TODAY - February 17

 NIELS’ MORNING GREETINGS

ON: FEBRUARY 17

New 2021 edition

TODAY’s NAME:

This day, no, the whole week, is in Denmark called FASTELAVN.  SHROVETIDE.

Read much more about it HERE.

Lots of things are happening.  See a photo below.

And kids are going from house to house singing this song:

Shrovetide is my name,
buns I want.
If I get no buns,
then I make trouble.
Buns up, buns down
buns in my tummy.
If I get no buns,
then I make trouble.

TODAY’s LENGTH:

This day is in Belgium 2 hours and 14 minutes longer than December 21. Its length is 10 hours and 11 minutes – from 07.51 to 18.03.

See more ( also in English ) about the day’s length where you are on:  www.dagenslaengde.dk

 

TODAY’s NAME:

It is called FINDANUS’ DAY.

The name comes from several English-Irish Christians, who after their deaths were nominated as saints.

One of them was an Irish monk, who was so pious that he lived from mouldy bread and muddy water. Later he founded the monastery Clooneenagle in 548, and was its first abbot. He died in 603.

Another was an English bishop around 660.

And a third was an Irish Christian, who liberated his sister from the vikings. He died at a monastery in Switzerland in 878.

This day’s name in Belgium is SAINTS FONDATEURS DES SERVITES – referring to seven founders of an Order in the 13th century.

 

TODAY’s EVENT:

2008:  The Serbian province Kosovo becomes an independent country.

 

TODAY’s QUESTION:

Blood is thicker than water – where does than come from? And what does it mean?

This is a very old expression in many languages. Already in 1180 you see it in some German texts. And later the Danish story collector Peder Syv (1631-1702) is using it.  Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) makes it well known in his work Guy Mannering. And later the German emperor Wilhelm II (1859-1941) uses it frequently in his speeches.

The meaning of the expression has always been and still is that family bonds are closer than those of outsiders.

It is in a way strange that emperor Wilhelm used it so often. He was the grand child of Queen Victoria. And still he was a main initiator of World War I between Germany and Britain (and many more).

 

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW:

Great minds think alike – origin? Meaning today?

47 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT EUROPE:

EUROPE AT WORK     www.europe-at-work.be

 

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :

1.  Yesterday’s quote:

Anyone with wife and children knows that tennis belongs to the easy things in life.

            This is said by the American tennis player John McEnroe.

2.  Today’s quote:

It is easy to make fun of medical doctors, as long as you are not ill.

Who has said that?

3.  Famous people born on this day:

1854:  Friederich Alfred Krupp  ( died 1912 )

1929:  Patricia Routledge

1930:  Ruth Rendell   ( died 2015 )

1934:  Barry Humphries  ( ”Dame Edna” ) 

1941:  Gene Pitney  ( died 2006 )

1957:  Lars Brygman

1981:  Paris Hilton

 

4.  Famous people died on this day:

1673:  Molière  ( Jean-Baptiste Poquelin )  ( 51 years )

1856:  Heinrich Heine  ( 59 years )

1891:  Theophilos Hansen  ( 78 years )

 

Niels Jørgen Thøgersen

niels4europe@gmail.com  

www.simplesite.com/kimbrer   +  EUROPE AT WORK   www.europe-at-work.be



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