Free Republic

On New Year's Eve millions of people around the world link hands when they sing Auld Lang Syne. Now research from the University of Edinburgh has revealed the origins of the Hogmanay tradition are connected to freemasonry. Singing with arms crossed and hands joined was a parting ritual at many Masonic lodges. Musicologist Dr Morag Grant discovered the connection in the archives at Glasgow's Mitchell Library.... ..."Auld Lang Syne's sentiments didn't just resonate with Freemasons," she said. "Some of the earliest reports of the song's use at parting come from American college graduations in the 1850s."... ...The song had already...

Throughout His ministry, Jesus never once broke the fourth commandment which required that all Jews observe the Sabbath. He was after all Jew. However, He did give us a clue that a change to the Sabbath was coming. To make my point, you must first understand that the original manuscripts of the Scriptures were not divided into verses and chapters.The Old Testament manuscripts were written by scribes for the religious leaders to study. The New Testament manuscripts were letters originally written to be dispersed amongst the believers to read. They were like the letters you receive today. Just a document...

Dennis invites you into his home as he conducts a virtual Passover Seder (recorded April 2020). Watch and learn as Dennis explains the meaning of the rituals, but if you want to participate along with Dennis, you’ll need the standard Passover accoutrements (one per person in your household): 1) Matzo 2) Salt water 3) Parsley 4) A hard-boiled egg 5) Horseradish 6) Charoset — a mix of nuts, raisins, and honey. 7) Haggadah

After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said: "Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages and instill in them a love for learning. You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride. You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to...

A LABOUR MP has been ejected from the House of Commons after picking up a ceremonial mace in a “symbolic protest” following the postponement of a vote on the proposed Brexit deal. Lloyd Russell-Moyle picked up the mace and walked towards the doors before being stopped by officials.

The best prediction of a successful marriage is being able to live together and that's especially the case when in a small space. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, however, are already well on their way to passing that test. The future newlyweds are currently living in just 1,300 square feet at Kensington Palace.

What is everyone's Christmas/New Year's Traditions

I’ve enjoyed Thanksgiving as an American living in Ohio, North Carolina and New York. And now I enjoy living in Australia – a wonderful place except … Aussies don’t celebrate the wonderful holiday. This is quite understandable, given that Australia is a place far, far away – where back in the 1600s there were plenty of kangaroos, but neither Native Americans nor Pilgrims. What do you think of when you smell apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice? It’s something we don’t even have to think about as Americans, right? The holiday season, of course I’m willing to bet you’re getting a...

Pop star Katy Perry recently joined the ranks of celebrities who have donned Islamic headscarves when she sported a hijab-like outfit to the Met Gala, New York’s No. 1 fashion event. The headscarf has been used by many celebrities or politicians for a variety of reasons. It is sometimes employed as a tool for show or entertainment. Other times it is a fake, misleading and damaging “symbol” of activism. It is also worn out of a very misguided “respect” for a religious ideology. In all of these cases, it is still a form of submission to Islamists and a betrayal...

More than 100 Japanese babies faced off Sunday (May 14) in a traditional "crying sumo" ring, an annual ceremony believed to bring infants good health. In the sumo ring at the precinct of the Kamegaike Hachimangu shrine in Sagamihara west of Tokyo, two hulking wrestlers held up toddlers wearing tiny sumo belts and aprons to try to make them bawl. Wrestlers sometimes shake the babies gently to encourage tears.

"In Spain, revelers wear red underwear on New Year's Eve for good luck. They also eat a dozen grapes at midnight." (NOTE: my favorite, heh)

An Italian senator presented a “pizza makers’ bill” Tuesday, which aims to create a professional registry of all Italian pizza chefs. If successful, the bill will establish a nationally regulated pizza-making qualification, which will be recognized in all European countries. The proposals would force aspiring pizzaioli to complete a 120-hour course made up of 20 hours of food science, 20 hours of pizza-making workshops, 30 hours of food hygiene and 40 hours of foreign languages. […] According to the Forza Italia senator who presented the bill, Bartolomeo Amidei, the registry will protect the country’s culinary traditions and stop consumers from...

It was once anathema to think of shopping on Thanksgiving Day, but now that's become almost commonplace with the likes of Walmart (WMT) and Macy's (M) opening their doors on the holiday. What's next? Christmas Day? Actually, yes, according to consulting company LoyaltyOne. "It's inevitable," said LoyaltyOne managing partner Dennis Armbruster, who predicts that retailers will start opening on Christmas Day within three years. "What Christmas means to some is just changing, and a lot of families don't necessarily celebrate on Christmas Day because of extended family dynamics. Consumers are also highly used to getting what they want, when they...

Those of us who love the Christmas season -- I plead guilty! -- often are in the market for ways to make it more meaningful. I polled some friends and would like to share some of the results. Give more. Give yourself. Give the unexpected. Give ten times as much as they expect. Give more than ever before. Shop less. Buy fewer. Spend less. Stress less. Quit giving to the adults; give only to the children. Give no more than 3 presents per child. Emphasize the personal aspect. Write more notes. If you send Christmas cards, write personal notes on...

Around this time of year I can get a little blue or down. (The events of 9-11 – and the last two presidential “elections” have made the blue this year a little deeper and darker.) When that happens, I drag this out and reread it until I again remember what this season is REALLY all about. I hope that it also helps you to drift back to those special people and times now gone and what THEY meant to us all. Merry Christmas -- and God bless us every one! ********** In a few days, much of the Christian world...

Tradition that goes back centuries is kept alive by faithfulOn Sunday morning, as Christians in the region and around the world take part in the Easter traditions they enjoy, an observer might be tempted to ask: How do the ways they celebrate the holiday reflect its meaning? Children pet bunnies and gobble jelly beans. Wal-Mart sells more than 500 types of Easter confection, including unicorn- and space alien-themed baskets. Just a few of them allude to Christianity. How does eating a package of Peeps recall the man Christians believe redeemed the world by rising from the dead nearly 2,000 years...

My brother's wife wanted to know the history behind the southern tradition of the New Year's Day meal, and that started a search. I thought I'd share it with you. First, let me show you What hog jowl is, is, by J.A. Bolton Storyteller I hope your family will be enjoying the traditional meal of collards, black-eyed peas, hog jowl and cornbread for New Year’s Day. I thought in today’s column I would try to explain some of the folklore and customs behind the delicious meal we observe here in the south on New Year’s. I probably need to...

With America clearly in mind, Putin declared, "In many countries today, moral and ethical norms are being reconsidered." "They're now requiring not only the proper acknowledgment of freedom of conscience, political views and private life, but also the mandatory acknowledgment of the equality of good and evil." Translation: While privacy and freedom of thought, religion and speech are cherished rights, to equate traditional marriage and same-sex marriage is to equate good with evil.

The Grinch that defended the Grinch that stole Thanksgiving Yeah, that would be me. I'm the guy in the public defender's office that got the call at 11:30 last night, to come down and represent the Grinch, who had just been arrested on grounds of screwing up Thanksgiving. I told the Grinch to plead not guilty at the speedily arranged arraignment. Since then, I've been feverishly preparing a court brief to argue to the Judge for dismissal. Do I like taking these kinds of cases? Do dogs like getting scratched in the eye by the family cat? No, it has...

Thanksgiving, or National Family History Day as it is now called, is upon us and in all the pomp and joy we often forget that it is the day to give thanks for what you have, particularly when it comes to a family with grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren. Mind you, the first ever Thanksgiving dinner was nearly 400 years ago and between the English Pilgrims and the Native Americans from different tribes in the region, a celebration of life and a pact of peace which was one of the only to survive more than 50 years. After the first...