Silvery New Year Celebrations

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Holidays Shimmer With Color

Each holiday takes on its own color and hue. That color can change with the passing of the years; it's not a static thing.

There can even be more than one color or it can take on a predominant shade.

What Is The Color Of Your Holidays?

New Year celebrations often have the color of silver wrapped around them. Silvery winter snow, sparkles reflect off the tinsel, silverware gleams upon the table.

Christmas tends to have the colors of gold with red and green flowing around it.

All this talk of silver and gold reminds us of Yukon Cornelius from the 1964 tv show Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Burl Ive sings about the silver and gold we see during our holiday celebrations in this delightful song Silver and Gold.

New Year Resolutions

Of course, we can't speak of changing our calendar year without mentioning a New Year's resolution. Do you make them? Interestingly, New Year Resolutions didn't become a trend until relatively recently. Wikipedia notes:

 
“At the end of the Great Depression, about 25% of American adults formed New Year’s resolutions.
At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did.”
 

Resolutions trace their origins to religious roots:

 
“The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the Medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making resolutions. People may act similarly during the Catholic fasting period of Lent.

The practice of New Year’s resolutions partially came from the Lenten sacrifices.”
 

Do you think we should share our resolutions?

Are they like birthday wishes when we blow out the candles on a cake – if you say them out loud, they won't come true?

Or should we be bold and yell our resolutions from the mountain tops?

Some studies show that women, in particular, do better following through with their resolutions when they share them with friends and have their support to succeed.

Resolutions With The Radiance Technique®

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can benefit from the use of TRT® hands-on for any of their resolutions.

Of course, use of TRT® is not cause and effect. It's not a panacea. Rather, as you direct universal energy you support your unfolding process from the inside to the outside.

TRT® is a way to help yourself through this journey of life with all its bumps and tumbles.

Because life will have its struggles, even with use of TRT®. And yet, to have a way to help ourselves, to participate with our own healing process, is what makes all the difference. No longer are we helpless, no matter what we may face.

Will it be incredibly hard sometimes? Yes. And, we can take TRT® with us, no matter what, no matter where we go.

One of my New Year resolutions is to have additional time with TRT® meditations. It's one of the best gifts I can give myself.

What are your plans for these New Year celebrations?

 

 

Wassailing, Old Tradition Made New

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Wassailing – Traditions Then And Now

What a busy time of year. Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Yuletide, St. Nicolas, Santa Claus, Wassailing...

Hold on a quick New York second. Wassailing? That goofy word that no one knows how to pronounce; that's in an obscure Christmas carol that no one sings, because no one knows what it is?

Yes. That's the one.

Wassailing – Wassail.

The wonder of languages. The words "Wassailing – Wassail" are inspiring. Who amongst us gets the chance to say "wassail" often enough?

For the delight of a linguistics person, wassail is a noun, a verb, and even a salutation. It doesn't get better than that.

Wordsmith has this to share:

WASSAIL

PRONUNCIATION: (WAHS-uhl, wah-SAYL)

MEANING: Verb transitive: To toast.
Verb intransitive: To go from house to house singing carols at Christmas.
Noun:  1. A toast to someone's health.
2. A festivity with much drinking.
3. A drink for toasting, especially spiced ale.
4. The singing of Christmas carols going from house to house.

ETYMOLOGY: The word Wassail is thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon toast Wæs þu hæl – or "be thou hale" (healthy). Earliest documented use: 1275. The Anglo-Saxon derived from Old Norse ves heill – or "be well" in which case, wassailing likely predates the Norman conquest in 1066.

It was a Saxon custom that, at the start of each year, the lord of the manor would shout "waes hael." The assembled crowd would reply "drinc hael" - meaning "drink and be healthy." 

What Is Wassailing?

Wassailing has been associated with both Christmas and New Year's celebrations. It was a way of passing on good wishes among family and friends. It was also an ancient ceremony that involved singing and drinking to the health of trees.

Wikipedia informs us:

“The tradition of wassailing falls into two distinct categories: The House-Visiting wassail and the Orchard-Visiting wassail. The House-Visiting wassail, caroling by another name, is the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols.

The Orchard-Visiting wassail refers to the ancient custom of visiting orchards in cider-producing regions of England, reciting incantations and singing to the trees to promote a good harvest for the coming year.”
 

The Herefordshire Times states:

“Steeped in history, wassailing is traditionally held on the Twelfth Night after Christmas and performed in orchards to awaken the apple trees from their winter slumber and ward off bad spirits.”
 

Trees are precious and they deserve some much-needed recognition. We are more than happy to gather 'round and dance and toast to their health.

It also shows how we used to be more connected to nature and cognizant of our foods and from whence they came. Somehow going into the supermarket and singing to the produce aisles to ensure full shelves for next year doesn’t have the same appeal.

The Beverley Guardian tells us in their article Days Lengthen, Cold Strengthens:

“Wassailing used to be carried out throughout England with other trees such as pear, plum, or cobnut. Cows and oxen used to be wassailed too for the same reason, to bring luck and encourage good health in the coming year.”
 

Wassailing may have continued for some die-hards in our beloved merry ol' England, but for the rest of us across the pond, it didn't get much press. Until now.

Wassailing is making a comeback. More and more, people are including a wassail drink or a wassailing festival for the trees in their celebrations.

A Wassailing Song

The Wassail Song of today is a traditional English Christmas carol.

For our musicians: the verses are in 6/8 time which bounces us along; then the chorus steps in, as smooth as glass, when it switches to 2/2 time. This contrast provides captivating musical interest.

The image above is an example of the printed sheet music.

In 1902 Elder and Shepard published a series of six Christmas carols on single sheets (one of them, The Wassail Song, pictured above). The artwork is by Harold M. Sichel, who was one of Elder’s favorite art contributors.

Of particular interest in the printing is the choice of font that uses the sharp S for the double "ss" as well as the older "s." The scharfes S "ß" (sharp S) is commonly used in German, however, it's also possible to see a long-s short-s ligature (ß) in English texts from the 15th and 16th centuries. Here, it makes for a nice antique effect.

Here We Come A-Wassailing

For an intricate version of the song with rich harmonies, we have The King's Singers from their album, A Little Christmas Music. Be sure to take a listen.

Bring TRT® To Your Festivities

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can use this supportive technique with all their traditions and holiday activities. Use of TRT® hands-on while participating in events brings greater Light to your celebrations and expands the qualities of loving.

You can use TRT® hands-on while studying history. It helps provide a sense of the deeper energies of those times.

The Wassail Drink

To have a proper Wassail event, you need to have a Wassail drink.

In days of yore, you'd find an ale-based drink flavored with spices and honey. 

Ancient Wassail also had cream and egg whites beaten into it, making for a curdling or frothing that looked like the white wool of a lamb. Hence, it also came to be known as Lambswool – a mixture of hot ale, spices, sugar, breadcrumbs and roasted apples into which beaten eggs and cream were stirred.

To our ancestors, Lambswool was quite delectable. It could be argued it is the grandfather of our modern eggnog.

Today, however, our modern tastebuds tend not to favor warm beer. And your guests may start packing to leave if you serve them a curdled drink.

Wassail Drink Recipes

A plethora of Wassail recipe choices await you on the internet. You can find Wassails that are non-alcoholic, spiked, some that more closely resemble mulled wine than Wassail and others that stay true to the apple cider base.

Here is one recipe with warmed beer, Traditional Wassail Recipe, and another Wassail recipe that includes the eggs.

Yet another Wassail brew has Calvados as an ingredient. A specialty from Normandy, France, Calvados is an authentic apple brandy.

If you can't find Calvados, you could substitute any quality brandy. In truth, tossing an expensive Calvados in a mixture of several juices is a bit extravagant; you may wish to reserve it for more purist libations.

The Wassail Bowl. by John Gilbert, 1860.

Make Wassailing a Part of Your Traditions

The nice thing about Wassail is that it's not emphatically tied down to a specific date or even whether it is Christmas or New Year's – whichever timing works for you.

Or why not plan for both timings – Christmas for the caroling and January as a pick-me-up after the rush of the holidays? January is a nice time to sing to the trees.

Turn the old tradition of Wassailing into a new one for your family and friends. We should hear a lot more Waes hael and Drinc hael being shouted out around us.

A tradition has to start somewhere, and like they say, there's no time like the present.

Waes Hael – Good Health !

 

Winter Solstice, Celebrating Yuletide

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Winter Solstice And Yuletide

The Winter Solstice draws near and is officially celebrated on 21 December. Since last June, the days have steadily grown shorter and the nights longer. On this date, we have the longest night of the year.

Once we pass the Winter Solstice, the nights turn around with a grand spiral and begin to shorten again. Each day stretches longer as we march toward spring.

Yuletide

Yule or Yuletide, is a derivative of "Yule time" meaning the season of Yule. It was a pagan religious festival observed by ancient Germanic peoples and was later absorbed into the Christian festival of Christmas.

Yuletide is accepted now as a period from 24 December to 06 January and is connected to the 12-day festival of Yule, later called Christmastide.

The use of the word, Yuletide, is first confirmed around 1475. In Swedish and Norwegian, you say Jul, and in Danish, Jól.

God Jul is how you say Good Yuletide, or Merry Christmas, in Swedish.

Celebrating Yuletide

Yuletide, in its earliest forms, was an important part of the Winter Solstice. Yule logs were brought into the house and kindled at dusk. The log would burn for 12 hours or even several days. It symbolized the protection of the light, to ensure it would return again in spring.

In England, it was considered unlucky to buy the Yule log. Money could not change hands to obtain it. It had to be acquired by other means, such as barter or as a gift. 

Yule logs were often gifted by landowners and decorated with pinecones and evergreen branches. In Cornwall, a figure of a man might be seen chalked on the surface of the log.

Keeping Of The Flame

Ashes from the Yule log were scattered over the fields as a blessing for successful crops. In Brittany, France, the ashes were thrown into wells to purify the water. 

Ashes were also used to make protective, healing or fertilizing charms. In Italy, these charms were created to protect against hailstones.

As the truncated days of winter draw near, we tender the flickering light of our candles and Yule logs. Symbolically, we protect the light to ensure it will survive the dark of winter, so that we may once again flourish in spring and summer. Rituals provide us comfort and meaning. 

Bûche de Noël Tradition

With the rise of Christianity, the celebration of Winter Solstice became wrapped in Christmas. In many countries, the old ways were sustained, but transformed.

By the 19th century, the Yule Log became a traditional Bûche de Noël  (Christmas Log) in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec. A Bûche de Noël is a  delectable chocolate sponge-cake rolled up to resemble a log. Details are added, such as sugar holly leaves or little mushrooms created from marzipan or meringue. Creative decorations flourish amongst bakers with their log desserts.

If you don't have a fireplace where you can burn your Yule Log (and even if you do), making an edible Yule log is a great option. A chocolate Yule log dessert is a solstice treat everyone can enjoy.

Cycles Of Our Days

As darkness falls, we must sleep, and so too, the Earth must slumber.

As humans, we tend to view the world through our egocentric eyes and all that exists is only what we perceive and experience. But, in fact, worlds and universes flourish out of range of our view.

We zip through our yearly 365 days in 24 hour spurts. To the Earth, we can imagine that the cycle of a day is much longer than our own. Like the 24-hour day that we have, perhaps the Earth's "day" consists of an entire year.

Spring is morning, summer is afternoon, fall is evening, and winter is nightfall – a time for sleep, rest and rejuvenation. (Artwork by Wendy Andrew.)

In spring, the Earth will awaken again to greet the morn.

A Time To Nurture Ourselves

Winter Solstice reminds us to nurture ourselves with warm comfort foods. Chunky stews, thick spilt-pea soup and casseroles with butternut squash grace our tables.

During the cold of winter, we warm our bellies with mashed or baked potatoes dug from the earth. As we gather over hearty meals, we feed both body and spirit. 

Is snow falling outside your window? Time to curl up with a book. Finally, a chance to catch up on those novels that were set aside during the busy, outdoor activities of summer.

With use of TRT® hands-on, students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) nurture the light within. For the Winter Solstice, we focus on inner light , keeping our inner flame burning bright even through the darkness. 

God Jul, Good Yuletide and Happy Winter Solstice.

 

Christmas Songs Across Time

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Dust Off Your Christmas Songs

The month of December is here and that means uninhibited, unabashedly repetitive, guilt-free playing of Christmas songs.

Allow me to address the guilt-free part. Naturally, we can play Christmas songs at any time of the year. There are no laws on the books saying we can't.

But, honestly, don't you feel just a little out of sorts when you play them in the blazing heat of July? Sweltering under 90 degrees Fahrenheit, I only need a few notes of Frosty the Snowman to picture him in a giant puddle. Not the effect I really wanted.

For our holidays in December, Christmas songs are ubiquitous. They point the way to joyful celebrations with family and friends as well as the intimate journey on the path of inner light.

A Wide Variety Of Christmas Songs

We have Christmas songs to suit every taste. From traditional to modern, from serious contemplation to light-hearted frolicking.

Time-honored traditional songs:

  • Silent Night

  • Hark the Herald Angels Sing

  • O Holy Night...

  • O Come, O Come, Emmanuel...

Classical songs:

  • The Nutcracker Suite

  • The Messiah...

Venacular songs:

  • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

  • Jingle Bells

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

  • Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

Raucous songs:

  • The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

  • Fairytale of New York...

 
“The boys of the NYPD Choir were singing Galway Bay and the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day.”
— The Pogues
 

Wistful songs:

  • Merry Christmas, Darling

  • I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

  • The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)...

The fluid, lyrical voice of Karen Carpenter as she sings Merry Christmas, Darling is like warm butterscotch coating your ice cream.

Christmas songs are timeless. It's okay to dust off the Carpenters from 1970. No apologies needed. It's the time of year when songs from the past are like a badge of honor in a world of nostalgia.

The Christmas Song

Another song that must be played is The Christmas Song sung by Nat King Cole from 1961 with its full orchestral arrangement. It is one of the definitive songs of the season.

The liquid gold of Nat King Cole's voice smoothes our ruffled feathers after we've ventured out in the shopping-crazed world.

 
“The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song early in 1946. At Cole’s behest – and over the objections of his label, Capitol Records – a second recording was made later the same year utilizing a small string section, this version becoming a massive hit on both the pop and R&B charts.

Cole again recorded the song in 1953, using the same arrangement with a full orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, and once more in 1961, in a stereophonic version with orchestra conducted by Ralph Carmichael.

Cole’s 1961 version is generally regarded as definitive, and in 2004 was the most-loved seasonal song with women aged 30-49, while the original 1946 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.”
 

Christmas Songs And History

Many of our Christmas songs are steeped in history.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen – was written in England in the early 1800s as a reaction to church music of the 15th century.

Carol of the Bells – was composed in 1916 and was based on an old Ukrainian folk tune. It was originally named Shchedryk. It means "the little swallow" and it was a New Year's song. The little swallow flies into a home and sings to the family about the bountiful year that awaits them.

The English lyrics that we associate with Christmas were published and copyrighted in 1936. 

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabelle – originated from the Provence region of France in the 16th century. Initially, it wasn't a Christmas song at all, but rather a dance song for nobility.

The list goes on. It's impossible to complain about a lack of Christmas songs.

And everyone has to record their own version of them on every instrument possible. What are your favorite renditions?

Merry Christmas to One and All.

 

(The Radiance Technique® is not associated with any religion or belief system.
Please see Radiant Nursing – About for more details.)

 

Saint Nicolas Has A Story To Tell

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Who Is Saint Nicolas?

While living in Europe and spending time in France, I made a discovery. There was a flurry of activity associated with the date of 06 December and Saint Nicolas.

But, wait a minute. What was Saint Nick doing here instead of his usual haunt of 25 December for Christmas?

Saint Nicolas And Santa Claus

Naturally, I've known our modern-day American Santa Claus all my life, but I wasn't raised Catholic. I was unaware of Saint Nicolas, the saint, per se. .

Time for sleuthing. Off I launched on the trail. Saint Nicolas was actually a real person born in Greece and a remarkable 4th-century Christian saint who lived a long time ago from 15 March 270 to 06 December 343.

 
“In 325, he was one of many bishops to answer the request of Constantine and appear at the First Council of Nicaea. Nicolas was a staunch defender of the Orthodox Christian position, and one of the bishops who signed the Nicene Creed.”
 

The story of Saint Nicolas has a bit more flavor than our present-day Santa Claus. Finding the connection between Santa and Saint helped to explain how he came to have his nickname of Saint Nick.

The Story Of Saint Nicolas

If you spend any time looking at original fairy tales and at The Brothers Grimm, pre-Disney, you will find harsh renditions of these tales. Violent endings were commonplace and wickedness was, without apologies, very wicked.

Exploring these harsh-reality versions is fascinating and a peek back into time. My first taste of this was reading The Little Matchstick Girl, published in 1845 by Hans Christian Andersen. She died on New Year's Eve, sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a building, frozen to death. The next morning, people walked by in their warm coats and gloves and scarcely gave notice. Life was as hard as nails in those days.

True to the storytelling of that time, probably the most important miracle of Saint Nicolas recounts a gruesome tale of a butcher who lured three angelic (naturally) children into his home. It was dark and they were lost after a day of gathering sticks in the forest.

The butcher happily welcomed them. He then proceeded to chop them all up, as only a butcher can, and store them in a big bin. Presumably for midnight snacks or to sell the meat to the unsuspecting villagers.

You can see their little shoes lined up after he has killed them in this illustration. Egads!

In the story of Saint Nicolas, the butcher chops up the children

The Miracles Of Saint Nicolas

Now, Saint Nicolas is one awesome saint. I mean, it's one thing to bring an intact dead body back to life. But to reassemble chopped up bits and bring all three children back to life is a top-of-the-line saint by anyone's standards.

And, that is just what he did.

He visited the village and stopped by the butcher's house. When the butcher offered him other meats, Saint Nicolas said, "No, I want what is in that bin!" He pointed three fingers and out came the revived children.

In the story of Saint Nicolas, he saves the three children

Penance For The Wicked Butcher

Don't think the butcher got away with it.

When the butcher begged for mercy, Saint Nicolas pardoned him, but on the condition that the now-repentant butcher would travel with him throughout the land as penance.

The butcher is known as Père Fouettard. Fouettard comes from the word for whip in French. Père Fouettard is usually dressed in black or dark clothes and he carries a switch to whip all the bad children.

Saint Nicolas brings treats for the good children.

Père Fouettard travels with Saint Nicolas with switches to whip all the bad children

Celebrating Saint Nicolas Day

Saint Nicolas Day is celebrated mostly in the northern parts of Europe as well as in Russia. Children place their sabots, wooden shoes, by the door or near the fireplace for Saint Nicolas to fill them with little treats.

However, instead of a sleigh pulled by reindeer, Saint Nicolas travels with a humble donkey. Along with their wooden shoes, children usually leave out a carrot or two as a tasty treat for their four-footed friend.

Saint Nicolas is often depicted walking with his donkey and Père Fouettard following behind, carrying his switches.

Just as our American Santa Claus will don an outfit and visit children, so too, will Saint Nicolas and Père Fouettard. French adults recount the visceral fear they felt as little children when Père Fouettard would visit their schools and villages. Well, with good reason... chopped up into bits would terrorize anyone.

In France, there is also Père Noël (Father Christmas) who appears on Christmas Eve, like our Santa Claus. They celebrate the day of Saint Nicolas and Père Noël also visits them with goodies for Christmas Eve, so they luck out twice in December.

The story of Saint Nicolas

Saint Nicolas – Patron Saint

Saint Nicolas is quite the active patron saint. After his amazing feat of bringing three children back to life, he is the patron saint for all lost children.

He is also the patron saint for sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, pawnbrokers and students in various cities and countries around Europe.

Lighting Our Legends

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can use TRT® hands-on to become more in touch with their own awareness about the story. When studying history, your use of TRT® can put you more in touch with events. If you wish to go deeper, tales such as these are symbolic of energies of good and evil and even our own journey within.

Wooden shoes are placed in front of the fire for the Feast Day of Saint Nicolas

December 6 – Feast Day Of Saint Nicolas

What about you? Will you be leaving out your wooden shoes on the 6th of December for Saint Nicolas?

I know I will. Luckily, I was able to pick up some wooden shoes when I lived in Germany. I just hope he can find me now, in the United States, far from his usual stomping grounds of Northern Europe.

Fortunately, the connections of the heart know no boundaries or distance. We'll be sure to find each other there.

Have a wonderful Saint Nicolas Day.

 

Gratitude As A Daily Practice

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Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving holiday takes place in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November each year. It's a time of gathering with families and friends.

We give thanks and eat lots of food. The "lots of food" part is always important. It's a celebration of the abundance in our lives.

Thanksgiving is a non-religious holiday celebrated around the country. Most people have the day off and enjoy a paid holiday.

Gratitude Beyond Seasonal Holidays

Besides eating, giving thanks is a big part of Thanksgiving. Studies show that having a sense of thanksgiving and gratitude can make a difference in our lives all year round. When we're conscious of gratitude as a part of our daily lives, it has many benefits.

According to research from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, an increased sense of appreciation can benefit our health and wellness with better sleep, lower blood pressure, happier relationships, and increased resiliency.  Some researchers have found that practicing gratitude can strengthen our immune system.

 
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ”
— Thorton Wilder
 

Four Ideas To Share Gratitude With Others

Given these positive effects, perhaps we should get busy practicing gratitude. This is a perfect time of year to tune up our efforts.

Gratitude isn't only about looking around and seeing what we're grateful for – our service and activities are also a part of gratitude when we share with others.

For the holidays, we can:

1) Volunteer at a winter homeless shelter.

2) Spend time with the elderly in a Senior Center or a nursing home.

3) Donate time at a local reading program for children.

4) Provide services for rescue and animal shelters. They are always in need of volunteers to help.

Make Gratitude A Part Of Your Daily Life

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) have an excellent way to expand upon gratitude within the simplicity of the use of the TRT® hands-on. 

In The New Expanded Reference Manual of The Radiance Technique®, Authentic Reiki®, Third Edition by Dr. Barbara Ray, Ph.D. — the entry on Gratitude is found on page 106:

GRATITUDE - In higher consciousness refers to an inner energy which expresses from within, with no external cause, spontaneous feelings of wholeness, of fullness, of radiance.  The Radiance Technique® accesses this inner energy which has within itself the quality of gratitude, different from lower energies of cause and effect.  Gratitude is an energy of the soul, of the Inner Heart. For accessing and expanding upon this quality in you, use for extended times in Front Position #1. 

 

Four Ideas To Expand Your Gratitude

Since gratitude makes a significant contribution to our well-being – here are some ideas to help as gratitude reminders.

1) Tape a note to your bathroom mirror to remind you as you are getting ready for work or going to bed. Something for which you are thankful.

2) Create a gratitude journal. Jot down something you are grateful for and write a a few lines about it.

Maybe you have artistic talents? Perhaps you would rather draw or photograph a little reminder of gratitude?

3) Buy a notebook for art journaling of gratitude. The image in this post of Gratitude is a practice is an example of art journaling. 

4) Take a photo each day that captures your sense of gratitude. It doesn't have to be grandiose like traveling to a foreign, exotic land. Your photo can be from your own backyard.

How about the curve of your kitty's tail?
The floppy ear of your dog?
Maybe a leaf found on your path?
Perhaps a photo of a coffee drink?

 If you have gratitude for it, go for it.

 

Happy Fourth Of July

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Independence Day – Fourth Of July

We love you, Great Britain, but we've got to go.

It's not you, it's me.

No, actually, it is you. And we don't want to pay your taxes. Especially without representation.

We're celebrating our independence from the rule of Great Britain and the birth of a sovereign nation – the United States of America.

A Federal Holiday

Although Independence Day has been celebrated since the 18th century, it was in 1870 that the U.S. Congress made 04 July a federal holiday. It then became a paid federal holiday in 1941. 

We like the paid part. To this day, I can remember my joy at having my first paid holiday. There I was, at home, eating bonbons (well, not really, but it sounds good) and getting paid for it.

Do you remember some of your first paid holidays?

The Declaration Of Independence

Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were among the key players in the creation of the Declaration of Independence. They are considered the founding fathers of the United States of America.

It is noteworthy that Jefferson wrote, "We hold these truths to be sacred and un-deniable..." and it was Franklin who changed it to the phrase we all know:

 
“We hold these truths to be self-evident...”

On 02 July 1776, the Continental Congress of the American colonies voted in favor of independence from Great Britain. Two days later on 04 July, the delegates ratified and signed the Declaration of Independence.

The 4th of July is the day celebrated as the birth of American Independence. As a significant patriotic holiday, its most common symbol is the American flag. The word “patriotism” comes from the Latin “patria” meaning “fatherland.”

Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson working on the Declaration of independence.
Painter, Jean leon gerome ferris, 1900

 

The 2nd Or 4th Of July

Humans wouldn't be humans without disagreement. Some founding fathers, John Adams in particular, believed we should celebrate the 2nd of July, when Congress first voted in favor of the resolution.

In fact, as a protest, even when personally invited, Adams refused to join any 4th of July celebrations. 

Oh my.

But here's a little Twilight Zone moment.

John Adams died on 04 July 1826 at the age of 90. 

Coincidence? Or did his spirit, in some fashion, relent and claim the 4th of July by dying on that day?

However, the plot thickens. Thomas Jefferson also died on the exact same day at the age of 83, just hours before John Adams. 

04 July 1826.

Relax Into The Red, White And Blue

For the Fourth of July, students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can relax and enjoy some TRT® hands-on. You might even bring the principles of the Declaration of Independence to your meditations. What do they mean to you?

 
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
— Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
 

This preamble is considered an enduring statement of human rights and a moral compass for the United States. All men are created equal has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language."

Students who have studied The Second Degree of The Radiance Technique® can direct energy to the founding of this country. You could also direct energy to a person from the past who helped create the Declaration of Independence.

Do you have a favorite founding father?  

Thomas Jefferson? Benjamin Franklin? Or fiercely stubborn John Adams? 

Enjoy your 4th of July holiday.

And oh, by the way, we still love you, Great Britain.

I remember singing this song with the high school choir, our music director waving his arms with gusto. Over these many years, I would often sing the opening line to myself.

Be sure to take a listen.