IOTD

IOTD *Special* edition

Calendar day; November 30, 2015

Monday, the 30th of November, 2015 is the 334th day in 2015 and in the 49th calendar week.

General Events:

Cities for Life Day
November 30, 2015 in the World

Cities for Life Day is celebrated on November 30, 2015. On the Cities for Life Day, cities around the world celebrate the first abolition of the death penalty by a European state, decreed by Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine in 1786 for his Grand Duchy of Tuscany. On this occasion the participating cities show their commitment for life and against the death penalty. On this day, participating cities illuminate a symbolic monument, such as the Atomium in Brussels, the Colosseum in Rome and the Plaza de Santa Ana in Madrid. Participating cities include more than 60 capitals worldwide, and over 1,200 cities and towns around the world. By this symbolic action, these cities demand a stay of all executions worldwide. This initiative is promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio and supported by the main international human rights organizations, gathered in the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

Where is Cities for Life Day?
Worldwide

Blue Beanie Day
November 30, 2015 in the World

On 30. November 2015 Blue Beanie Day takes place. The day annually celebrates web standards and web accessibility. Since 2006 people around the world change their profile photos on this day and show themselves with blue beanies. The day aims to raise the awareness of the importance of web accessibility.

Web designer Jeffrey Zeldman wrote a book about web standards and wears a blue beanie on the cover. This picture inspired the inventors of the Blue Beanie Day to choose a blue beanie as a sign of web accessibility. They now try to get everyone to take a selfie with a blue beanie and spread the word every year on November 30th. Who does not have blue beanie can also digitally paint or paste one into the picture.

Web accessibility does not only affect people with disabilities. It is also important to provide internet access to all people regardless of their technical capabilities. This includes, for example, the use of the internet via text-only browsers. Also, age-related limitations as poor eyesight issues should be considered.

Web standards play an important role when it comes to web accessibility. It is important that websites can be displayed with any browser. Especially for people with disabilities accessibility is important if they want to, for example, work without a computer mouse.

To ensure web accessibility not only on Blue Beanie Day, there are a lot of options. Videos with sign language can convey the contents of the deaf. For better readability in poor eyesight, scalability can be used. In general, well-structured texts and clear contrasts are very useful. Since 1999, there are official guidelines on accessibility of online content.

Where is the event?
Worldwide

St. Andrew’s Day
November 30, 2015 in the World

St. Andrew’s Day, the feast day of Saint Andrew, is celebrated on November 30, 2015. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s official national day. It is also a national holiday in Romania.

In 2006, the Scottish Parliament passed the St. Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday Act, which designated the Day as an official bank holiday. If30 November falls on a weekend, the next Monday is a bank holiday instead. Although it is a bank holiday, banks are not required to close and employers are not required to give their employees the day off as a holiday.

In Scotland, and many countries with Scottish connections, St Andrew’s Day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture with traditional Scottish food, music and dance. Schools across Scotland hold special St Andrew’s Day events and activities including art shows, Scottish country dancing, lunchtime ceilidhs, dance festivals, storytelling, reciting and writing poems, writing tall tales, cooking traditional Scottish meals, and bagpipe-playing.

In Scotland the day is also seen as the start of a season of Scottish winter festivals encompassing St Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. In Edinburgh, there is a week of celebrations, concentrating on musical entertainment and traditional ceilidh dancing. A ceilidh is a social event with couples dancing in circles or sets.

In Glasgow city center, a large shindig, or party, with traditional music and a ceilidh are held. In Dumfries, songs are performed in the Burn’s night tradition.

Where is St. Andrew’s Day?
Worldwide

Cyber Monday – (Monday after Thanksgiving)
November 30, 2015 in the USA/Canada

Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. The term “Cyber Monday” was created by marketing companies to persuade people to shop online. The term was coined by Ellen Davis and made its debut on November 28, 2005 in a Shop.org press release entitled “‘Cyber Monday Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year”.

The deals on Cyber Monday are online-only and generally offered by smaller retailers that cannot compete with the big retailers. CyberMonday is larger for fashion retail. On the past two Cyber Mondays, there were an average of 45% more clothing deals than on BlackFriday. There were also 50% more shoe deals on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday

Cyber Monday has become an international marketing term used by online retailers in Argentina, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Uganda, Japan, Portugal, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Where is the event?
Nationwide USA/Canada

National Mousse Day
November 30, 2015 in the USA

Mousse is a divine dessert made from egg whites and cream. Did you know that “mousse” is the French word for “foam”? It’s a fitting name for this light, fluffy, and decadent confection!

Chocolate mousse was a specialty in French restaurants during the 1800s, but now it can be found in restaurants and households worldwide. Popular variations include different kinds of chocolate, nut, and fruit flavors.

To celebrate National Mousse Day, make your favorite type of mousse for you and your friends!

Where is the event?
Nationwide USA

Historical Events on 30th November:

1016 – Cnut the Great (or Canute), King of Denmark, claims the English throne after the death of Edmund ‘Ironside’

1487 – The German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), is promulgated by Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria stating beer should be brewed from only three ingredients – water, malt and hops

1630 – 16,000 inhabitants of Venice died this month of plague

1747 – Dutch State of Zealand declare governorship hereditary for women

1782 – Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence

1786 – Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, promulgates a penal reform making his country the first state to abolish the death penalty. November 30 is therefore commemorated by 300 cities around the world as Cities for Life Day

1886 – The Folies Bergère stages its first revue

1900 – A German engineer patents front-wheel drive for automobiles

1908 – The US Secretary of State and Japan’s ambassador to the US exchange notes in what becomes known as the Root-Takahira Agreement: they affirm support for an independent China with an ‘open door’ policy and for the status quo in the Pacific

1909 – The British House of Lords rejects the ‘People’s Budget’ prepared by David Loyd George; the budget tries to shift the tax burden to the wealthy

1936 – London’s Crystal Palace (built 1851) destroyed by fire

1950 – US President Harry Truman threatens China with atom bomb

1966 – Barbados gains independence from Great Britain (National Day)

1974 – Most complete early human skeleton (Lucy, Australopithecus) is discovered by Donald Johanson, Maurice Taieb, Yves Coppens and Tim White in the Middle Awash of Ethiopia’s Afar Depression.

1999 – In Seattle, Washington, United States, protests against the WTO meeting by anti-globalization protesters catch police unprepared and force the cancellation of opening ceremonies

 

Solstice Tree

I don’t get offended, I get somewhat amused. I love Trees, but especially the Solstice Tree! some of you might call them a Christmas tree… and that’s cool. But not what I call mine. 😉

Believe it or not; the Tree is a symbol of a Pagan traditions. That really big tree Yggdrasil in the Thor movies is actually a Norse Pagan Tradition.

Yggdrasil

 

Then we have the Tree of Life

Apologies, I can’t remember what culture this is from and I’ve studied there are quite a few…

And then “As Above, So Below” with the Gaia Tree
I just love love love this art- I need it 20×24 matted and framed, please and thank you

Trees are pretty awesome, we give them Carbon Dioxide, they give us Oxygen.
We plant them, help them grow and in return they give us; shade and a place to sit quietly.
They help us see visual aspects as the Wheel of the Seasons Turn. 

 

But one of my very favorites is the Solstice Tree!
this is one from online,  I love the composition and the colors. 

Solstice Trees

Many Pagan cultures used to cut boughs of evergreen trees in December, move them into the home or temple, and decorate them.  Modern-day Pagans and Wiccans still do. This was to recognize the Winter Solstice — the time of the year that had the shortest daylight hours, and longest night of the year. This occurs annually sometime between DEC-20 to 23; most often, it is December 21st. (which is when I celebrate!) As the solstice approached, they noticed that the days were gradually getting shorter; many feared that the sun would eventually disappear forever, and everyone would freeze in the dark. But, even though deciduous trees, bushes, and crops died or hibernated for the winter, the evergreen trees remained green. They seemed to have magical powers that enabled them to withstand the rigors of winter.

The ancient Pagan Romans decorated their “trees with bits of metal and replicas of their god, Bacchus [a fertility god]. They also placed 12 candles on the tree in honor of their sun god”  Their mid-winter festival of Saturnalia started on December 17 and often lasted until a few days after the Solstice.

In Northern Europe, the ancient Germanic people tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches, in honor of their god Woden. Trees were viewed as symbolizing eternal life. This is the deity after which Wednesday (Wodensday) was named. The trees joined holly, mistletoe, the wassail bowl and the Yule log as symbols of the season. All predated Christianity.

 

no matter what you believe or what you celebrate I wish you a good one!

 

updated

for those that kept their awards, I didn’t really like the red, so I’ve corrected it for my aesthetics. lol

much better. 😉

IOTD

The YOU Make a Difference Award, thank you!

I know I’m forgetting a lot of people, but these are the first ones, okay?

for the True Blue Award they have either reblogged my entries, left comments or have done something extraordinary to make me smile:

It is What it is

decocraftsdigicrafts

American Liberal Times

The Year(s) of living nonjudgmentally

The Red Hot Passionate People aka those that write for those that can’t.

It is What it is

American Liberal Times

Sachem speaks

The Fifth Column

And the Wiccan/Pagan Green 

Adventures and Musings of an Arch Druidess

Grandtrines

see here’s a spot where I know that there has to be other Pagan/Wiccan blogs…

where oh where are you?

Here is the original piece of art I did! look familiar? lol 😉

Wormhole of my heart! why yes, I am a Stargate fan! lol

The Awards are color coded; Blue for ‘true’ or loyal friends, Red for those that run a bit hotter and blog for those that are unable to speak for themselves! And then Wiccan Green any blog that the covers those of Pagan/Wiccan/ECO-warriers!

so your job should you accept it; is to find a blog or blogs- and pass on the awards to them. Let them know that They have made a Difference in your world-somehow. AS I said I don’t have everyone here…there would be a lot more in the True Blue awards if I did! 😉

I hope you accept them and pass them. I’d love to see who you you’ve awarded, please then copy this blog entry into your awarding! Thank you very much, for being you, blue, red, green and one I’m making for all of you, later! LOL Yes, I’m a RBG gal! lol 😀

Mchelsmusings

Source: Mchelsmusings

 

wow! how nice is this? Thank you very much for the review of my blog, I really do appreciate it, and I’m very glad that you liked my lil blog.

Have an awesome day!

xoxo

It was sleepy

awwww

Photo post by @wiccanlez.

Source: It was sleepy

It’s coming!

yeah, it’s kinda like that! lol 😉

Photo post by @wiccanlez.

Source: It’s coming!