what this holiday is all about, and you might also be wondering why it might matter to anyone who isn't Jewish. Like me. Well, for me, I'm interested in all kinds of cultural celebrations just because I'm interested in history and other cultures. But I find Jewish holidays especially intriguing because the most important ones are commanded by God, and tell us a lot about God and his relationship to his people. Purim is a celebration that isn't commanded by God, but the story of its origin is in the Bible, and it's also a story of God saving his people. 

 Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Jewish month of Adar. In 2021 that's February 25th. The celebration begins at sundown on Thursday (today), and ends on Friday evening. It's a holiday that dates back to the ancient Persian empire and commemorates the Jewish people being saved from the evil plan of a Persian prime minister to wipe them out. The name comes from the Persian word for "lots" as in casting lots or throwing dice. So what happened? You can read the whole story in the Old Testament book of Esther, but here's my short summary:

The Jewish people were subjects of the Persian Empire during the 4th century BC. During the reign of King Ahasuerus, he deposed his queen and searched for a new queen among his subjects. A Jewish girl named Esther was chosen. She was cousin to Mordecai, a Jewish leader and an advisor to the king, but her Jewish heritage was kept a secret. The Persian prime minister Haman devises a plot to get revenge on his rival Mordecai by killing all the Jews and tricks the king into signing this into law. (This is the part where they cast lots - the purim - to determine the date for this genocide.) Mordecai alerts Esther and challenges her to go to the king. After a period of fasting, Esther risks her life to go to the king and is able to expose Haman's plot and thus save her people.

So on the day that the tables were turned and Haman and his family were executed instead, Jewish people celebrate to remember this event and how they were saved.

On the day before Purim, it's customary to fast because Esther and the Jews fasted before she went to the king. Once the celebration begins, though, it's fun and joyous! Purim celebrations include reading the story from the Megillah (the Hebrew scroll), giving gifts to the poor, feasting and sending gifts of food. Often children dress up in costumes - and sometimes adults do too! During the reading of the story, listeners will boo, stomp their feet, or use noisemakers when the name of Haman is mentioned. He's the bad guy, and his name is to be wiped out. 

Sometimes people wonder why the book of Esther is included in the Bible, since it doesn't mention God by name. I think that the "coincidences" surrounding Mordecai's favor with the king, Haman's plan and the timing of it, and Esther's position in the royal household all point to God's hand at work. Mordecai and Esther are observant Jews - they fast and pray and call upon all the Jews to do the same, and God works on their behalf. I believe the bold and unusual plan Esther used to appeal to the king was put on her heart by God as she fasted and prayed. 

You see, even though she was a royal wife and the queen, she was not supposed to go to the king. She had to wait for him to summon her, which he hadn't done for quite some time. If she went to him, and he wasn't interested, she could be put to death. She actually reminded Mordecai of this fact, and his response to her is one of my favorite lines: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4.14)

She responds: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16)

What courage! After this persistent calling on God through fasting, she is ready to go to the king. Here's where her plan is crazy brilliant and unexpected. She could be killed just for walking in uninvited, but when the king receives her warmly and says he'll give her anything at all she asks for, she says she just wants to invite him and Haman to dinner. What?! Then at the banquet, the king repeats his generous offer - he is persistent in wanting to honor her! - and she says that they are invited to dinner again the next day. Before that second dinner, Haman winds up having to honor Mordecai at the king's command, and he loathes it. In his fury, he has a gallows made ready thinking he'll get his revenge on Mordecai very soon. But then at the second banquet, Esther makes her request - she asks for her life and the lives of her people, and she reveals that Haman is the villain plotting against the Jews.

The persistence of Esther and Mordecai pays off when God intervenes and turns the tables so that the Jews are allowed to defend themselves and get revenge on their enemies. Despite Haman's persistent hatred, his plans are foiled and he gets what he deserves.

God has always kept his promises. He will always save his people, and he will always be in control. That's one of the lessons to learn from Esther - be persistent in faith and obedience to God.

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For more about Purim and the book of Esther, see these valuable resources:

Chabad.org - Purim

Jews for Jesus - Esther, Purim, and Why it All (Still) Matters

Jews for Jesus - A Clue in the Book of Esther

Jews for Jesus - Esther is the Real Hero of Purim

Proverbial Homemaker - Celebrate the Feast of Purim this Year

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There are a lot of foods associated with Purim celebrations, but the best known is the cookie called Hamentaschen. These are three-cornered pastries or cookies with a sweet filling. They are often given as gifts. Here's one of the recipes I've used before:

Hamentaschen (adapted from America the Beautiful)

2 2/3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup cold butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg white

cherry, strawberry or apricot preserves

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.  Cut butter into small pieces and blend into flour mixture using a pastry blender.  Mix egg, egg white and sugar together, then blend into flour mixture.  Mix to a stiff dough.  Divide into two discs, wrap each in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes.  Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness.  (The original recipe suggested doing this between two sheets of waxed paper.  I used a floured pastry board, but did find that a sheet of waxed paper on top kept the dough from sticking to the rolling pin without incorporating more flour into the dough.)  Using a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut dough out into circles about 2-1/2 to 3 inches in diameter.  Spoon about a quarter-sized drop of preserves onto each circle.  Fold the edges in to form a triangle, overlapping the corners and pinching them a little.  Bake about 1 inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a 350* oven, for about 15 minutes.  The preserves will start to bubble and the cookies will be a light golden brown when done.  Cool on a wire rack before serving.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

 

This is from my article: Hamentaschen

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The original post was part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. All my posts for the challenge are listed here: Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge - Disappointed

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The Ides of March

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I'm participating in the Wednesday Quotes link-up hosted by Marsha at Always Write. And although the Ides of March is almost over by now, that's what I'll be writing about.

Beware the Ides of March. ~William Shakespeare

What is the Ides of March, and why should anyone be wary of it? We all quote the line, and I think a lot of us know it's from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, but I suspect that might be all we know about it. I sure don't know much more than that, so I thought I'd find out.

Although some of the months in our calendar come from Roman names, the Romans didn't use quite the same calendar, and they didn't number the days like we do. They had three set points in each month, and it was based more on the moon. The Ides was the first full moon of each month. The Nones is the 5th or 7th or 8th days before the Ides, and the Kalends is the first day of the following month. The Ides falls on the 13th of most months, but on the 15th in four months, including . . . you guessed it! . . . in March. The Ides of March would be first full moon of a new year, and was the beginning of spring, which naturally meant feasting and celebrating. 

On the Ides is held the jovial feast of Anna Perenna . . . The common folk come, and scattered here and there over the green grass they drink, every lad reclining beside his lass, Some camp under the open sky; a few pitch tents; some make a leafy hut of boughs, Others set up reeds in place of rigid pillars, and stretching out their robes place them upon the reeds,But they grow warm with sun and wine, and they pray for as many years as they take cups, and they count the cups they drink. ~Ovid

by night only crazy things

like the full moon and the whippoorwill

and us, are busy. ~Charles Olson

Does the full moon affect people's behavior, you ask? Yup. It makes people think the full moon affects people's behavior. ~Neil deGrasse Tyson

He made the moon to mark the seasons,

and the sun knows when to go down.

~Psalm 104:19~

The Ides of March was also the day that consuls (state officials) took office. At least until 153BC when, for some reason, the consuls started their terms on the first day of January. And then, along came Julius Caesar and in 46BC he changed the Roman calendar to establish January 1st as the start of the New Year. 

Julius Caesar didn't get to celebrate very many New Years before he was assassinated. He was stabbed to death in the Senate house by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus on the Ides of March in the year 44BC, and of course that's how the date came to be such a well-known one. And it was obviously a huge event that changed the course of Roman history. Following his death there were a series of Roman civil wars that finally ended with the rise to power of Octavian, Caesar's adopted heir. In 27BC Octavian became the emperor Augustus, and that was the end of the Roman Republic. 

But back to Caesar and the Ides of March . . . Ovid wrote about Caesar's murder as an act of sacrilege. On the fourth anniversary of his death, Octavian executed 300 senators and others as a way to avenge Caesar. Beware the Ides of March, indeed!

I hope your Ides of March has been a good one, with nothing to beware of, and no bad moon rising other than the enjoyment of this classic song!

The LORD watches over you―

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm―

he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

~Psalm 121:5-8~

This post appears first on A Fresh Cup of Coffee.

Wednesday Quotes 2024 is hosted by Marsha at Always Write. The original version of this post is linked at #WQ #164: Actions/Ides of March/Settling Debts

Sources for this article include: History.com and Imperium Romanum

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