Monthly Archives: December 2020

Christmas, History

Christmas Lights: Leavenworth, WA (Bavarian Village)

Christmas Lights in Leavenworth, WA December 2020
Mark Taylor

I spent many summers and a few Christmas’ in Leavenworth, Washington or better known today as the Bavarian Village. In a different time, it was a bustling area with a sawmill, mining, agriculture(mainly apples) and an active railroad line. My grandfather came over to work in the local bank and would stay there for the rest of his life. My grandmother was helping out her brother, a mining engineer, and she met my grandfather either at a social event or at the bank. They got married and raised two kids in the bustling town.

The rail line had a major problem though: snow. Snow made it impossible to keep trains running during the winter. In  February 1910, a major storm hit so hard that two trains were stuck on Stevens Pass for a week and then swept off the tracks later by an avalanche. It would become known as the Wellington Disaster. It resulted in major changes for the railway and the construction of a new 7.8 mile tunnel that was completed in 1929. Then to avoid further avalanche danger, the railroad relocated the route from Tumwater Canyon to Chumstick thus moving the railroad out of Leavenworth. This was a crippling blow to Leavenworth as the sawmill closed, business and people relocated elsewhere.

Leavenworth faded into obscurity, a town you passed by on Highway 2 on the way to Wenatchee or parts east. The Great Depression hit it hard as well as stores closed. By the 1950’s, the future looked bleak for this small town,   During the 1960’s, city leaders worked with the Bureau of Community Development, at University of Washington, to see what options they had to revitalize the town. A study noted the town was situated in an area, surrounded by mountains, that resembled Bavaria. A decision was made to convert the town into a Bavarian themed village that would attract tourists. The other choice was slow oblivion.

So from that start in the 1960’s, Leavenworth began its transformation. I was lucky enough to see it at its start and see its changes over time. It has, despite some naysayers, become a major tourist destination especially during the Christmas season. A rating of winter tourist destinations on the Travel Channel had Leavenworth as one of the top ten to visit. And the railroad is back! The Empire Builder now stops in Leavenworth bringing tourists with them to this town year round.

Of course this year it is not quite the same. Covid-19 has shut down a lot of tourism but the city is still there-and open for those wanting to visit. Restrictions exist (right now you have to eat food outdoors, retail stores have to limit people, masks required etc). Since many cannot see the Christmas lights, they have set up a webcam that will run through the season (and possibly beyond). I read somewhere they plan to keep the lights up, perhaps as both a beacon and hopeful sign, until Valentine’s Day. You can visit the live stream on YouTube here.

Sadly the snow that was there a few days ago is gone (there were kids tobogganing in the park when there was lots of snow). But the Christmas lights really look nice and worth a look.

 


Titanic

Titanic News: Food Served on Titanic

  1. Last Meals On The Titanic Revealed (MSN.com, 19 Dec 2020)

The Titanic was the most luxurious ship afloat and food onboard was a big part of the liner’s appeal. Meals were included in the ticket price for nearly all passengers, with the exception of those in the à la carte restaurant. There was enough to cater for 2,200 people on what should have been a week-long voyage. Hefty provisions included 75,000lbs of meat, 11,000lbs of fresh fish, 40 tons of potatoes, 40,000 eggs, 7,000 heads of lettuce, 10,000lbs of sugar, 250 barrels flour, 36,000 apples, 1,500 gallons of milk and 15,000 bottles of ale.

 2. Sweden to Allow New Underwater Investigation Into Estonia Ferry Wreck Site (Sputniknews.com, 18 Dec 2020)

Officials in Sweden announced their intentions on Friday to allow for a new investigation into the sinking of the MS Estonia after new evidence emerged from a documentary more than 25 years after the disastrous incident. Sweden’s Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg revealed during a news conference that the country’s Accident Investigation Authority, along with counterparts from Finland and Estonia, would be sending divers down to the wreck site to further investigate claims made about damage to the vessel’s hull.

 The documentary at the center of renewed interest in the wreck came from the Discovery Channel network, and it was released in September to coincide with the wreck’s 26th anniversary. The five-part broadcast provided new underwater footage that showed a previously unrecorded 13-foot gaping hole in the ship’s hull. After the documentary was aired, Sweden, Finland and Estonia announced that a joint investigation to assess the new finding would be undertaken. An official report in 1997 ultimately concluded that the sinking was caused by a faulty door lock on the vessel’s bow.

3. Titanic Hotel Unveils Life-sized Gingerbread House (Fft.ie, 18 Dec 2020)

(Note-This looks more like a press release than a news item. But the gingerbread house they showed in the photo looks pretty good.)

Sail into Christmas by visiting Titanic Hotel Belfast to marvel at the only life-sized gingerbread house in a hotel in Northern Ireland and chill out with a Christmas cocktail while enjoying a festive feast in the Wolff Grill. If you are dreading the fuss of being joyful and merry while cooking the Christmas lunch on Christmas Day, let Titanic Hotel Belfast do all the prep for you in advance. Relax and enjoy time with your family after decorating the tree with baubles knowing that your only task is serving your guests with an exquisitely prepared festive feast by award winning chefs of the Wolff Grill.

4. Titanic Artefact Found After 100 Years ‘Could Have Saved’ Passenger Liner From Iceberg (Daily Express, 14 Dec 2020)

TITANIC could have “got out of the way” of the iceberg it would eventually collide with if the crew had access to a vital cabinet key, according to claims made nearly 100 years after it sank. But YouTube channel ‘Bright Side’ claimed it could have been avoided had the chief officer had access to a single key during their ‘A man who failed to save the Titanic’ series.’ The narrator said: “Titanic was a catastrophe to come out of a long chain of unfortunate events. “The chain that would decide its cruel fate started with a tiny key. “It seems like such an insignificant little thing, so trivial that the man who had it on him completely forgot to hand it over to the person who needed it at a critical moment.


Holidays, Miscellaneous

First Day of Winter/Winter Solstice

Today is the first day of winter and the Winter Solstice. It is the shortest day for the Northern Hemisphere. The Winter Solstice usually falls between December 20-23 and the sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn resulting in the North Pole being tilted the furthest away. The result is shorter days for sunlight for the Northern Hemisphere. And the further north you are (like Alaska or Scandinavian countries) means less sun during the day. The reverse happens in the Southern Hemisphere as the sun is closer to them and they celebrate the Summer Solstice. Those closer to the South Pole can have nearly 24 hours of sun during this time of year.

Winter Solstice seen from space.
NASA

Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as it marked an important time in the agricultural cycle. By this time all crops and livestock had been prepared for winter. Important foodstuffs were stored for the months when virtually nothing grew. Wine and beer, which had been fermenting during the year, was ready at this time. Cattle and pigs would often be killed at the start of winter so they would not have to be fed during this time. The early months of winter were tough in many places and often called the “famine months” since little food was to be found. Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as a renewal or that the year was reborn. For out of the seeming withdrawal of the sun, it would come back just as strong and powerful as before. Thus the Winter Solstice was seen by many as the start of a new year such as the old Roman Feast of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) which happened around the 25th of December.

For more information:

 

Titanic

It Happened Again! Titanic Again Used in Misleading Advertising

Recently we reported that a misleading advertising gimmick made people falsely believe that a photo from a camera brought up from the ocean showed Titanic sinking. This was shown by Snopes to be a marketing gimmick, using a manipulated image, to get people to view a slideshow. Now comes word of another deception being done by the exact same marketing tactic. This appeared, according Snopes, in February 2020 on many websites:

“Experts Discovered The Real Reason The Titanic Sank – And The Truth Had Been Covered Up For Decades.”

When you clicked on it, you were taken to a website called Serendipity Times. The story indicated that a 2017 documentary “Titanic: The New Evidence” indicated photographs supported the theory that a coal fire, which started during construction, was ignored. Supposedly these photographs had been covered up for decades. However, according to Snopes, that is not what the documentary actually said. The photos were in an attic. And, of course, the coal fire theory is not new. That theory has been out there for a long time and looked into by many Titanic researchers.

Some argue that the fire would have damaged the ship’s hull making it more vulnerable to being pierced by the iceberg. Others disagree as to the importance of the fire and the role it played. The iceberg pierced the hull with punctures and gashes causing a tremendous amount of water to enter the forward compartments. If the theory is true, it merely hastened the inevitable without really changing the outcome. At any rate, whatever your views on this theory, this marketing tactic is pretty tacky and deceitful.

Source:

Was the ‘Hidden Truth’ of Titanic ‘Covered Up for Decades’? (Snopes.com, 10 Dec 2020)


Christmas, Holidays

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent

Photo:Public Domain Photo:Public Domain

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and it is the last one of course before Christmas. Advent is a season of preparation for the birth of Jesus and not Christmas itself. While the secular world conflates the two (Advent and Christmas), the distinction is kept within the Christian church. Advent is a time of preparation for the birth so spiritual readings and vestments will reflect it. Unlike Lent which has strict observances that include fasts, Advent has no such strict requirement.

Yet it is a time for reflection as one awaits the approach of Christmas Day. In more olden times, there were fasts (it is still practiced in Eastern and Russian Orthodox where meat and dairy is prohibited for a specific period leading up to Christmas Day) but it is no longer a requirement in most Western churches. However there is a trend emerging that encourages the faithful to perhaps give up something during Advent or perform a service that benefits others (like volunteering to help feed homeless people). Music during this period also is designed to do this as well.

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us acclaim God our salvation.
Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks, let us acclaim him with songs. (Psalm 95)

Happy Sunday everyone!

Christmas, Holidays

Christmas Music for Your Friday

As we count down the days till Christmas Day next Friday, here are some popular tunes of the holiday for you. Enjoy!

And the ending of that all time favorite It’s A Wonderful Life.

 


 

History

Remembering History: Adolf Eichmann Sentenced to Death

SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann, 1942
Public Domain (Wikimedia)

On 15 Dec 1961, an Israeli War Crimes Tribunal sentenced Adolf Eichmann to death. Eichmann joined the Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel) in November 1932. The SS were an elite organization that had broad powers of authority (policing and intelligence) and enforcement of antisemitic policies. Eichmann rose within the SS and in 1938 was sent to Austria after Germany annexed it. In Vienna, he was given the task of ridding the Jews. After setting up an efficient deportation system, he was sent to Prague to do the same thing. Then he was sent back to Berlin to help run the Jewish section of the SS central security office in Berlin.

He was also part of the now infamous Wannsee Conference in January 1942. The Wannsee Conference was a meeting of senior government officials from government ministries and the SS to discuss the coordination of the “total solution of the Jewish question” as ordered by Reichmarschall Herman Göring. This order was given to SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich who headed the Reich Main Security Office. The decision had been made to eliminate Jews and would need the assistance of many government agencies in order for it to be done. Eichmann was given the task to coordinate the major aspects of this program from identifying Jews, assembling them, and transporting them to the Nazi death camps. Eichmann proved to be ruthlessly efficient in carrying out this task.

He was captured by U.S. troops after the war but escaped in 1946 before the Nuremberg trials began. Using an assumed name, he traveled in Europe and the Middle East before arriving in Argentina in 1950. Israel was informed in 1957 by a German prosecutor that Eichmann was in Argentina. Agents from Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, were sent to Argentina and located him in 1960. He was found living in the San Fernando section of Buenos Aires using the name Richard Klement.

Using the 150th anniversary of Argentina’s revolution against Spain in May 1960, the Mossad used this as an opportunity to send more agents to Argentina. Believing that Argentina would not extradite him, it was decided to abduct him and bring him to Israel for trial. On 11 May 1960, Mossad agents abducted him as was walking home from the bus stop to home on Garabaldi Street. He was disguised as an Israeli airline worker who had suffered head trauma in an accident (he was in fact drugged to prevent him from attempting escape). He arrived in Tel Aviv and three days later Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced Eichmann was in Israeli custody.

Argentina did protest but Israel charged Eichmann with 15 crimes against humanity. His trial was covered on live television. He claimed he was following orders but the judges disagreed finding him guilty of all counts on 15 December 1961. He would be executed by hanging on 31 May 1962 and was cremated with his ashes thrown into the sea.

Notes

  1. SS-Obergruppenführer was equivalent to Lieutenant General in the American and British armies.

Sources:

 


Christmas, Holidays, Religion, Titanic

Today is the Feast of Santa Lucia (St. Lucy)

Santa Lucia (St. Lucy)
Santa Lucia (St. Lucy)

Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and eye disorders and her feast day used to coincide with the Winter Solstice which is the day often celebrated as a festival of light in many places. Many stories and legends have become associated with her but research has failed to substantiate many of them. It is known she lived in Sicily early in the fourth century and was persecuted and executed for her faith. One story that is likely true is that she was denounced as a Christian by a suitor after she turned him down because of her faith. She faced torture and death for her beliefs. Because it is believed she was blinded during Roman torture, she is the patron saint of the blind.

Her feast day is celebrated in Scandinavian countries as a festival of light during the long winter night. A young girl in a white dress and red sash carries palms and wears a wreath of candles on head. Special rolls or cookies are made for the day and often handed out to the elderly. It is also celebrated in parts of Italy particularly in Sicily and in many places of the world today. There are many churches dedicated to her and the island of Santa Lucia in the Caribbean is named for her.

 

Information:

 

Holidays, Religion

TODAY IS THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

3rd Advent Sunday

What Is Advent? Advent on the Christian calendar is a season of preparation for the birth of Jesus. It is a season of joy leading up to Christmas Day and also a time of preparation similar to Lent. Prayer, fasting and penance are part of the Advent season. The rules are not as strict as Lent but a time of self-preparation. The color purple is associated with penance. Each Advent Sunday is meant to ready oneself for rejoicing at the birth of Jesus that is to come. The Third Sunday of Advent is the anticipatory celebration and the color rose is used to represent joy.

The Advent wreath

Many homes and churches will have an Advent wreath to symbolize the season, and to mark each Sunday as it happens. The practice began by German Lutherans in the 18th century as a means of teaching Advent to children. The practice began to spread to Catholics and other Christian denominations as well. Advent wreaths are circular to show that God’s love is infinite and is made with evergreen leaves. It used to be a family event to gather the leaves and make the wreath. The practice has resurfaced in recent years as many families now do this again. Advent wreaths made of artificial evergreens are available in a wide series of designs. Handmade ones can be made to last many years.

Advent: Dates, Traditions, and History(Infoplease.com)

Catholic Traditions (Catholic Education Resource Center)   https://youtu.be/7AmWu2zLzrU

 

Christmas, Holidays

For your Saturday: Sussex Carol

The Sussex Carol is a very popular Christmas carol in Britain. Its lyrics first were written by a 17th century Irish bishop. It was later discovered by Cecil Sharp and Ralph Vaughan who heard it being sung by Harriet Verrall. Williams  used the tune Verrall sang and published the lyrics. While some of the lyrics have been altered by different arrangers or composers, the tune has stayed the same. Enjoy!