December – the Month of Holidays & Memories
As the awe of Thanksgiving passes away, we move into the month at the end of the year full of parties, shopping, celebrations, religious holy days, seasonal music, thoughts of peace, and memories of events and family. Black Friday may be over, but the commercialization of December has just begun!
In December some may remember the Boston Tea Party, the premier of the movie, Gone With the Wind, Rosa Parks being arrested, the Battle of Wounded Knee, the House impeaching Bill Clinton, or the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mozart, John Lennon, George Patton & George Washington died this month, and Walt Disney was born.
December saw several “firsts” including the 1st heart transplant, Wright Brothers 1st flight, Ben Franklin’s 1st issue of Poor Richard’s Almanac, and South Carolina being the 1st State to secede from the Union. There were also new beginnings in December: the AFL-CIO was founded, Japan was admitted to the U.N., the Monroe Doctrine was signed, the Federal Reserve System started, Israel & the Vatican signed an agreement of mutual recognition, and the Prohibition Amendment was repealed.
December is most often equated with celebrations, parties, parades, and football. While the Freemasons have annual parties and politics in Waco, their emphasis is more on family, faith & charity as they observe Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve! Many lodges volunteer at the Stew Pot or host events in support of indigents, homeless vets, and others found in the Northeast corner. It is important that we keep the true meaning of the holidays and set positive examples for our children and our neighbors.
Courtesy of Richard Gilmam APM and Secretry by request of WM