Wassail

We had a Christmas party at church yesterday, and I learned about a cider punch which is popular for the Christmas Season and/or to celebrate the Winter Solstice.  It was traditionally prepared as a drink to give to carolers or outdoor activities during the winter season.  It has a very warming effect on the body because of the included spices.  When I drank it, I could feel my whole body getting warm all the way to my toes.

 

Here is one recipe:

4 cups hot black tea
4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups apple juice
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 inches fresh ginger root, chopped
12 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks

Put all in a large pot and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir. Lower heat and let simmer or put in a crock pot on low.

There are many variations to the drink, some of them including alcohol such as brandy, rum or whiskey.

History of Wassail

In the old days, wassail was customary to be served at Christmas time.  The tradition going back to England where groups get together to wish each other “good health.”  It is still popular for parties to add warmth, spice and fruitiness.

The original addition of spices was introduced when sailors returned from India to England and called it “punch,” which comes from the Sanskrit ‘panc,’ which means "five."  The drink originally was made of five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices.

If you have plans for a party or just want to share something different to toast the New Year, try wassail. 

Here are some more recipes:

Slow Cooker Cider Wassail
Wassail Punch
CHRISTMAS WASSAIL

Happy Epiphany Day!

Some sources say that the real birthday of Jesus was January 6^th, others say that it was the day when Jesus Christ was first revealed to the world as a human being by the Magi.  It is interesting that the Twelve days of Christmas were counted from January 6^th backwards to the day after Christmas.  We are all familiar with the popular Christmas song: The Twelve Days of Christmas.

It is even more astounding how many different traditions and folklore are connected to January 6^th.  The dark season in the Western Hemisphere has so many Pagan traditions.   They were so influential that the early Christian Church leaders matched their celebrations according to some of the Pagan customs. 

Because of superstition, the dark nights were believed that souls and spirits were roaming through the homes, and so it became practice to smoke out the home on the last night before January 6^th.

In fact there are so many pagan rituals intertwined in our Christmas celebration which originally had nothing to do with Christ’s birth like the tree and sending out greeting cards.

Now some regions like New Orleans celebrate the feast of Epiphany with the King’s Cake (often a baby Jesus or other trinket maybe hidden in the yeasty dough), marking a door lintel with the Magi’s blessing, and elaborating worship with lighted candles.  That seems a dignified celebration to end the Christmas season. 

As I said before, it is not completely clear if the celebration of Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the magi to find baby Jesus or it is rather the occasion of his baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Man Jesus, and proclaimed: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." Matthew 3:17

One thing is for sure is that the original Christians didn’t celebrate either day right away.  It is not sure when the traditions started but it was somewhere around the 4^th Century.

 

Epiphany is also used as an expression of intuitive understanding or a flash of insight. 

 

I am just really amazed that God and the unseen world make so much effort to make themselves known to us humans, bringing messages, revelations and even the Messiah into our world.  Even though, we are so thick-headed, ignorant, and resistant that it took God 6,000 years (not literal, rather Biblical) to disclose His true purpose (his-story) to us. 

May we all have an epiphanic experience to connect once again to our creator and his dedication and faithfulness to us.  It can only be a true parents’ heart to have that kind of perseverance, endurance and determination to put up with our obliviousness and worldliness.

 

Blessing or Toasting the New Year

When you are ringing in the New Year 2014 this Tuesday night and make a toast for good health and happiness, you may not need to know what I am sharing here.  As a member of Toastmasters International, I have been wondering where the ideas of toasting came from.  Then, we had an article in the December 2013 Magazine  on toasting and I felt inspired to read more about it.

 

“Here's to the bright New Year

 And a fond farewell to the old;
 Here's to the things that are yet to come
 And to the memories that we hold.”

What is a Toast?

A toast is a ritual in which a drink is taken as an expression of honor or goodwill. The term may be applied to the person or thing so honored, the drink taken, or the verbal expression accompanying the drink. Thus, a person could be "the toast of the evening," for whom someone "proposes a toast" to congratulate and for whom a third person "toasts" in agreement.

There are many occasions in life to share a toast: the birth of a newborn, weddings, good byes, birthdays, or any party.  The custom of drinking to the health, prosperity, happiness, or good luck of another is not new; it rather has a long history.  The curious practice of raising our drink containers is one of the most ancient of these.

“A Toast or Sentiment very frequently excites good humor and revives languid conversation; often does it, when properly applied, cool the heat of resentment, and blunt the edge of animosity.   A well applied Toast is acknowledged, universally, the flame of acrimony, when season and reason oft used their efforts to no purpose.”

~ Craig Harrison, DTM

Why Toasting?

But it wasn't always called a toast. The term didn't come about until the late 17th century. In the same way you throw a lime in tequila, it was customary to plop a piece of toast or crouton in a drink, Dickson says. Think of it as an early form of a cocktail snack.

And just in case you are wondering where the English phrase "toast" comes from, it comes from the practice of floating a piece of burnt toast on top of the wine of the loving cup. The reason for this was that the toast took away some of the acidity of the wine.

History of Toasting

Ironically, the cheerful clinking of a friend's glass before drinking evolved from one of the darker practices of the distant past. The custom dates back to the Middle Ages, when people were so distrustful of one another that they weren't above poisoning anyone they perceived as an enemy.  As a safeguard, drinkers first poured a bit of wine into each other's glass, acting as mutual "tasters." Trustworthy friends, however, soon dispensed with the tastings and merely clinked their glasses instead. This custom is said by some to explain why "to your health" is the most common toast worldwide.  Some other historians hold that clinking glasses provided the noise that would keep evil spirits at bay.

Cheers - Why do we click the glasses?

There can be various answers to this question but the common notion that this was done so as to spill a little wine into each other's glasses thereby ensuring that the drinks are not poisoned is not true. This custom is relatively new. Touching your glasses gently is done to incorporate the sense of hearing in the processes of making a toast. Earlier only four out of our 5 senses were gratified.
 

What to say in a toast?

Here is a link for some sample toasts, blessings and graces: Chosen words for Toasts

For those who are looking for formal toasts for a special occasion, here is a whole book by the master Paul Dickson: Toasts

For the rest of us, let just enjoy this New Year’s Eve with a cheer of goodwill and blessing for the New Year 2014.  I hope and pray that the New Year will take us into better circumstances, and we can create health and prosperity for our families and country.

 

I pledge Allegiance

I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

Every time I say this pledge, which is twice a month at our Toastmasters’ meeting, I get emotional.  There is something in this short sentence which moves me deeply.  I have been thinking of the word INDIVISIBLE which means inseparable, undividable or united. 

On this Veterans Day 2013, I want to call out to all patriots who love this country, let’s unite together to save this nation.  Let us forget our differences and come together to not just pledge allegiance to the flag but to the God who has blessed this nation and bestowed upon her a great responsibility. 

I like to share with you an excerpt from a talk I listened to, 40 year ago -- God’s Hope For America:

 

“America has been known as the "melting pot" where people of all colors, creeds, and nationalities are melted into one new breed. In order to melt anything, heat is required. Do you know who provided the heat for America? God was that heat. Without God, you could never have melted your people together.

America could only achieve true brotherhood through the Christian spirit, but when you begin to lose this foundation, America's moral fiber will deteriorate. Today there are many signs of the decline of America. What about the American young people? What about your drug problems and your juvenile crime problems? What about the breakdown of your families? I hear that three out of every four marriages in America end in divorce. The California state government is issuing more divorce certificates than marriages licenses. What about racial problems and the threat of communism? -- And what about the economic crises? Why are all these problems occurring? These are signs that God is leaving America. I can read the sign which says, "God is leaving America now!" If this trend continues, in a very short time God will be with you no longer. God is leaving America's homes. God is leaving your society. God is leaving your schools. God is leaving your churches. God is leaving America. There are many signs of atheism in this once God-centered nation. There have been many laws enacted that only a godless society could accept. There was a time when prayer was America's daily diet. Today you hear prayers in American schools no longer.”
~ Sun Myung Moon, Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC, October 21, 1973

I am grateful to President Dwight Eisenhower who in 1954, followed the suggestion of his pastor George MacPherson Docherty, to add the words UNDER GOD to the pledge and got the full support of Congress.

"From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty.... In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war."

~ President Dwight Eisenhower, 34^th President, 1890-1969, a veteran who served his country proudly.

 

Jack-O’-Lanterns – a Halloween Tradition

I am not a great supporter of the Halloween traditions, especially regarding all the candy the kid get and eat, and sometimes even get sick from (not because they were tricked but rather because too much is not good for the young bodies).

I found one tradition of Halloween which I like: carving pumpkins.  It invites the creative side of the carver, and we can even use the seeds to eat after roasting them.

I didn’t realize how much folklore there is around carving this simple gourd, but apparently, it is popular in many Western countries.

I found this origin of pumpkin carving from Ireland most intriguing:

The Legend of "Stingy Jack"

People have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "JackO'Lantern."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the “jack o'lantern” tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o'-lanterns.

From: History of Jack-O’Lantern

This Halloween, when you carve your pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern, you may want to say a prayer for Stingy Jack that he may finally rest in peace.