TODAY - March 17

 NIELS’ MORNING GREETINGS

ON: MARCH 17

New 2021 edition

TODAY’s LENGTH:

This day is here in Belgium 4 hours longer than December 21. Its length is 11 hours and 58 minutes – from 06.52 to 18.50.

See more – also in English – about where you are on:  www.dagenslaengde.dk

TODAY’s NAME:

This day has two names – depending in which country you are in.

GERTRUD’s DAY  is its name in most European countries.  She was a Belgian abbess, who died on this day in 659. She was the helper to dead people on their first night on their way to the purgatory.

Saint Gertrud is the patron for travellers. Earlier you saw small chapels with figures of wood to her honour at crossroads. When the paint and the gilt had peeled off you said that “the gilt is off the gingerbread”.

In Ireland this day is called SAINT PATRICK’s DAY.  He was the country’s first bishop. He lived from 385 to 461. He brought Christianity to Ireland. The day of his death is said to be this day in 461. The day is celebrated by Irish people all over the world, and it is also Ireland’s national day.  And all Irish people carry a small shamrock ( which is Gaelic and means: small clover ).  See picture enclosed.

TODAY’s EVENT:

1948:  The Brussels Treaty creating the Western Union is signed by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom.  It is the forerunner for NATO.

TODAY’s QUESTION:

To go to Canossa  - what is the history behind that expression?

The background is the German emperor Heinrich IV’s fight with pope Gregor 7. Heinrich governed in the years 1056-1106. When the emperor at the Diet of Worms in 1076 fired the pope it started a very serious conflict. The pope excommunicated the emperor. A year later Heinrich decided to make an end to the fight by walking barefooted all the way to the pope’s castle in Canossa south of Parma in northern Italy. Here he had to wait for 3 days in winterly weather in the courtyard of the castle, before the pope forgived him.

The expression to go to Canossa became very much known much later, when the German chancellor Bismarck started a serious fight with the Catholic church in the 1870ies. We will never go to Canossa, Bismarck stated at several occasions.  But through negotiations the conflict was brought to an end. And many asked themselves afterwards, if Bismarck in reality went to Canossa to finalise the conflict.

Today the term to go to Canossa means that you give totally in in a conflict.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW:

A red thread – where does that expression come from? 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:

Peace is to a country  what good health is to a body.

Shis was said by the Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf.  See photo below.

2.  Today’s quote:

A passion for dance in an unintelligent body – it must be hell.

Who among today’s persons has said that?

3.  Famous people born on this day:

1733:  Carsten Niebuhr    (died 1815)

1919:  Nat King Cole   (died 1965)

1938:  Rudolf Nurejev   (died 1993)

 

4.  Famous people died on this day:

461:    Maewyn Succat  ( ”Saint Patrick” )  (74 years)

1781:  Johannes Evald   (37 years)

 

Niels Jørgen Thøgersen

niels4europe@gmail.com  

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


Selma Lagerlöf

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