Memorial Day

What is Memorial Day?

Memorial day is a U.S. holiday.

What is the purpose of Memorial Day?

The purpose of memorial day is to commemorate those who have died while serving the military. 

When is it? 

Memorial Day is typically observed on the last Monday of May. This year (2015) it will be on May 25th.

What are a few ways to show honor and respect on Memorial Day?

Well, since it is a holiday celebrated by the entire nation, sometimes there are rallies. Many schools also give students the day off on Memorial Day.

You could show honor and respect for Memorial Day by participating in charities for the families that have lost their loved ones as a result of their time in the military.

Memorial Day is a holiday that I find particularly interesting because it kind of ties into Veteran's Day. Both are holidays that honor those who have served the U.S., and it is very endearing to see that these people who have sacrificed so much are being given recognition.

What are a few things you will do on Memorial Day to show honor and respect?

On Memorial Day, I think I'll probably just work on my homework. I don't really tend to do anything out of the ordinary for holidays like  these particularly because I've never really lost anyone who joined the military (nor do I want to). I respect those who have died serving their country, but I don't think there's much I can do to show my honor and respect if my parents don't even let me leave the house...

April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day

• April Fool's Day is on April 1st.
• The purpose of April Fool's Day is to kind of, make a "fool" out of someone, which usually means to prank people, or do some kind of practical joke. This can also include lying about something to get a strong reaction out of someone (i.e. Jon tells Mara that her favorite boy band broke up, then after she gets worked up, Jon yells, "April Fools!")
• There is little known behind how April Fools Day originated, only theories. There is the idea that this special day was established following the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar, whilst others insist that it was made because of the arrival of spring. Pre-Christian cultures celebrated this fools day on May 1st, so others believe that it occurred due to this tradition. At the end of the day, they remain only theories, but it stands that today this is a widely celebrated day simply for fun.
• There are several pros and cons to this holiday:
• Pros:

1. People get to have a laugh
2. It's the one day of the year where mischievous behavior can be socially acceptable.
3. Friends and family can mess around with each other.

• Cons:

1. Pranks and practical jokes can get people hurt, physically or emotionally.
2. Those who are subject to practical jokes can get  reasonably angry.
3. Some go too far with their pranks, and cause some serious damage.
4. It's hard to take serious news with the off-chance that it could be a prank (i.e. boy who cried wolf).

I found a couple pictures of interesting pranks that anyone can use, so long as you don't get caught! :)

St. Patrick's Day

Who was St. Patrick?
Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland during the fifth century.

What is the purpose of St. Patrick's Day?
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in commemoration of the Roman Catholic feast day of Ireland's patron saint.


Why is St. Patrick's day designated when it is?
St. Patrick's day is always celebrated on the 17th because that is the day on which Saint Patrick died.

Why a certain color on St. Patrick's Day?
There is a specific color attributed to this day because green is one of the colors on the Irish flag, and has been used in several revolutionary groups in history.

Other information of interest

• Did you know that originally the color used for St. Patrick's wasn't green but in fact blue? I found this very weird to imagine, having everyone walk around in blue instead of green would be very different than what I'm used to. 
• Also, apparently St. Patrick wasn't even Irish! He was only a missionary that converted many of the Irish to Christianity.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday that many people these days regard as a day off from work, a chance to overeat, and a day of preparation for holiday shopping at the wee hours of morning on the following day. It is, however, a very important day in which we all take upon ourselves the time to remember all the things that we take for granted. Thanksgiving is a day in which we show appreciation for all of our blessings, it is a day when we give thanks.

There are many things for which I am thankful for (or should be thankful for, at least), and although the minimum is 12, there is much more, an infinite amount that I am thankful for, other than what I may write today.
I am thankful for:

1. Having woken up this morning, in a bed under a roof, snuggled in my blankets, something which would be considered living in the lap of luxury in other undeveloped countries.

2. The sole reason of the fact that I am alive. I was born prematurely, and had some physical deficiencies that I carry with me today, but I am still here, and small, but strong.

3. Food. If there's anything I look forward to, is eating my favorite foods. Even when my day is going horribly, mealtime is always something I'm excited about. There are people who don't get the chance to eat as often as I do, which is why I don't take food for granted.

4. Books. I have a strong connection to books, and they've led me to the point in which I like writing my own stories as well (during my free time, of course). If I didn't have books, I wouldn't have such a high understanding of grammar and vocabulary, and I wouldn't have anywhere else to divulge myself in the absence of electronics.

5. Anime. I've always loved Japanese cartoons, they've led me from my childhood to now in my pre-adulthood. They never fail to make me feel nostalgic.

6. My ability to draw. I haven't always been a great artist, but I know that I love that feeling of my ego shooting up when I finish an intricately detailed drawing. It's a unique sensation, and it also helps me illustrate my written stories, so it ties into both anime and books (since I draw using the Japanese style).

7. Video games. Believe it or not, I wasn't always a so-called "nube" as I'm regarded to these days. I've played video games since the very first consoles were released, and they remind me of warm rainy days in the comfort of my grandmother's sofas in Mexico.

8. The ability to travel. I know there are many people out there that will never see past the borders of their home country, but I am fortunate enough that I'll never have to worry about that. I'm so happy that I have the opportunity to see different places, and traveling around the world is something I aspire to do in the future.

9. Technology. There are so many things that I wouldn't be able to do without all of the tech that has been invented. I honestly have no idea what I would do without my phone (as superficial as it may seem, it is something very important to me), a computer to do my assignments on, or even search engines for when I can't find what I'm looking for in the library.

10. Sports. I used to be overweight when I was younger, incredibly overweight. Even though, as a child, I wasn't self-conscious about my weight, as I grew older, I became more bent on my exercise habits. Sports really helped me get out there, lose weight, feel stronger and be stronger than most girls. Sports let me have fun, but it's also cool to know that if there's ever a zombie apocalypse, I can outrun the zombies.

11. My friends. There was a point in time in which I felt very alone, very depressed because I didn't feel like I belonged. Making friends was always really hard for me, but perhaps destiny led me towards new people just earlier this year, and it's helped my self-esteem, and I feel happier in general knowing that there's someone out there depending on my as much as I depend on them.

12. My family. I'm happy that I live in a part of the world where I am not separated from my family, where I can live a long life raised by my parents and living alongside my brother and sister and my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. There is no greater blessing than that.