Happy Holiday

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday

Merry Christmas

Every year more than 400 million people celebrate Xmas around the world -- that makes Xmas one of the world’s biggest religious and commercial festivities. In approximately year 300 A.D., the birthday of Jesus was determined to be on December 25, the day that has been celebrated from then till this very day. The celebration on the 25th of December starts with Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24.
The religious festival is originally a blend of pagan customs. The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, i.e. "the birthday of the unconquered sun.". Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in late December to early January. However, it is uncertain exactly why December 25 became associated with the birth of Jesus since the Old Testament doesn’t mention a specific date of the event.

Happy Yalda

Yalda

Yalda, a Syric word imported into the Persian language by the Syric Christians means birth. It is refered to the "Shab e Cheleh Festival" a celebration of Winter Solstice on December 21st. Forty days before the next major Persian festival "Jashn e Sadeh" this night has been celebrated in countless cultures for thousands of years. In most ancient cultures, including Persia, the start of the solar year has been marked to celebrate the victory of light over darkness and the renewal of the Sun. For instance, Egyptians, four thousand years ago celebrated the rebirth of the sun at this time of the year.
The last day of the Persian month Azar is the longest night of the year, when the forces of Ahriman are assumed to be at the peak of their strength. While the next day, the first day of the month "Day" known as "khoram rooz" (the day of sun) belongs to Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom. Since the days are getting longer and the nights shorter, this day marks the victory of Sun over the darkness. Fires would be burnt all night to ensure the defeat of the forces of Ahriman.
It is not clear when and how the world "Yalda" entered the Persian language. The massive persecution of the early Christians in Rome brought many Christian refugees into the Sassanin Empire and it is very likely that these Christians introduced and popularized "Yalda" in Iran. Gradually "Shab e Yalda" and "Shab e Cheleh" became synonymous and the two are used interchangeably.
Happy Yalda

A Star without a Name

When a baby is taken from the wet nurse,
It easily forgets her
and starts eating solid food.

Seeds feed awhile on ground,
then lift up into the sun.

So you should taste the filtered light
and work your way toward wisdom
with no personal covering.

That's how you came here, like a star
without a name. Move across the night sky
with those anonymous lights.

(Mathnawi III, 1284-1288

Rumi

I died from minerality and became vegetable;
And From vegetativeness I died and became animal.
I died from animality and became man.
Then why fear disappearance through death?
Next time I shall die
Bringing forth wings and feathers like angels;
After that, soaring higher than angels -
What you cannot imagine,
I shall be that.
Mathnavi Manavi

Growth/ Poran Poreghbal

Growth
That day came again
my hearth was laughing
That day came again
The familiar early morning breeze
Whispering love poem in my ear
I lived again
And I developed
And I learned to walk again
Do not ask me how
As we do it differently
We do it individually
Me, you, and they
We do it differently
We choose
And we develop
Do not ask me how
I lived again
my hearth was laughing again
It happened when I let go
It came
When I considered life
When my soul required lift
And I did it.
September 1996
Poran Poregbal
Stockholm
www.middlepeace.com

Rememberance Day

History of the Flanders Poppies

It has been noted throughout history that after a major war, red poppies seemed to pop up in the battlefields and on soldiers' graves. It seems that poppy seeds lay dormant in the soil and when the soil is heavily turned or dug up it causes them to sprout. The most detailed of this event took place in WWI in Flanders Field, Belgium. In the craters where bombs fell and on the mounds of rubble, poppies bloomed everywhere. The heavily churned earth and the high concentration of lime from the limestone buildings made the perfect catalyst for the poppies to grow.

Around 1920 an American, Moina Michael, was the 1st recorded incidence of a person wearing a poppy in remembrance of lives lost in WWI. Madame E. Guerin on a visit from France heard of the idea and upon returning home began to make homemade poppies and sold them to help support the children of war. This idea quickly spread around the world. The poppies are sold in many countries with proceeds benefiting many different veteran organizations.

So the next time you see someone with poppies for a donation......dig down deep and give with pride. Know you are saying thanks and helping a worthy cause.......by supporting our vets and vets around the world.

Rememberance Day

REMEMBER THE ONES WHO DIED
EVEN IF IT'S NOT REMEMBERENCE DAY
MANY THOUSANDS DIED
EVERY DAY THOUSANDS MORE
MANY PEOPLE LOST
BRUTAL BATTLES
EVERY ONE REMEMBER
REMEMBER ALL WHO FALL

By: Brandon, MacKenzie

Halloween

How might a spirit settle in the wind?
After death, how might a soul find peace?
Love lasts long after lips and laughter cease,
Leaving only memories behind.
Out of longings, one might linen spin,
Weaving well the welkin edged with fleece.
Each spirit must from wandering seek release,
Else ever through the weary midnights wend,
Not resting till love's angels dark descend.

Peace Qoutes

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.
Moshe Dayan (1915 - 1981)

Of one thing I am certain, the body is not the measure of healing - peace is the measure.
George Melton

First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
Thomas a Kempis (1380 - 1471), 1420

Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.
Robert J. Sawyer (1960 - ), "Calculating God", 2000

We make war that we may live in peace.
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), Nichomachean Ethics

If you want peace, stop fighting. If you want peace of mind, stop fighting with your thoughts.
Peter McWilliams, Life 101, 1991

Peace

Begins in my heart
And soars beyond the horizon
A golden thread
Between the moment
And what is to come.

Denise Noblet 2007

Peace

Peace looks like children skipping

In a field of lavender,

Peace sounds like a storm of gentle summer rain,

Peace feels like cuddling with a fluffy kitten,

Peace smells like jasmines in my hair,

Peace tastes like strawberries dipped in chocolate,

Peace is all of these things.

Sara khoddami2004

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the appointed time
for focusing on the good in our lives.
In each of our days
we can find small blessings.
But too often we overlook them,
choosing instead to spend our time
paying attention to problems.
We give our energy
to those who cause us trouble
instead of those who bring peace.
Starting now
let’s be on the lookout
for the bits of pleasure in each hour;
and appreciate the people who
bring love and light to everyone
who is blessed to know them.
You are one of those people;On Thanksgiving
I’m thankful for you.
By Joanna Fuchs