By: Riya Gupta Hi everyone! Welcome to the first May edition of the 2023-2024 Griffin Post! As I said in my last article, the weather has been getting better and better! Did any of you plant any flowers or take care of your garden? It’s looking great outside, and among the flowers in my yard, I see the occasional songbird, and even a squirrel or rabbit. All of these springtime things remind me of a very important celebration coming up. Any guesses? Here’s a hint: It’s in two days! You guessed it - Mother’s Day is just around the corner! Everyone knows what Mother’s Day is - a day to celebrate the wonders that mothers are - but how did it begin? What are the different Mother’s Day celebrations? Let’s find out! Mother's Day began as an ancient Greek and Roman celebration, commemorating the goddesses Rhea and Cybele. It later inspired the early Christian festival, Mothering Sunday, which was held on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This tradition evolved into a more secular holiday where children gave their mothers flowers and gifts, which blended into Mother's Day in the 1930s and 1940s. Anna Jarvis initiated Mother's Day after her mother died in 1905, organizing the first official celebration in May 1908. She worked to make it a national holiday, and by 1912, many states, towns, and churches had adopted it as an annual event. President Wilson established the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day in 1914. Different countries celebrate Mother’s Day on different days. While we in America celebrate on the second Sunday in May (May 12, this year), El Salvador and Guatemala always celebrate on May 10. In Egypt, Mother’s Day occurs on March 21, and in Thailand, on August 12! In Indonesia, Mother’s Day is all the way in December! Countries all have their own traditions as well. In Japan, children tie carnations to a note and leave it at their mother’s door. In Mexico, it is typical to throw huge parties complete with special performances by kids and lots of food. In the U.S.A. alone, 84 percent of adults are expected to celebrate Mother’s Day. And shockingly, it is estimated that a grand total of $33.5 billion is going to be spent on gifts and outings. That’s still less than what was spent last year (2023) - $35.7 billion - the highest spending ever recorded! What’s more, an average of 152 million cards will be made or bought for Mother’s Day, and about 23 million flowers will be sold. However, you don’t need to buy a fancy gift to celebrate your mom. If you haven’t done anything yet, don’t worry! There’s still time to make a card and show your love to her! Sources:
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By: Riya Gupta
Hello everyone! Today I have three very important topics to tell you guys about - the warm weather, gardening, and Taylor Swift’s brand-new album - The Tortured Poets Department! Lately, I’ve found myself outside more often because of the great weather. Spring is here! I’m so glad that we can finally enjoy the warm temperature! One of my favorite activities to do in the spring is gardening! My family loves to grow mint, basil, and wildflowers to brighten the yard. Speaking of gardening, three days devoted to plants just passed by! Firstly, on April 14, we celebrated National Gardening Day. Then two days later, we had National Orchid Day. And then, two days ago, on April 17, Herbalist Day was celebrated. Why should you garden? Gardening can be really good for you! If you are the kind of person who likes to be inside all the time, gardening is a fun way to soak up some of that sunshine and Vitamin D! It is also a source of physical activity. Ok, now for the next (and slightly more important, if you ask me,) topic of coverage for this edition: The Tortured Poets Department! As mentioned in one of my previous articles, Taylor Swift announced the release date of The Tortured Poets Department at the Grammys. This is her eleventh album, and it was released today! I haven’t heard it yet, but I intend to do so as soon as I get the chance. So, what do we know about this album? It includes 20 songs, including “Clara Bow”, “The Alchemy”, and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”. The four bonus tracks are “The Manuscript”, “The Albatross”, “The Bolter”, and “The Black Dog”. We also know that the album is most likely about her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn, a British actor. Another seemingly important detail is that April 19 is the day the American Revolution began. The American Revolution was a series of battles that America fought to gain independence from England. This could be important as one of her songs is called “So Long, London”. Plus, Joe Alwyn is from London, which could be a reference to her ended connection. Also, an albatross is a bird that is said to be able to fly for six years before touching the ground. Sound familiar? These lyrics, or maybe a note, were posted by Taylor Swift on Instagram. Any idea what they mean? “And so I enter into evidence My tarnished coat of arms My muses, acquired like bruises, My talismans and charms The tick tick tick of love bombs My veins of pitch black ink All’s fair in love and poetry, Sincerely, The Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department.” I honestly cannot wait to hear The Tortured Poets Department! I hope all of you guys spend some time listening to it too! Sources:
By: Riya Gupta
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players;” - From As You Like It by William Shakespeare These lines are taken from the world’s most renowned and celebrated literary legend - William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has written countless plays, poems, and tragedies, loved by many people worldwide. In fact, his writing is so beloved by the world, that there is a whole week dedicated to him and his works! Shakespeare Week (March 21 -27) was established to commemorate his accomplishments and his additions to English literature! So, because of this holiday, and because March is Reading Month, I will share some interesting facts about the life of this esteemed writer. Shakespeare lived about 400 years ago, and while no one knows what his birthdate is for sure, many historians predict he was born on April 23, 1564. He was the oldest of six children - he had three younger brothers and two younger sisters. Shakespeare most likely attended Stratford’s Grammar School, where he would’ve read, memorized, and acted Latin classics. He studied there until he was about 15. At the age of 18, Shakespeare married an English poet named Anne Hathaway. The couple had three children - Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. However, Hamnet passed away at age 11 of a disease like Scarlet Fever or Whooping Cough, leaving Shakespeare and Hathaway with just their daughters. There is no record of Shakespeare for years after Hamnet and Judith’s birth in 1585. His next appearance in any source was in 1592. In this year, he published Henry VI and Venus and Adonis, among other works. In the next few years, Shakespeare became more and more famous, and soon, his works were seen everywhere. Some of his more famous works include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, and Macbeth. They were all available in novel form, and were acted out in English theaters. Twelfth Night is another of Shakespeare’s famous plays. It is one of my favorites, so I’m going to include a short summary. Duke Orsino of Illyria is hopelessly in love with the Countess Olivia. However, she is not in love with him - or anyone else, for that matter. Nearby, a group of sailors find and rescue Viola, who is grieving over her brother, Sebastian, who she believes was lost at sea. Viola resolves to disguise herself as a man and make a living working for Duke Orsino. She renames herself Cesario and is hired. Upon arriving, Viola falls in love with Duke Orsino. However, as you remember, Duke Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia. Afterwards, Countess Olivia falls in love with Cesario - Viola in disguise as a man. So, a prominent love triangle forms between the three. Soon, Sebastian arrives, causing much confusion. Olivia then falls in love with Sebastian thinking he is Cesario. Sebastian and Cesario are then forced to reveal their true identities. Finally, Olivia and Sebastian get married, and Orsino and Viola get married. And everyone lives happily ever after! I hope you enjoyed this article about Shakespeare! To celebrate Shakespeare week, you should read one of his plays - there are plenty to choose from. If you don’t want to read the originals, which are written in Old English, there are lots of abridged versions for you to read. Last year, you might have heard that government members proposed to end the observance of daylight savings. However, none of the states ended up adopting this legislation. Now that we are almost reaching daylight savings again, you might be wondering more about it. Who invented it? Why? When was it implemented? Do we gain sleep, or lose it?
Usually, daylight savings occurs somewhere in the second week of March. This year, it falls on March 10, 2024 - in just two days! Unfortunately for us, right now we are going to lose an hour of sleep. But don’t worry - we’ll get that hour back in November when daylight savings ends! At 2 a.m., the clocks get pushed one hour forward. This is because, in 1918, when daylight saving was instituted, trains did not leave stations in New York at 2 a.m. So, the time was changed then, to lessen confusion. The idea of daylight savings was created in the mind of famed scientist Benjamin Franklin. Upon ‘discovering’ that the sun produces light from the moment it rises, he realized that by setting the clock forward, he was giving people one extra hour in the evening. I’m going to try to explain what happens: Because an extra hour was added, the ‘real-time’ is one hour behind what the clock says (so if the clock says 4 p.m., then the ‘real-time’ is 3 p.m.). So, you get an extra hour of productivity because your body essentially ‘gets tired’ an hour later. Anyway, he wrote a letter to the “Journal de Paris,” which was a French newspaper, about this. However, the true supporter of Daylight Savings was William Willet, an Englishman living in 1907. He came up with this while on a horse ride early in the morning. While riding, he noticed that, though the sun was rising, most houses’ shutters were still closed, like the people were sleeping. Willet did everything in his power to have the U.S. Congress change this, but he was mostly mocked for his idea. However, a few years later during World War 1 (W.W.1), Germany implemented daylight savings. Soon, the rest of Europe did as well. By the end of W.W.1, the U.S.A. also initiated this. At the end of W.W.2, daylight saving was implemented in every city in every state of the U.S.A. This caused a lot of confusion, forcing Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act in 1966. There is a lot of debate going on about whether daylight savings is helping us, or hurting us. A 2017 study showed that America saves just 0.33% of energy annually. And in some countries, it uses more energy to switch to daylight savings. It also costs more money since computer companies have to change the time on technology everywhere and maintain the computer systems. A 2006 study showed that it increased the demand for air conditioning and cooling in houses. On the other hand, some studies have shown that roads have become safer and pedestrian fatalities have decreased by 13%. Robberies decrease by 7% as well. Some suggest that daylight savings can promote an active lifestyle, which is very good for your health. Also, with the extra hour of daylight, artificial light is used less, which is better for the eyes and environment. Sources
By: Riya Gupta Albums. Concerts. Fame. Awards. It seems like Taylor Swift has it all. Born in 1989, Taylor Swift worked extremely hard to get to where she is since she was very young. She spent sleepless midnights on each album to make sure it would be loved for evermore. For the last year or so, the fearless Taylor Swift has been travelling across the world performing her Eras Concert, which consists of the most popular songs from each of her ten albums. Tonight, she will be performing in Sydney, Australia! The show has already made $1.04 billion, but it is expected to accumulate a total of $4.3 billion! The Eras Tour was so loved, that the concert that took place in Los Angeles, California became a multi-million dollar film that is streamed across theatres world-wide. Swift’s music has an amazing reputation and has captivated so many of her fans that they have gone to see the concert or movie multiple times! In fact, her ‘Swifties’ love her songs so much, that they were nominated for many awards - like the Grammys. On February 4, 2024, Taylor Swift won her thirteenth Grammy for the album, Midnights. She became the first artist to win four Grammys under the title ‘Album of the Year’. The three-time winners are Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon. This also makes Taylor Swift the only woman and modern artist to win a Grammy for Album of the Year so many times. While receiving this accolade, Swift was told to speak now, and while giving her acceptance speech, announced that her highly anticipated eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department, would be released on April 19, 2024. As Grammy host Trevor Noah said, “[W]e could see history made tonight.” Taylor Swift made a guest appearance at the Superbowl, flying directly in from Tokyo, Japan, where she had been performing her Eras Tour. She was seen wearing red and yellow and cheering on her lover, Travis Kelce, the tight end on the Kansas City Chiefs. Swift has influenced the NFL in more ways than most people notice. The NFL has made approximately $331.5 million just from social media, highlights, and print with Taylor Swift. She also made many people more interested in the games. In fact, CBS news stated that “24% Gen-Zers and 20% of millennials say they're more interested in football this year because of Swift's relationship with Kelce.” Taylor Swift has accomplished so much in her life already, and she’s only 33, so she has a long way to go. And maybe in the very distant future when Taylor Swift becomes just folklore, people will say that she was a legend in the making. *Did anyone notice that I used the names of each of Taylor Swift’s eleven albums (Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department) at least once?* Sources:
By: Riya Gupta Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to celebrate love and show your family how much they mean to you! I’m sure most of you know what St. Valentine’s Day is, but here is a brief overview: Valentine’s Day is known as the day of love, and it is celebrated with heart shaped candy, Valentine cards, and plenty of flowers! There are many different traditions around the world to celebrate The Day of Love. In Wales, beautiful and intricate handmade spoons are exchanged between couples. In Spain, the festival is celebrated as men make handmade marzipan figures to give to their wives. Valentine’s Day is actually celebrated on February 24th in Romania, and it is an established practice to go into a forest to collect wildflowers. People also wash their faces with snow for good luck. In Estonia, this festival is celebrated in a way that includes everyone. Huge parties with friends and family are held, and everyone shares gifts and enjoys love. Lastly, in England, a figure named Jack Valentine acts as a Santa. At night, children eagerly wait for him to arrive with gifts, but like Santa, are not allowed to see him. Valentine’s Day is a very special day, and many people show it by spending lots of money! In total, an average of 1.7 billion dollars are spent on heart shaped candy each year. On top of that, more than double the amount is spent on going out to a fancy restaurant, the movies, and other places! 58 million pounds of chocolate are sold each year in the week of Valentine's Day, and over 180 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged. This Lovers’ Day, Americans are expected to spend a total of 25.9 billion dollars! Have an amazing Valentine’s Day, and try one of these traditions! You don’t even need a Valentine to enjoy this wonderful day!
Sources: By: Riya Gupta
Hi GP Readers - this article is especially for all the dessert-lovers at GATE! January is a month filled with a plethora of days (so far I’ve found fourteen) exclusively celebrating delectable goodies like pie, chocolate-covered cherries, blueberry pancakes, strawberry ice cream, and so much more. The very first dessert-celebrating-day is January 2, which commemorates cream puffs. If you don’t know, a cream puff is a dome-shaped pastry filled with a light, airy cream; pudding; custard; or mousse. Historians are unsure of who invented this scrumptious delicacy, but they agree that it was created in Europe, most likely in France. One theory is that cream puffs were invented around 1540 by the head chef of Queen Catherine de Medici. Others suggest that cream puffs were created long before the Renaissance period, in medieval times. Historians know that by the Victorian Period, though, cream puffs with elaborate designs were usually served. Cooks would serve mini cream puffs stacked in a pyramid for royalty to enjoy with after-dinner tea and coffee. Cream puffs were brought to the USA in the 1850’s. The very first account of them being sold was in the Revere House Restaurant in Boston, and a news story in the Boston Evening Star states that ‘some hundreds’ of ‘cream puff cakes’ were sold each day in Boston bakeries. Another day for tasty treats is tomorrow - January 27 - which is National Chocolate Cake Day! Chocolate cake is one of the most popular desserts of all time. In fact, The National Today Data Science Team discovered that out of a thousand, 580 people would pick chocolate cake over vanilla. Additionally, 15% of all the surveyed people have admitted to eating an entire cake themselves! 920 of the observed people have baked their own chocolate cake before. So, why do people love chocolate cake so much? Chocolate cake’s main ingredient is cocoa, which can help release endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals released from the brain which make you feel happy. That is why you might hear chocolate cake being called a ‘comfort food’. So, all my dessert-loving-friends, you can now use this month as the perfect excuse to indulge in delectable treats! See you next time! Sources:
By: Riya Gupta Just less than two weeks ago, people all around the world celebrated the start of 2024! The new year brought excitement, festivity, and new resolutions. Families gathered together for New Year’s parties, and people watched the New York Ball Drop in person and on T.V. Different countries observe New Year’s in very unique ways. In Spain and Mexico, people begin the New Year by eating twelve grapes - one for each chime of the clock when it strikes twelve. In Brazil, people build small boats filled with gifts for their goddess, Yemanja. If the boat doesn’t return back to shore, it is believed that Yemanja will bring a peaceful and healthful new year. Brazilians also wear new clothes of a specific color, depending on what they hope to receive throughout the new year. Pink or red will bring love, yellow or gold will bring money, blue will bring health, and green will bring hope. In Greece, people hang an onion, which symbolizes rebirth, at the front of their door for good luck. In Denmark, things get pretty crazy during New Year’s with this wild tradition. Usually, throwing plates at your friends might signal an argument taken too far, but in Europe, throwing dining ware at loved ones will bring them good luck. Next up: resolutions! What do resolutions mean? Why do we make them? New Year’s is considered a perfect time to have a fresh start and set goals for the new year. A resolution can be anything from getting better grades to learning a new skill, and while they can be hard to stick to, even the smallest accomplishments can make you feel more confident in yourself and motivate you to work harder. Fireworks are the most well known tradition of all. According to CNN, some of the best New Year’s shows take place in Sydney, Australia; New York City, USA; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There were also fireworks here in Michigan. Firework shows took place at the Detroit Riverfront, in Rochester Hills, and in Birmingham. In Troy, a huge parade, a festival, and a fireworks show took place. I hope you enjoyed this first edition of the Griffin Post in 2024! See you in two weeks! Sources:
By: Riya Gupta
“... It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Everywhere you go…” - Michael Bublé The streets are shining with a million dazzling lights; downtowns are crowded with people dressed in coats and hats walking hand in hand; and the displays in shops are decorated with Santas, reindeer, snowmen, and Christmas trees. The aroma of hot chocolate and fruit cake fill up the atmosphere. America’s favorite holiday is almost here! Christmas is celebrated December 25th to commemorate Christ’s birth. Christmas is a time to reflect on important principles of Christian faith and celebrate God's love of the world through the birth of Jesus. So, how did Christmas become the red and green, bright and merry holiday that it is? It seems that early Christmas celebrations were first derived from Roman and English harvest festivals. People celebrated these festivals by decorating their houses, giving gifts, and singing special songs. One of the most iconic symbols of Christmas (after Santa, of course) is the Christmas tree. The Christmas tree originated in Germany, where it was put up December 24th each year. Now that Thanksgiving has passed, there are lots of things happening to get ready for Christmas. Rochester Downtown’s ‘Big Bright Light Show’ is a huge display of colorful lights on the downtown shops and restaurants. Recently, the Detroit Tree Lighting took place. Several special appearances were made, the biggest being figure skater and Olympic star Nathan Chen. All around town, people have started putting up luminous lights and beautiful wreaths on their houses to get ready for Santa’s arrival. Kids decorate gingerbread houses, and families prepare tasty Christmas dinners. Halls are decked with ribbons and garlands, and the fireplace is extravagantly embellished with lights and holly. Stockings with each family members’ name are hung for Santa to fill with lots of goodies. Best of all, people spend quality family time by trimming the Christmas tree, and sitting together under warm blankets to watch Christmas movies. Sources:
By: Riya Gupta Hi everyone! I hope you had a fun Halloween filled with lots of tricks and treats! Now that Halloween has passed and winter is starting to settle in, it’s time for a new seasonal topic! The day after tomorrow, the five day Hindu event of Diwali will begin! What is Diwali you ask? Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Light which celebrates the triumph of good over evil. It derives from the words ‘deepa’ which means ‘clay lamps,’ and ‘avali’ which means ‘row.’ So, Diwali means ‘a row of clay lamps’ (diyas). There are many stories as to how Diwali began, but the most famous one is the mythological epic Ramayana, by Valmiki. As the story goes, Rama and his three younger brothers: Lakshmun, Bharat, and Shatrughan, grew up as the princes of Panchala with full expectations that Rama would one day become king. Dashrath, the then-current king of Panchala, had three wives. The oldest’s was Rama’s mother, the middle wife's son was Lakshmun, and the youngest was the mother of Bharat and Shatrughan. The youngest wife, Kaikeyi, who wanted the throne for her younger sons, forced Dashrath to exile Rama and his wife Sita for fourteen years. So Rama, Sita, and Lakshmum were outlawed from Panchala, and lived in a nearby forest. Much happened in those fourteen years, but the most important event was Sita’s abduction by the demon Ravana, King of Lanka. Rama and Lakshmun allied with Hanuman, the god of the monkeys, and his army to fight against Ravana. This became one of the most important fights in Hindu Mythology, and Rama won the war. By the end of the war, the fourteen years of exile were also over, and the trio came home to a kingdom of people very happy to see their return. Citizens lit up their homes and streets with diyas to welcome them. And to Kaikeyi’s dismay, Bharat, who was now king, happily handed the rulership back to Rama. This story shows that if you are a good person, then no matter how many obstacles you face, you will be able to conquer the adversities.
There are many ways to celebrate Diwali! Diwali involves more than just lights and legends; it is an opportunity to celebrate love and have fun with loved ones and friends! It is a time to exchange gifts, light fireworks and sparklers, and host delicious dinners! Typically, on this day, people wear new clothes, and clean their houses for good luck. You can get mehendi, which are decorations on your hands made of henna plants. Decorate the floor right outside your house door with rangoli - designs made of colorful sand - and place diyas or candles around and outside your house. I hope you learned something interesting about this popular Indian holiday! Try some of the ideas you learned about to celebrate it! Sources:
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