A REMINDER to turn your clocks ahead one hour this Sunday, March 14th.  Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. local time.

Daylight Saving Time is four weeks longer since 2007 due to the passage of the Energy Policy Act in 2005. The Act extended Daylight Saving Time by four weeks from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, with the hope that it would save 10,000 barrels of oil each day through reduced use of power by businesses during daylight hours. Unfortunately, it is exceedingly difficult to determine energy savings from Daylight Saving Time and based on a variety of factors, it is possible that little or no energy is saved by Daylight Saving Time.

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Looking for that special treat for Valentine’s Day? Try this!

FRESH FRUITS WITH CHOCOLATE FONDUE

Use a selection of fruits, peeled and cut into cubes if large. Try mango, pineapple, whole strawberries, juicy pears, strawberries or banana chunks.

Chocolate Fondue Ingredients
200g/1.5 cups dark chocolate
75ml/one-third cup water
50/0.25 cup organic butter
2 tbsp white rum (optional)

Method

Break chocolate into pieces, and place in a heatproof bowl with the butter, water and rum. Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water, so that the base of the bowl is clear of the water. Leave for 5-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chocolate has melted.

Stir to make a smooth sauce, remove from the heat and pour into the serving bowl.

Arrange the fruit on a platter with forks or cocktail sticks. Serve a small bowl of chopped nuts alongside if you wish. To eat, simply dip pieces of fruit into chocolate, then into nuts.

Note:  This recipe makes a generous quantity of chocolate fondue, so you may prefer to omit the alcohol if serving this dessert to the family.

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Every February, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? Why do we celebrate this holiday on February 14th?  Who are some of the greatest romantic couples throughout history? Who wrote “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways”? Spending a quiet night at home?  Discover romantic movie suggestions! Want to know how chocolate is made? Have fun with plenty of ideas or learn about the history of Valentine’s Day at Valentine’s Day Facts.

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What do people do?
Many Canadians celebrate Groundhog Day by attending festivals, engaging in activities and reading or listening to news about groundhog appearances on February 2. Some Christian churches celebrate Candlemas on this day. Other people mark Groundhog Day as the date to take down their Christmas decorations.

Groundhog Day has attracted media attention over the years and its popularity continues to grow in Canada.  A festival is held in the town of Wiarton in Bruce County, Ontario, to honor Groundhog Day. The town has its own groundhog, Wiarton Willie, which it shares with the nation. Locals, fans and news reporters come out to “hear Willie’s prediction” early in the morning on February 2 each year. Other events at the festival include dances, contests, parades and pancake breakfasts.

Background
Thousands of years ago when animalism and nature worship were prevalent, people in the area of Europe now known as Germany believed that the badger had the power to predict the coming of spring. They watched the badger to know when to plant their crops.

This tradition was brought over to North America, predominantly in Pennsylvania in the United States, where it was the groundhog, not the badger, which makes these “predictions”. According to folklore, if the groundhog will sees its shadow on February 2 it will return to its burrow, indicating that there will be six more weeks of winter. If it does not see its shadow, then spring is on the way.

The Groundhog Day concept became popular in Canada in 1956 when Wiarton Willie became a household name for his early February “weather predictions”. Wiarton’s Groundhog Day festival grew as Willie’s fame increased. It became one of the largest winter festivals in Bruce County, Canada. The original Wiarton Willie was an albino groundhog that was around 22 years old when it died during the winter of 1998-99. Other groundhogs have replaced the original groundhog as the new Wiarton Willie.  Did you know Ontario’s groundhog is “Gary the Groundhog”?

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They ask for 60 seconds once a year and that is all,
When we will recognize them, those who stood so brave and tall.

They spent their 60 seconds, all in fear and all in pain,
those horrific 60 seconds spent for freedom we would gain.

60 seconds took so long as he watched his buddy die,
60 seconds for a nurse who knew she had to try.
60 seconds went so fast as the bombs came pouring in,

Only 60 seconds to find courage from within.
Another 60 seconds and he would face his greatest fear.

Those endless 60 seconds as the wives waited to hear,

They asked for 60 seconds so we’d know the price they paid,
when they spent their 60 seconds and in hell our freedom made.

They asked for 60 seconds once a year and that is all,
to stand in peace-filled silence and hear the bugle call.

* * * * * * * * * *

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians are asked to pause in memory of the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives in military service.

At public gatherings in Ottawa and around the country, Canadians pay tribute with two minutes of silence to the country’s fallen soldiers from the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Afghanistan conflict and peacekeeping missions.

Also known as Veterans Day in the U.S., Remembrance Day was first held throughout the Commonwealth in 1919. It marks the armistice to end the First World War, which came into effect at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, a year earlier.

It isn’t a national holiday across Canada, but employees in federally regulated employees do get the day off. Several provinces and territories - including Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Yukon - do observe a statutory holiday.

Why the Poppy?

The association between the poppy and war dates back to the Napoleonic wars, when a writer saw a field of poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers.

During the Battle of Ypres in 1915, Canadian Lt.-Col. John McCrae was inspired to write the poem In Flanders Fields on sighting the poppies growing beside a grave of a close friend who had died in battle.

The poem was a great inspiration in adopting the poppy as the Flower of Remembrance in Canada, France, the U.S, Britain and Commonwealth countries.

The first poppies were distributed in Canada in 1921.

Today the volunteer donations from the distribution of millions of poppies is an important source of revenue for the Royal Canadian Legion that goes toward helping ex-servicemen and women buy food, and obtain shelter and medical attention.

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Tags: Canada, Rememberance, Freedom, 11th-hour-11-day-11-month, First-World-War, Second-World-War, Korean-War, Peacekeeping, Poppies, Flower-of-Remembrance

Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. It’s one of the most popular holidays, second only to Christmas. While millions of people celebrate Halloween without knowing its origins and myths, the history and facts of Halloween make the holiday more fascinating.

Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits that should be avoided at all costs.

As the Christian debate goes on, celebrating Halloween is a preference that is not always viewed as participating in an evil holiday. Halloween is often celebrated with no reference to pagan rituals or the occult.

The History Halloween

Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.

All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.

The Origin of Halloween

While there are many versions of the origins and old customs of Halloween, some remain consistent by all accounts. Different cultures view Holloween somewhat differently but traditional Halloween practices remain the same.

Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.

Samhain signifies “summers end” or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.

The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.

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Victoria Day is around the corner and you all know what this means: long weekend. To whom do we owe the first long weekend of the summer season?

In Canada the holiday is celebrated on the Monday preceding May 25th. Victoria Day is officially the Sovereign’s birthday. The Sovereign’s birthday was first celebrated in Ontario in 1845 in honor of the birthday of Queen Victoria of England - she was actually born in May 24. After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, the Parliament of Canada passed an Act to establish a legal holiday named Victoria Day on May 24 in each year - or May 25 if May 24 fell on a Sunday. In 1952 an amendment to the Statutes of Canada established the celebration of Victoria Day as we now know it.

Throughout history, Victoria Day was also known as Empire Day and Commonwealth Day. In 1977 Canadians continued to celebrate Victoria Day in May when Commonwealth Day was moved to the second Monday in March. Not all of Canada celebrate this Holiday. For example, until 2003, Quebec celebrated Dollard Day in honor of the 17th century soldier, Adam Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

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Tags: Victoria-Day, Canada