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Holy Daze: Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4th, 2012) – Catholic Christian
St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher born in the 12th century. Despite being born into wealth, he dedicated his life to living in poverty and prayer. He was known to wander and minister to lepers. St. Francis was also known for his love of animals. He is often depicted surrounded…
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Holy Daze: Meskel (September 27th, 2012) – Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
Meskel is an annual religious festival celebrated in Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox Churches to commemorate Saint Helena (mother of Constantine the Great) finding the True Cross (the cross upon which Jesus was crucified). Typical celebrations include dancing, colourful processions, feasting and the lighting of a giant bonfire known as a Demera. The lighting of…
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When did Christmas stop being a Holiday?
It’s that time of year again. No sooner do the first snow flakes fall and the rhetoric around whether it’s appropriate to replace “Happy Holidays” with “Merry Christmas” begins to fly. It’s one of the most divisive issues surrounding this season. Firstly, there are the annual campaigns via email and social media promoting the “put…