11 | May | 2014 | M'chelsMusings

Sunday, the 11th of May, 2014 is the 131th day in 2014 and in the 19th calendar week.

General Events:

Mother’s Day 2014
May 11, 2014 in the World

The modern Mother’s Day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in May, though also in March, as a day to honour mothers and motherhood. In England and other parts of Europe, people have been celebrating “Mothering Sunday” since the 16th century. Our modern American holiday is a relatively recent tradition in comparison.

In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day”, and created the Mother’s Day International Association. She was specific about the location of the apostrophe; it was to be a singular possessive, for each family to honour their mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world. This is also the spelling used by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in the law making official the holiday in the U.S., by the U.S. Congress on bills, and by other U.S. presidents on their declarations.

As the US holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honouring motherhood, like Mothering Sunday in the UK or the Orthodox celebration of Jesus in the temple in Greece. In some countries it was changed to dates that were significant to the majority religion, like the Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries, or the birthday of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic countries. Other countries changed it to historical dates, like Bolivia using the date of a certain battle where women participated.

Some countries already had existing celebrations honoring motherhood, and their celebrations have adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, like giving carnations and other presents to your own mother. The extent of the celebrations varies greatly.

Where is Mother’s Day?
Worldwide

Ice Saints 2014
May 11 – 15, 2014 in Europe

The Ice Saints take place from May 11, 2014 till May 15, 2014. The Ice Saints is a name given to St. Mamertus, St. Pancras, and St. Servatius in folklore of some Europe countries. They are so named because their feast days fall on the days of May 11, May 12, and May 13 respectively.

The period from May 12 to May 15 was noted to bring a brief spell of colder weather in many years, including the last nightly frosts of the spring, in the Northern Hemisphere under the Julian Calendar. The introduction of the Gregorian Calendar in 1582 involved skipping 10 days in the calendar, so that the equivalent days from the climatic point of view became May 22 – 25.

Where is Ice Saints?
Nationwide Europe

Mills Day
May 11, 2014 in United Kingdom

National Mills Day is observed on May 11, 2014. National Mills Day is an event in the United Kingdom and occurs annually on the second Sunday in May. It started off as a single day event but in recent years has expanded to Saturday as well as Sunday, and is now promoted as National Mills Weekend. The event is coordinated by the Wind and Watermills section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Traditionally many preserved wind and watermills that are usually closed to the general public open their doors and offer an insight into the mills workings and history.

Where is National Mills Day?
Nationwide United Kingdom

Twilight Zone Day
May 11, 2014 in North America

Every May 11 Twilight Zone Day comes around. But what the heck is it about? Many think it has to do with the TV series The Twilight Zone. Some claim it is something to do with astronomy. A few figure it is a joke holiday, put out there to fool the unwary.

Twilight Zone Day is mysterious, weird, surreal and perhaps a little scary. We can think of many other adjectives, but I think you get the picture. Every once in a while, you have a day like this. And, today is designed to be that day.

The television show The Twilight Zone, was created, written and narrated by Rod Serling. It premiered on October 1, 1959. The episodes were wildly popular, stretched the imagination, and captivated viewers. The show aired from 1959-1964.

Happy ‘Twilight Zone’ day! May your voyages remain gremlin-free!

Where is Twilight Zone Day?
Nationwide North America

Eat What You Want Day
May 11, 2014 in the World

Eat What You Want Day is observed on May 11, 2014. What do you like to eat today? Eat What You Want Day invites you to temporarily say goodbye to your usual eating plan. Do not think about whether something is healthy or whether you’re on a diet: simply eat what you like. But do not overdo it: if you suffer from allergies or serious diseases, you should think about whether you participate in Eat What You Want Day!

Where is Eat What You Want Day?
Worldwide

Historical Events:

330 – Constantinople (Byzantium) becomes capital of Roman Empire

1310 – Fifty-four members of the Knights Templar are burned at the stake in France for being heretics.

1647 – Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam.

1690 – English troops of W Phips conquer Port Royal, Nova Scotia

1812 – Waltz introduced into English ballrooms. Most observers consider it disgusting & immoral. No wonder it caught on!

1820 – Launch of HMS Beagle, the ship that took young Charles Darwin on his scientific voyage.

1916 – Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity presented

1921 – Tel Aviv is 1st all Jewish municipality

1924 – Mercedes-Benz is formed by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merging the two companies.

1929 – 1st regularly scheduled TV broadcasts (3 nights per week)