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Christmas - is the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. Although the precise date of his birth is unknown, December 25th was most likely selected because it coincided with a pagan mid-winter festival. The ‘Twelve Days Of Christmas” mark the days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6th), which was the day of the wise men’s visit.

Easter - is the most important day in the Christian calendar, because it celebrates Christ’s Resurrection, which gave / gives Christians the hope of salvation and eternal life. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal (Spring) equinox, which is on 21st March.

Shrove Tuesday - (Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) was originally a day of penance, but is now marked by merrymaking. It is the day before the beginning of Lent.

Ash Wednesday - is derived from the marking of a cross on the forehead of believers with the ashes from the burnt palms used on Palm Sunday.

Lent - 40 days of atonement and fasting

Palm Sunday - the Sunday before Easter, celebrates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, where palms were strewn on the road before him.

Maundy (Holy) Thursday - the day of the Last supper.

Good Friday - is the day of Christ’s crucifixion.

Holy Saturday - is the day before the Resurrection.

The Annunciation - March 25th is celebrated by Catholics as the day that Archangel Gabriel told Mary about her impending pregnancy.

Trinity Sunday - is celebrated by some denominations in honour of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. It was declared part of the holy calendar in 1334 by Pope John XII.

Corpus Christi - Catholics remembers the presence of the body of Christ on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

All Saints Day - this mainly Catholic remembrance is on November 1 and honours all Christian saints.

Advent - a religious season that starts on the Sunday nearest to November 30 and lasts until Christmas Day. It celebrates the birth of Jesus and anticipates his Second Coming. It was once a period of fasting, but now no longer.

Holy Days Of Obligation - are feast days in the Catholic calendar marked by attendance at mass and the avoidance of unnecessary work. There are six in the USA: Solemnity of Mary - January 1: Christ’s circumcision, ie his first shedding of blood Ascension - 40 days after Easter Assumption - August 15: Mary is accepted into Heaven All Saints’ Day - November 1 Mary’s Immaculate Conception - December 8 Christmas Day - December 25.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Franklin Covey planner refillss If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

It is a worldwide convention to give gifts for such occasions as birthdays and wedding days, but after that is where the countries start to differ. Britons and people tracing their history back there give gifts on Christmas Day as well.

However, many other Europeans give gifts at Christmas on Saint Nicholas’ Day or December 6th. Non-Christian countries usually give gifts at New Year.

No matter what you do in your country, giving a present requires thought. The shops are frequently full of rubbish at these gift-giving times of the year, but there is also a lot of good stuff about, at a cost. The alternatives are twofold basically.

You can either make something which will be unique, I suppose that this includes personalizing a shop-bought gift or you can think outside of the box, which many people find quite hard. Personally, I find it hard, but it does get easier the more often you try it and the better you know the person you are going to give the gift to.

Here then are a few ideas which you may decide to take on board ‘as is’, or they may motivate you on to better ideas. As I write, Christmas is coming up and then it is Saint Valentine’s day before you know it. We certainly get plenty of opportunity to practice buying gifts in the West!

A Plot Of Your Own: I come from Wales in the UK (is there any other?) and up the way from me a local strip of green-belt land was in trouble. Experts said that it ought to be planted with trees, but the authorities did not have the money, so they advertised six feet square plots of land for sale with a sapling of your choice on it.

You also got a title deed, directions and a photo. Furthermore, the tree would be taken care of for five years until it was established. I know that this is not the only place that did this and it was probably not the first either, but it makes a good gift for a teenager who is thinking about what he or she can do to help the environment.

The Key To Success: some children and their parents will appreciate this one. Scour the second-hand shops for an older or even an unusual money box. Fill the money box up to a certain level with various coins that bring that level up to the value that you want to give, but leave plenty of room for the child to put money in too. Who do you give the key to? That depends on how well you know the child.

Starting A Collection: this is a brave, but good one. If you know the child well or are prepared to take on a commitment (such as a godparent should), you could choose a set of collectables, such as plates, glasses or coins and buy two or three examples to start the collection off. You can add to it every year. Others will be thankful to you too because they will jump on the band wagon.

In The Bag: if your friend is an invalid or just is temporarily in hospital, it is beneficial to give a wicker basket or a nice bag full of handy items. Choose the items to suit your friend, but everyone might like a writing pad, a pen, a comb or brush, wet wipes or tissues, a small book of verse, a miniature radio with ear plugs, a mirror, straws, a bottle opener, only you know, but you get the idea, I’m sure.

Stamp It: you can buy a large pack of literally thousands of foreign stamps for very little. Buy a stamp album and hinges and you could start a lasting obsession. It also gives you gift ideas for years to come too.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Fanklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

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Hereunder is a directory of minor holidays and occasions in the United States. Some of them are virtually unknown, and others are quite obscure.

April Fools’ Day - (April 1): the day for practical jokes (only before noon in the UK). Its origins are obscure, but it bears a similarity to an ancient Roman festival for the goddess of nature.

Arbor Day - (last Friday in April): devoted to trees and their conservation. It is held on December 22 everywhere else in the world.

Armed Forces Day - (third Sunday in May): a day to honour the US armed forces.

Citizenship Day - (September 17): replaced Constitution Day in 1952 by presidential proclamation.

Daylight-Saving Time: was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, but became the Uniform Time Act in 1966. It is not observed in Hawaii, the Eastern Time Zone of Indiana, most of Arizona (except on the Navajo Reservation), American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

Election Day - (Tuesday after the first Monday in November): presidential elections are held in years divisible by four and elections for all members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate in years evenly divisible by two.

Fathers’ Day - (third Sunday in June): was first observed in West Virginia in 1908, but this uniquely American holiday was not made official until 1972.

Flag Day - (June 14): was first celebrated in 1877, which was the centenary of the adoption of the modern design. Truman passed the Flag Day Bill in 1949.

Groundhog Day - (February 2): on this day the groundhog looks out of his burrow. If he sees his own shadow there will be six weeks of Winter to follow, otherwise Spring is just around the corner.

Halloween - (October 31): All Hallow’s Eve is the day before the feast of All Saints. It started as a pagan custom honouring the dead and a celebration of Autumn. ‘Trick or Treat’ is purely American with no historical foundation.

Kwanzaa - is a secular observance by African-Americans to commemorate their African heritage. It begins on Dec.26th when a candle in a candelabrum is lit every day for seven days. It was first practiced by Maulana Karenga in 1966.

Mothers’ Day - (second Sunday in May): was thought of by Anne M. Jarvis of Philadelphia as a way for children to pay homage to their mothers. It received presidential proclamation in 1914.

National Maritime Day - (May 22): was proclaimed in 1935 to commemorate the SS Savannah’s first successful transatlantic crossing by a steamship in 1819. It is also a day of remembrance of merchant mariners who died in defense of their country.

National Teachers’ Day - (Tuesday of the first full week in May): is when pupils are meant to honour the teaching profession.

St. Patrick’s Day - (March 17): has been borrowed from Ireland where it is their national saint’s day.

St. Valentine’s Day - (February 14): was initially to honour two saints martyred by Emperor Claudius (214 - 270), but has been dedicated to lovers since the Middle Ages.

Susan B. Anthony Day - (February 15): Anthony (1820 - 1906) worked for women’s rights and suffrage.

United Nations’ Day - (October 24): commemorates the endorsement of the UN Charter in 1945 by the then five permanent members of the Security Council.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Are you asking yourself what the best times to try to plan a fly fishing trip are? Well, when we talk about a fly fishing calendar, we are not quite referring to a printed calendar that you can hang on your wall. We are talking about focusing on and specifying the right times to fish and the right places at which to fish.

The main thing you have to think about when you are considering drawing up a fly fishing calendar is: when will the water be at the optimum temperature? That is, the temperature that is best for catching fish. The right time to go fishing will depend on the region that you are looking at for your fly fishing trip.

In some places, like California, the fishing is pretty good all the year round. Whereas in other locations, such as Washington, you will have to stay away from the water in the winter as the freezing temperatures will stress the fish and they will not be as plenteous.

Generally speaking, the fly fishing calendar shows that the best fly fishing is in the spring and summer periods. Early autumn will also find some places seeing good fishing as well. Almanacs can be helpful to steer you towards the best fishing times and locations as can continuously updating Internet web sites that are run by keen local fishermen.

Many places will give weekly, and sometimes even daily fishing intelligence on their websites. They can tell you where the fish are biting and where the best locations in the river are to cast your line. They generally keep these fields of their web sites up-to-date fairly frequently. So you can get excellent reports just by looking at what other anglers have to say about their fishing experiences.

Usually, fish like warmer water, although, there are other species like salmon and steelhead that thrive in colder water. However, in general, warm water will attract more fish. Nonetheless, if the water is too warm, the fish will be sluggish and will swim to places where the water is cooler.

The fly fishing calendar used most often by experienced fishermen has been compiled over a long period of time. They expend a considerable quantity of effort to estimate where and when the best fishing will take place. Then they share it with others. That is one of the best things about fly fishing - the camaraderie and the sharing that can come about because of a mutual affection for the sport of fly fishing.

You can create your own fly fishing calendar with a little time and effort. Just do your homework and keep plenty of notes. When you notice a trend, you will know that it is time to go fishing! Then you should be certain to help your fellow fishermen by passing on the information via a local club or the Internet, if you are talented at it, because others will be trying to work out what you already know. You know that most fly fishermen would do the same for you, do you not?

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

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A lot of people predicted that the start of the new Millennium, the year 2000 would be the date of the apocalypse. However, fortunately, they were very wide of the mark.

What is it that makes people to attempt to predict disasters? Is it because they are attempting to warn people or because they wish to scare people? Frighten people, I think and thereby gain advantage over the naive.

These apocalyptic prophesies go back thousands of years and even happen in the Bible. Their only raison d’etre is to frighten people and so gain money, power and influence over them.

Even the millennium bug turned out not to be a problem with computers working perfectly well after midnight despite claims by ‘computer experts’ that there would be a worldwide crash of stupendous importance. The computer industry made a fortune out of frightening businesses and individuals with their lies. That was the scam of the Nineties to end all scams!

So why all the hype? Was it just the arrival of a new millennium, which caused so many to make predictions on this date rather than stick to their usual common sense? Yes, I think. People saw the chance of a lifetime to rip others off and they jumped at it.

Needless to say there were hundreds of prophesies made ranging from the arrival of aliens and the Second Coming of Christ to aircraft crashes. None of which came true. Here are a couple of those less than precise prophesies:

May 5th was the day upon which all the planets lined up. The prediction was that the gravitational force of all these heavenly bodies in alignment would cause massive earthquakes, huge tides and volcanic eruptions.

A lot of individuals also prophesied that the shifting of the poles would occur during 2000 and that this would cause disastrous events such as high tides, widespread electrical failure and computer failures, which would mean economic failure for the larger countries and insurance companies.

I do not know what you think, but perhaps instead of worrying about the demise of the world (most doom-mongers have decided on the year 2012 for the destruction of the world) we should work together to make the best of the time we have left on this planet, as well as ensuring that we pass the planet on to the next generation in the same condition as we received it.

If we act in this way, we may hold off the apocalypse for a long while yet. We are far more likely to suffer apocalypse through nuclear war, global warming and events which are preventable and within our control, than cosmic events which we have little control over such as asteroids or the Sun’s turning into a red dwarf and ultimately exploding.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with custom wall calendars If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Predicting the end of the world has almost certainly been going on since man began thinking, whenever that was. It is warned about in Revelations in the Bible, so that must be about 2,000 years ago.

However, it is the predictions of Nostradamus that are the most well-known and most copious. Some biographical accounts of Nostradamus’ life assert that he was afraid of being victimized for heresy by the Inquisition, although neither prophecy nor astrology fell under their jurisdiction. He would have been in danger only if he had practiced magic to back up his predictions.

In fact, his contact with the Church as a prophet and a healer were always excellent. His brief imprisonment at Marignane in late 1561 came about purely because he had published his 1562 Almanac without the previous consent of a bishop, contravening a recent royal decree.

Here then are a couple of the prophesies of the ending of the world and the annihilation of mankind.

December 21st, 22nd or 23rd 2012 are all possible dates for the ending of the world according to the ancient Mayan Calendar.

2012 has been determined by some to be the first possible date for the passing by of Planet X (Wormwood) and the demise of the world, as mentioned in Revelations, although this is hotly debated by Biblical experts and astronomers alike.

2012 is also the year given by Nostradamus as the possible demise. He gave three possible years for the apocalypse: 1994 and 1998 so this is his last opportunity to be correct.

2010 is the year so says the Hermetic Order of Golden Dawn.

In 1143 St Malachy prophesied that there would be only another 112 more Popes. The current Pope Benedict is the 111th. He also predicted that the final Pope would be known as Peter of Rome, so we will have to wait and see for this one.

2017 is the year specified to the Sword of God Brotherhood by the Angel Gabriel.

November 13th 2026 is the date according to a 1960 edition of ‘Science’ magazine. The author alleged that this would be the day that the planet’s human population would ‘reach infinity’.

2033 is held by many to be the 2000th anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ and a potential date for his return, which would indicate the demise of our Earthly period.

4,500,000,000 AD is the approximate date at which the Sun is due to explode and in so doing, destroy the inner solar system including our Planet. Nobody knows, but unless we destroy ourselves first, this latter date is probably the most accurate and scientific date for the destruction of the planet.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with custom wall calendars If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

In the West, we tend to think that there is only one calendar, but there are dozens of them around the world. And what is more, there were probably hundreds of them previously. All non-operational now either because ours is more accurate or because theirs did not fit in with our commercial way of life.

But that does not mean to say that people do not still use those old-fashioned, defunct calendars. Oh, no! Governments have given up their old, traditional national calendars, but in general, country folk still refer to them, even if they can no longer get hold of a printed version. I cannot go into all the calendars here, but I will mention half-a-dozen of them.

Lunar Calendar - There is some indication that early man used marks on bone to record or indicate the passage of time 25,000 years ago, almost certainly calibrated by the Moon’s phases. A calendar can be created based on the lunar cycles; it creates a year of twelve months (the word ‘month’ is from the word ‘moon’), but only 354 days, which is, eleven short of the time it takes the Earth to revolve around the Sun. The Chinese still use a variety of the lunar calendar but they resolve this issue by inserting extra moths every now and then to bring ‘time’ back into alignment with the Sun.

Solar Calendar - The ancient Egyptians were the first people to employ a Solar Calendar, although it could justifiably be called a stellar calendar. The new year began for them when Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star in the night sky, rose in the same place as the Sun. This more often than not coincided with the flooding of the Nile. This calendar was of 365 days; twelve months of thirty days and five holy days. Therefore, it was only one quarter of a day off the true year. However, this meant that slowly but surely, the new year did not concur with the flood. Scientists have worked out that this calendar was adopted in either 4241 BC or 2773 BC.

Julian Calendar - In 46 BC , Julius Caesar realized that a number of parts of the empire were using different calendars, so he ordered the dating system to be unified. Sosigenes came up with a calendar of 365 days with an extra day every four years. Therefore, in 46 BC, the longest year on record, Caesar added days to the year to bring it back into alignment with the seasons. 46 BC was 445 days long! The immensity of the Roman Empire ensured that this calendar was the defacto calendar of the Western world.

Julian Day Count - In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII called into being a new calendar, but the year after that Joseph Justus Scaliger developed a system of counting days, not years. It begins with 1 on January 1st 4713 BC. On this date the Julian and the lunar calendars and the Roman tax dating system all coincided; something that will next happen in 3267. January 1st 2001 was Julian day 2,451,913

Gregorian Calendar - from at least 730 AD, it was spotted that the year from vernal equinox to vernal equinox was short of the 365.25 days in a year. This had the consequence that the date of Easter was moving back. So he dropped 10 days from 1582 by jumping from October 4th to October 15th and proclaiming that century years would only be leap years if they were divisible by 400. Consequently, 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was. This is the calendar we still use today.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

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If you were to invent a self-cleaning textile, the world may want to beat a path to your door to buy some from you, but first of all they will have to be aware that the textile exists, that it is available for purchase, and they have to be aware of where your door is. This means advertising.

There are two types of advertising: institutional and product. Institutional advertising promotes the name of your business in general and product advertising markets a product or range of products or services. The type of publicity that a business needs, depends on the products or services that it provides.

Moreover, some types of advertising lend themselves better to institutional advertising rather than product advertising. For instance, a shop sign, a sign-written van or a promotional calendar are better cut out for institutional advertising, while a newspaper or magazine advert would be better for advertising the latest special offer.

There are few facts and figures available that bring to light the extraordinary growth of the mass consumption society as well as those dealing with the expansion of the advertising industry. For instance, before the Second World War, US average annual expenditure on advertising per year had been about $2 billion for decades.

In 1950, as the post-war economy began to recover , American businesses spent $5.7 billion to advertise its goods and services. By 1960, that amount had doubled to $12 billion. By 1970, American business was spending $20.

Between 1970 and 1990, as the children Baby Boomers became adults and started earning and spending, advertising expenditure went through the roof, so that by 1986, it had reached $100 billion.

That extraordinary rate of growth could not be maintained, but by 1999, total expenditure on all forms of advertising topped $215 billion . The latest available figures are for 2007 and they stand at $280 billion.

In 1999, nearly 60% of all advertising dollars were spent on adverts in newspapers, magazines, on the radio and on television. By 2007, that figure had fallen to about 54% as the Internet started to have an effect on advertising trends. These trends are expected to continue as every firm is expected to have its own website these days.

The country’s biggest advertisers are the manufacturers of cars, food, soft drinks, tobacco and beer and they filter most of their expenditure through about 13,000 advertising agencies., who usually create the ads and buy the space or air time from the media too.

These agencies have been transformed over the last decade by amalgamation. The most successful advertising agencies these days are huge international concerns. WPP, the largest advertising agency in the world, billed $37 billion in 2008 and had this to say about itself:

“Our total revenue in 2008 surpassed that of all our competitors, regaining the No.1 worldwide position for the third time”.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching promotional wall calendars. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

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