learning life

The first New Year was celebrated 4,000 years by the ancient Babylonians.

It’s tradition to ring in New Year’s with family and friends because the first people you see will either give you good luck or bad luck. So make sure to keep friends close and foes very far away.

In Italy, people wear red underwear on New Year’s Day to bring good luck all year long.

In Colombia, Cuba and Puerto Rico, some families stuff a large doll, which is called Mr. Old Year, with memories from the past year. They also dress him in clothes from the outgoing year. At midnight, he is set ablaze, thus burning away the bad memories.

It’s good luck to eat foods like black eyed peas, ham and cabbage because it is thought they bring prosperity. But if you want to have a happy new year, don’t eat lobster or chicken. Lobsters can move backward and chickens can scratch in reverse, so it is thought these foods could bring a reversal of fortune.

Chinese New Year is celebrated the second full moon after the winter solstice.

Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. Apples and honey are traditionally eaten.

In ancient Rome the new year began on March 1.

If Santa is the most common symbol associated with Christmas, then Baby New Year is the symbol most commonly associated with….you guessed it, New Year's! Using a baby to signify the New Year began in ancient Greece around 600 B.C.

http://www.ibtimes.com/new-years-eve-facts-trivia-fun-things-know-about-holiday-1523662

In Scotland, people celebrate with a lively festival called Hogmanay. All over Britain there are parties, fireworks, singing and dancing, to ring out the old year and ring in the new. As the clock - Big Ben - strikes midnight, people link arms and sing a song called Auld Lang Syne. It reminds them of old and new friends.

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In the old days, the New Year started with a custom called 'first footing', which was suppose to bring good luck to people for the coming year. As soon as midnight had passed and January 1st had started, people used to wait behind their doors for a dark haired person to arrive. The visitor carried a piece of coal, some bread, some money and some greenery. These were all for good luck - the coal to make sure that the house would always be warm, the bread to make sure everyone in the house would have enough food to eat, money so that they would have enough money, and the greenery to make sure that they had a long life. The visitor would then take a pan of dust or ashes out of the house with him, thus signifying the departure of the old year.

The Fall of Phaeton

Cycnus turned to Swan, the Heliades to Poplar Trees

The Escape from the Underworld

The Story behind the Summer Triangle

Vega the Lyre (Lyre constellation)

Orpheus was a tremendous harp player.  He was the best that ever walked the Earth.  His music was so sweet and pure that even the trees bent over to listen.  The river ceased flowing, wild beasts became tame, even mountains listened with pleasure when Orpheus played his magical music.

One day he met a beautiful nymph named Eurydice.  She too was mesmerized by Orpheus’ music and they fell in love and got married. Unfortunately, soon after the marriage, Eurydice was bit on the heel by a serpent and died.  Orpheus was deeply saddened by her death and vowed to never play music again. 

Well, no one was happy by this.  Not even the gods.  So the gods came to Orpheus and told him how he could cross over through the gates of death and retrieve his love Eurydice.  Orpheus jumped at the idea and made the journey to Hades. 

But first he had to deal with Pluto, god of departed spirits.  Pluto was never anxious to let anyone leave from Hades.  But Orpheus began to play his harp, and Pluto was so moved by the music that he agreed to release Eurydice to him on one condition (there’s always a condition).  Orpheus had to walk in front of Eurydice all the way back to the land of the living.  He was not allowed to turn around and look at her until they crossed through the gates of death. 

Of course, Orpheus, being so much in love with this woman, could barely contain himself.  They walked out of the Underworld in single file and almost reached the light of day.  But then Eurydice’s footsteps fell silent. Orpheus, thinking something was wrong, turned to look at his beloved.  And when he did, she vanished forever.

Lyra, Orpheus’ harp remains in the sky as a reminder of true love, love lost, and why death is so hard to cheat.

Altair the Eagle (Aquila Constellation)

Aquila, The Eagle, was the divine bird of Zeus and bearer of his sacred thunder. Aquila began servicing the King of the Gods as Zeus was battling with his father, Cronus, to gain control of the universe. During this fierce combat Aquila faithfully provided his master with plentiful food, drink, and weapons, enabling Zeus to become victorious in his quest for supreme power. Aquila continued to faithfully attend to his lord’s wants and needs, and when Zeus enlisted the young Trojan boy, Ganymede, the powerful eagle descended to gather him. Aquila then Carried Ganymede through the air to Mount Olympus, where he became the cup-bearer of the gods.

 Aquila, the pet eagle of Zeus, showed the gentler side of his nature when he carefully carried up Ganymede to Mount Olympus to be cup-bearer to his master. However, when considering the myth surrounding Prometheus, the ferocious, darker side of Aquila is very evident. Prometheus was one of the last Titan gods who became an advisor to Zeus. He was protective of humankind and, seeing how they suffered because they had no fire, he stole a ray from the Sun which he smuggled down to earth in a hollow stem. Zeus did not believe that man was worthy of such a gift, and was furious that Prometheus had acted without his permission. The well-meaning Titan was chained to the side of a mountain, stripped of his garments, and was continually attacked by Aquila. Since he was immortal, his dreadful wounds healed themselves every evening, only to be opened up again the next day by Aquila. After many years Prometheus was saved by Hercules, who agreed with his kind deed to mankind. Using his bow and arrow, he killed Aquila, who was then placed by Zeus to soar in the heavens.

Deneb the Swan (Cygnus Constellation)

Cycnus was a devoted friend of Phaethon, the mortal son of Helios, the charioteer of the Sun.  Phaethon was a bold and head strong teenager, and like most teenagers, he thought he knew more than his “Old-Man.”  One night his bold nature got the better of him, and despite the advice of his friend Cycnus, and the warnings of his father, Phaethon took out the family car for a bit of a joy ride.  The trouble was, the family car was the Sun Chariot and its horsepower was provided by real horses, Phaethon realized very quickly that his joy ride was a mistake, but it was too late.  The horses that pulled the Sun Chariot were strong and wild, and only the strength of Helios could control them.  Phaethon’s wild ride took him dangerously close to the vault of the heavens and threatened to singe the earth and destroy the inhabitants of both.  Cycnus pleaded with Jupiter to stop this destruction, and with all of creation endangered, Jupiter sent a thunderbolt toward the rampaging chariot and its occupant.  With a terrible explosion Phaethon was thrown from the chariot and the fiery steeds were stopped long enough for Helios to gain control and guide them back to their stables.  Phaethon, being mortal could not survive the force of a thunderbolt and fell to earth like a shooting star, his charred and lifeless remains landed in the river Eridanus.

Cycnus could not leave his friend to the creatures of the river to feed on, and wanted to give Phaethon a proper burial.  Cycnus dove repeatedly into the river to gather the charred remains of his friend.  Jupiter, watching this selfless display of devotion was moved, and when Cycnus had completed his task of love and honor.  Jupiter decided to give Cycnus a gift of immortality and changed his name to Cygnus and him into a glorious swan.  This swan would be placed forever in the heavens amidst the scorched path of Phaethon’s disastrous ride, the Milky Way.

Around July, go outside after 9pm on a clear night and look at the sky. Even if it is not quite dark a bright star will be visible in the south. This is Vega, the third brightest star in our sky (only Sirius and Arcturus are brighter). If you look a little more you will see two more bright stars, these are Deneb and Altair. Together with Vega they form a large triangle with the point downwards. This has been known as the Summer Triangle for a century or more. The three stars are members of three different constellations and as it gets darker you will be able to see more of their fellow stars. Deneb is the tail of Cygnus (the Swan), Altair is in Aquila (the Eagle) and Vega is in Lyra (the Lyre). The Summer Triangle is not actually a constellation itself, just a nice handy grouping of stars, astronomers call these asterisms.

Orihime and Hikoboshi - Star-crossed lovers