today’ Did you know… (DYK)

Did you know… (DYK)

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• …that Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches celebrate Mass, while Eastern Christian churches instead celebrate Divine Liturgy?
• …that the length of a Church service can vary widely, depending on the denomination and priest, and can range from 40 minutes to 3 hours?
• …that Mandarin Chinese translates the word “Christ” as Jidu (基督)?
• …that the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in Côte d’Ivoire is listed by Guinness World Records as the largest church in the world?

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today holiday: Tolling the Devil’s Knell (2014)

Tolling the Devil’s Knell (2014)

To celebrate the birth of Christ and the death of the Devil, All Saints Minster Church in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, rings its bell the same number of times as the number of the year (for example, 2,014 times in 2014) on Christmas Eve. The tolling starts at 11:00 PM, stops during the church service from midnight to 12:45, and then resumes until the years have been tolled away. The custom has been going on for almost 700 years. The bell has been called “Black Tom of Soothill” since the 13th century, and Tolling Black Tom is supposed to keep the parish safe from the Devil for another 12 months. More… Discuss

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TODAY HOLIDAY: SAN ILDEFONSO PUEBLO FEAST DAY

 

 

San Ildefonso Pueblo Feast Day

 

English: Tewas in headdress, male and female, descending stairs, “Dance, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico.”; From the series Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, compiled 1941 – 1942, documenting the period ca. 1933 – 1942. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

These late-January festivities mark a highlight in the ceremonial year at San Ildefonso Pueblo near Santa Fe, New Mexico. January 23 is the pueblo’s feast day, celebrated with a special church service and dances, such as the Buffalo, Comanche, and Deer dances. The dances are a way of paying respect and giving thanks for the animals on which people depend for food and other materials. On the evening before, there are bonfires and a firelight procession. More… Discuss