Friday, September 11, 2015

A DAY FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS

Today is September 11th. We now observe this day as National Day of Service and Remembrance, or Patriot Day. That last one is a bit easier to remember. Throughout the day, we'll all have reminders of what happened this day in 2001, and we'll all be a bit somber and retrospective.

To lighten the mood, I bring to your attention two other observances on this day...  

NATIONAL MAKE YOUR BED DAY


National Make Your Bed Day is observed annually on September 11th.
Do you want to get a better night's sleep?  According to the National Sleep Foundation, making your bed can help improve your tossing, turning and restless sleeping which in return, can be good for your health.
“A comfortable and clean sleep environment is a sleep aid.”
At a Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program, it is taught that the sleep environment is an important, but largely ignored, component of a good night’s sleep.
CELEBRATE
Make your bed. If it is not already a habit, let this be the beginning of a new habit for you that not only makes you feel good and looks good, but is also beneficial to your health!  If you have young children at home, begin teaching them to make their bed everyday.  Use #NationalMakeYourBedDay to post on social media.
HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator or origin of National Make Your Bed Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

and ...

NATIONAL HOT CROSS BUN DAY


A sweet, delicious, spiced bun has its day each year on September 11 as it is National Hot Cross Bun Day.  This bun is made with either currants or raisins and marked with a cross (made of icing) on the top.
In many historically Christian countries, hot cross buns are traditionally eaten during Lent, beginning the evening before Ash Wednesday through Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the Crucifixion.
Hot Cross Bun Superstitions:
o    English folklore – Buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or mold during the subsequent year.
o    English folklore – Buns can be used for medicinal purposes.  A piece of it given to someone ill will help them recover.
o    Sharing one with another person is supposed to ensure friendship throughout the coming year, especially if “Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be” is said at the time.
o    Some people believe because there is a cross on the bun, they should be kissed before being eaten.
o    Hot cross buns are said to protect you during a sea voyage.
o    If hung in a kitchen, they are said to protect against fires and ensure that all breads turn out perfectly. (the hanging bun is to be replaced each year).
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I do suppose that making your bed each day is a good idea - I do do it. Over the years I've progressed upward from a crib (I didn't "make" that one) to a twin (that one I had to learn how to make and make every day) to a three-quarter (a wonderful brass bed I bought at a tag sale). I managed to skip the double bed and move on to a queen. Now we have a king, and making that bed can sometimes be a workout, I tell you. 
But I do like getting into a nice, neat bed. When I lived at my parents' house I made my bed every day because I had to, not that I didn't want to, but it became a habit.  When I lived in my own home I made my bed every day because, being a person who always does things because "one never knows," I never knew if anyone might be coming home with me. I wouldn't want them to see a messy home or a bed. That habit did pay off a time or two, much to my relief. 

As to the Hot Cross Buns -"Hot cross buns. One-a-penny, two-a-penny, Hot cross buns." September 11th? To most people they are a Spring thing, a Lenten delight. I do suppose I can make them in September too, it's just that, like soup in high Summer, I don't think of them at this time of year. 

In so many ways the whole world has been a bit upside-down these days, so I'll go along with the trend. 







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