Socializing: CANADA Day 2024 – Morning Coffee Talks

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July 1, 2024: CANADA Day

Yearly, on July 1^st, Canadians across the country and around the world display their national history, showcase their culture and acknowledge achievements…without any doubt, this is a special day, when lots of festivities are held throughout the entire realm, since 1868. 

Once again, as I’ve mentioned few times in the past, CANADA truly reflects the old concept of unity in diversity, and diversity in unity.

Congratulations to you, Canada…and once again, a very warm and happy Canada Day to one and all!

● National Anthem: “O Canada” – audio  

● Historic background info:

On July 1, 1867, the nation was officially born when the “Constitution Act” joined three provinces into one country: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canada province, which then split into Ontario and Quebec. However, Canada was not completely independent of England until 1982. The holiday called “Dominion Day” was officially established in 1879, but it wasn't observed by many Canadians, who considered themselves to be British citizens.

“Dominion Day” started to catch on when the 50^th anniversary of the confederation rolled around, in 1917. In 1946, a bill was put forth to rename “Dominion Day”, but arguments in the House of Commons over what to call the holiday stalled the bill.

The 100^th anniversary of the nation's official creation in 1967 saw the growth of the spirit of Canadian patriotism, and “Dominion Day” celebrations really began to take off. Although quite a few Canadians already called the holiday “Canada Day” (“Fête du Canada”), the new name wasn't formally adopted until October of 1982.

● My previous greetings on the same theme: CANADA Day – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019

June 24, 2024 – Universal Day of the ROMANIAN BLOUSE

June 24^th marks the annual celebration of The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse. For all Romanians around the world (and back in Romania) this is the perfect occasion to showcase their beautiful culture and their rich traditions. This day (June 24) is also known as “Midsummer Day”, or “Sânzienele” (in the Romanian folk beliefs). So, dear fellow Romanian, wherever you are today, please wear your national outfit and be proud of who you are!

Our ancestral tradition is alive, and we carry the story further on.

La mulți ani, iei și cămășii tradiționale românești! Tradiția este vie și noi ducem povestea mai departe.

”Fiecare civilizaţie occidentală sau din est şi-a păstrat şi dezvoltat propriile caracteristici ale vestimentaţiei tradiţionale purtate zilnic sau la momente festive. Tocmai acest lucru conferă distincţie şi diversitate portului de sărbătoare de pretutindeni. În ce priveşte portul românesc, acesta s-a bucurat de o deosebită apreciere şi dincolo de graniţe. Înseşi reginele Elisabeta şi Maria, amândouă de origine britanică, au ştiut să observe frumuseţea şi eleganţa costumelor populare româneşti, ele însele îmbrăcându-se în portul tradiţional românesc la recepţii de înaltă ţinută, împreună cu principesele şi doamnele de la curte.” (Steliana Băltuţă – etnograf)

● Did you know?

On December 1, 2022, (on Romania’s National Day), UNESCO has decided to inscribe the Romanian traditional blouse on their list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, on the same list in 2017 “Mărțișor” was added.

Also, it is important to mention that “the Romanian Blouse has been an international symbol of the Romanian culture and a source of inspiration for some of the world’s greatest fashion.” Initiated and coordinated by the online community La Blouse Romaine, in 2013, this type of celebration is an opportunity to publicize and further broadcast an old and beautiful Romanian cultural tradition. 

The Romanian blouse, "ie" by its original Romanian name, is not a simple traditional peasant blouse, but it became a symbol of Romania, with its legends, stories and deep significance. The "ie" (pronounced "ee-eh") is a blouse, commonly worn by Romanian girls and women, and it has overcome its historic peasant confines, as it became an important source of inspiration for the fashion designers in Romania and abroad (high-ranking names, such as Tom Ford based his 2012 collection on the Romanian traditional motifs). 

The "ie" is entirely hand-made from a special fabric (called approx. in English "sheer lawn"), with exquisite embroideries on the chest, back and sleeves, with designs preserved for centuries. The signs and symbols embroidered on the Romanian blouse aren’t just random decorations, but each has its own significance, depending on the region, the seamstress, and the person who wore it.

Every "ie", along with the other items of the traditional folk costume, has its own story. Among the symbols embroidered on the blouse there is the tree or a tree-like design, which is the symbol of life, wisdom and rebirth. The fir tree is particularly drawn on the Romanian blouse, especially in the mountain rural areas, and symbolizes the immortality, a motif seldom found in Romanian mythology.

The circle or a sunflower represent the sun, day or Divinity; in Romanian tradition, the sun was at the core of life and often associated with abundance.

Other motifs related to daily activities can be found ranging from one region to another: water (either as a river or as sea waves) and fish in the fishing villages along the rivers and sea coast, wheat or corn stems in agricultural villages, wheels or coin in crafting traders’ villages, and so on.

At the same time, the colors on the blouse also vary according to the geographic region; green and gold symbolize the plains, gray, red and brown for the mountains and blue for the rivers. 

For instance, in the past, young girls from the countryside, who were not married used to wear merry colors on their blouses, combinations of red, yellow, pink & light colors, while the dark ones (brown, black, dark green) & gold were usually worn by older women, married & having a certain social statute.

● My previous greetings on the same theme: The Universal Day of the ROMANIAN BLOUSE – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

PARTNERSHIP: June 2024 – The ROMANIAN BLOUSE Day

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June 20, 2024: SUMMER solstice

 A warm welcome to a new SUMMER! 

“Summer Solstice” (also called “aestival summer”, or “aestival solstice”, or “Midsummer”) is an annual planetary event, noticed by everyone throughout the world, this year occurring on June 20^th – an instance which marks the longest day of the year, as well as the beginning of lengthening nights & shortening days. 
Solstice occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun (this happening twice a year, once in each hemisphere).

Wishing you all a truly beautiful summer! 

● My previous greetings on the same theme: SUMMER Solstice – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019

June 2024: Happy FATHER’s Day!

Father's Day is a great opportunity to appreciate the love and effort of our fathers. This holiday honors all fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and father figures for their contribution. The Day was created to complement Mother's Day.

F-fantastic, A-awesome, T-terrific, H-honorable, E-excellent, R-remarkable…This sums up a good dad...

Wishing all fathers out there to feel loved & appreciated! Happy Father's Day!

● Suggestions on how to spend the day

Many people in Canada celebrate Father’s Day in a variety of ways to express their love and gratitude to fathers or father figures.

Father’s Day activities include (but are not limited to):

- Participating in Father’s Day fun runs and other events in which the proceeds go towards charity or prostate cancer research.

- Buying presents such as neckties and other items of clothing, chocolates, books or equipment for various types of hobbies.

- Giving handmade or purchased cards.

- Breakfasts, brunches, lunches, or dinners either at home or in restaurants.

- Taking fathers or father figures out to the movies, the park, the zoo, or another place of interest.

Some people organize joint Father’s Day parties and activities with close friends and family. Those who live away from their fathers or father figures may make long-distance phone calls, send an email or online card, or arrange for gifts to be delivered on Father’s Day.  Some museums and other venues open to the general public may host special Father’s Day celebrations where fathers and father figures can enter free of charge.

● My previous greetings on the same theme:  FATHER’s Day – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019

TIME – priceless in every way

The most extraordinary feature of time is its fantastic preciousness – its value is unfathomable, its power is truly inestimable, and its potential is something which we cannot even begin calculating. We’ve all noticed often that a minute is enough to win a victory, a second could be enough to make you the richest man in the world, and a fraction of a sec­ond can make a difference between life and death.

As we go through life, we realise for ourselves that, if there is anything in the world which will never come back, it is time; once time crosses into the threshold of the past, it never again returns to the ‘present’. Those who have realised this basic truth of life, never allow time to pass away unused.

Until and unless we set up a time-table for ourselves and make a general division of time for the various tasks and jobs at our hand, time will keep slipping away with its golden opportunities unnoticed...unplanned living is the surest way to waste it….

For your enjoyment, here are few thoughts received from a dear friend, worth sharing further….pleasant reading, dear ones!

“Canon in D Major” – by Pachelbel (classical music)

PERCEPTION...

“In the last Quarter of Life”

“A lot of us are in the last quarter of life and I share without politics, religion, race cards. Just gentle thoughts: You know, time has a way of catching you off-guard about how quickly it travels.

It feels like just yesterday that I was young and ready to start adult-life. And in a way it feels like eons ago, and I wonder where the years have gone.

I know I lived them all. I remember all my hopes and dreams. I remember the plans I made.

And suddenly, here I am in the last quarter.

How did I get here so fast? Where have the years gone and where did my youth go?

I can recall looking at older people, thinking how long it will take for me to get where they are. That I am still in my youth, that I have many years ahead. At that time I could not even think of being where I am now. And yet, here I am.

My friends are retired, they all have grey hair, they move much slower than they did and when I look at them, I see older people. Some are in a better and some a worse condition than me. But I see the big difference. They are no longer the youthful, carefree, full-of-life friends.

Just like me, age shows. And we are now the older people we used to look at and thought it was still a long way off.

I find that these days, taking a shower takes its toll on my breath and energy levels. And an afternoon nap is not just a treat, it’s become a necessity. And if I don’t, I find myself sleeping in the same chair I started reading or watching television in.

Now I have entered this new season of my life, totally unprepared for the discomfort, aches and pains, loss of energy and strength and ability to do what I could, yet sometimes didn’t. At least I know that, even though I am in the last quarter and I have no idea how long this quarter will be, when my time on earth is over, a new adventure awaits too. Yes, I do have things I wish I I had never done. Yet so thankful for those I did. It is all in a lifetime.

And if you are not in the last quarter yet, I want to remind you that it comes faster than you could anticipate. Do the things you still want to do as soon as possible. Do not procrastinate. Life runs on fast legs. Do today what you can. There is no promise that we will all see the seasons of life. Live for today. For now.

Say the words to the ones you love. Often. Hopefully some will appreciate the things you did for them. And if they don’t, it is also okay.

Life is truly a gift. Just be happy. It is after all your choice. And remember that health is a treasure, not wealth, gold and silver, property or your bank balance.

You may think that going out is the best, but believe me – coming home is much better. 
You may forget names and that is okay, because some have already forgotten that they knew you.

The things you cared about previously, you may lose interest in. If you fall asleep in your favourite chair, stay there.

Growing older is wonderful. It is comfortable. It is loaded with memories that you never grow tired of. It is an absolute treasure. Look after yourself.”

“Living in the present is a sign of practical wisdom!”

June 1, 2024 – INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN's Day

 Let’s celebrate the children of every age and race, while ensuring that every child has a smile on their face…Happy International Children’s Day!

Lumea copiilor este una fantasticã, uimitoare, unde imposibilul devine posibil! La mulți ani, tuturor copiilor - mici & mari!

My previous greetings on the same theme:  INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN's Day – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019