Wednesday, December 31, 2008

*N*E*W* *Y*E*A*R*


New Year
In countries governed by the Gregorian calendar, the celebration of New Year is celebrated on January 1, the date that is considered the most festive of them.
Celebrations on the Bay of
Valparaiso, Chile; beginning of the show called "New Year at Sea," the largest in the world stage.
Traditionally, the Roman calendar began the first day of
March. However, it was in January (the eleventh month) when the consuls of ancient Rome assumed the government. Julius Caesar, in 47 BC, changed the system, creating the Julian calendar, with some modifications in the time of Marco Antonio consul in 44 BC, the emperor Augustus Caesar in 8 BC and finally by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, is used today. In this year begins on January 1. Subsequently, the Gregorian calendar had the habit and the celebration was marked with a religious significance during the Middle Ages and later centuries.
With the expansion of Western culture to the rest of the world during the twentieth century, the
January 1 date became a universal in nature, even in countries with their own New Year celebrations (e.g., China).
While in
Sydney was launched at midnight over 80,000 fireworks to more than one and a half million attendees, being the most-watched event on television worldwide last year at Valparaiso receive more than two million visitors to witness the largest fireworks in a natural setting and the huge worldwide; a total of more than 21 kilometers of fireworks on the bay, from the commercial port city of Valparaiso to Concon, Chile, all in 25 minutes of entertainment. In New York, the celebration is focused around a big crystal ball that descends on a crowd in Times Square, is also the party with the largest number of attendees last year: more than three million people. Moreover, much of the huge holiday clubs.
In the culture of
Latin America there are a variety of traditions and superstitions for these dates as a way of omens for the coming year. The uncorking a bottle of champagne at 0:00 1. January still remains a symbol of New Year's celebration.
The New Year feast is closely related to the celebration of
Christmas Eve, Christmas and Hannukah. Due to the closeness between all these parties is that much of the world sees the last week of the year as the beginning of the holiday period, either in winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) or summer (in the Southern Hemisphere).
According to the
Christian tradition, on January 1 coincides with the circumcision of Christ (eight days after birth), when the name of Jesus (Luke (II: 21)).
The most common modern dates of celebration are listed below, ordered and grouped by their appearance relative to the conventional Western calendar.
Many cities across the world celebrate the New Year. The celebrations usually include a firework's display, and other festivities.
London, for example, has a major fireworks display along the River Thames, followed by a parade on New Year's Day.
The
Gregorian calendar is now used by many countries as the official calendar. This has meant that celebrations for the New Year have become much larger than before. Some countries even consider 1 January to be a national holiday.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

## Mother ##






Long, long ago, so I have been told,Two angels once met,On the streets paved with gold;By the stars in your crown,Said one to the other;I see that on earth you too were a mother.And by the blue-tinted halo you wear,You too have known, sorrow and despair;Oh, yes came the answer,I once had a son.A sweet little lad full of laughter and fun.But tell of your child;Oh I knew I was blessed,From the moment,I first held him close to my breast.And my heart almost burst,With the joy of that day,Oh, yes, sighed the other.I felt the same way.The former continued,The first steps he took,So eager and breathless,The sweet startled look,Which came over his face,He trusted me so,Ah, yes, sighed the other;How well do I know.But soon he had grown,To a tall handsome boy.So stalwart and kind.And it gave me such joy,To have him just walk,Down the street by my side.Ah, yes, said the other;I have felt that same pride.How often I shielded,And spared him from pain.And when he for others,Was so cruelly slain.When they crucified him,And spat in his face.How gladly would I,Have hung there in his place.A moment of silence,Oh, then you are She.The mother of Christ,And she fell on one knee,But the blessed one.Raised her up, drawing her near,And kissed from the cheek,Of the woman a tear.Tell me the name of the son you so loved,So that I may share with you,Your grief and your woe.She lifted her eyes,Looking straight at the other.He was Judas Iscariot.And I am his mother.