Category: Education

Cane Syrup Saturday!

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Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Maphis Nursery & Tree Farm in Chipley is hosting a FREE event this Saturday, November 7th.

Appropriate for all ages, this special, one-time event will show you and your family how cane syrup was made in the old days. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can chew some cane, drink the juice, help feed the mill, and more! Additionally, there will be cane syrup available for purchase after the tour AND you can explore the nursery and gift shop for more goodies! 

Visit their Facebook event page for more information: click HERE!

National Stress Awareness Day

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National Stress Awareness Day is run by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), and is held annually on November 4th. 

So what exactly is stress? Stress is your body’s reaction to pressure from a certain situation or event. It can be a physical, mental, or emotional reaction. It can be incredibly debilitating to deal with any kind of stress on a regular basis. The goal of this annual day of awareness is to raise awareness of stress, its impact, reduce stigma, and promote the importance of well-being and stress reduction for individuals and organizations.

Looking for more information? Try this site to begin your search: CLICK HERE!

Reminder: Daylight Saving Time Ends

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Daylight saving time ends this Sunday, November 1 at 2 AM! Clocks will fall back one hour to 1 AM, which means you get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning – a great way to start the month. 

The only state not affected by the end of Daylight Saving Time in Hawaii which has never observed daylight saving. This is because the island state is farther south and therefore close enough to the equator that there is no significant difference in sunrise and sunset times across the year. Additionally, some areas of Arizona might now follow the fallback. 

Daylight Saving Time essentially shifts an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening so the end of DST adds an hour to the beginning of the day instead of the end. Implemented as a measure to conserve energy but research clearly states that any conservation is negated by increased energy usage in the morning. 

Fun fact: the addition of an hour to either morning or evening, aka the switch, is always done on the weekend to limit the amount of potential disruption. Additional fun fact: this year, the reversal of DST falls on the night of Halloween, something that will not happen again until 2026! 

Halloween Fun Facts!

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Happy Halloween everyone! How much do you know about the history of the now 2nd-highest grossing holiday in the U.S.A.?

Check out 3 fun facts about Halloween below!

  1. The infamous movie Halloween (1978) used the cheapest mask available for the character of Michael Meyers because they had a very tight budget. It was a William Shatner Star Trek mask! Do you think they look alike? Must have been an incredibly cheap mask!!! 
    Michael Myers, 1978
    Captain Kirk, Shatner’s character on Star Trek
  2. Trick-or-treating is a devolvement of an ancient Celtic tradition; treats and food were put out to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the year. That’s why trick-or-treaters now go door-to-door in search of candy! 
  3. Jack O’Lanterns were originally made from turnips, not pumpkins!

Trick-or-Treat: Safety Tips

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Amidst the current pandemic, many cities and towns are canceling Halloween celebrations. If you’re in an area that is allowing festivities and feel comfortable being out-and-about, follow the suggestions listed below to keep you, your family, and your community safe during celebrations:

  • The safest way to handle Halloween festivities falls in line with the best practices for COVID-19 — wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and wash hands often.
  • No loose candy; only sealed packages of sweets so that each piece of candy is individually wrapped.
  • Avoid indoor and/or close-quarters events like house parties, haunted houses, school dances, and even hayrides.
  • Consider holding a trick-or-treating event at home for your kids; create a scavenger hunt around the yard, lead them from bedroom-to-bedroom, watch movies, or carve pumpkins. 

20:20:20 in 2020: Internet Meme Debunked

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If you spend any time on social media, it’s likely that you’ve seen the post below (or some variation of it) in the last few days:

This blog is sad to report that this is FAKE NEWS! The original post (click here to see Psychedelic Hillbilly’s original Facebook post) has received tens of thousands of shares on social media, and goes to show the very real danger presented by misinformation. In the United States, 20:20:20 represents 8:20 PM in military time. For most countries outside the U.S., the 24-hour clock is the standard way to tell time, so it’s likely that U.S. citizens unfamiliarity with the system explains the widespread unawareness that this chronological phenomenon will actually occur every night of 2020. Actually, since it’s a Leap Year, it will occur 366 times in 2020! 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

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Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity to celebrate and remember the indigenous populations that protected and cultivated the lands the United States is blessed to have prior to their mass genocide and colonization. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010, approximately 5.2 million people in the U.S. identified as Indigenous American and Alaskan Native, either alone or in combination with one or more other races. Currently, there are over 600 Native Nations in the U.S. It is an important day meant to recognize the achievements and contributions indigenous people have and continue to make to improve world issues; for example, many distinct tribes, nations, and peoples’ are working hard for environmental protection.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day has grown to an international level, and now works to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous people. The first International Day of the World’s Indigenous People was observed in Geneva in 1982 by the UN. In the U.S., the following states officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Alabama, Alaska, District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin! Want to learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Explore the brief list of resources below:

ToolBank: A Response to Hurricane Michael (2018)

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Two years after the devastation left behind Hurricane Michael, there is a non-profit stepping forward to help areas in the immediate area recover from disasters. The non-profit works out of Atlanta, and is called ToolBank! Currently, they are working to set up a shop in Panama City. How exactly does ToolBank work to help disaster areas recover from natural disasters like Hurricane Michael? They loan out tools needed to help with cleanup projects like chainsaws, drills, hammers, and shovels – all items that are in high demand after devastating events. Sponsored by UPS and Home Depot, ToolBank plans to provide relief in a 100-mile radius of their upcoming facility in Panama City.

ToolBank Disaster Services Program Manager Bill Hess can be contacted at bill.hess@toolbank.org or visit their Facebook page HERE for more information!

5 Things Happening on the 25th

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1. Heritage Day

Previously known in South Africa as Shaka Day, a day commemorating the Zulu King of Shaka who united clans to for the Zulu nation. Since 1955. South Africans have celebrated the renamed Heritage Day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many different cultures that make up their nation. Often called the ‘‘Rainbow Nation,’’ South Africa’s cultural roots are rich, vibrant, and incredibly diverse cultures. Want to celebrate and better understand this beautiful smorgasboard of cultures? Read up on South Africa’s history; research it’s cultural past, explore the intense political history, the racial injustices, the complex languages, and their culture in general. 

2. National Comic Book Day

National Comic Book Day honors the art, artists, and the stories of comic books. Fans, collectors, readers, writers, and artists come together to celebrate this generational, cultural crossing genre. Comic books has grown as a genre to include full-length books, graphic novels, comic strips, manga, comic collections, and digital comics. Additionally, comic books have inspired countless movie adaptations – the Marvel Cinematic Universe would not exist if comics didn’t. Celebrate by discovering new comic books, reading old favorites, sharing your passion with those in your life, watching television shows/movies based on comics, or look for online celebrations you can join. 

3. National Cooking Day

A day meant to encourage and inspire people to discover something new and enjoyable in the kitchen. Learn a new skill by preparing something new and delicious for yourself or loved ones. National Cooking Day is a day for passing on recipes, making fulfilling meals, experimenting with new recipes, baking with loved ones, throwing social-distancing-safe potlucks, hosting meals, or maybe just whipping up your favorite comfort foods to enjoy in your pjs on the couch. Connect with friends and family or practice some filling self-care this holiday!

4. National Daughters Day

A special day created to celebrate and cherish daughters. While there is a National Sons & Daughters Day, this event is a response to the growing awareness of the inherent struggles womens go through in society. From the very beginning, society viewed women as inferior to men, limiting their potential due to male privilege dominated at the time. This is an opprotunity to learn and discuss gender discrimination and inequity. Help your daughter grow into a well-rounded, emotionally fulfilled woman by celebrating them today. Explore this parental blog about teaching kids about gender equality and this education blog to learn more!

5. Sport Purple for Platelets Day

Supports those suffering from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a disease that causes excessive bleeding, bruising and fatigue due to low levels of platelets (those are the cells that enable blood to clot). Unfortunately, ITP is widely unheard of and not much is known about the hows and whys of the disease. It was one of the first autoimmune disorders discovered, proving that a human body’s tissue could be attacked by its own antibodies. Despite this groundbreaking contribution, research into ITP never gained significant financial traction. The Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA) sponsors Sport Purple for Platelets Day in order to raise awareness and funds for those suffering and for research. So sport purple today to show your support for this life-shortening disease! 

 

Snakes and the Coming of Autumn: What’s the Link?

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As you may know, the autumnal equinox – also known as the September and/or fall equinox – falls tomorrow, September 22nd. The fall equinox is the astronomical start of the fall season if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, and the beginning of the spring season if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2020 fall equinox arrives here in the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday at 9:31 A.M. EDT – did you know the actual time changes each year? This is the latest start to the fall equinox since 2015!

Linguistically speaking, the word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus – which means “equal” – and nox – which means “night.” Equal night, equal day: on the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length. Throughout history, cultures have marked the autumnal equinox. In England, the Druids observed this important change of seasons with feasts, harvests, and celebrations. For the Druids, the fall equinox indicates that:

“The Wheel of the Year turns and the time of balance returns…marks the balance of day and night before the darkness overtakes the light…the time of the second harvest…[the] central theme – thanking the Earth, in her full abundance as Mother and Giver, for the great harvest, as Autumn begins.” (source of information with quotations)

Some cultures even built monuments to celebrate and honor the autumnal equinox. Most well-known is the work of the Maya, who constructed the El Castillo step pyramid at Chichen Itza in Mexico. Anthony Aveni, Colgate University professor and author of The Book of The Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays, reports that there is a legend from Mayan culture that tells the story of an ancient feathered serpent god that descends from the sky on the equinox. So the pyramid was designed so that a snake made of light would appear to slither down the steps only during the autumnal AND vernal equinoxes. This effect not only creates a slithering snake but also connects a sculpted snake’s head at the bottom to the snake’s tail at the top of the pyramid. To this day, there are crowds of people at the El Castillo who hope to catch the light-snake slithering down the steps. (source)