Vandals Destroy 2000-year-old Tree

I am completely amazed sometimes at people's complete disregard for sacred relics of history. No matter if you subscribed to ones religion or not one must seek respect for the history behind it. Tragically the Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury in England was maliciously cut down by vandals the other night. The tree is visited by thousands of people every year who pray before it and seek to be close to something that legend has it was forged from a staff used by Christ himself. Joseph of Arimathea, the great uncle of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is said to have visited England after Christ's crucifixion. While there and grasping the Holy Grail he thrust the staff into the ground and planted the seed which eventually became this tree. The tree itself even survived the English Civil War when Roundheads cut the tree down however locals were able to salvage it from the roots that remained. Keeping its location secret the tree was replanted in 1951 on the Glastonbury hill. Experts have recently verified that the tree is of Middle Eastern origin, giving rise to the truth behind the legend. The uniqueness of the tree also extends to the only two times of year it blooms which is Easter and Christmas time. In fact, a sprig from the tree is cut and sent to the Queen of England every year and sits atop the dining table for the holiday season. One can only hope that the locals will be able to salvage the tree once again and bring it back to life.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337159/Glastonburys-2000-year-old-Holy-Thorn-Tree-hacked-vandals.html

What is the History Behind... Christmas Tree Lights

The first recorded lit Christmas Tree dates as far back as 1660. Which would make us believe that Christians sprang the tradition of an evergreen and lights from the notion of lighting a candle to send ones prayers to heaven or a rememberance of Christ's birth through fire. The irony is that the tradition of evergreens and lights during the winter season comes from a pagan tradition attempting to celebrate life during nature's dead period in winter. I absolutely love mentalfloss.com and believe they do a great job at informing you of the information you never thought to learn. Connect yourself through the link below to learn more about the history of Christmas Lights. Yule find it absolutely fascinating and have a Merry Christmas!

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/42897

Remembering Pearl Harbor

If anyone knows my Uncle you know that he loves World War II. Watching World War II movies with him is fun because we will talk history, strategy, and also the weaponry. He has always had a keen ability to name the type of tank, plane, or machine gun from the war and even point out that the tank they are using isn't accurate for that country, time, or place. Aside from just talking about World War II and enjoying our discussions on it he has privileged me with a few Christmas gifts that I cherish closely. One is an authentic World War 2 helmet, completely redone to its original quality with a spade placed on the side (Can anyone name what unit this represents?). I will never forget his oldest son walking up to me after I opened it and admired it for a while and he stated, "You better like that it cost my dad a lot of money." Then last Christmas he gave me a CD which contains 24 straight hours of radio coverage following the breaking news of the invasion of Normandy. It is absolutely fascinating to listen to the coverage of the events as they are happening, listening to the false and misleading information coming in from Germany radio and the news broadcaster thinking quickly on his feet as new information pores in. Consider for a moment what that time period must have been like to live through. Not just as a soldier but also as a citizen back home. Trying your best to live a normal life and go to work and do what you can for the war effort. December 7^th always reminds me of this sacrifice. It reminds me of what so many men and women went through during World War II. Not just the sacrifice of the soldier on the battlefield but also those at home. I'm also reminded of my Uncle and how we have the honor or learning about those brave men and women who fought, bled, and died for our country. December 7, 1941 is a day that needs to continue to live in infamy. We need to spend a moment reminding ourselves of what this country has gone through in order for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today. So many lives lost however their memory must never be forgotten and always honored.

If you want to learn more about the Attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, visit the website below. It is very interactive and well put together site. Spend a few minutes today learning about what this day means to our nation's history.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/

Our Nation Divided: Georgia Acknowledges Succession was Because of Slavery

We are continuing our series which will last over the next four years on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. In that entire time span it was been difficult to get a southern state to admit that slavery was a central component to their succession from the Union. Although everyone acknowledges that there were many factors involved in the break from the North it is obvious that slavery was that major element. On January 19, 2011 Georgia will commemorate the 150th anniversary of their vote for succession from the United States of America and the Georgia Historical Society will dedicate a historical marker in Milledgeville which was the site of the Georgia statehouse in 1861. The marker makes a free admission that the succession from the Union was a direct result of the election of an anti-slavery Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln. Many Southern intellectuals have always held onto the public persona that the South succeed to defend states-rights and aggression from the North on their way of life. While this is true, the South was trying to maintain their economic, religious, and political position because it was so different from the North. The reality was that if slavery was not a component in all three of those phases then the differences would not be as drastic. This really is quite possibly the first admission by a Southern state entity admitting that slavery was a real factor in the cause of the Civil War.

Look for the next major post of "A Nation was Divided" when we look back at the first state to secede from the Union, South Carolina on December 20th.

http://www.examiner.com/history-in-madison/georgia-acknowledges-it-seceded-for-slavery-and-not-states-rights

Today in History: Rosa Parks Refused to Move

A special thanks to Google for commemorating and reminding us of one of the greatest acts of civil disobedience in our Nation's history. It was on December 1, 1955 when Rosa Parks, a seamstress, was heading home from work and sat in front of the "black" section on the bus. When refusing to move so a white person could sit in her spot she was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Now Parks was not the first or the last individual to be arrested for such an act but it was her defiance and arrest that sparked a 381-day boycott of the busing system headed by a little known minister at the time named Martin Luther King Jr. That boycott helped eventually desegregate the buses however it was not until 1964 and the Civil Rights Act that all desegregation took effect. What an amazing story she has and a special thanks should go out to Rosa Parks today for her courage and determination to stand up to injustice. Her courage helped change our country for the better.