Tag Archives: story

Celebrating the Grandest Generation

10 Thursday Sep 2020

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Let’s take a walk down Memory Lane. Close your eyes and think back to a few of your greatest childhood memories. Are there a few people who play recurring roles? We’re guessing, yes. More than likely, you’ll see your siblings, parents, cousins and, of course, your grandparents. Sunday, September 13, is Grandparents Day, a day to celebrate the grandest generation.

We know what you’re thinking: another day that I have to remember to put a card in the mail? Not exactly. Believe it or not, this observation was not created to help inflate the sales of flowers and greeting cards. Marian Lucille McQuade, the community leader behind the holiday, wanted Grandparents Day to be focused on family; a day to connect the generations.

There are three main purposes behind the observance:

  1. To give people a day to honor grandparents
  2. To allow grandparents an additional opportunity to show love to their children’s children
  3. To help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance that elders can offer

She wanted Grandparents Day to be a family day. She envisioned family reunions and community event participation, but she probably didn’t imagine a pandemic.

2020 has certainly been a challenging year for celebrating holidays as we’ve seen many special days come and go. However, it is still possible to honor your family lineage while protecting those closest to your heart. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Schedule a story hour

We all loved bedtime stories as children, but does anyone truly outgrow a good story? Schedule a time to talk over the phone or video chat with loved ones to talk about the family’s matriarchs and patriarchs. Take turns sharing your favorite moments together, whether they were tender or hilarious. Give your story hour participants a heads up, so they have time to think back on the best moments.  

  • Recreate a famous family recipe

Every family has one secret recipe. The weekend is the perfect opportunity to dust off the cookbook and look back at the entrée or dessert that everyone still talks about to this day. If you’re feeling extra generous, you may want to share the dish with friends or other family members. After all, who doesn’t love homemade goodies?

  • Start building a family tree

What better way to celebrate than by piecing together your family history with your immediate members? Share unforgettable memories of those who have passed and talk about how family members’ lives have changed over the generations. Visit PBS to start building your family tree today.

  • Celebrate those who have left too soon

Sadly, not all of us are lucky enough to have living grandparents, but everyone can celebrate their memories by reliving the good times by paging through old photo albums or visiting their memorial sites. If you are active on Facebook, consider temporarily changing your profile picture to one with a grandparent.

National Grandparents Day is a wonderful opportunity to honor legacy and show gratitude to a truly grand generation. How will you celebrate the occasion?

Happy Grandparents Day from Lions Pride!

The History of Gingerbread Houses

12 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by in Holidays, Special Events

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cream with jelly on top

Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

This time of year, you may have noticed that it is much harder to resist the temptation of sweets. It seems like everywhere you go, you’ll find candy canes, sugar cookies, peppermint bark and, of course, gingerbread houses.

But, as we continue to make our way through the season, we are left wondering where these types of desserts came from, but we’re determined to find out. Today, December 12, is National Gingerbread House Day, and we’re putting on our detective hats to determine the origin behind this magical craft.

If you think back, can you remember the first time you heard about a gingerbread house? If you’re like many of us, it was when you were listening to the fairytales of Brothers Grimm. Perhaps you remember the one. The story of Hansel and Gretel, two young children got lost in the woods before stumbling across a gingerbread house, which is home to an old witch who tries to eat them? That one couldn’t possibly be the story associated with a Christmas tradition.

Although the story may not sound especially Christmas-like, it is the story that inspired a culture of people to start building these houses. German bakers took the description from the story and began crafting their own versions. Since gingersnap cookies were already commonplace during Christmas, the activity became part of families’ annual traditions.

As German families immigrated to the United States, their gingerbread house baking traditions followed closely behind. Nowadays, building gingerbread houses is not only a fun way to pass an afternoon but can also act as a powerful creative outlet.

Are gingerbread houses a part of your families’ holiday traditions? If so, do you build them from scratch or start with a kit? Let us know in the comments below.

If this activity has not been part of your usual preparations, remember that it’s never too late to start a new tradition. Celebrate this unofficial holiday and release your inner architect. Happy Gingerbread House Day from Lions Pride!

The Story of the First Christmas Card

05 Thursday Dec 2019

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blur bokeh card celebration

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Pexels.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. People are genuinely joyful; the snow seems appropriate and no one seems to mind getting mail. That’s because it’s the season of holiday greeting cards, a time to observe what our friends have been up to in 2019.

Monday, December 9, is National Christmas Card Day. Let’s observe the celebration with a quick history lesson about the card that started it all.

The story dates back to the year 1843. A man by the name of Henry Cole had a problem; he had the misfortune of having too many friends. The British Postal System had recently expanded, and people could now send letters to anywhere in the country with a penny stamp.

Cole watched as a stack of letters began to form. Of course, it was considered rude not to respond, but he simply didn’t have the time to write to them all.

Then, he was struck by a brilliant idea. He asked his artistic friend J.C. Horsley if he could design something for him. Cole gave him an illustration of a three-paneled scene of a family enjoying a holiday dinner and others helping the poor. Horsley was able to print on the image a 5 1/8” x 3 ¼” piece of cardboard. At the top, there was a blank salutation so Cole could personalize his responses. The first Christmas card was born, but not without a little controversy.

Christmas cards also began appearing in the United States in the late 1840s, but they were relatively expensive. It wasn’t until 1875 when Louis Prang, a printer originally from Germany, began mass-producing the cards, so more people could afford to send them.

Nowadays, the possibilities for Christmas cards have become limitless. You can now find hundreds of blank cards with beautiful holiday scenes that you can customize like Henry Cole or create your own holiday card with favorite memories of the year. No matter which option you choose, there’s no better way to say, “Season’s Greetings!”

Do you and your family send out cards this time of year? IF so, how do you decide on your theme? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

Happy National Christmas Card Day from Lions Pride!

The Story of Hanukkah

29 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in Giving Tips, Holidays, Special Events

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Thanksgiving has come and gone, then without skipping a single beat, it seems that Jewish holiday hanukkah celebration with vintage menorahChristmas has arrived. Now, we are being bombarded with TV commercials, online ads and emails letting us know that December 25 will be here soon. While there’s no denying Christmas is one of the most popular holidays celebrated in the United States, it’s important to remember that there are several other celebrations also taking place in December. In the next series, we will explore a handful of the holidays – starting with Hanukkah.

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is an eight-day celebration of light takes place this year from December 2 to December 10. The story dates back thousands of years ago to 200 BC. At that time, the land of Israel was under the control of Antiochus III and the Syrian Greeks. During his reign, Antiochus allowed Jewish people to continue practicing their religion, but when his son, Antiochus IV assumed power, he outlawed Judaism and forced the Judeans to worship Greek gods.

In 168 BC, soldiers of Anthiochus III invaded Jerusaleum where they killed thousands of people and destroyed the city’s sacred Second Temple. Within the temple’s holy walls, soldiers slaughtered pigs and erected a statue of Zeus. After the desecration, a Jewish priest named Mattathias started the Maccabean Revolt. Immediately following his death in 166 BC, his son Judah took charge of the rebellion. Finally, after three long years of battle, the war came to an end, and the Judeans successfully drove the Syrians out of Israel.

Following the victory, Judeans wanted to light the menorah to rededicate the Second Temple but discovered that they only had enough oil to keep the candles burning for one day. They decided to take a chance and light the candles. Then a miracle happened. The candles continued to flicker for the following eight days, leaving them plenty of time to find a fresh supply of oil. Jewish sages then proclaimed an annual eight-day festival.

Today, the Hanukkah celebration is centered on the lighting of the menorah. After sundown each night, another candle is lit. The menorah is then displayed in the window to remind others of the original miracle.

A common question that many people ask is whether or not Chanukkah is a gift-giving holiday. You may be surprised to learn that there are no biblical or Talmudic roots connected to the idea of giving gifts during the Hanukkah season, but there is a timeworn tradition of instilling the value of charity. Many families have adopted the tradition of giving gelt (or money) to their children each weeknight of Hanukkah. Children then give a portion of their gift to charity. What an inspiring concept!

This year, let’s make an effort to remember all of the December celebrations, not just Christmas. We may not have the same beliefs or traditions as our neighbors, but it’s our differences that make our world all the more interesting.

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!

 

The Father of Wisconsin Lions Camp

15 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Holidays, Lions Camp, Special Events

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Roll out the barbecue – it’s time to celebrate Dad!

Lion Ray Hempel

Sunday marks the day to honor the men in our lives with a day dedicated just to him. With Father’s Day right around the corner, we thought it would be the perfect excuse to honor an exceptional man in the Wisconsin Lions community – Ray Hempel, the father and originator of Wisconsin Lions Camp.

You may have already heard this story a time or two, but it’s one that we think can always be retold. The year was 1952; Lion Ray Hempel was visiting with two 12-year old boys at an area hospital. He asked them if they had ever attended a camp. One boy replied, “Blind kids can’t go to outdoor camp and stuff like that.”

Others may have just acknowledged the response, apologized and changed the subject, but Lion Ray was not that man. Instead, he took those words to heart and began visualizing a camp that would provide an outdoor experience for those two boys and others like them.

His background in Lions and Boy Scouts, as well as his love of camping told him exactly what he needed to do. He needed to persuade the Wisconsin Lions to start a camp for blind children.

A few years later, Lion Ray and the Poy Sippi Lions petitioned the District Governors for a permanent camp location at the 1955 Wisconsin State Convention. At the 1956 convention, a 240-acre property was purchased in Rosholt, and the Wisconsin Lions Camp was born. Lion Ray served as the first camp director and was proud to be an integral part of its development

Today, the camp has expanded to serve even more children with special needs, including vision and hearing impairments, mild cognitive disabilities and Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, all at no cost to their families.

With the first week of summer camp starting on Monday, we think there’s no better time to reflect on the man who started it all. Who knew a chance comment would lead to such big change. Since its inception Lions Camp has offered the week of a lifetime to nearly 70,000 campers. There’s no question in our minds that Ray Hempel was the epitome of a Wisconsin Lion.

Happy Father’s Day from Lions Pride!

Story of the Jack O’ Lantern

23 Thursday Oct 2014

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Cute Lion PumpkinWe’re more than halfway through October, have pumpkins appeared on porches and doorsteps in your neighborhood?

Jack O’ Lanterns have been a fun Halloween staple for centuries, giving old and young alike a chance to show off their artistic ability by creating beautiful masterpieces, but do you know how the pumpkin carving practice got started?

Legend says the Jack O’ Lantern came from an old man named “Stingy Jack” who liked to play tricks on people. One day, Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him. After some time, Old Jack decided that he didn’t want to pay for the drinks, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin. Then Jack decided to keep the coin and placed it next to silver coin in his pocket, trapping the devil. Jack eventually released him, but made him promise not to bother him for another year, and if he died, the devil could not claim his soul.

One year passed and again Jack tricked the devil into climbing an apple tree. Once he was up the tree, Jack made the sign of the cross in the bark again trapping the devil. He let him down, but again made him promise not to bother him for another ten years.

Stingy Jack eventually died and made his way up to Heaven. Saint Peter told him that he was not allowed in. The devil, keeping his word and still upset by the tricks, would not allow him into hell either. He sent Jack off into the night with only a piece of coal lighting the way. Jack put the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the earth ever since.

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own version of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips and potatoes, in an attempt to ward off Stingy Jack and other wandering spirits. As immigrants came to America, they brought their tradition with them, but found pumpkins to be perfect for Jack O’ Lanterns.

Have you carved your Halloween pumpkin yet? If not, we invite you to show off your Lions Pride with these fun patterns:

Lion Pattern 3 Lion Pattern 4 Lion Pumpkin 2

Happy Carving!

Source:
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/jack-olantern-history