Happy Thanksgiving ~ enjoy a peaceful and safe holiday ~ the SERC Library Staff
Follow these links for history, fun facts and more on Thanksgiving:
Showing posts with label fun facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun facts. Show all posts
Monday, November 20, 2017
Monday, September 22, 2014
Okay - I admit it - FALL snuck up on me!
So some interesting "stuff" about Autumn and Fall:
An article by Sarah Griffiths for Mailonline: Autumn's colours explained: infographic reveals how chemicals switch leaves from green to red, orange and brown hues
First Day of Fall 2014: The Autumnal Equinox, by The Old Framer's Almanac
Autumn, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
September equinox, by timeanddate.com
Autumn Facts for Kids, by lovetoknow kids
Fun Facts About Autumn: It's Getting Cold in Here! by Kaplan International English
Autumn, by KidsKonnect.com
Autumn Teacher Resources, TeacherVision
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
SUMMER BEGINS!
For more info on the SUMMER and SUMMER activities:
Fact Monster - Understanding the summer solstice for kids!
KidsGeo.com - The Days the Sun Stands Still - Geography for Kids
At AccuWeather.com - Summer: Definitions, myths of the season explored
The Old Farmer's Almanac - First Day of Summer 2014: The Summer Solstice
Wikipedia - Summer
MyConnecticutKids.com - The online source for family fun - event calendar
PBSparents - Camp PBS Parents - Free (or almost free) summer fun ideas
sixsistersstuff.com - 50 outdoor summer activities for kids
care.com - 101 fun things to do with kids this summer!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Thanksgiving
Here are some fun facts, some links to activities, history and "stuff" on Thanksgiving - yes, I know you can Google these to ---- but I have already done the work for you!Fun Facts from Thanksgiving Fun Facts at WHSV:
The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.
Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor, persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.
Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President. The President does not eat the live turkey. He "pardons" it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm.
In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.
Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.
The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.
Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.
Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.
Okay, enough Fun Facts ----- here are the links I promised to activities, history and "stuff":
Thanksgiving - the History Channel
The First Thanksgiving - Scholastic
Thanksgiving History - Plimoth Plantation
First Thanksgiving - National Geographic
Thanksgiving - USA.org
Thanksgiving in North America: From local harvests to National Holiday - Smithsonian
Thanksgiving - Library of Congress
Thanksgiving on the Net - Holidays on the Net.work
Thanksgiving - Parents
Friday, August 30, 2013
Happy Labor Day!
Happy Labor Day! This is the day to celebrate American workers! So ..... enjoy some casual reading about the day and some links to fun facts and activities! Enjoy the day!
Check out the U.S. Department of Labor's web site for history and additional information.
Check out the History Channel site for yes, more history and information!
10 Labor Day Facts from Forbes.
Labor Day History: 11 facts you need to know
Check out the U.S. Department of Labor's web site for history and additional information.
Check out the History Channel site for yes, more history and information!
10 Labor Day Facts from Forbes.
Labor Day History: 11 facts you need to know
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Happy FOURTH OF JULY!
 |
| Fireworks in Boston |
Here are some interesting facts about the Fourth and some links to more facts and activities:
The Fourth of July was not declared a NATIONAL holiday until 1941.
The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all those rebellious Colonies would appear equal.
The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies.
The only one to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th was the first signature, John Hancock, it took another month to get the other signatures.
The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) estimates that more than 14,000 fireworks displays light up U.S. skies each Fourth of July.
Events that have occurred on the Fourth of July:
Henry David Thoreau moved into his shack on Walden Pond (1845)
Beach Boys' "I Get Around" reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts (1964)
Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act (1966)
Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on the Fourth.
Adams and Jefferson died on the same day within hours of each other in 1826.
The first official Fourth of July was held at the White House in 1801.
Approximately 150 million hot dogs are consumed on this day.
The number of Americans who will spend the holiday at other people's homes is approximately 45 million (this figure varies depending on which site you are looking at).
There are more than 30 towns nationwide that have the word "Liberty" in their names.
Check out these sites:
http://www.military.com/independence-day/fun-facts-about-the-fourth.html
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Flag Day - June 14, 2013
On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14th.
On June 14, 1977, at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia John Adams spoke about the flag, "Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field representing a new constellation."
There have been 27 official versions of the flag so far; stars have been added to the flag as states have entered the Union.
The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960 when Hawaii be came the 50th state.
6 American flags were planted on the moon by crews from Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17.
$301.5 million is the annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation's manufactures.
95% of U.S. flags are manufactured in the United States.
For more information and for activities about Flag Day, visit these sites:
Flag Day Activities for Kids
Flag Day Lesson Plans and Activities
The National Flag Day Foundation
The American Flag and its Protocol
America's Story from America's Library
Flag Day (United States) - Wikipedia
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
April Fool's Day Facts!
I will list some of the sites that I did find, and I will use the History Channel's web page write up to give you some history ---- and to think ---- the Library staff over the years have just tied up chairs to desks, taped drawers shut, tied together staplers, mouses, scissors and tape dispensers, changed out calendars for older ones (yes, we think ahead - after all, we are always three weeks ahead), removed coat racks and all personal items from desks ---- what did we know!!!! I have to start working on my fishes - yes you have to read more to find out about this!
On this day in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools' Day by playing practical jokes on each other.
Although the day, also called All Fools' Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as "poisson d'avril" (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.
Historians have also linked April Fools' Day to ancient festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises. There's also speculation that April Fools' Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.
April Fools' Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with "hunting the gowk," in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people's derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or "kick me" signs on them.
In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools' Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations and Web sites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences. In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour. In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia's Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a "Left-Handed Whopper," scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.
Here are some additional sites to check out:
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day
National Geographic - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120329-april-fools-day-2012-pranks-facts-history-origins/
Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/april-fools-day-the-history-of-pranks-video/2012/03/30/gIQAKaSrlS_blog.html
infoplease - http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/april-fool-day.html
Have fun!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Fun Fact about St. Patrick's Day and Ireland!
Okay, I know --- a little late --- well not at all --- Saint Patrick's Day is Sunday!
Here goes:
St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.
The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.
The name “lephrechaun” has several origins. It could be from
the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous
sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means
“shoemaker.”
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!
One estimate suggests that there are about 10 000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.
Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the
first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for
luck.
Here goes:
St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.
The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!
One estimate suggests that there are about 10 000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Fun Valentine's Day Facts
The
funny thing about facts is that sometimes it hard to get the facts – if you
look at the links I have provided below – each lists a different number for my
first fact – really that is the fact!
There
is somewhere between 141 million to about 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards
exchange in the US each year making Valentine’s Day the largest seasonal
card-sending occasion of the year next to Christmas!
In
order of popularity, teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed
by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets!
73%
of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are men – only 27 percent of
women buy flowers on Valentine’s Day!
The
red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. The color red stands for strong romantic
feelings. Approximately 110 million
roses will be sold, mostly red, and they are imported mostly from South
America!
Valentine’s
Day chocolate boxes were introduced in 1868 by Richard Cadbury!
In
the 19th century, physicians would prescribe chocolates to their
patients who would pine for a lost love! Oh yes, I will get this script filled - how many refills?
I
have to add these Superstitions from this one site:
It
is said that the kind of bird a girl watches on Valentine’s Day predicts her
future husband. For instance:
Sparrow: A poor man
Owl: Remain spinster
Bluebird: A happy man
Blackbird: A priest or clergyman
Crossbill: An argumentative man
·
If
an apple is cut in half, the number of seeds found inside the fruit will indicate
the number of children that individual will have.
·
To
be awoken by a kiss on Valentine's Day is considered lucky.
·
On
Valentine's Day, the first guy's name you read in the paper or hear on the TV
or radio will be the name of the man you will marry.
·
If
you see a squirrel on Valentine's Day, you will marry a cheapskate who will
hoard all your money.
·
If
you see a goldfinch on Valentine's Day, you will marry a millionaire.
·
If
you see a robin on Valentine's Day, you will marry a crime fighter - maybe they
mean Batman!
·
If
you see a flock of doves on Valentine's Day, you will have a happy, peaceful
marriage.
·
If
you find a glove on the road on Valentine's Day, your future beloved will have
the other missing glove.
Check out these links for additional Valentine’s Day info!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Cold Hard Facts!
Yes, I know we
are tired of this cold weather but did you know…
The world's
largest snowflake was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, at 38 cm wide
and 20 cm thick. The snow flake fell at Fort Keogh, Montana, USA on 28 January
1887.
With tires for
his mouth and trees for arms, "Angus" - the tallest snowman, was made
by residents of Bethel, Maine, USA, measuring a whopping 34.63 meters.
"Angus" took 2 weeks to build, and was completed on 17 February 1999.
The greatest
snowfall recorded was on Mt Rainier, Washington State, USA - Over 30metres fell
during the winter of 1972.
In the winter
of 1932 in the US was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid!
Dirty snow
melts faster than clean.
Snowiest city
in the U.S. – Blue Canyon, California.
It snows more
in the Grand Canyon than it does in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
-40 degrees
Celsius is equal to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Did you know – that
the first Thanksgiving feast was held in the second year the Pilgrims were at
Plymouth Rock and it was a three day feast!
Did you know – that
the celebration was in the fall of 1621 and Governor William Bradford invited
the neighboring Native Americans to join with the colonists to celebrate a good
harvest!
Did you know – that
historians have suggested that many of the dishes were prepared using
traditional Native American spices and cooking methods!
Did you know – that
Wampanoag guests arrived with deer and the Governor sent men out on a “fowling”
mission!
Did you know – that
Thanksgiving did not become an official national holiday until President
Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November a national day of thanksgiving
in 1863 --- just a mere 200 years later!
Did you know – that
as many as 107 million American homes will celebrate Thanksgiving this year!
Did you know
– there is a lot of conflicting information out there on the first
Thanksgiving!
Did you know – that
the SERC Library will be open on the morning of Black Friday sales, however, we
will not have any sales, we will be offering quiet space from 8:30 am to 12
NOON!
Happy Thanksgiving from the SERC Library Staff!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Happy 4th of July!
We would also like you to remember why you are having this day off ---- The Fourth of July or Independence day is a federal holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.
Have a wonderful, safe 4th of July ----- don't eat too much at the barbecue, enjoy the fireworks (my favorite, well, besides the food!)!
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