today’s holiday: Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck (2015)

Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck (2015)

This feast is a commemoration in Malta of the shipwreck of St. Paul on the island in 60 CE, an event described in the New Testament. Paul was a prisoner on a ship, and when storms drove the ship aground, Paul was welcomed by the “barbarous people” (meaning they were not Greco-Romans). According to legend, he got their attention when a snake bit him on the hand but did him no harm, and he then healed people of diseases. Paul is the patron saint of Malta and snakebite victims. The day is a public holiday observed with family gatherings and religious ceremonies and processions. More… Discuss

NEWS: PLAYGROUND BENCHES: HELPFUL OR HARMFUL?

Playground Benches: Helpful or Harmful?

Getting adults up and moving may be as simple as removing benches from playgrounds. Researchers found that removing seating from children’s playgrounds increased the amount of exercise adults got as they supervised the youngsters in their care. When the benches were removed from one playground, adults were 23 times more likely to engage in moderate to vigorous activity than when the benches were present, and they were no more likely to cut their children’s playtime short as a result of the lack of seating. More… Discuss