Now arriving in Turkey!
Yesterday we were in Austria, celebrating greats such as Freud, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, Adler, the von Trapp family, and yes... musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Only today's featured country can top Austria's list of people whose enduring works have indisputably influenced the world. And, Turkey's list - just as impressive and certainly as enduring - is only one person long!
St. Nicholas. Yes, Santa Claus was born in Demre - Turkey's Mediterranean Coast. Look...
As noted in Wikipedia, "because of the many miracles attributed to his intercessions, he is also known as Saint Nicholas The Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift giving such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and is now commonly identified with Santa Claus.
Does anyone else think it's a coincidence that we just-so-happened to randomly select Turkey - home of St. Nicholas - during World Kindness Week? AND, that St. Nicholas had a thing for doing Random Acts of Kindness - just like we do? I love it when the planets align!
As it happens, we are just weeks away from St. Nicholas Day (December 6). This occasion is a meaningful and fun way for you, your friends, and your family to kick off the holiday season. Bellarmine University, under direction of their first-rate Campus Minister, always did a nice job of creating celebration around St. Nicholas Day and the events served as a wonderful way to spread the spirit of Christmas. How about you? Do you and your family and friends celebrate St. Nicholas Day?
If not, consider doing something this year. Below are two interesting sites I ran across while preparing for this morning's post. The first is a story and the second are some ideas you might use when celebrating with your loved ones.
One more coincidence!
Today is the day, under instruction from the Helping Hand Committee, that I was to make a reminder about the family our blog community adopted for the holidays! I could not have done any better if I stayed up all night searching high and low for the perfect context in which to talk about helping our holiday family! One more sign, that we (this blog, this day, this service project) are meant to be!!!
This small, but committed blog community has done yeomen work raising upwards of $500.00 for our Helping Hand Family. By any measure, the money raised is a thoughtful and generous act. One that is in perfect keeping with St. Nicholas himself.
As you move forward in the holiday season, if you are able and willing, there are items we would still like to purchase for the family. Please visit the Helping Hand link, in the top right hand corner of my blog, to see a list of the items. So important is this to me, that I will make you a deal. For every person who checks out the Helping Hand site today (and leaves a comment), I will donate an additional $1.00 to Helping Hand Family Fund.
What a perfect way to close out this work week.
Isaret uzakta-e kadar yarin...
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8 comments:
Good morning HLA! Its a dreary, cloudy and wet day here in NY. Its the "crawl back under the sheets" kind of day. I was unable to post yesterday.
Claudia and RIchard Happy Anniversary!
I can honestly say we do not celebrate St. Nicholas' Day. Maybe it will happen in our future. I will keep you posted.
I love St. Nick's Day!! I'm 22 and still love it! Legend has it if you leave your shoes out on the night of the 5th, when you wake up on the 6th, St. Nick will have left a treat!
TGIF!!!!
I have to admit, that I never heard of St. Nicholas' Day growing up in a Lutheran/German household.
As my children grew into their world, no one I knew celebrated it in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Then we moved back to Wisconsin, and all my Catholic neighbors and kids school friends celebrated it. I had to scramble the night before to find something to put in their shoes.
It never really took.... I may think of getting a little treat to hold until that day... but I'm sure they have forgotten, and would be surprised to find something other than a stinky smell, in their shoes.
Traditions are an interesting subject and who influences whom is a curious thing!
Happy Friday from Illinois!
HAHA what does bellarmine do for st. nicks day? have i missed it the past THREE years i have been there?!
We did not celebrate St. Nick's day growing up and I have not celebrated it with my boys either.
I'm horrible at geography and I never thought I really wanted to go to Turkey. And, then while playing on Google Maps one time, I realised how close it is to Greece. I've always wanted to go to Greece. But, I probably would just want to stay on the coast...
That is great.
So far I am only into the Helping Hand family for another $8.00. Let's try to get to $15.00 before the night is over.
Help me give my money away.
Don't know what I am talking about? Check out the bottom of today's post.
HELP OUR FAMILY FROM PA HAVE AN AMAZING CHRISTMAS!!!
What can you do? We still need toys(see the post for items needed), cloths, money, gift cards (Walmart is your best bet), or whatever else you want to donate to this deserving family.
Checks can be made out to Tera Johnson. Everything can be mailed to Tera Johnson, 2590 North Moreland, E22, Shaker Heights, OH 44120. Questions, email me: tmichalski05@jcu.edu
*Do you grab a cup of coffee or a donut every morning on your way to work? If so, think about giving that up every day next week and putting that money towards helping our family!
*Going out for drinks with your friends this weekend? Grab a bottle or two or wine or some beer and have them over to your house. The money saved (which will be a lot) can go towards our family!
*DYING for that new pair or shoes? Put it on your Christmas list and ask Santa. Use the money you were going to buy the shoes with to give to our family!
*Ask your friends, family, neighbors and strangers (hey, tis the season) if they can donate even just $1. If 10 people get $10 that is $100 for our family. Every little bit helps!
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