~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
November 1st, 2011

★~  Today’s Quote: To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die. ~Thomas Campbell, “Hallowed Ground”

★~ Day of the Dead:

Nov 1–2. Departed souls are remembered not in mourning but with a spirit of friendliness and good humor. Cemeteries are visited, and graves are decorated. Click for more about the Day of the Dead.

★~ All Saints’ Day:

All Saints’ Day,  honors all of the saints, known and unknown, in Christian history. Dedicating a specific day to individual saints and martyrs is an ancient Christian tradition, and the Feast of All Saints can be traced back to 837AD.

★~ National Deep Fried Clams Day:

Yes, I know. When you think of fall food, fried clams don’t come to mind as a natural menu item. They belong more to July or August, the months of humidity, beaches, and sides of coleslaw. However, today is Deep Fried Clams Day, so let’s dig it by heading to our favorite seafood place and ordering fried clams — or maybe frying some up ourselves.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1512 – Michelangelo’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were first exhibited to the public after 4 1/2 years of work. Michelangelo (Buonarroti) had been commissioned by Pope Julius II della Rovere in 1508 to repaint the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

♥~ 1861 –  Australia: Melbourne Cup: 150th Anniversary.  Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne. First run in 1861, the Cup is one of the world’s great horse races—celebrated throughout Australia and a public holiday in Melbourne. The handicapped race is 3,200 meters with prize money of AU$5.1 million. Famous winners include Phar Lap (1930) and Makybe Diva (2003, 2004, 2005). (Keep in mind that by the time you read El Morno in the States–it will be Tuesday the 2nd in Melbourne and you have a very good chance of picking the winner)

♥~ 1913 – Knute Rockne and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame beat Army at West Point, 35-13. Notre Dame had been an unknown in college football. What turned it around was the attention of thousands as Rockne handed Army its first loss of the season, thanks to a new secret weapon:the forward pass. (This tidbit it dedicated to  Musings by a ND Domer’s Mom)

♥~ 1947 – The famous racehorse, Man o’ War, died. His funeral was attended by over 2,500 people. Man o’ War was so famous that, while a stud in retirement, his guest book listed over 2,000,000 names!

♥~ 1969 – Abbey Road, by The Beatles, was #1 on U.S. album charts.

♥~ 1994 – The Chicago Bulls retired Michael Jordan’s uniform (No. 23) and put it on display at the United Center. A sculpture was later commissioned and placed outside the arena with the inscription, “The Best There Ever Was. The Best There Ever Will Be.”

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1871 – Stephen Crane novelist: The Red Badge of Courage; died June 5, 1900

♥~ 1950 – Dan Peek musician: guitar, singer: group: America: A Horse with No Name; LPs: Hat Trick, Holiday, Hearts

♥~ 1957 – Lyle Lovett Grammy Award-winning singer: Best Male Country Vocal [1989]; Cowboy Man, songwriter: This Old Porch [w/Robert Earl Keen], You Can’t Resist It, Closing Time, If I Had a Boat; actor: Ready to Wear, Short Cuts, The Player

♥~ 1962 – Anthony Kiedis musician: guitar; lead singer: group: Red Hot Chili Peppers: Under the Bridge, Give It Away, Californication, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Suck My Kiss, By the Way

★~ Did You Know: 

♥~  Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)  falls on November 1 and 2 of each year, coinciding with the Catholic holidays All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

♥~ Dia de los Muertos originated centuries ago in Mexico, where it is still widely celebrated to this day. The holiday is a blend of pre-Hispanic indigenous beliefs and Spanish Catholic beliefs.

♥~ Dia de los Muertos is a holiday for remembering and honoring those who have passed. It is a festive, joyous time of celebration.

♥~ During Dia de los Muerto it is believed that the deceased return to their earthly homes to visit and rejoice with their loved ones.The Days of the Dead are celebrated as a way of retaining connections with the unseen world –

♥~ To celebrate: People visit the graves of their relatives. They clean and decorate the graves with offerings and the marigold flowers that are supposed to attract the souls. Offerings include favorite candies of the deceased relatives. If the dead are children, toys are taken to their graves. Adults are offered bottles of tequila Private altars are also erected in the cemeteries where the favorite food and drinks of the dead relative are placed. The altars are decorated with photos and memorabilia of the dead.

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My favorite saints are Saint Anthony (lost souls and keys), Saint Francis (for the animals), and Saint Christopher (for traveling). I used to like Saint Patrick, but then I realized the snakes he drove out of Ireland were the pagans, and that was just so wrong on so many levels. However, I still wear green on Saint Pats Day and try to believe he might make a different choice today. In any case, Happy All Saints Day to all the saints and to all the sinners because, let’s face it, without the sinners, we wouldn’t have any saints. Do you have a favorite saint (or sinner)?

If you have a Morno moment, leave a comment. Odd Loves Company!

♥
Kb