Oktoberfest is a festival held each year in Munich, Germany. The origin of the festival began on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria (later known as King Louis I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
Why is it called Oktoberfest when it is in September?
Because the weather in October in Germany is already getting colder, with the days being shorter, the festival coordinators elected to have the festival begin on the first Saturday after September 15 and last until the first Sunday in October. Thus, for this year, 2024, Oktoberfest begins Saturday, September 21 and ends on Sunday, October 6.
This two centuries long event has become best known for featuring beer, pretzels, and German food. The fest includes a parade, music, and a traveling carnival.
Costumes
The traditional costumes for Oktoberfest are:
For men - Lederhosen with suspenders. The lederhosen are the part-pants, part-shorts combination that are held up by suspenders.
For women - the costumes include the Trachtenblouse - a distinct blouse style due to the lace trim on the sleeves and neckline and a Dirndl skirt, which is characterized by its laced straps and circular cut, which starts at the waist and falls below the knee. A matching pinafore (or apron) is worn over the dirndl.
*Important Note: The knot on the pinafore indicates your relationship status. If the knot is on your right side, that means you are taken. If you tie the knot on the left side, it means you are single.
Oktoberfest Around the World
A number of U.S. cities, particularly those with large German American populations, hold Oktoberfests modeled on the original Munich festival. These popular celebrations, which feature beer and German food, are an attempt to reproduce the Bavarian sense of gemütlichkeit—cordiality.
Many of the U.S. Oktoberfests are shorter in length than the two weeks normally set aside for the Munich festival. For instance, the Kansas City Oktoberfest in 2024 is just a two-day event held on the final weekend of October 4-5, 2024.
The German town of Hermann, Missouri celebrates the town’s German heritage every weekend in October by hosting Oktoberfest. The backdrop of Missouri fall colors this time of year also pays tribute to the Autumn season. What better way to celebrate than with good food, wine, beer and music.
Summary
Whether you dress up in traditional costume or wear just regular clothes, the fun and happiness of this Fall Celebration will be a fun time of traditioning into the holiday season.
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In 1984, the International Fund for Animal Welfare named the month of July as Wild About Wildlife Month. It is a time to highlight the different kinds of wildlife around the world and encourage people to do their part in conservation efforts to protect the wildlife that is such an integral part of our ecosystem.
On December 20, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 3rd to be World Wildlife Day. This is an Awareness Day, along with the month of July, to raise awareness about threatened and endangered plants and animals.
Wildlife Conservation Efforts
The need for conservation efforts to protect our wildlife has been a critical part of the future of our ecosystem.
In 1973, the United States passed the Endangered Species Act. In 1993, the United Nations added more than a million species to the endangered section for the first time. By 2020, the population of about 21,000 mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, and amphibians had declined by 68%.
A species becomes classified as endangered when the total population drops to less than 250 mature individuals and shows a 50% to 70% decline in recent years.
So this Wild About Wildlife Month is a call to action.
Reasons for Wildlife Extinction and Endangerment
habitat loss
climate change
invasive species
overfishing and hunting
Some Recent Examples of the Benefits of Worldwide Wildlife Conservation
They were close to facing near-extinction due to hunting in the 1970s. Conservation efforts have brought the whale numbers back to their pre-70s state.
The beavers of England
Beavers had become extinct in the U.K. prior to 2008 until conservation efforts reversed it.
The gorillas of Africa
The gorilla population in Africa increased from only 48 in 2010 to more than 100 in 2016.
The gray wolves of America
In 1960, there were only 300 gray wolves left in America. Conservation efforts have brought the population back to nearly 5,400 by 2010.
The tigers of India
India’s wild tiger population has seen a 33% increase since conservation efforts began in 2010.
With wildlife conservation becoming more important than ever, it’s nice to have a whole month set aside to help as a reminder for each of us to do our part. So, celebrate in whatever way suits you best all during Wild About Wildlife Month in July.
*Holiday review for Wild About Wildlife Month was written by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
“... any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with."
Celebrating Towel Day
Fans of Douglas Adams’ book and its philosophy about towels, will enjoy Towel Day. Otherwise, towels are important in daily life and come in many forms.
There are bath towels and beach towels, dish towels, hand towels and tea towels.
To properly celebrate National Towel Day, let's look at a few examples of towels, that absorbent cloth used for drying.
Kinds of Towels
Bath Towels
Used to dry the entire body after a bath or shower. The best bath towel is one that is 100% cotton. Super luxury towels are those made of Egyptian Cotton. Pima Cotton and organic cotton are also superior types of cotton used in luxury towels.
Interesting note about those lovely soft towels hotels and resorts use ~ they are always 100% cotton (which makes them wonderfully absorbent) and always in the color white. White has an associated luxurious charm. White color also co-ordinates well with the decor of hotels.
Beach Towels
Used for going to the beach. Usually very colorful and they come in many designs.
Staying with our Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy theme, this galaxy beach towel is a fun choice for Hitchhiker fans. Other fans will know immediately what the number 42 / Don't Panic means!
Kitchen Towels
Used to dry dishes and wipe up spills in the kitchen. Kitchen towels are also known as dish towels (and are called tea towels in the U.K.
Hand Towels
Used to dry your hands. Hand towels are the perfect accessory for the kitchen and the bathroom. They are extremely handy hanging near the sink.
Summary
Towels, in addition to being the most important item a galaxy ‘hitchhiker’ can carry, are absolutely essential to every household. One can never have too many towels, as they have so many different uses.
National Towel Day
May 25
For More Holiday Reviews, check out ReviewThisReviews: Holidays
*National Towel Day Holiday Review is brought to you by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
For Bagel lovers (of which I am one), having a special day to celebrate the tasty bagel is delightful.
National Bagel Day is celebrated yearly on January 15.
History of Bagels
Bagels have a long history extending back nearly 500 years to the Jewish families of Poland in the 1600s. They were brought to America by the large Polish-Jewish immigration in the 1800s and thrived in New York City where many of the immigrants settled.
The 'bagel brunch' we still enjoy today began in the early 1900s. It's nearly the same as it was then, consisting of the popular lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and red onions. Other flavors and toppings have evolved over time. It began as a plain bread roll made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a ring, briefly boiled in water, then baked, resulting in a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned exterior. Today the basic plain bagel also comes in a variety of flavors, including poppy seed, sesame seed, cinnamon raisin, bagels with berries, and the Everything Bagel.
A Few Fun Bagel Facts
The first bagel began in the 1300s as a Polish obwarzanek, which was a thin, boiled, then baked ring of dough.
In 1610, The first written records about bagels was traced to Krakow, Poland, stating that bagels should be gifted to women soon after childbirth. (A new baby, a new bagel).
By the early 1900s, bagels became wildly popular in the Jewish-immigrant communities of New York City.
By the 1950s, Bagels became an American Staple. Today Bagels are sold in supermarkets everywhere and surpass the donut as an essential breakfast item.
Summary
The original bagel today is still most popular acquired fresh from a bakery the day you wish to eat them. But it is also handy to buy store-bought packages to have available anytime a bagel is desired.
Since bagels have their own special day, be sure to have some bagels on hand for January 15th to celebrate the official 'Bagel Day'.
*Bagel Day Holiday Review is written by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I hope you all had a wonderful, Peaceful Christmas.
Now feels like the time for me to start the gardening year. At first the
feeling is slow, almost imperceptible, but its there and each day the days are getting just that little bit longer and the
prospect of getting out there more appealing.
The shortest day in terms of daylight hours where I live is over
and despite the cold weather and seemingly bleak outlook, if you listen and
look carefully you can feel nature starting to wake up.
Now is the day if I am home, that I venture out into the
garden. During most of December I rarely go into the garden, we have heavy, wet
clay soil and when rainy it only gets muddy and then compacted if I tread
on it. In freezing weather it really is hard like a stone. I can do a lot
more harm than good gardening at this time in our
garden. So generally for most of December the garden and I have a break from each
other.
However today I look and listen and I can feel my soul wanting to
reconnect with the garden. There is often not too much to look at now and all the winter jobs are
done. However, as I gaze around I look for tiny signs of growth and appreciate the bones of the garden.
The evergreens that are always there, are so reliable, so constant and
without the distraction of colour and flowers, they come into their own
right now.
Holly Types And Growing Needs
The best at this time of year is the Holly. Although Holly can be
deciduous, we grow only the evergreen type. The Holly tree is a symbol of
winter and festivity and many of us cut and bring in Holly branches to decorate our homes in
winter.
The holly tree,common Holly, or to give it is rather pretty Latin name Ilex aquifolium, is an evergreen shrub or tree that can potentially
grow up to around 15 meters plus or about 50 feet tall though you can prune to
keep it more manageable.
There are also many smaller varieties reaching up to half that size such
as Ilex aquifolium 'Silver Mermaid' 6m x 4m (approx 20 x 13 feet) or
even smaller sizes suitable for a pot like Ilex aquifolium
'Hascombensis' 2.5m x 1.5m (approx 8 x 5 feet). These are more suitable
for a small garden or if you simply want a smaller tree with less
maintenance. Some even have lovely variagated leaves such as Ilex x
altaclerensis 'Golden King' 6m x 3m (approx 20 x 10 feet), which is a female
variety and does produce red berries.
Holly Berries can be colours mostly from red to yellow and orange on
different varieties. A Holly Plant is generally either male or female so to get those beautiful
berries you will need a female tree with male tree nearby. However
some of the male varieties even though there are no berries, have really
gorgeous leaves and habits and are worth growing.
Holly is grown in gardens both domestic and stately, woodland and hedgerows
mainly. It can be a specimum plant glorious on its own or grown as part of a pretty
inpenetrable spiky hedge which is excellent for security. We grow it alone
and as part of our mixed hedge. It is also found in the wild where the
common Holly can grow very tall and wide indeed if unchecked.
Holly is beautiful with often very dark green, glossy, and usually very
spiky sometimes variagated leaves. It can have small white flowers in Spring, though most will not be grown
for the flowers. The main feature of the female Holly is the beautiful berries that really brighten up the day and look spectacular against the dark
green leaves.
It prefers to grow in a sunny or semi shade position on moist but well
drained soil. It is not fussy about soil being happy in loam, chalk, sand or
clay and acid, neutral or alkaline soil type. It can cope well in an exposed
site or a sheltered position and is content to face any way except
north.
I have only space to mention a few varieties of Holly here. If you want
Holly in your own garden there are so many varieties offering different
sizes and features it is best to research what is suitable for your garden
and needs.
Uses Of The Holly Tree
The Holly tree is a very valuable tree for its many uses.
As the wood is hard, heavy, and fine-grained, it is good for making
furniture, carving, and inlay work. Leaves and berries are wonderful for
crafting projects whether it is using real Holly or artificial
Holly.
It can be used for Christmas or New year decorations including wreaths, and table centre
pieces or a winter display to brighten up a dull corner.
At a time when flowers are rare in the garden and expensive to buy, a
display of Holly in a vase is a beautiful alternative through out
winter.
Holly For Nature
For nature Holly is an extremely valuable tree. The spiky leaves provide
safe shelter all year round and nesting sites.
The Winter time berries are food for birds and small mammals and
the flowers in Spring attract bees and pollinators.
Even its roots help to stabilise the soil and prevent erosion.
Holly In Mythology and Symbolism
The Holly tree has a rich history of mythology and symbolism.
For many of us Holly is a part of the Holiday festivities bringing in
boughs of Holly real or artificial for home decor and is a symbol of
joy. When we bring in Holly into our homes it is also supposed to
protect from evil spirits and lightning, and to bring prosperity and good luck!
Holly has associations with the sun god and the winter solstice, and was considered a sacred plant by the Druids, Romans, and
Celts. It was believed to have magical powers, such as healing,
protection, and fertility. It was also a symbol of peace, joy and goodwill, and was used to
make crowns and gifts.
The Holly was adopted by Christianity, as a symbol of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection with the crown of thorns
representing blood and eternal life.
We even have songs about Holly such as "The Holly And The Ivy", perfectly
performed here by Kings College, Cambridge UK.
So the holly tree is a stunning plant in nature and in our gardens that has
history, mythology and many benefits for us and wildlife.
To step outside into the garden on a crisp cold day in the midst of
winter or wrap up and enjoy a winter walk and see a glorious Holly tree
covered in gorgeous berries is a highlight of the season and one I always
look forward to.
