DID YOU KNOW:

EMBER DAYS: The four periods formerly observed by the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches for prayer, fasting, and the ordination of clergy are called Ember Days.
Specifically, these are the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays that follow in succession following (1) the First Sunday in Lent; (2) Whitsunday-Pentecost; (3) the Feast
of the Holy Cross, September 14; and (4) the Feast of St. Lucia,December 13.

The word EMBER, is perhaps a corruption of the Latin quatuor tempora, "four times."
Folklore has it that the weather on each of the three days foretells the weather for the next three months: that is, for September's Ember Days, Wednesday forecasts the weather for October, Friday for November, and Saturday for December.

HALCYON DAYS: About two weeks of calm weather often follow the blustery winds of autumn's end. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that occurred around the time of the winter solstice, when the halcyon, or kingfisher, was brooding. In a nest floating on the sea, the bird was said to have charmed the wind and waves so that the waters were especially calm during this period.

BEWARE THE POGONIP: The word Pogonip is
meteorological term used to describe an uncommon occurrence - frozen fog. The word was coined by Native Americans to describe the frozen fogs of fine ice needles that occur in the mountain valleys of the western United States and Canada. According to their tradition, breathing the fog is injurious to the lungs.

Kwanzaa: Kwanzaa is the seven-day Afro centric celebration that begins Dec. 26.
Adapted from the annual agricultural festivals that are an integral part of African tradition, Kwanzaa was created in 1966 to unify the African American community toward a common set of goals and objectives and to reassert traditional values. The name comes from the phrase, "mantunda ya kwanza", which in Swahili means "the first fruits of the harvest." The extra "a" was added to make it uniquely American.