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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261004
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261005
DTSTAMP:20260404T192720
CREATED:20260107T035059Z
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UID:6673-1791072000-1791158399@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:Feast of St Francis of Assisi
DESCRIPTION:Many churches in the United States celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on October 4 each year. The feast commemorates the life of St Francis\, who was born in the 12th century and is the Catholic Church’s patron saint of animals and the environment. It is a popular day for pets to be “blessed”. \nIs Feast of St Francis of Assisi a Public Holiday?\nFeast of St Francis of Assisi is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. \nWhat Do People Do?\nMany children in the USA bring their pets to the church to be blessed on St Francis’ feast day because of his love for animals as expressed in his Canticle of Creatures. St Francis is the patron saint of animals so many churches offer animal blessing services\, usually held on or around October 4. The services may include a verbal blessing and holy water and are usually held at a place where different animals can gather. \nBlessings may occur indoors or outdoors. Pets may include dogs\, cats\, fish and birds. Some people choose to bring photos of their pets if it is difficult for their pets to attend the blessing. Pet blessings occur in states such as (but not exclusive to): \n\nAlabama.\nCalifornia.\nColorado.\nConnecticut.\nFlorida.\nMaryland.\nNew Mexico.\nNorth Carolina.\nOklahoma.\nTennessee.\nTexas.\nUtah.\nVirginia.\nWashington.\n\nSome churches ask people to bring animal food or blankets to be donated to a local animal shelter around this time of the year. This event is not exclusive to Catholic churches\, as some Anglican churches also have animal blessing services on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. The Feast of St Francis of Assisi gives many educators\, caregivers and animal rights organizations an opportunity to teach children about endangered or abused animals and what can be done to help save these animals. \nPublic Life\nThe Feast of St Francis of Assisi is not a federal public holiday in the USA. \nBackground\nSt Francis\, who founded the Catholic Church’s Franciscan order\, lived in Italy during the late 12th and 13th centuries. He is remembered for his generosity to the poor and his willingness to minister to the lepers. He is remembered for his love for animals and nature.  St Francis died at Portiuncula\, Italy on October 4\, 1226. \nPope Gregory IX pronounced St Francis a saint in 1228. The pope also laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi\, Italy. The church\, also known as Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi\, is a UNESCO world heritage site. \nSymbols\nSymbols associated with St Francis of Assisi are: \n\nBirds and animals.\nA bag of gold and rich raiment at St Francis’ (of Assisi) feet.\nA winged crucifix with five rays.\nStigmata.\nA crown of thorns.\nA lighted lamp.\nA fiery chariot.\nAnimals such as birds\, deer\, and a wolf.\nFire.\nA skull.\n\nSome of these symbols are seen around the time of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/feast-of-st-francis-of-assisi-2/
CATEGORIES:Christian
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261102
DTSTAMP:20260404T192720
CREATED:20260107T034726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T034726Z
UID:6655-1793491200-1793577599@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:All Saints' Day
DESCRIPTION:Many Catholic churches in the United States celebrate All Saints’ Day to honor all the saints\, particularly those who do not have their own special feast day\, on November 1. \nIs All Saints’ Day a Public Holiday?\nAll Saints’ Day is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. \nWhat Do People Do?\nAll Saints’ Day is also known as All Hallows Tide\, All-Hallomas\, or All Hallows’ Day\, and it’s celebrated in many areas of the United States\, especially where there are large Roman Catholic populations. \nIn New Orleans\, for example\, people gather in local cemeteries and decorate the graves with flowers. The descendants of French Canadian settlers around St Martinsville\, Louisiana\, observe this day in the traditional French manner by laying wreaths and bouquets and lighting candles on even the most obscure graves. \nAll Saints’ Day\, which is celebrated globally\, is closely tied with All Souls’ Day\, which was first instituted at the monastery in Cluny\, France in 993 CE and quickly spread among Christians. Some eastern churches in the United States celebrated All Saints’ Day on the first Sunday after Pentecost. \nDay After Halloween\nAll Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are also closely linked with Halloween\, which is a shortened for the name “All Hallows’ Eve”. \nIn the United Methodist Church\, All Saints’ Day is observed on the first Sunday in November to remember deceased members of the local church congregation. A candle is lit as each person’s name is called out\, followed by a prayer offered for each soul. \nMany Latin American communities in the United States hold celebrations around November 1 and 2\, linking with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (November 2). These celebrations are part of the Day of the Dead\, also known as Día de los Muertos. \nPublic Life\nAll Saints’ Day is not a federal public holiday in the United States. \nBackground\nAccording to some sources\, the idea for All Saints’ Day goes back to the fourth century when the Greek Christians kept a festival on the first Sunday after Pentecost (in late May or early June) in honor of all martyrs and saints. Other sources say that a commemoration of “All Martyrs” began to be celebrated as early as 270 CE\, but no specific month or date is recorded. \nPope Gregory IV made All Saints’ Day an authorized holiday in 837 CE. It is speculated that the chosen date for the event\, November 1\, may have been an attempt to supplant pagan festivals that occurred around the same time. \nSymbols\nSymbols commonly associated with All Saints’ Day are: \n\nA sheaf of wheat.\nRayed Manus Dei (hand of God).\nThe crown.\nSymbols / images of saints.\n\nThe liturgical color is white on All Saints’ Day.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/all-saints-day-2/
CATEGORIES:Christian
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261129
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261130
DTSTAMP:20260404T192720
CREATED:20260107T043628Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T043628Z
UID:6792-1795910400-1795996799@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Advent
DESCRIPTION:The Advent season marks the beginning of the Christian year across many western churches in the United States. Its length varies from 22 to 28 days\, starting on the Sunday nearest St Andrew’s Day and encompassing the next three Sundays\, ending on Christmas Day. \nIs First Sunday of Advent a Public Holiday?\nFirst Sunday of Advent is not a public holiday. It falls on Sunday\, December 1\, 2024 and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in United States. \nWhat Do People Do?\nMany Christians in the United States attend a church service on the first Sunday of Advent and may engage in activities such as special prayers and contributing to ideas on enhancing peace. Many Advent traditions are observed in the United States in the prelude to Christmas Day. For example\, the Advent wreath is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. The wreath can be seen in various churches across the nation around this time of the year. \nAdvent calendars of all designs are also given as gifts at this time of the year. The calendars feature openings in the form of windows or doors that are numbered to count the days to Christmas. Calendars may contain chocolates\, toys\, or candy and are given to children as a fun way to observe the Christmas countdown. Some traditional Advent calendars show 24 days but many Advent calendars showing 25 days\, with the last opening on Christmas Day. \nThe church year begins in September 1 in many eastern Christian churches\, so Advent begins at a different time to when it starts in the western churches. The eastern equivalent of Advent is called the Nativity Fast\, which runs for 40 days. \nPublic Life\nThe first Sunday of Advent is not a nationwide public holiday in the United States. However\, churches may be busy on this day\, as well as families who use the beginning of Advent as a time to prepare for the Christmas season. \nBackground\nIt is uncertain as to when exactly the celebration of Advent was first introduced in the Christian church. Some sources say that Advent began on November 11 (St Martin’s Day) at some time in the fifth century in the form of a six-week fast leading to Christmas. Advent was reduced to its current length at some stage in the sixth century and the fasting was later no longer observed. Advent is originally a time to reflect and prepare for Christmas similarly to how Lent is in preparation for Easter. Advent has sometimes been referred to as the Winter Lent.  In recent times the restrictions that Advent brings to Christians have become more relaxed. \nAdvent traditions spread from Europe to the United States\, especially the Advent calendar\, which became very popular in the United States after World War II as American military personnel and their families who were stationed in Germany brought them home and made them a part of the pre-Christmas traditions. Some people credit President Dwight Eisenhower with helping the tradition of the Advent calendar spread in the United States during the 1950s. \nSymbols\nPurple is historically the main color used for Advent because it reflects penitence\, fasting\, and the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the king (Jesus Christ). The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his first Advent\, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his second Advent. Some churches use other colors in recent times. For example\, some churches mark the third Sunday of Advent with pink or rose\, colors that represent joy. Many Protestant churches use blue to distinguish the Season of Advent from Lent. \nAdvent wreaths are symbolic of Advent. They are usually made of fir and decorated with gold and silver ribbons or scarlet woolen threads. Lit wreaths may be displayed on the table where family and friends sit while singing carols and preparing handmade gifts.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/first-sunday-of-advent-2/
CATEGORIES:Christian
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261208
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261209
DTSTAMP:20260404T192720
CREATED:20260107T035103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T035103Z
UID:6674-1796688000-1796774399@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:Feast of the Immaculate Conception
DESCRIPTION:Many Christians\, particularly those of Catholic faith\, in the United States observe the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on or around December 8. \nIs Feast of the Immaculate Conception a Public Holiday?\nFeast of the Immaculate Conception is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. \nWhat Do People Do?\nMany churches\, especially the Catholic Church\, in the United States hold special services (or masses) to commemorate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on or close to December 8. The feast focuses on the concept that the Virgin Mary was conceived without sin. Many churches that observe the Feast of the Immaculate Conception are busy preparing for it prior to its occurrence. \nThe Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a legal holiday in Guam\, known as Our Lady of Camarin Day\, commemorating a small wooden statue known as Our Lady of Camarin (Santa Marian Kamalen). The statue is found in the Agana Cathedral Basilica. It has been tradition since the early 1900s for the statue to be taken down\, groomed and placed on a cart\, which is then pulled into Hagåtña\, Guam’s capital. This statue leads a procession\, in which people pray in various languages to honor Jesus through his mother Mary. \nPublic Life\nThe Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a public holiday in Guam\, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States. However\, this event is not a nationwide public holiday in the United States. \nBackground\nThe Feast of the Immaculate Conception centers on the belief that Jesus’ mother\, the Virgin Mary\, was conceived without sin. Pope Pius IX issued an apostolic constitution\, known as the Ineffabilis Deus\, on December 8\, 1854. This document clarified the importance of the Immaculate Conception in the Catholic Church. This day is a public holiday in Guam. A law in Guam attempted to eliminate this holiday for locals in 2002 but this attempt did not succeed due to public pressure. Typhoon Pongsona struck Guam on the feast day on December 8 that year. \nSymbols\nVarious paintings\, statues and other forms of artwork have been made depicting the Immaculate Conception. They usually show Mary as a young woman dressed in white and blue. She is often standing on a hill or raised area and has a halo of stars around her head. The pieces of art may also include images of clouds\, golden lights\, cherubs\, lilies or roses. \nOne well-known example associated with the Immaculate Conception is a statue known as Our Lady of Camarin (Santa Marian Kamalen)\, which was found on the shores of Merizo in Guam more than 300 years ago. The statue’s hands and face are made of ivory and the jewel-studded crown sits atop a cap of natural hair. It has survived earthquakes\, fires\, typhoons and World War II. The statue was stolen in 1968\, 1971\, and 1992 but was successfully retrieved.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/feast-of-the-immaculate-conception-2/
CATEGORIES:Christian
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261212
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261213
DTSTAMP:20260404T192720
CREATED:20260107T034947Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T034947Z
UID:6671-1797033600-1797119999@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
DESCRIPTION:The Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe is becoming an increasingly popular Catholic feast in some American communities on December 12. It is dedicated to Jesus’ mother Mary. \nIs Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe a Public Holiday?\nFeast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. \nCelebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe Day\nThe popularity of this religious feast has grown particularly along the south-west of the US\, including cities such as Los Angeles. It serves as a tribute to Jesus’ mother Mary and is particularly celebrated by Americans of Mexican descent. \nPublic Life\nOur Lady of Guadalupe Day is a religious observance\, not a public holiday in the US. \nAbout Our Lady of Guadalupe Day\nThe day is particularly special for Americans of Mexican heritage\, as it honors the belief that Jesus’ mother Mary\, who is Mexico’s patron saint\, appeared to a man in Mexico City twice in 1531. Mexican Americans make up over 10% of the US population\, with about 33.5 million Americans being listed as being of full or partial Mexican ancestry\, according to the US Census Bureau 2011.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe-2/
CATEGORIES:Christian
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