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WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER
What is good for one is good for the other ... equality with no regard
to gender.
The expression is referenced in English Rogue, Head and Kirkman (1671):
"I could not justly complain seeing what was sauce for a goose
was sauce for the gander."
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Easter Traditions
Here's a little information about the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs...(%)
The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The
Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served
as symbols of the new life during the Spring season.
The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have it's origins in Germany,
where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The
first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early
1800s. And were made of pastry and sugar
The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German
settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the
1700s.
The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's
greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas
Eve. The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter
Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs.
The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home,
the barn or the garden. Boys would use their caps and girls their
bonnets to make the nests. The use of elaborate Easter baskets would
come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread through out
the country.
"Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity
Happy Easter day"
Easter Sunday is the holiest day of the year for Christians. It is
the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus after His Crucifixion
on Good Friday.
Like many other Christian holidays, Easter began as a pagan festival,
a celebration of springtime and fertility. The word Easter is believed
to have come from the ancient Saxon goddess of fertility, Eastre.
Eastre was worshipped through her earthly symbol, the rabbit. This
may be where the idea of an Easter bunny originated.
For the first few centuries after the Resurrection, Easter was celebrated
on various days throughout the week. In 325 A.D., it was decided by
the Roman emperor, Constantine, that from then on Easter would be
celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after
the first day of spring. In other words, Easter will always falls
on one of the Sundays between March 22 and April 25, depending on
the moon.
The Easter Season doesn't officially end until Pentecost Sunday, 50
days later. That means you can keep celebrating all the way until
June 11!
Eggs are another Pagan symbol of Easter. From the earliest of times,
the egg has represented immortality. The egg is the World Egg, laid
by the Goddess and opened by the heat of the Sun God. The hatching
of this World Egg was celebrated each year at the Spring festival
of the Sun. As Spring is the season of nature's rebirth, the symbol
of the egg was of course particularly significant at this time.
The Druids dyed eggs scarlet to honour the Sun, and Pagan Anglo-Saxons
made offerings of their coloured eggs to the Goddess Eostre. They
also (like many Pagan cultures before them) placed patterned eggs
in tombs or on fresh graves, to ensure the rebirth of the deceased.
The Easter Bunny is another symbol that has obvious links to the fertility,
rebirth, and the abundance of life that is evident in Spring.
Thanks Pam, for the OFF THE CUFF contribution - Easter Traditions.
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NOT MY CUP OF TEA
A phrase freely used to express an item or event as undesirable according
to personal preference.
The exact origin is unknown, but the saying is credited to the British.
Supposedly a member of the royal family was served tea not to their
liking or approval. The servant was fired on the spot for not tasting
the tea prior to serving, and the cook was next.
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EAT CROW
Acknowledge a mistake; humble oneself.
Crow is not a popular dish, and if one has to abase himself, eating
crow is a way to do it.
The expression dates from about 1870 and apparently originated in
the United States. The Atlanta constitution told a tale in 1888 about
how an American soldier in the War of 1812 bagged a crow while hunting.
A British officer saw the deed, complimented the soldier on the shot,
and asked to see the gun. The soldier handed it to him, and the British
officer turned the gun on the soldier, admonished him for trespassing,
and forced him to take a bite of the crow. The officer gave back the
gun, and then it was the soldiers turn. He forced the officer to eat
the rest of the crow.
It's important to note an armistice was in force at the time!
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EAT HUMBLE PIE
Acknowledge an error ... be apologetic ... submit to humiliation.
It was originally "umble" and really was a pie made from
the umbles (heart, liver, entrails) of deer and other animals.
The umbles were a perquisite of the huntsman, who would sometimes
eat umble pie while the lord and lady dined on the venison.
The word and the umble pie date from at least the 16th century, but
"humble pie" as a symbol of apology or submission, perhaps
as a play on the humble nature of those who ate umble pie, did not
turn up until the early 19th century. Robert Forby in Vocabulary of
East Anglia (1825) told his readers that "to make one eat humble
pie" was "to make him lower his tone and be submissive."
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