The Gospels give little indication of Christ’s birth date. Early Christian thinkers theorized many different days for his birth, most in the spring and winter. In the fourth century, Romans began celebrating his birth on Dec. 25, and the date soon spread through other parts of Europe. Many historians believe that Christians chose the date to coincide with the numerous pagan festivals taking place at the same time, such as Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. Others, including Pope Benedict XVI, argue that the date was arrived at by taking the traditional date of Christ’s death (March 25), assuming that it was also the date of his conception, and adding nine months. When Did Americans Begin Celebrating Christmas? Christmas was not widely celebrated in early America. Most European settlers were Puritans, who did not believe the birth of Christ should be celebrated because his birth date was not given in the Bible. Furthermore, they believed that the celebration, particularly the more decadent aspects derived from pagan festivals, encouraged immoral behavior. The celebration of Christmas was actually banned by the Puritan government in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681. It remained unpopular through the American Revolution due to its association with English customs. It was not until the early 19th century that Christmas began to take hold in America, as authors such as Washington Irving and Charles Dickens redefined it as a peaceful family holiday. What Are the Origins of Santa Claus? The earliest inspiration for Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra (in present day Turkey) in the early fourth century, who was known for helping the poor and giving presents to children. In the Middle Ages, Christians celebrated his feast day, Dec. 6, by leaving gifts for children in their shoes. Santa Claus is also derived from Odin, a pagan god of Norse and Germanic origin. Odin had a long white beard and rode through the sky on an eight-legged horse to deliver gifts to good children on Yule, a mid-winter pagan celebration. The Protestant Reformation discouraged celebrations for Saint Nicholas, but he remained popular in the Netherlands, where he was known as Sinterklass. Dutch immigrants in New York celebrated Sinterklass in the late 18th century. In 1809, Washington Irving spread the legend and added new details, writing that St. Nicholas flew through the air in a wagon delivering presents in stockings hung by the chimney. Many of the details of the modern Santa Claus were developed in the poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” published in the Troy (N.Y.) Sentinel on Dec. 23, 1823. Also known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” the poem describes Santa as a plump, cheery man who travels in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer and enters home through the chimney to deliver toys from his bundle. The modern image of Santa Claus was created by Harper’s Weekly cartoonist Thomas Nast, who sketched Santa in a series of 32 cartoons between 1863 and 1886. Nast, whose depiction of Santa Claus derived from “A Visit From St. Nicholas” and his German heritage, may also have invented the idea that Santa lives in the North Pole. The Santa Claus legend was boosted in 1897, when the New York Sun published an editorial in response to 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who asked if Santa Claus existed. Penned by Francis Pharcellus Church, it responded, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.” Marketers in the 20th century used Santa Claus in promotions, greatly expanding his popularity. The most famous marketing campaigns were produced by Coca-Cola, which beginning in 1931 began featuring its own variations of Nast’s Santa Claus. What Are the Origins of the Christmas Tree? Trees and other plants, such as holly and mistletoe, were used in pagan mid-winter celebrations. “Since pagan times evergreens have been valued for their ability to retain signs of life in the middle of winter … Early Christians displayed evergreen plants in the home to symbolise everlasting life,” explains the BBC. The custom of decorating trees for Christmas is believed to have originated in 14th and 15th century Germany, though the first written record of a decorated tree is found in 1510 in Riga, Latvia. Germans brought “paradise trees,” which symbolized the Garden of Eden in plays about Adam and Eve, into their homes on Dec. 24 and decorated it with wafers. They later began to add other cookies and candles, and the practice became widespread in 17th and 18th century. The British began to adopt the custom in the late 18th century. It was popularized by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who decorated a tree in the royal household beginning in the 1840s. Americans were slow to embrace the custom; it wasn’t until the 1890s that it began to spread outside of German immigrants. American trees were larger than the typical German tree, which measured about four feet, and were decorated with brightly colored ornaments rather than cookies and nuts. “Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end.,” says History.com. “With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home became an American tradition.” Beginning the 1923, the White House began its tradition of decorating a tree on the White House lawn. The first Christmas tree was erected in New York’s Rockefeller Center in 1931, and the first tree-lighting ceremony was held two years later. ****** Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!

The road to war between Japan and the United States began in the 1930s when differences over China drove the two nations apart. In 1931 Japan conquered Manchuria, which until then had been part of China. In 1937 Japan began a long and ultimately unsuccessful campaign to conquer the rest of China. In 1940, the Japanese government allied their country with Nazi Germany in the Axis Alliance, and, in the following year, occupied all of Indochina.

The United States, which had important political and economic interests in East Asia, was alarmed by these Japanese moves. The U.S. increased military and financial aid to China, embarked on a program of strengthening its military power in the Pacific, and cut off the shipment of oil and other raw materials to Japan.

Because Japan was poor in natural resources, its government viewed these steps, especially the embargo on oil as a threat to the nation's survival. Japan's leaders responded by resolving to seize the resource-rich territories of Southeast Asia, even though that move would certainly result in war with the United States.

The problem with the plan was the danger posed by the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, devised a plan to immobilize the U.S. fleet at the outset of the war with a surprise attack.

The key elements in Yamamoto's plans were meticulous preparation, the achievement of surprise, and the use of aircraft carriers and naval aviation on an unprecedented scale. In the spring of 1941, Japanese carrier pilots began training in the special tactics called for by the Pearl Harbor attack plan.

In October 1941 the naval general staff gave final approval to Yamamoto's plan, which called for the formation of an attack force commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. It centered around six heavy aircraft carriers accompanied by 24 supporting vessels. A separate group of submarines was to sink any American warships which escaped the Japanese carrier force.

Nagumo's fleet assembled in the remote anchorage of Tankan Bay in the Kurile Islands and departed in strictest secrecy for Hawaii on 26 November 1941. The ships' route crossed the North Pacific and avoided normal shipping lanes. At dawn 7 December 1941, the Japanese task force had approached undetected to a point slightly more than 200 miles north of Oahu. At this time the U.S. carriers were not at Pearl Harbor. On 28 November, Admiral Kimmel sent USS Enterprise under Rear Admiral Willliam Halsey to deliver Marine Corps fighter planes to Wake Island. On 4 December Enterprise delivered the aircraft and on December 7 the task force was on its way back to Pearl Harbor. On 5 December, Admiral Kimmel sent the USS Lexington with a task force under Rear Admiral Newton to deliver 25 scout bombers to Midway Island. The last Pacific carrier, USS Saratoga, had left Pearl Harbor for upkeep and repairs on the West Coast.

At 6:00 a.m. on 7 December, the six Japanese carriers launched a first wave of 181 planes composed of torpedo bombers, dive bombers, horizontal bombers and fighters. Even as they winged south, some elements of U.S. forces on Oahu realized there was something different about this Sunday morning.

In the hours before dawn, U.S. Navy vessels spotted an unidentified submarine periscope near the entrance to Pearl Harbor. It was attacked and reported sunk by the destroyer USS Ward (DD-139) and a patrol plane. At 7:00 a.m., an alert operator of an Army radar station at Opana spotted the approaching first wave of the attack force. The officers to whom those reports were relayed did not consider them significant enough to take action. The report of the submarine sinking was handled routinely, and the radar sighting was passed off as an approaching group of American planes due to arrive that morning.

The Japanese aircrews achieved complete surprise when they hit American ships and military installations on Oahu shortly before 8:00 a.m. They attacked military airfields at the same time they hit the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The Navy air bases at Ford Island and Kaneohe Bay, the Marine airfield at Ewa and the Army Air Corps fields at Bellows, Wheeler and Hickam were all bombed and strafed as other elements of the attacking force began their assaults on the ships moored in Pearl Harbor. The purpose of the simultaneous attacks was to destroy the American planes before they could rise to intercept the Japanese.

Of the more than 90 ships at anchor in Pearl Harbor, the primary targets were the eight battleships anchored there. seven were moored on Battleship Row along the southeast shore of Ford Island while the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) lay in drydock across the channel. Within the first minutes of the attack all the battleships adjacent to Ford Island had taken bomb and or torpedo hits. The USS West Virginia (BB-48) sank quickly. The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) turned turtle and sank. At about 8:10 a.m., the USS Arizona (BB-39) was mortally wounded by an armorpiercing bomb which ignited the ship's forward ammunition magazine. The resulting explosion and fire killed 1,177 crewmen, the greatest loss of life on any ship that day and about half the total number of Americans killed. The USS California (BB-44), USS Maryland (BB-46), USS Tennessee (BB-43) and USS Nevada (BB-36) also suffered varying degrees of damage in the first half hour of the raid.

There was a short lull in the fury of the attack at about 8:30 a.m. At that time the USS Nevada (BB-36), despite her wounds, managed to get underway and move down the channel toward the open sea. Before she could clear the harbor, a second wave of 170 Japanese planes, launched 30 minutes after the first, appeared over the harbor. They concentrated their attacks on the moving battleship, hoping to sink her in the channel and block the narrow entrance to Pearl Harbor. On orders from the harbor control tower, the USS Nevada (BB-36) beached herself at Hospital Point and the channel remained clear.

When the attack ended shortly before 10:00 a.m., less than two hours after it began, the American forces has paid a fearful price. Twenty-one ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or damaged: the battleships USS Arizona (BB-39), USS California (BB-44), USS Maryland (BB-46), USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Oklahoma (BB-37), USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), USS Tennessee (BB-43) and USS West Virginia (BB-48); cruisers USS Helena (CL-50), USS Honolulu (CL-48) and USS Raleigh (CL-7); the destroyers USS Cassin (DD-372), USS Downes (DD-375), USS Helm (DD-388) and USS Shaw (DD-373); seaplane tender USS Curtiss (AV-4); target ship (ex-battleship) USS Utah (AG-16); repair ship USS Vestal (AR-4); minelayer USS Oglala (CM-4); tug USS Sotoyomo (YT-9); and Floating Drydock Number 2. Aircraft losses were 188 destroyed and 159 damaged, the majority hit before the had a chance to take off. American dead numbered 2,403. That figure included 68 civilians, most of them killed by improperly fused anti-aircraft shells landing in Honolulu. There were 1,178 military and civilian wounded.

Japanese losses were comparatively light. Twenty-nine planes, less than 10 percent of the attacking force, failed to return to their carriers.

The Japanese success was overwhelming, but it was not complete. They failed to damage any American aircraft carriers, which by a stroke of luck, had been absent from the harbor. They neglected to damage the shoreside facilities at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, which played an important role in the Allied victory in World War II. American technological skill raised and repaired all but three of the ships sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor (the USS Arizona (BB-39) considered too badly damaged to be salvaged, the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) raised and considered too old to be worth repairing, and the obsolete USS Utah (AG-16) considered not worth the effort). Most importantly, the shock and anger caused by the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor united a divided nation and was translated into a wholehearted commitment to victory in World War II.

---

History by http://www.history.navy.mil/

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. On the first day of Muharram, Muslims observe the Islamic New Year. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year. Hence it is a little different from the Gregorian calender that is used in the western nations. When compared with the Gregorian calendar, which is a solar calendar, the lunar month of Muharram shifts from year to year.

The month of Muharram is of great religious significance to Islamic people the world over. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months, excluding Ramadan. The word "Muharram" is often considered synonymous with "Ashura", the tenth day of the Muharram month.

"Ashura" is a highly important day for both sects of Islam - the Shias and the Sunnis. The Shia muslims
believe that Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, became a martyr at the Battle of Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram in 61 AH(680 AD).

The pre-Islamic period in the Arabian Peninsula was the era of warring tribes. In the absence of a strong leadership, there were conflicts and battles on minor issues. But fighting was prohibited in four months of the year. These months, of which Muharram was one, were considered sacred. Muharram is so called because it was unlawful to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word ‘haram’ meaning forbidden. This period of inactivity was a necessity in heavily decorated replicas of the tomb of the Imam and his family are made for Muharram the era of warring tribes. The tradition was maintained even after the advent of Islam, though provisions to accommodate and accept war in special situations, like a threat to the sovereignty of an empire, were introduced. The gory battle of Karbala was fought against this law and tradition of Islam. The inhabitants on the banks of rivers Euphrates and Tigris were traditional rivals. Muhammad contained their animosity to some extent. But when his son-in-law Hazrat Ali was the Caliph(Muslim civil and religious leader considered to be Allah's representative on earth), the old enmity re-surfaced. Hazrat Ali had two descendants, Hazrat Imam Hussain and Hazrat Imam Hassan. Hussain was the ruler of the part of the empire known today as Iran. The Umayyads ruled the other part in modern Iraq. The Shiahs of Kufa, a small town in the Umayyad kingdom, to accept their allegiance and claim his place as the leader of the Islamic community, called upon Hussain. This was against the wishes of the ruler of Kufa, Yazid, who instructed his governor, Ibn-e-Ziad to take appropriate action. Meanwhile, in response to the call of the Shiahs, Hussain accompanied by his family members, headed for Kufa. When they reached Karbala, en route to Kufa, the forces of the governor surrounded them and their 70 men. Hussain, his family and his troops were tortured and killed, and Hussain's head was severed and presented to the king. They received no help from the Shiahs of Kufa.

As this tragic incident happened on the tenth day of Muharram, Shia Muslims consider this a day of sorrow. They commemorate the martyrdom of Hussain as a religious occassion called "Muharram" (named after the month of its observance). The occassion starts on the 1st day of Muharram and lasts for 10 days until 10th of Muharram. As Muharram approaches, they put on black clothes, as black is regarded as a color of mourning. During the entire 10-day period, they keep themselves away from music and all joyous events (e.g. weddings) that can distract them in anyway from the sorrowful remembrance of that day. During each of the first nine days of Muharram, "Majalis" (assemblies) are held where Shia orators vividly depict the incident of the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his party. Mainstream Shia

A Mirror or a 2-Way Glass?

How can you tell when you are in a room, restroom,
motel etc. with a mirror or a 2-way glass?

Here's how: I thought it was quite interesting! And I
know in about 30 seconds you're going to do what I did
and find the nearest mirror.

Do you know how to determine if a mirror is 2-way or
not? A policewoman who travels all over the US and
gives seminars and techniques for businesswomen passed
this on.

When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel rooms,
changing rooms, etc., how many of you know for sure
that the seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the wall
is a real mirror, or actually a 2-way mirror (i.e.,
they can see you, but you can't see them)? There have
been many cases of people installing 2-way mirrors in changing rooms. It is very difficult to positively identify the surface by looking at it.

So, how do we determine with any amount of certainty what type of mirror we are looking at?

Just conduct this simple test: Place the tip of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a GAP between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then it is GENUINE mirror. However, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail,

then BEWARE! IT IS A 2-WAY MIRROR!

"No Space, Leave the Place"

So remember, every time you see a mirror, do the "fingernail test." It doesn't cost you anything.

REMEMBER. No Space, Leave the Place:

Coated Glass

Uncoated Glass

AAK	Alive And Kicking
AAR	At Any Rate
AAS	Alive And Smiling
ADN	Any Day Now
AFAIK	As Far As I Know
AFK	Away From the Keyboard
AFN	that's All For Now
AOTA	All Of The Above
a/s/l or asl	Age/Sex/Location - (used to ask a chatter their personal information)
AV	Avatar - Graphical representation (a picture) often used in chat rooms to depict a person that is in the room and chatting.
b4	Before
BAK	Back At Keyboard (I'm back)
BBL	Be Back Later
BBS	Be Back Soon
BCNU	I'll Be Seeing You.
b/f	Boyfriend (also shown as bf, B/F, or BF)
BEG	Big Evil Grin
BFN	Bye For Now
BMA	Bite My A** (became popular with the Simpson's cartoon show)
boot	To get kicked out of a chat room, or have to restart the computer because you couldn't talk in the chat room anymore.
BR	Best Regards
BRB	Be Right Back
BRH	Be Right Here
BSEG	Big S**t Eatin Grin
BTA	But Then Again....
BTW	By The Way
btw	BeTWeen you and me ...
chat room	A web page where people gather using software that allows them to talk to one another in real time.
CRS	Can't Remember S**t
CU	See You - also posted as cya
CUS	Can't Understand S**t (stuff)
CNP	Continued in Next Post (seen more on message boards than chat)
CP	Chat Post
CUL8R	See You Later
CUOL	See You On Line
CYA	See Ya
dd, ds, dh	Darling or Dear: Dear Son, Dear Daughter, or Dear Husband.  Usually exchanged in family chats.
DDSOS	Different Day, Same Old S**t
DEGT	Don't Even Go There (I don't want to talk about it)
DIKU	Do I Know You?
DIS	Did I Say
D/L, DL, d/l, dl	Downloading, or Download it.
EG	Evil Grin
EM	E-Mail
EMA	E-mail Address (example: ?ema or ema? = what is your email address)
EOT	End Of Thread (meaning end of discussion)
ez or EZ	easy (one of the really old ones)
F2F	Face To Face
FAQ	Frequently Asked Question
FISH	First In Still Here (someone who is on line TOO much)
FITB	Fill In The Blanks
flame	to insult someone.  Used when a person asks a stupid question, or says something rude to irritate the users of a chat room or message board.
FOCL	Falling Off Chair - Laughing
forum	What todays message boards are called.  Often using php as defining language to quickly write 'real time' messages and replies to a web site (or page)
FTS	F*** This S***
fu	f*** you (If you can't figure this one out, you shouldn't be on line)
FUBAR	"Fouled" Up Beyond All Repair / Recognition
FUD	Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
FWIW	For What It's Worth
FYI	For Your Information
GA	Go Ahead
GAL	Get A Life
gest	Gesture ... a small multimedia file played over the internet, usually expressing an emotion or comment.
g/f	Girlfriend (also shown as gf, G/F, or GF)
GFN	Gone For Now
GGOH	Gotta Get Outta Here
GMTA	Great Minds Think Alike
GR	Gotta Run
GR&D	Grinning, Running, and Ducking.
GTR	Got To Run
GTRM	Going To Read Mail (leaving chat room to check email)
H&K	Hugs and Kisses
hack	person who breaks into software, or disrupts a chat room.
HAGD	Have A Good Day
HAGO	Have A Good One
Halsoft	Name of a company that purchased the brand of Chat that Excite offered, now a pay as you go service.
HB	Hurry Back
Hosts	Refers to the people that are running the chat room, they usually have the ability to kick a person off due to rude behavior.
HTH	Hope That Helps
huggles	Hugs
IAC	In Any Case
IB	I'm Back
IC	I See
IDN	I Don't kNow
IDK	I Don't Know
IDTS	I Don't Think So
IANAL	I'm Am Not A Lawyer (expect an uninformed opinion)
IC	I See
ICQ	I Seek You.  A computer program used to communicate instantly over the Internet.
ILU or ILY	I Love You
IM	Instant Message
IMHO	In My Humble Opinion (or In My Honest Opinion)
IMO	In My Opinion
IOH	I'm Out of Here
IOW	In Other Words
IRL	In Real Life
IYO	In Your Opinion
JAS	Just A Second
JIC	Just In Case
JK	Just Kidding
JMO	Just My Opinion
JW	Just Wondering
k, K, or kk	O. K.
KIT	Keep In Touch
L8R	Later (an early one, kind of outdated with current 'young geeks')
LMAO	Laughing My Ass Off
LFFAO	Laughing My F***(freaking) Ass Off
LOL	Laughing Out Loud
LTNS	Long Time No See
LTS	Laughing To ones Self
LY	I Love Ya.
LYL	Love You Lots
Message Board.	A web page where people write comments, and those comments are than added to that web-page for others to view.  Used to carry on conversation, request information, and relay messages.
MUG	Refers to a new user of that chat program, goes back to Excite VP days when the AV (or icon) that represented someone new was a picture of a coffee mug.
NE1	Anyone
newbie	refers to a person who is new to an area or technology.  Also seen as nube, nooby, nubie, nb, etc.
NFW	No Feasible (or F***ing) Way
NIMBY	Not In My Back Yard
nm, or NM	Never Mind
NP, np	No Problem
NRN	1. No Response Necessary 2. Not Right Now
NT	No Thanks
OBTW	Oh, By The Way.
OIC	Oh, I See
OF	Old Fart, someone who has been around for a while.
OJ or OK	Only Joking or Only Kidding
OL	the Old Lady
OM	the Old Man
OMG	Oh My Gosh (although it's usually used with the Lords name in place of "gosh")
OT	Off Topic
oth or OTH	Off The Hook: Something is really popular, or hot.  Very exciting.
otr or OTR	Off The Rack: Saying that something is outside the ordinary.
OTE	Over The Edge (beyond common sense or beyond good taste)
OTOH	On The Other Hand ...
OTOMH	Off the Top of My Head ...
OTW	On The Way ... I've sent a file to you, it's "On the way"
P911	My parents are in the room.  P=Parents, and 911=emergency, in other words either drop the subject, or watch the language.
PANS	Pretty Awesome New Stuff (often referring to computer technology)
PCMCIA	Personal Computer Memory Cards International Association
PCMCIA	People Can't Master Computer Industry Acronyms (slang)
PEBCAK	Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard
peeps	People. example: "There sure are a lot of peeps in this room" - meaning a lot of people are in the chat room.
peep this	Hey, listen to this, I've got some interesting news.
PITA	Pain In The Ass
PLZ	Please
PMJI	Pardon Me for Jumping In (when you enter into a new conversation)
poof	when someone leaves a chat room, often seen as *poof* as in boy he *poofed* in a hurry.
POTS	Plain Old Telephone Service
POS	Parents are looking Over my Shoulder.
POTS	Parents Over The Shoulder - (My parents are watching, I can't really talk)
PPL	People
QT	Cutie
RFC	Request For Comments (used more in newsgroups, a page or pages that supply technical information)
rl or RL	Real Life (as opposed to being online)
r m or RM	Ready Made: pre-existing
ROFL	Rolling On Floor, Laughing
ROTF	Rolling On The Floor (laughing is implied)
ROTFLMAO	Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off
ROTFLMFAO	Rolling On The Floor Laughing F(***ing) My Ass Off
RSN	Real Soon Now
r/t	Real Time (also: RT, or rt)
RTFM	Read The "Flippin" Manual (response to beginner question on net, chat, newsgroups, etc.)
RU	aRe yoU?
SEG	Shit Eating Grin
SH	Same Here
SMS	Short Message Service (more cell phones and pagers than chat rooms and the Internet)
SN	Screen Name.  The name or moniker selected by person in an IM or chat program.  ex: My "SN" in vp was "-lone.wolf"
SNAFU	Situation Normal, All "Fouled" Up
SO	Significant Other
SOL	Shit Out Of Luck
SOS	Same Old S**t (stuff)
SOTA	State Of The Art (latest technology)
SPST	Same Place, Same Time
SSDD	Same S**t, Different Day
STR8	Straight (can refer to sex, or DSTR8 as in Damn Straight)
STW	Search The Web
SY	Sincerely Yours
SYL	See You Later
TAFN	That's All For Now
TC	Take Care
TFH	Thread From Hell (a topic or discussion that won't stop - esp. newsgroups)
TGIF	Thank Goodness It's Friday
THX	Thanks!
TIA	Thanks In Advance
TM	Text Message (often refers to communications with text over cell phones)
TMI	Too Much Info. (information)
TNT	'Til Next Time
TPS	That's Pretty Stupid
TPTB	The Powers That Be (can sometimes refer to the people that are running the chat room or server)
TRDMF	Tears Running Down My Face: Can be with either laughter, or due to saddness.
TS	Tough S**t
TSFY	Tough S**t For You
TTFN	Ta-Ta For Now
TTTT	These Things Take Time
TTYL	Talk To You Later
TY	Thank You
TYT	Take Your Time
TYVM	Thank You Very Much
VPPH	Virtual Places Page Host
US	You Suck
usa or USA	Until Sides Ache:  Usually used with one of the laughter acronyms such as "lolusa" Laughing Out Loud Until my Sides Ache.  I've also heard that some folks substitute ush for "Until Sides Hurt".  rotflolush = rolling on the floor, laughing out loud, until my sides hurt.
UV	Unpleasant Visual
UW	yoU're Welcome
UY	Up Yours
vp or VP	Virtual Places: A brand of chat offered by Excite in the late 90s and early 2000.
WB	Welcome Back (you say this when someone returns to a chat room)
WC	WelCome
WEG	Wicked Evil Grin
WEU	What's Eating You?
WFM	Works For Me
WIIFM	What's In It For Me?
WTG	Way To Go
WTF	What The F**K
WT?	What The ...? or Who the ...?
WTGP?	Want To Go Private? (move to a private chat room)
WWJD	What Would Jesus Do?
YAA	Yet Another Acronym
YBS	You'll Be Sorry
YL	Young Lady
YM	Young Man
YMMV	Your Mileage May Vary
YR	Yea, Right.  (sarcastic)
*ys*	You Stinker
YVW	You're Very Welcome
YW	You're Welcome

Emoticons symbols used to display feeling) 

Note: For these little things called "emoticons"  Often the idea is to turn your head sideways, and it makes a picture on a lot of the smiley faces.  for example where the ; (semi-colon) are the eyes, the - is the nose, and the ) is the mouth. Also, you see some people use the hyphen (-) to show the nose, while others will show the same expression without the nose.  Example:     and      signify the same thing.

*s*, *S*, <s>, = smile	*g*, <g> = grin	xoxo = hugs and kisses	huggggggsssss = hugs
*w*, <w> = wink	*g*, = giggles	*k*, *K* = kiss	~~~~~~~~ = giving someone the raspberries.
(((((person))))) = giving them a virtual hug.	\~/ = glass with a drink. (usually booze)	^5 = high five	?^ = What's Up?
\_/? = a cup of tea	[_]>  + Cup of coffee	@@@ = Cookies	@--/-- = a rose
.. smile	... wink	<:- ... curious	:~) ... cute
... sad	... wears glasses	:-} ... embarrassed	:-/ ... perplexed, confused
:,-( ..or ;`-( .... to cry	:-< ... pouting	> ... angry	0 ... angel
:- ... bored or no opinion	:-> ... grin/mischievous	-) ... dreaming	... shouting, or shocked
... talking, or surprised	>:- ... mad / angry	... big grin or laugh	= ... scared
:-x ... keeping mouth shut	) ... smiles (w/nose)	)))))) ... lots of smiles	;-P ... sticking tongue out   ... sticking tongue out
# 8 - ) ... nerd, or or person with glasses and crew cut.	&-( ... crying	! .. I have an idea	;-{ ) ... person with a mustache
~ ... sexy tongue - or drunk	;~) ... being cute	c["] ... coffee mug	[_]> ... another cup or mug
:-> ... grin/mischievous	<:- ... curious	- ... sound asleep	:-x .. I'm keeping my mouth shut

Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى‎ ‘Īdu l-’Aḍḥā) or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.^[1] The meat is divided into three parts to be distributed to others. The family retains one third of the share, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the other third is given to the poor & needy.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, whose basis comes from Sura 2 (Al-Baqara) Ayah 196 in the Qur'an.^[2] Like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a Wajib prayer of two Raka'ah (units) followed by a sermon (khuṭbah).

The word "Eid" appears in Sura al-Mai'da ("The Table Spread," Chapter 5) of the Qur'an, meaning 'solemn festival'.^[3]

Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar.^[4] Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months & 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan, i.e. Eid-ul-Fitr. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.^[5]

Contents [hide] 1 Other Names 2 Background 3 The Sunnah of Eid al-Adha 4 Salat al-Eid (Eid Prayer) 5 Rules Regarding the Animal to be Sacrificed 6 Rules Related to the Person offering the Sacrifice 7 The Takbir and Other Rituals 8 Traditions and Practices 9 Eid al-Adha in the Gregorian Calendar 10 Notes 11 External links

[edit] Other Names

The Arabic term "Festival of Sacrifice", ‘Eid ul-’Aḍḥā, was borrowed as a unit from Semitic roots that evolved into Indic languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and Bengali and Austronesian languages such as Malay and Indonesian.

Another Semitic word for "sacrifice" is the Arabic Qurbān (Arabic: قربان‎), which is used in Dari Persian - Afghanistan and Iranian dialect of Persian as Eyde Ghorbân عید قربان, and in Tajik Persian as Иди Қурбон (Idi Qurbon), into Kazakh as Құрбан айт (Qurban ayt), into Uyghur as Qurban Heyit, and also into various Indic languages. Other languages combined the Arabic word qurbān with local terms for "festival", as in Kurdish (Cejna Qurbanê^[6]), Pashto (Kurbaneyy Akhtar), Chinese (古尔邦节 Gúěrbāng Jié), Malay and Indonesian (Hari Raya Korban, Qurbani), and Turkish (Kurban Bayramı). The Turkish term was later used in other languages such as Azeri (Qurban Bayramı), Tatar (Qorban Bäyräme), Bosnian and Croatian (Kurban-bajram), Serbian (Курбан бајрам), Russian (Курбан-байрам).

Another Arabic name, ‘Īd ul-Kabīr (عيد الكبير `Īd al-Kabīr), meaning "Greater Eid/Festival" (the "Lesser Eid" being Eid ul-Fitr^[7]), is used in Yemen, Syria, and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt). The term was borrowed directly into French as Aïd el-Kebir. Translations of "Big Eid" or "Greater Eid" are used in Pashto لوی اختر Loy Akhtar, Kashmiri Baed Eid, Hindi and Urdu Baṛā Īd, Malayalam Bali Perunnal, and Tamil Peru Nāl.

Another name refers to the fact that the holiday occurs after the culmination of the Hajj (حج), or pilgrimage to Mecca (Makka). Such names are used in Malay and Indonesian (Hari Raya Haji "Hajj celebration day", Lebaran Haji), and in Tamil Hajji Peru Nāl.

In Urdu-speaking areas, the festival is also called بقرعید Baqra Īd or Baqrī Īd, stemming either from the Arabic baqarah "heifer" or the Urdu word baqrī for "goat", as cows and goats are among the traditionally sacrificed animals. That term was also borrowed into other languages, such as Tamil Bakr Eid Peru Nāl.

Other local names include 宰牲节 Zǎishēng Jié ("Slaughter-livestock Festival") in Chinese, Tfaska Tamoqqart in the Berber language of Djerba, Tabaski or Tobaski in West African languages,^[8][9]Babbar Sallah in Nigerian languages, and ciida gawraca in Somali.

Eid-al-Adha has other popular names across the Muslim world. The name is often simply translated into the local language, such as English Festival of Sacrifice, German Opferfest, Dutch Offerfeest, Romanian Sărbătoarea Sacrificiului and Hungarian Áldozati ünnep. Spanish Fiesta del Cordero.

[edit] Background

According to Islamic tradition, approximately four thousand years ago, the valley of Mecca (in what is now Saudi Arabia) was a dry, rocky and uninhabited place. Abraham ('Ibraheem in Arabic) was instructed to bring his Egyptian wife Hagar (Hāǧar) and Ishmael, his only child at the time (Ismā'īl), to Arabia from the land of Canaan (in Palestine as well as parts of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Sinai) by God's command.

As Abraham was ready to return to Canaan, Hagar asked him, "Did Allah (God) order you to leave us here?" When Abraham replied: "Yes, I was directed by Allah (God)," Hagar said, "Then Allah will not forget us; you can go". Although Abraham had left a large quantity of food and water with Hagar and Ishmael, the supplies quickly ran out, and within a few days the two began to feel the pangs of hunger and dehydration.

Hagar ran up and down between two hills called Al-Safa and Al-Marwah seven times, in her desperate quest for water. Exhausted, she finally collapsed beside her baby Ishmael and prayed to God for deliverance. Miraculously, a spring of water gushed forth from the earth at the feet of baby Ishmael. Other accounts have the angel Gabriel (Jibril) striking the earth and causing the spring to flow in abundance. With this secure water supply, known as the Zamzam Well, they were not only able to provide for their own needs, but were also able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies.

Years later, Abraham was instructed by God to return from Palestine to build a place of worship adjacent to Hagar's well (the Zamzam Well). Abraham and Ishmael constructed a stone and mortar structure —known as the Kaaba— which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in God. As the years passed, Ishmael was blessed with Prophethood (Nubuwwah) and gave the nomads of the desert his message of submission to God. After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving desert city and a major center for trade, thanks to its reliable water source, the well of Zamzam.

One of the main trials of Abraham's life was to face the command of God to devote his dearest possession, his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to God's will. During this preparation, Satan (Shaitan) tempted Abraham and his family by trying to dissuade them from carrying out God's commandment, and Ibrahim and Ishmael drove Satan away by throwing pebbles at him. In commemoration of their rejection of Satan, stones are thrown at symbolic pillars signifying Satan during the Hajj rites.

When Ishmael was about 13 (Ibrahim being 99), Allah (God) decided to test their faith in and submission to Allah in public. Both father and son were put through the most difficult test of their love for Allah. Abraham had a recurring dream, in which God was commanding him to offer his son as a sacrifice – an unimaginable act – sacrificing his son, which God had granted him after many years of deep prayer, the one who had been the centre of his affection and love for all these years. Abraham knew that the dreams of the prophets were inspired by Allah, and one of the ways in which God communicated with his prophets. This must be what Allah had wanted him to do. When the intent of the dreams became clear to him, Abraham decided to fulfil God's command and offer his beloved son in sacrifice.

Although Abraham was ready to sacrifice his dearest for Allah’s sake, he could not just go and drag his son to the place of sacrifice without his consent. Isma'el had to be consulted as to whether he was willing to give up his life as fulfillment to God's command. This consultation would be a major test of Isma'el’s maturity in faith, love and commitment for Allah, willingness to obey his father and sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah.

Abraham presented the matter to his son and asked for his opinion about the dreams of slaughtering him. Ishmael’s reaction was absolutely astounding. He did not show any hesitation or reservation even for a moment. He said, “Father, do what you have been commanded. You will find me, Insha'Allah (God willing), to be very patient.” His mature response, his deep insight into the nature of dad’s dreams, his commitment to Allah, and ultimately his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah were all unprecedented.

When both father and son had shown their perfect obedience to Allah and they had practically demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice their most precious possessions for His sake—Abraham by laying down his son for sacrifice and Ishmael by lying patiently under the knife – Allah called out to them stating that his sincere intentions had been accepted, and that he need not carry out the killing of Ishmael. Instead, Abraham was told to replace his son with a ram to sacrifice instead. Allah also told them that they had passed the test imposed upon them by his willingness to carry out God's command.^[10]

This is mentioned in the Qur'an as follows:

"O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!" So We gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old enough to walk and work with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now see what is your view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah wills, you will find me one practising patience and steadfastness!" So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, We called out to him saying: O Ibraheem! You have indeed fulfilled the vision; surely thus do We reward those who do good. Most surely this was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations. "Peace and salutation to Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. Surely he was one of Our believing servants.^[11]

As a reward for this sacrifice, Allah then granted Abraham the good news of the birth of his second son, Is-haaq (Isaac):

And We gave him the good news of Is-haaq, a prophet from among the righteous. ^[12]

Abraham had shown that his love for his god superseded all others: that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dearest to him in submission to God's command. Muslims commemorate this ultimate act of sacrifice every year during Eid al-Adha.

[edit] The Sunnah of Eid al-Adha

In keeping with the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims are encouraged to prepare themselves for the occasion of Eid. Below is a list of things Muslims are recommended to do in preparation for the Eid al-Adha festival:

1. Wake up early (before sunrise).
2. Make wudu (ablution) and offer Salat al-Fajr (the pre-sunrise prayer).
3. Prepare for personal cleanliness - take care of details of clothing, etc.
4. Take a Ghusl (bath) after Fajr prayer.
5. Brush teeth (preferably with a miswak, or tooth-stick).
6. Dress up, putting on new or best clothes available (White, when available, is optimal^[13]).
7. Apply perfume (attar) (men only).
8. It is Sunnah not to eat anything before going to Eid prayers. Contrast with Eid ul-Fitr when eating dates is recommended. The sacrifice must be done after Eid prayers to be accepted as sacrifice. ^[14][15]
9. Go to the prayer grounds (known as an 'Eidgah') early.
10. Offer Salat al-Eid (the congregational Eid prayer) in an open place, weather permitting, or in mosque.
11. Use two separate routes when traveling to and from the Eid prayer location.
12. Recite the following Takbir which starts at Maghrib (sunset) on the 9th of Dhu al-hijah and last until the Asr on the 13th Dhu al-ilhijah: Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbar. La ilaha illa-lah wallahu-Akbar. Allahu-Akbar wa-lillahil-hamd, which translates to: "Allah (God) is the Greatest (3 times); there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest and to Him are due all praises."

[edit] Salat al-Eid (Eid Prayer)

Salat al-Eid is a Mustahabb (strongly recommended, but just short of obligatory) congregational prayer. Eid prayer must be offered in congregation. It consists of two Raka'ah (units) with seven Takbirs in the first Raka'ah and five Takbirs in the second Raka'ah . For Sunni Muslims, Salat al-Eid differs from the five daily canonical prayers in that no adhan (Call to Prayer) or iqama (call) is pronounced for the two Eid prayers.^[16] However, Shi'ite Muslims may begin Salat al-Eid with adhan (Call to Prayer)—with a third repetition of the line "Hayya ala salah" ("Come to prayer")—and iqama (call).^[17] The Salaat (prayer) is then followed by the Khutbah, or sermon, by the Imam. The Khutbah is considered an integral part of the Eid prayer and so listening to it is thus considered Wajib. During the Khutbah, the Imam reminds the Muslim community about its responsibilities and obligations towards Allah, and good works, kindness, mercy and generosity towards their fellow Muslims and humanity as a whole.

At the conclusion of the prayers and sermon, the Muslims embrace and exchange greetings with one other (Eid Mubarak), give gifts (Eidi) to children, and visit one another. Many Muslims also take this opportunity to invite their non-Muslims friends, neighbours, co-workers and classmates to their Eid festivities to better acquaint them about Islam and Muslim culture.^[18]

[edit] Rules Regarding the Animal to be Sacrificed

1. The animal has to be one of the cattle approved by the Sharia (Cow, Camel, Goat, Sheep etc.)
2. The animal has reached the required age. The adult age is:

• Six months for a sheep
• One year for a goat, lamb
• Two years for a cow
• Five years for a camel

1. The animal is free from an obvious defect like a one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is obvious and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones
2. The animal is in full possession of the one who is offering the sacrifice; i.e. it is not stolen or taken by force, not of joint possession or held in pledge
3. The animal can not be sold or given away once selected or bought for sacrifice, unless exchanging for something better.^[19]

[edit] Rules Related to the Person offering the Sacrifice

1. Being a Muslim
2. It is necessary for the one who intends to offer the sacrifice that he does not remove any hair or nail from the sunset on last day of Zhul-Qa’dah until the sacrifice is done on the Eid day for the Hagi people
3. Doing the slaughter with one’s own hands. If one is not able to do so then he can appoint some one else to do the slaughter on his behalf. In such case one should witness his slaughter if at all possible.
4. It is a necessary condition of the sacrifice that the animal be slaughtered with the intention of offering a sacrifice (udhiyah). The intention must be in the heart, and should not be spoken out loud.
5. Taking the Name of Allah at the time of slaughter.

[edit] The Takbir and Other Rituals

The Takbir is recited from the dawn of the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah to the thirteenth, and consists of:^[20]

Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar	الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر
lā ilāha illā Allāh	لا إله إلا الله
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar	الله أكبر الله أكبر
wa li-illāhil-hamd	ولله الحمد

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,

There is no deity but Allah

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

and to Allah goes all praise

Variation

Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar	الله أكبر الله أكبر
lā ilāha illā Allāh	لا إله إلا الله
wa Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar	والله أكبر الله أكبر
wa li-illāhil-ḥamd	ولله الحمد
Alḥamdulillāh `alā mā hadānā, wa lahul-shukru `ala mā awlānā	الحمدلله على ما هدانا و له الشكر على ما اولانا

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,

There is no deity but Allah

and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

and to Allah goes all praise, (We) sing the praises of Allah because He has shown us the Right Path. (We) gratefully thank Him because He takes care of us and looks after our interests.

Variation:

Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar	الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر
lā ilāha illā Allāh	لا إله إلا الله
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar	الله أكبر الله أكبر
wa li-illāhil-ḥamd	ولله الحمد
Allāhu akbar kabīra, wal ḥamdu lillāhi kathīra, wa subḥāna Allāhi bukratan wa aṣīlā	الله أكبر كبيرا والحمد لله كثيرا وسبحان الله بكرة وأصيلا
lā ilāha illā Allāh waḥdah(i)	لا اله إلا الله وحده
Ṣadaqa wa`dah, wa naṣara abdah, wa 'a`azza jundahu wa ḥazama al-aḥzaba waḥdah	صدق وعده ونصر عبده وأعز جنده وهزم الأحزاب وحده
lā ilāha illā Allāh	لا إله إلا الله
walā na`budu illā iyyāh	ولا نعبد إلا إياه
Mukhliṣīn lahu ud-dīn wa law kariha al kāfirūn	مخلصين له الدين ولو كره الكافرون
Allāhumma ṣallī `alā Sayyidinā Muḥammad, wa `alā āla Sayyidinā Muḥammad, wa `alā aṣḥabi Sayyidinā Muḥammad, wa `alā anṣāri Sayyidinā Muḥammad, wa `alā azwāji Sayyidinā Muḥammad, wa `alā ḏurriyyati Sayyidinā Muḥammadin wa sallim taslīman kathīra	اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد وعلى آل سيدنا محمد وعلى أصحاب سيدنا محمد وعلى أنصار سيدنا محمد وعلى أزواج سيدنا محمد وعلى ذرية سيدنا محمد وسلم تسليما كثيرا

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,

There is no deity but Allah

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

and to Allah goes all praise

Allah is the Greatest, all Praise is due to Him, And Glory to Allah, eventide and in the morning

There is no god, but Allah the Unique

He has fulfilled His Promise, and made Victorious His worshipper, and made Mighty His soldiers and defeated the confederates

There is no deity but Allah

He alone we worship

With sincere and exclusive devotion, even though the infidels hate it

O Allah, have Mercy on our Prophet Muhammad, and on the family of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the Companions of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the Helpers of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the wives of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the offspring of our Prophet Muhammad, and bestow upon them much peace.

[edit] Traditions and Practices

Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer (ṣalātu l-`Īdi) in a large congregation is an open waqf field called Eidgah or mosque. Those Muslims who can afford, i.e Malik-e-Nisaab; sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually a cow, but can also be a camel, goat, sheep or ram depending on the region) as a symbol of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son. The sacrificed animals, called Uḍhiyyah (Arabic: أضحية‎, also known by its Persian term, "al-Qurbāni"), have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice.

The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid al-Adha by concerted efforts to see that no impoverished person is left without an opportunity to partake in the sacrificial meal during these days.

During Eid al-Adha, distributing meat amongst the people, chanting the Takbir out loud before the Eid prayer on the first day and after prayers throughout the three days of Eid, are considered essential parts of this important Islamic festival. In some countries, families that do not own livestock can make a contribution to a charity that will provide meat to those who are in need.

[edit] Eid al-Adha in the Gregorian Calendar

While Eid al-Adha is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. The lunar calendar is approximately eleven days shorter than the solar calendar. Each year, Eid al-Adha (like other Islamic holidays) falls on one of two different Gregorian dates in different parts of the world, due to the fact that the boundary of crescent visibility is different from the International Date Line.

The following list shows the official dates of Eid al-Adha for Saudi Arabia as announced by the Supreme Judicial Council. Future dates are calculated according to the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia.^[21] The three days after the listed date are also part of the festival. The time before the listed date the pilgrims visit the Mount Arafat and descend from it after sunrise of the listed day. Future dates of Eid al-Adha might face correction 10 days before the festivity, in case of deviant lunar sighting in Saudi Arabia for the start of the month Dhul Hijja.

• 1418 (Islamic Calendar): April 7, 1998
• 1419 (Islamic Calendar): March 27, 1999
• 1420 (Islamic Calendar): March 16, 2000
• 1421 (Islamic Calendar): March 5, 2001
• 1422 (Islamic Calendar): February 23, 2002
• 1423 (Islamic Calendar): February 12, 2003
• 1424 (Islamic Calendar): February 1, 2004
• 1425 (Islamic Calendar): January 21, 2005
• 1426 (Islamic Calendar): January 10, 2006
• 1427 (Islamic Calendar): December 31, 2006
• 1428 (Islamic Calendar): December 20, 2007
• 1429 (Islamic Calendar): December 8, 2008
• 1430 (Islamic Calendar): November 27, 2009
• 1431 (Islamic Calendar): November 17, 2010
• 1432 (Islamic Calendar): November 6, 2011 (calculated)
• 1433 (Islamic Calendar): October 26, 2012 (calculated)
• 1434 (Islamic Calendar): October 15, 2013 (calculated)
• 1435 (Islamic Calendar): October 4, 2014 (calculated)
• 1436 (Islamic Calendar): September 23, 2015 (calculated)
• 1437 (Islamic Calendar): September 11, 2016 (calculated)
• 1438 (Islamic Calendar): September 1, 2017 (calculated)
• 1439 (Islamic Calendar): August 21, 2018 (calculated)
• 1440 (Islamic Calendar): August 11, 2019 (calculated)
• 1441 (Islamic Calendar): July 31, 2020 (calculated)
• 1442 (Islamic Calendar): July 23, 2021 (calculated)

^Corrected

The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. Their destination? The New World. Although filled with uncertainty and peril, it offered both civil and religious liberty.

For over two months, the 102 passengers braved the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea. Finally, with firm purpose and a reliance on Divine Providence, the cry of "Land!" was heard.

Arriving in Massachusetts in late November, the Pilgrims sought a suitable landing place. On December 11, just before disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the "Mayflower Compact" - America's first document of civil government and the first to introduce self-government.

After a prayer service, the Pilgrims began building hasty shelters. However, unprepared for the starvation and sickness of a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.

The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607), it was America's first Thanksgiving Festival.

Pilgrim Edward Winslow described the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving in these words:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling [bird hunting] so that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as... served the company almost a week... Many of the Indians [came] amongst us and... their greatest King, Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought... And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet BY THE GOODNESS OF GOD WE ARE... FAR FROM WANT."

In 1789, following a proclamation issued by President George Washington, America celebrated its first Day of Thanksgiving to God under its new constitution. That same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which President Washington was a member, announced that the first Thursday in November would become its regular day for giving thanks, "unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities." Yet, despite these early national proclamations, official Thanksgiving observances usually occurred only at the State level.

Much of the credit for the adoption of a later ANNUAL national Thanksgiving Day may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book. For thirty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting President after President until President Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving. Over the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln's precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday.

Lincoln's original 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation came - spiritually speaking - at a pivotal point in his life. During the first week of July of that year, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred, resulting in the loss of some 60,000 American lives. Four months later in November, Lincoln delivered his famous "Gettsysburg Address." It was while Lincoln was walking among the thousands of graves there at Gettysburg that he committed his life to Christ. As he explained to a friend:

When I left Springfield [to assume the Presidency] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving each year, we hope they will retain the original gratefulness to God displayed by the Pilgrims and many other founding fathers , and remember that it is to those early and courageous Pilgrims that they owe not only the traditional Thanksgiving holiday but also the concepts of self-government, the "hard-work" ethic, self-reliant communities, and devout religious faith.

Source = www.christiananswers.net/