PEACE and HARMONY... It's Armenian Christmas... and Christmas Eve for my Ukrainian and Russian friends...

It was a fun few weeks...

I celebrated Christmas on the 25th and New Year on the first... and I am still going...

Today is Armenian Christmas... I will celebrate with friends... and have dinner with friends and relatives...

Today is also Christmas Eve for Ukrainians and Russians and the other Orthodox Christians... I will celebrate with my Ukrainian and Russian friends... when we are together celebrating... things are wonderful... Why Ukrainian and Russian Big Brothers are at each others throat is GREED and PROFITS... and it is sad...

Revellers across the globe gather to welcome in the New Year, with New Zealand and Australia leading the celebrations.

New Year rolled from coast to coast to coast and to the skies...

Everyone was happy...and merry... and helpful... 

and

As the saying goes...the more, the merrier...

Christmas comes but once a year - unless you live in Bethlehem, where three different Christian denominations celebrate on three different days.
On each Christmas Eve, Bethlehem gives a warm welcome to church patriarchs and priests when they enter Manger Square.
The Catholics lead processions along the traditional pilgrimage route from Jerusalem to the Nativity Church ahead of their Christmas on 25 December.

But now attention switches to the Greek Orthodox, who make up the majority of Palestinian Christians. Their Christmas Day falls on 7 January.
The 13 day difference is explained by calendars. While the Latin church switched to the Gregorian calendar, devised by Pope Gregory in the 16th Century, the Eastern Orthodox churches still use the older, Julian calendar - created during the reign of Julius Caesar in 45 BC.
What makes the situation in the Holy Land really unusual is that Armenians here wait even longer for Christmas. Their parade isn't until 18 January.

Armenian Christmas parade to the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem

I love the celebrations... I hope there were 365 Christian denominations and we had 365 celebrations for World Peace...

Armenians celebrating on the 18th... and an Armenian church in Jerusalem...

All Christian churches originally celebrated Christmas Eve on Jan. 6. In the 4th century, the Roman Catholic Church designated Dec. 25 as the holiday in order to replace the pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice, while Orthodox churches stuck with Jan. 6.

All Christian churches originally celebrated Christmas Eve on Jan. 6. In the 4th century, the Roman Catholic Church designated Dec. 25 as the holiday in order to replace the pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice, while Orthodox churches stuck with Jan. 6. In every other part of the world, Christmas can be penciled in on two dates: Dec. 25, celebrated by Catholics and Pentecostals; and Jan. 7 as celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox church.

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Twelve nights and one sunny morning 

                                                                                (from Hurriyet) by Aylin Ã-ney Tan

Thankfully, the effect of Saturn is leaving us; it will be a relief, at least for my fellow Scorpios and I. Tonight might be our last stressful night after an agonizing three years; according to
astrology, it will be a night of transition and transformation; our chance to burn the past and start a new era. Tonight is a full moon, which also coincides with the Twelfth Night, the last night of the Christmas period, just before the Epiphany.
Twelve seems to be a mythical and magical number. The year is 12 months long; accordingly there are 12 signs. Likewise, there are 12 signs in the Chinese zodiac, which turn up every 12 years. In all religions, the number 12 has parallel significances. Shiites and Alevis believe in 12 imams, and there were 12 apostles of Jesus at the last supper. To start with deities, there were 12 gods in Greek mythology; the divine hero Heracles was obliged to perform 12 labors; the Norse god Odin had 12 sons; so did the biblical Jacob, with his sons being the progenitors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. There are 12 feasts to celebrate in Orthodox Christianity. Actually, Christianity seems to embrace the number 12 the most. In Catholic
culture, St. Mary is depicted with a halo of 12 stars; no wonder the European Union chose 12 stars to adorn its flag. The foundation of Roman law was based on `Duodecim Tabulae,' the Twelve Tables. Twelve is also about transformation. Childhood ends at the age of 12, which is the start of the tumultuous teenage years towards adolescence.
The day after the Twelfth Night is Epiphany, the day of revelation. In Istanbul, Epiphany day is special for the Greek and Armenian communities. The Armenian Orthodox Church celebrates the day as both the nativity and baptism of Christ; it is actually the Armenian Christmas referred to as `Surp Diznunt,' meaning `Holy Birth.' The Greek Orthodox Church puts emphasis on the baptism and enlightenment; hence the day is called `Ta Fota,' simply meaning `The Lights.' For young Greek men, it is the time to dive into the cold waters to race to grab a wooden cross, thrown to the sea by the Patriarch. The icy shock of plunging into the water is definitely a realistic way of enacting a baptism, and it will surely lighten heads suffering
hangover from the Twelfth Night. Let it be your night tonight, because tomorrow will be sunny in your souls!

So, I am still in celebration... and since this is my first year that I retired from the classroom... I will celebrate more and blog as often as I can... 
Two former students wrote and convinced me to continue the blog...

I do not miss the classroom... but I miss the youthful energy of the students... and I miss that a lot... the energy in their body and mind was amazing...their expectations and hopes were 

fascinating to follow...

Older people at times annoy me...at times bore me... at times overwhelm me...

There was a time when being old was equal to being wise... Now being old is equated to out of date style... 

Youth is celebrated and men and women are chasing youthful styles... nose jobs, hair transplants and face lifts and all the rest... and the youth live in deceptive reverie...that they are in charge of things... and the Big Brother laughs at their naivete...

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At the end of the day we were saying goodnight and he commented..."Another day passed by..." he was referring to the end... I was annoyed... I do not want to associate with people who are depressed... have nothing to do in life... and essentially count the days to the end...

I answered... I am very happy... I had good experiences...and accumulated memories...!

He wakes up... gets his coffee... and sits in front of the TV... for entertainment... plays card games... eats and at the end of the day... says, "another day passed by..." 

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I had a friend...from long long time ago... from childhood... I phoned him and asked how he was... I was trying to be polite... and he began complaining about the pains in his legs... in his back... and all the rest... he was not a happy person... his best way of attracting attention was his complaints about his pains...  A very depressing way of living...                                   
I never called him again... his outlook was very depressing... and I was not in the mood to entertain his complaints...

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Now I will get ready for my dinner party... and celebration with Armenian friends and family and relatives... I am sure we will eat a lot... drink a lot... and chat and sing and be happy... I wish ALL THE WORLD could be with me...

I wish the whole world celebrates for individual rights and PEACE...

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I will raise my glass today for world PEACE and HARMONY among all people...

CHEERS....!

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