TODAY - February 2
NIELS’ MORNING GREETINGS
ON: FEBRUARY 2
New 2021 edition
TODAY’s PERSON:
I have chosen
the Scottish author ALISTAIR
MAC LEAN. He was born in Glasgow in 1922 and died in
Munich in 1987. His novel about the Guns
of Navarone is probably among his best known writings. See his photo below.
TODAY’s LENGTH:
This day is here
in Belgium 1 hour and 21 minutes longer than on December 21. So its length is 9
hours and 19 minutes – from 08.17 to 17.36.
See more – also in
English – about where you are on: www.dagenslaengde.dk
TODAY’s NAME:
Today is CANDLEMAS DAY. The name
comes from the Latin Missa Candelarum
that means celebration for the lights. The tradition can certainly be traced
back to the 6th century. It refers to the fact that it was on this
day - 40 days after Jesus' birth - his mother, the Virgin Mary, was
brought up in the temple to be purified. The day is, therefore, also sometimes
called Mary Mas. And why should she
be made clean? Because you considered women who had given birth to be unclean.
Only when they had been cleaned in the temple, they could attend church
services again.
It is also on this day that the church blesses all the lights to be used in the
forthcoming years.
In Denmark, Candlemas was a holiday until 1770. This year stopped by Mr. Struensee in
his rationalization activities.
Candlemas together with 9 other small Danish religious holidays were
abolished and replaced by the so-called Great
Prayers Day. It was one of the few reforms that were retained even after
his execution.
The word kyndel is an old Danish
version of the word Kandel (light).
Candlemas was mainly in Jutland often called Kjørmes Knud . Knud in this
context means: hard frost. On this day half of the winter had passed,
and brighter times were ahead. Kjørmes Festivals were organised - one of the
eight ancient seasonal celebrations. On this day, it was a sort of Dutch treat
parties with pork, and whatever else was suitable to be stored in barrels.
There was brandy and dancing till dawn. Besides pork, there was also a
tradition of eating rye-pancakes.
The day’s name in Belgium is: Présentation
du Seigneur – with the same history behind it as Candlemas.
TODAY’s EVENT:
1709: Alexander Selkirk was rescued from a ship wreck on a desert island. It inspired Daniel Defoe to write the book Robinson Crusoe.
TODAY’s QUESTION:
Plimsoller – what the origin? And what does the word mean?
This name comes from a British politician Samuel Plimsoll (1824-98). He was fighting very actively against ships, which were not seaworthy (so-called “coffin ships”). They were sailing, often very much overloaded, because the owners wanted them to be wrecked. In this way they could cash in the insurance money. Plimsoll wanted to save British seamen from drowning due to these circumstances. In 1875 he succeeded to have a law about it passed in the British parliament. This law made such ships unlawful. One of the instruments which was introduced was socalled load lines on the outside of any ship, so that you could see, if the the load was heavier than permitted. They are still in use.
In other words: the name a Plimsoller means a ship, which is not seaworthy. It’s a “coffin ship”.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW:
A Trojan horse - what’s the
origin? And what does it mean?
47 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT EUROPE:
EUROPE AT WORK www.europe-at-work.be
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :
1.
Yesterday’s quote:
If you think
about your wife, when you watching football, you are still in love with her.
This was said by the American actor
Clark Gable
2.
Today’s quote:
Ireland is like an old sow,
which eats her own piglets.
Who has said that?
3. Famous
people born on this day:
1882: James Joyce (died 1941)
1886: Peter Freuchen (died 1957)
1911: Jussi Björling (died 1960)
1926: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (died in 2020)
1927: Stan Getz (died 1991)
4. Famous
people died on this day:
1594: Giovanni da Palestrina ( 69 years )
1970: Bertrand Russell ( 98 years )
1987: Alistair MacLean ( 65 years ) - see above and below.
1996: Gene Kelly ( 84 years )
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
www.simplesite.com/kimbrer +
EUROPE AT WORK www.europe-at-work.be
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