Archive for November, 2008
Posey Pocket has just come out with a great new look for bridal bouquets. Its called the Crystal Rhinestone Bouquet Holder. This bridal bouquet holder is covered with nearly 700 rhinestones and accented with a keepsake sparkle organza bow and marchasite pendant to add bling and glamour to any bride’s treasured bouquet.
You can check out their entire line at PoseyPockets.com.
If you are planning a Wedding in South Florida, give Eden Florist a Call. We have been doing weddings for more than 28 years and would be delighted to create the floral decor for yours. We can order the bouquet holder in the color and style to match your theme or we can create a custom design just for you.
Our number is 954-981-5515. You can visit our website at www.EdenFlorist.com.
November 29th, 2008
One of my good friends Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners shared this with me last year.
Scramble and Share
Rearrange (scrabble) the following 10 words that evoke the holiday (or use ones that have meaning for you). eg Thanks could be hksnat, Giving could be gnviig and so forth.
thanks
turkey
giving
family
celebration
communicating
holiday
apple pieYou present the scrambled words (individually) to everyone on a chalkboard or printed and handed out to everyone one at a time. Ask them to raise their hands to say if they know the word. If they do know the word and they guess it correctly, then they get to share a special memory to them that describes that word. Don’t worry if you don’t to make it to all 10, if the conversation gets so great after 4, then let it be.
Just a few more days to order your holiday centerpiece at Eden Florist.
November 26th, 2008
Scrolls of Thanks
Create and print out a scroll for each member of your family, and tie each one with a piece of ribbon. Set your family scrolls in a place everyone will see between now and Thanksgiving, so that each family member is reminded, day by day, of this small love responsibility.
Tell them something like this:
“Inside each of these scrolls is a very short story. Each story is about one thing someone in our family gave to you which made you happy. The only rule is: it can’t be a thing. It has to be something someone in the family did for you.”
That’s it. Stress that there’s no writing involved– only speaking, at Thanksgiving Dinner, at the appropriate moment. Tell them there’s no rush at all. And that the story is fine even if it’s very short. It just has to be true. Then, at Thanksgiving, each family member symbolically unwraps his or her story, and tells it, in the warm, quiet palace of love. (Source: FamilyEducation.com)
Order your flowers for Thanksgiving from Eden Florist.
November 25th, 2008
The Talking Fork
This old storytelling game has been around forever, but it just might do the trick when the kids have cleaned their plates and are ready to fly out the door again. Just ask: “Did everybody use a fork?” They’ll all nod.
“Good. If you just used a fork, then you owe the cook a magic memory. I will now unveil The Talking Fork.” Puzzled looks will follow. “I cooked this meal. And before we all leave, I want to hear some good, fun, magic family memories. Here’s the Talking Fork. I’ll go first.” Then pick up a fork around which you’ve tied a ribbon — a nice, big serving fork is good for dramatic effect — and begin. (Source: FamilyEducation.com)
Check out all the holiday flowers we have at Eden Florist.com.
November 24th, 2008
Throughout history mankind has celebrated the bountiful harvest withTthanksgiving ceremonies.
Before the establishment of formal religions many ancient farmers believed that their crops contained spirits which caused the crops to grow and die. Many believed that these spirits would be released when the crops were harvested and they had to be destroyed or they would take revenge on the farmers who harvested them. Some of the harvest festivals celebrated the defeat of these spirits.
Harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations were held by the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Hebrews, the Chinese, and the Egyptians.
The Greeks
The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses. Their goddess of corn (actually all grains) was Demeter who was honored at the festival of Thesmosphoria held each autumn.
On the first day of the festival married women (possibility connecting childbearing and the raising of crops) would build leafy shelters and furnish them with couches made with plants. On the second day they fasted. On the third day a feast was held and offerings to the goddess Demeter were made – gifts of seed corn, cakes, fruit, and pigs. It was hoped that Demeter’s gratitude would grant them a good harvest.
The Romans
The Romans also celebrated a harvest festival called Cerelia, which honored Ceres their goddess of corn (from which the word cereal comes). The festival was held each year on October 4th and offerings of the first fruits of the harvest and pigs were offered to Ceres. Their celebration included music, parades, games and sports and a thanksgiving feast.
The Chinese
The ancient Chinese celebrated their harvest festival, Chung Ch’ui, with the full moon that fell on the 15th day of the 8th month. This day was considered the birthday of the moon and special “moon cakes”, round and yellow like the moon, would be baked. Each cake was stamped with the picture of a rabbit – as it was a rabbit, not a man, which the Chinese saw on the face of the moon.
The families ate a thanksgiving meal and feasted on roasted pig, harvested fruits and the “moon cakes”. It was believed that during the 3 day festival flowers would fall from the moon and those who saw them would be rewarded with good fortune.
According to legend Chung Ch’ui also gave thanks for another special occasion. China had been conquered by enemy armies who took control of the Chinese homes and food. The Chinese found themselves homeless and with no food. Many staved. In order to free themselves they decided to attack the invaders.
The women baked special moon cakes which were distributed to every family. In each cake was a secret message which contained the time for the attack. When the time came the invaders were surprised and easily defeated. Every year moon cakes are eaten in memory of this victory.
The Hebrews
Jewish families also celebrate a harvest festival called Sukkoth. Taking place each autumn, Sukkoth has been celebrated for over 3000 years.
Sukkoth is know by 2 names – Hag ha Succot – the Feast of the Tabernacles and Hag ha Asif – the Feast of Ingathering. Sukkoth begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishri, 5 days after Yom Kippur, the most solemn day of the Jewish year.
Sukkoth is named for the huts (succots) that Moses and the Israelites lived in as they wandered the desert for 40 years before they reached the Promised Land. These huts were made of branches and were easy to assemble, take apart, and carry as the Israelites wandered through the desert.
When celebrating Sukkoth, which lasts for 8 days, the Jewish people build small huts of branches which recall the tabernacles of their ancestors. These huts are constructed as temporary shelters, as the branches are not driven into the ground and the roof is covered with foliage which is spaced to let the light in. Inside the huts are hung fruits and vegetables, including apples, grapes, corn, and pomegranates. On the first 2 nights of Sukkoth the families eat their meals in the huts under the evening sky.
The Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians celebrated their harvest festival in honor of Min, their god of vegetation and fertility. The festival was held in the springtime, the Egyptian’s harvest season.
The festival of Min featured a parade in which the Pharaoh took part. After the parade a great feast was held. Music, dancing, and sports were also part of the celebration.
When the Egyptian farmers harvested their corn, they wept and pretended to be grief-stricken. This was to deceive the spirit which they believed lived in the corn. They feared the spirit would become angry when the farmers cut down the corn where it lived.
(source:beamto.com)
November 22nd, 2008
Sagitarrius (Nov 22- Dec 21) Do you sometimes feel like you are somewhere between a rock and a hard place? If so, you are not alone this month! However, you can channel your drive and energy to accomplish almost anything you set out to do just now! Surround yourself with the elegant Calla Lily.Need to order flowers for the Sagitarrius in your life? Visit EDEN FLORIST
November 21st, 2008
Today is World Hello Day – - Anyone can participate in World Hello Day simply by greeting ten people. This demonstrates the importance of personal communication for preserving peace. People around the world use the occasion of World Hello Day as an opportunity to express their concern for world peace.
Beginning with a simple greeting on World Hello Day, their activities send a message to leaders, encouraging them to use communication rather than force to settle conflicts. As a global event World Hello Day joins local participation in a global expression of peace. In fact, 31 winners of the Nobel Peace Prize are among the people who have realized World Hello Day’s value as an instrument for preserving peace and as an occasion that makes it possible for anyone in the world to contribute to the process of creating peace. (source: http://www.worldhelloday.org)
What can you do to honor World Hello Day? Pick up the phone and call people! Just call your family, friends, customers and say Hello. Imagine what would happen if you did! You can bet the staff of Eden Florist will be calling our customers today!
November 21st, 2008
I found this great crossword puzzle at Info Please.
Check it out at http://www.infoplease.com/xwords/thanksgiving.html
And while you’re online, be sure to visit EdenFlorist.com and order your Thanksgiving centerpiece today.l
November 20th, 2008
Mayflower Myths
The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn’t originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into something different from the original parts.
Myth:
The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and the pilgrims celebrated it every year thereafter.
Fact:
The first feast wasn’t repeated, so it wasn’t the beginning of a tradition. In fact, the colonists didn’t even call the day Thanksgiving. To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday in which they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational activities that the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in during the 1621 harvest feast–dancing, singing secular songs, playing games–wouldn’t have been allowed. The feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the pilgrims minds.
Myth:
The original Thanksgiving feast took place on the fourth Thursday of November.
Fact:
The original feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11. Unlike our modern holiday, it was three days long. The event was based on English harvest festivals, which traditionally occurred around the 29th of September. After that first harvest was completed by the Plymouth colonists, Gov. William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer, shared by all the colonists and neighboring Indians. In 1623 a day of fasting and prayer during a period of drought was changed to one of thanksgiving because the rain came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed in New England of annually celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest.
During the American Revolution a yearly day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and by the middle of the 19th century many other states had done the same. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November, which he may have correlated it with the November 21, 1621, anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod. Since then, each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941).
Myth:
The pilgrims wore only black and white clothing. They had buckles on their hats, garments, and shoes.
Fact:
Buckles did not come into fashion until later in the seventeenth century and black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions. Women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet, and gray, while men wore clothing in white, beige, black, earthy green, and brown.
Myth:
The pilgrims brought furniture with them on the Mayflower.
Fact:
The only furniture that the pilgrims brought on the Mayflower was chests and boxes. They constructed wooden furniture once they settled in Plymouth.
Myth:
The Mayflower was headed for Virginia, but due to a navigational mistake it ended up in Cape Cod Massachusetts.
Fact:
The Pilgrims were in fact planning to settle in Virginia, but not the modern-day state of Virginia. They were part of the Virginia Company, which had the rights to most of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. The pilgrims had intended to go to the Hudson River region in New York State, which would have been considered “Northern Virginia,” but they landed in Cape Cod instead. Treacherous seas prevented them from venturing further south.
(adapted from the History Channel)
Only a few days left to order flowers for your Thanksgiving table. Be sure to send flowers to your family and the host of your family dinner . Call Eden Florist at 954-981-5515 or order online at EdenFlorist.com
November 18th, 2008
Baby Photos
Have everyone bring a baby photo of themselves. Put the photo on a board and number them. Hand out a piece of paper and ask each person to try to guess who it is. This works best when you have family and friends together who may not have seen one another as a baby.
There’s still time to order flowers for your holiday celebration. Check out our brand new website at EdenFlorist.com today.
November 17th, 2008
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