Global Holidays and Celebrations

[wavewright62]

I was going to share a video of my cat Fred nomming on a bucket of freshly-dug horseradish, as an illustration to wish everyone a happy Passover, but I will just put the message out anyway while I figure it out.  Edit: here it is:
https://wavewright62.tumblr.com/post/184171928234
I practically passed out grating up the stuff, but it was soooo worth it!  Happy Passover to those who celebrate!  Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!  Happy Lalli's birthday to all!

[Róisín]

A good Passover to you, and the cat is charming!

[Mebediel]

Happy Passover and happy Easter and happy Lalli's birthday! Please pat your wonderful cat for me, Wave!

[Róisín]

Today, April 25, was Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand. A day of commemoration and honour for the service and sacrifice of soldiers in all of our wars. I try to get to the Dawn Service every year, despite it being a Christian service, and I an old Pagan. My father and paternal grandfather were army field medics, two of my aunts were nurses in field hospitals and another aunt a doctor. And many of the family were soldiers, sailors, couriers and scouts in various wars down the years, so on that day I do them honour publicly, as well as having my own private ceremony for the ancestors.

[wavewright62]

Today, April 25, was Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand. A day of commemoration and honour for the service and sacrifice of soldiers in all of our wars. I try to get to the Dawn Service every year, despite it being a Christian service, and I an old Pagan. My father and paternal grandfather were army field medics, two of my aunts were nurses in field hospitals and another aunt a doctor. And many of the family were soldiers, sailors, couriers and scouts in various wars down the years, so on that day I do them honour publicly, as well as having my own private ceremony for the ancestors.

It's a highlight on the calendar every year, and usually a busy one for brass bandsmen such as myself.  Unfortunately, several services throughout NZ were modified to exclude parades or were outright cancelled this year, ostensibly because of security concerns in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings.  The two services I did serve at this year did not mention the attacks at all, even obliquely.  New to me this year were readings and responses of the Ode in Maori as well as in English. 
It was also pointed out by one speaker that NZ experienced a 58% direct casualty rate in WW1, the highest in the Commonwealth, with further deaths within 5 years from injuries or in the Spanish flu epidemic brought back by returning soldiers.  Extrapolated to current population (just under 5 million), that was as though we'd sent half a million personnel to war, of which 90K were killed, 200K+ were maimed / wounded, and 40K died of Spanish flu among the populace as a whole.  (These are almost Rash-size stats!)  There would be countless additional persons affected with PTSD and other mental stressors from their experiences.  No wonder Anzac Day looms large in the national psyche.

[Róisín]

Yeah, it was a time of horrors. People tend to forget that of the population of the world, that flu epidemic killed several times the number of the casualties of the preceding world war. It gets called the Spanish flu, but it is suspected to have come originally from Asia, and to have probably been one of the viral infections that jumped from pigs and/or poultry to humans, so we had no resistance.

And the PTSD was certainly a thing. I remember my dad's screaming nightmares. Very fortunately for his unit, he was a skilled bushman as well as a medic, so after they got cut off in jungle he managed to keep them alive for several months, and after they were finally taken, to keep them alive and as healthy as they could be in the prison camp because he knew what weeds and wildlife were safe to eat. He came out of that war with a slew of medals he didn't want, permanent scars both physical and mental, and a greatly lowered opinion of human nature. I think he deserved a day of honour once a year.

[Róisín]

A glad May Day, Walpurgis, Vappu, Eight Hour Day or International Labour Day to all! Joy for the Spring in the North of the world, and here in the South for the Autumn season break - at last, at last, it has actually rained! Yes, we got stuck down in the city overnight because of flooding and fallen trees on the road home, but it was so worth it, to lie the night in my friend's spare room and listen to the rain falling, hear the birds enthusing and smell the glorious scent of wet earth and dripping leaves! We came home tonight to more rain. Yes!

[thorny]

Merry May 1 to all, under whatever name!

And, Róisín, I am so glad to hear that you finally got rain.

[Róisín]

Thank you, thorny! It is desperately needed.

[Keeper]

I raise my hot mocha in cheers to spring in NYC, where it is current on the 50s Fahrenheit.

[wavewright62]

I break out in a chorus of the Internalionale in honour of rain in Róisín's patch.

[Nellie McEnt]

Happy May First!

[Róisín]

Wavewright,thank you! The rain definitely merits cheers and trumpets!

[wavewright62]

I hope you all have a lovely solstice, whether winter or summer.

[Róisín]

Same from South Australia, where it is uncommonly dark and desolate and cold even for Winter Solstice. So strange after the extremes of heat and drought we have suffered lately, but I guess we need to be bracing ourselves for more extreme extremes all over. From today the days get longer, so there will be more light, but from the way the plants, birds, insects and other animals are acting I reckon it is going to get even colder, and that soon. I need to get more firewood in!