TUESDAY MAY 30

This is the week that is. Next Tuesday is the all-important primary. There must be big money involved since I saw a Mapp TV ad on ESPN Sunday. Wednesday LWV Forum Emerson School 6:30 pm.

For those who have an interest in other religions:

Muslims are now celebrating the holy month, Ramadan to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad For the true observant it is obligatory to fast daily from sunrise to sunset. That includes foods and liquids.

Jews celebrate Shavuot starting at sunset on Tuesday, May 30 and ending on the evening of Thursday, June 1. It is not a major holyday.

Shavuot has been identified since biblical times with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Among the extreme Orthodox there is a tradition of staying up all night studying Jewish texts in what is called a tikkun. On Shavuot the Book of Ruth is read. Traditionally dairy foods are eaten on Shavuot, because it was the time of cheese making; cheese cake is a common food.

MEMORIAL DAYS WORLDWIDE

Perhaps after this nasty Memorial Day you might be interested on how a similar holiday and   Nov. 11;Veteran’s Day originally known as  WW1 Armistice Day are celebrated in other countries.  Kudos to my son Andy who  researched this to find out why the Brits were celebrating this weekend.

(The) Last Monday in May is UK’s Spring Bank Holiday! Statutory bank holiday from 1971,^[12] following a trial period from 1965 to 1970. Replaced Whit Monday, which was formerly a public holiday whose date varied according to the date of Easter.^[12][13][14] The legislation does not specify a name for the holiday, merely when it occurs. (Wikipedia)

And according to Tessa Berenson (May 23, 2015)

While they aren't all on the same date, countries around the world have their own days and traditions to commemorate fallen soldiers.

Here's how five other nations celebrate their versions of Memorial Day.

Australia and New Zealand—Anzac Day

Anzac Day, April 25, is the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the World War I. The day begins with commemorative services at dawn, followed by marches of former military men and women. People also play two-up on Anzac Day, a gambling game that involves betting on which way pennies will land on the table that was often played by Australian soldiers in World War I.

The Netherlands—Dodenherdenking

Dodenherdenking, which means "remembrance of the dead" in Dutch, is held every year on May 4, and celebrates all civilians and military members from the Netherlands who have died in conflicts since World War II. The main ceremony of the day is observed in Amsterdam at the National Monument on Dam Square, attended by the royal family. At 8 p.m., two minutes of silence are observed throughout the country; even public transportation is halted.

England—Remembrance Day

Celebrated on Nov. 11, Remembrance Day marks the end of fighting in World War I. It is celebrated throughout the British Commonwealth, but in England, the British Royal Family assembles outside for two minutes of silence beginning at 11 a.m. Poppies have become the symbol of the day in England; wreaths of them are laid at war memorials and small artificial ones are worn on clothing.

Belgium—Armistice Day

Belgium also celebrates the end of World War I on Nov. 11. The nation holds a Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres. The Last Post was a bugle call played by armies to mark the end of the day, and it is now used by the country to remember fallen soldiers. At the end of the ceremony, people lay wreaths of poppies and the flowers are released from the top of the gate.

Germany—Volkstrauertag

After a brief period when the Nazi propaganda machine changed Germany's day of remembrance to a day of hero worship, the nation went back to celebrating Volkstrauertag as a solemn honoring of the dead. Celebrated on whichever Sunday falls closest to Nov. 16, on Volkstrauertag the President of Germany gives a speech alongside the Chancellor, the cabinet and the diplomatic corps. The national anthem and the song "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden" ("I had a comrade") are played in the national ceremony, and in local provinces veterans often march from their churches to war memorials.

MEMORIAL DAY

Yes I overslept

MEMORIAL DAY 2017

On this day I shall memorialize all citizens and those immigrants of all races and faiths of the past 240 years  who have served and died to protect the civil rights granted to us under the Constitution.

This is a photo of five fellow 1^st Battalion, 194^th Glider Infantry Regiment: 17^th Airborne Division survivors of the Battle of the Bulge and a combat Glider landing in Germany plus the closing of the ring around the Ruhr.(I am without a helmet) Two of the original five  Battalion medical officers were killed.

I am the only one left from this 1945 photo in Duisburg Germany. May the others rest in peace?