Possum Trotters of Port Fonda

03/20/2023

Happy First Day of Spring!

03/02/2023

Alisha Cole, is giving a presentation at Mid-Continent Public Library on Wednesday March 7th called "Show Your Colors".
From Mid-Continents page, "Yellow was the symbolic color of the national women’s suffrage movement. Suffragists encouraged supporters to “show your colors” by wearing yellow ribbons, buttons, and sashes. Hear stories of the struggle for women’s suffrage and the ratification of the 19th amendment featuring Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Bloomer, and more."

This presentation is in-person and on Zoom. Please support our Education Director by registering and attending this amazing presentation.
For more information and to register, please visit
https://www.mymcpl.org/events/83275/show-your-colors

02/13/2023

We would like to congratulate the KC Chiefs players and organization on an amazing year and win.
You make proud.

01/14/2023

Lohri is a popular harvest festival that is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm all across Punjab, and parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Delhi. The festival of Lohri is considered the begining of festival of New year which falls on January 13 of each year and is mostly celebrated by Sikhs and culturally by Hindus across the country and worldwide. The celebration involves lighting a bonfire, singing folk songs and dancing, especially bhangra and gidda, and savoring the classic delicacies - Makki di roti with Sarson da saag, gajak.

Lohri also known as Lohadi or Lal Loi is a festival that marks the harvest season in Punjab. Lohri falls on January 13 of each year, one day before Makar Sankranti which is another popular Hindu holiday that falls between January 14-15 every year. Lohri marks the end of the winter season and the start of the longer days. Lohri is celebrated to welcome the sun to the northern hemisphere. However, it is traditionally associated with harvesting rabi crops.

Lohri is a festival synonymous with bonfire lighting, traditional meal, song and dance, but it is celebrated to thank the lord sun and mother earth for a good harvest.

01/05/2023

Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Little Christmas

Celebrated on the sixth day of January, the tradition of Women’s Christmas is a day of rest for women. It’s a custom that has been passed down through the generations by word of mouth. It is a non-urban custom, too. It likely started as a way to remember the women who did so much extra work to make the Christmas celebrations possible on top of all of herder daily responsibilities on the farm. It was a day for the women to visit with one another or simply enjoy a day free from her chores. In some areas, it was marked by the placing of lit candles in the windows and families would walk through the community enjoying the lights shining in the night.

In modern times, Women’s Christmas has become more of a day to celebrate friends and sisterhood. Some women gather in pubs to talk and enjoy one another’s company. Some have parties where groups of women gather for hours and hours, sharing stories and fellowship.

01/01/2023

On this final day of Kwanzaa We wanted to take a moment to reflect on the Principle of Imani (Faith). We have asked Mary Moore AKA Mother Mary Moses to give us her reflections on Faith. She sent us this piece written in 2012 and we thank her for her time and amazing words.
Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year.

Witten By Mary L. Moore© 3-25-2012

The Ending is The Beginning...
To Begin...To Be Still...To Be Hold...To Be... in the Presence
Of 'THE' One 'I AM'... GOD... Amen....
Give Us This Day...In This Beginning...the Grace... to Receive the Fullness of 'IT'...GRACE!!
To know The Truth...To Know...That GOD IS 'ALL' Things...
The Beginning AND the END... Of... Every Day of Our Life
The Beginning and The End....
Both tied together... Never Separating The Two
GOD IS THERE...IN... The In Between.... where Life and Death...Are at the Same Place
And Only GOD Can Determine... Where it will go
To Call an End... Is To CALL a Beginning....
Remember GOD
Remember.... GOD
Remember GOD In The Ending
Remember His WORD'S... which say's..."I Will NEVER Leave You... Nor Forsake You"
GOD IS HERE Right NOW...
GOD Will Be With You-Me- US...'IN' The Very First Step 'INTO' the New Beginning
The Moment We Walk Out These Doors....INTO... that New Space
INTO.... that New Place...I say again.... Remember GOD
Now...Carry on... and BE STILL and know...
And 'KNOW'.... That GOD Is....GOD!
In the Beginning...GOD!
In the END....GOD!
I Will Look to The Hills - From Whence Cometh My HELP
Remember GOD...

01/01/2023

01/01/2023

At 6pm Central Time it is Midnight in Scotland.

Happy Hogmanay to one and all

Auld Lang Syne

Lyrics
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

And surely you will buy your cup
And surely I'll buy mine!
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

We two have paddled in the stream
From morning sun till night
The seas between us Lord and swell
Since the days of auld lang syne

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
For the sake of auld lang syne?

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

Live at Stirling Castle - Scotland 2012ITV UK 09-12-2012

12/31/2022

Hogmanay

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the old year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year's Day (1 January) or in some cases, 2 January.
The origins of Hogmanay are unclear, but it may be derived from Norse and Gaelic observances of the winter solstice. Customs vary throughout Scotland, and usually include gift-giving and visiting the homes of friends and neighbours, with special attention given to the first-foot, the first guest of the new year.
There are many customs, both national and local, associated with Hogmanay. The most widespread national custom is the practice of first-footing, which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbour and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts such as salt (less common today), coal, shortbread, whisky, and black bun (a rich fruit cake), intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder. Food and drink (as the gifts) are then given to the guests. This may go on throughout the early hours of the morning and well into the next day (although modern days see people visiting houses well into the middle of January). The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year.

Auld Lang Syne

The song “Auld Lang Syne” is traditionally sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve as a farewell to the old year. It is also heard at graduations, funerals and as a word of farewell at the close of various events. The text is a poem written in the Scots language by Robert Burns in 1788 and is based on an older Scottish folk song. The song’s title may be translated as “old long since” into Standard English.

“Auld Lang Syne” has been embraced, translated, and “nationalized” by countries around the globe as we remind each other to remember long-standing friendships.

12/30/2022

La Guignolee

Missouri’s French Colonial heritage comes to life during La Temps des Fetes (Time of Celebrations). The custom is believed to have started with the Druids in Europe as one of the rites of the new year. It traveled across the Atlantic to French Canada and then down the Mississippi River. The French colonists, in what became Illinois and Missouri, would begin their celebrations with a La Reveillon party which was held immediately after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The last celebration of the year was held or Saint-Sylvestre night (a.k.a. New Year’s Eve) with the courir la Guignolee or the running of the Guignolee.

As the year begins to draw to a close, the young men of the community disguise themselves in old clothes and venture out to the homes where they would be welcomed. They enter the homes dancing the Gionie, requesting that the members of the house join the reverie, each bringing some type of refreshment and have a ball to dance away the old year. The refreshments are a key component of La Guignolee and has often resulted in unruly behavior.

Running the Guignolee wasn’t just a French tradition in Missouri. Those of German descent celebrated it as well. The words of the traditional Guignolee song were written in French, English, and German. The music, however, was always played by ear and passed from generation to generation. Time has seen the inclusion of young and old, male and female, and persons of color, joining in the running.

This beloved tradition from Missouri’s French Colonial heritage continues to be celebrated to this day.

--"La Guignolee," Ste. Genevieve, MO Post Office Mural by Artists: Martyl Schweig

12/29/2022

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Council of Tours in 567 C.E. established The 12 Days of Christmas as an official festival. The Council was held by Roman Catholic bishops in hopes of creating a festive time of sober celebration between Christmas Day and the Feast of the Epiphany. The Romans were celebrating Saturnalia and Kalends (the new year) while others were celebrating Yule and the birth of the invincible sun with a Mirthaic festival. New holidays were established by the church: December 26 - St. Stephen’s Day (a.k.a. Boxing Day). December 27 - St. John’s Day, December 28 - Holy Innocent’s Day, January 1 - New Year’s Day, January 5 - Twelfth Night, and January 6 - Epiphany.

English peasants in the Middle Ages spent the 12 days celebrating with a feast given by their lord. Nobles feasted and hunted, played and listened to music, held dances and tournaments, and enjoyed storytelling for the 12 days. The 12 days also contained celebrations that pre-dated Christmas. A belief arose that raging spirits were about during this time and the best way to keep them away was cleaning. Houses and all with in them would be cleaned. Spinning could not be done lest something might be left unfinished which would invite bad luck to the spinner.

The song ’The Twelve Days of Christmas” was first printed in a children’s book Mirth Without Mischief in 1780. The exact reason for the song to be created is unknown, Some think it was written as a memory game with a penalty for missing a verse. Some think it was a catechism song used by Catholics when the faith fell out-of-favor in Protestant England.

The symbolism is as follows:
True Love refers to God
Me refers to every Christian
1 Partridge in a Pear Tree = Jesus Christ
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels
5 Golden Rings = First Five Books of the Old Testament
6 Geese-A-Laying - The Six Days of Creation
7 Swans-A-Swimming = The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
8 Maids-A-Milking = The Eight Beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = The Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords-A-Leaping = The Ten Commandments
11 Pipers Piping = Eleven Apostles, not including Judas
12 Drummers Drumming = The Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed