(Top Row L to R): John Lemons, Hugh Fairchild (Bottom Row L to R): Bill Morey, Pam Gleason, Arnold Clark)

First of all, we want to recognize those among us at the CMC Group of companies (that includes PMT and PMR) that have served. A heartfelt thank you to the following: Arnold Clark (Specialist, Army  – Production Supervisor), Hugh Fairchild (Sergeant, Air Force – Art Files Clerk), John Lemons (Staff Sergeant, Air Force – Master Digital Mac Product Artist/Team Leader), Heidi Chambers (Specialist, Ohio Army National Guard – Director of Sales), Pam Gleason (Sergeant, Ohio Army National Guard – Inside Sales Specialist DayMark), Bill Morey (Corporal, Marine Corps – Inside Sales Specialist), Greg Rogers (Sergeant, Marine Corps – Vice President of Business Development).

So, when exactly was the first Veteran’s Day observed, and how did this day honoring those who served come about?

Veteran’s Day actually evolved out of another National Observance: Armistice Day. World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. Fighting stopped several months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. As a result, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars”, and thus called “Armistice Day.”

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs says this in regards to how Armistice Day eventually become known as Veteran’s Day:

“An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’ Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word ‘Armistice’ and inserting in its place the word ‘Veterans.’ With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.”

In addition to honoring those that have served, we’d like you to remember those that are currently serving our country. We have troops all over the world eager to come home to a grateful nation. Let’s keep them in our thoughts and prayers for a safe return. To help show that support, PrintMyRibbon.com is proud to offer Support Our Troops Awareness Ribbons to help you bring awareness to others of the fantastic job the members of our Armed Forces have done for us both presently, and in the past. Again, thank you to all veterans and members of our military. We appreciate and honor you!

Amateur Radio Operators, often known as “Hams” use radiowaves to make contacts with each other all over the world.  I was just licensed as a Ham myself this past March, and have thoroughly been enjoying the hobby.  My Amateur Radio Callsign given to me by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is:  KD8NJZ.  I’ve been able to make radio contacts with other Hams in over 30 states, and about 11 different countries.  It’s a thoroughly enjoyable hobby.  One of the ways Hams verify radio contacts with each other is via a postcard that we call a “QSL Card.”  QSL is Ham shorthand for “I confirm receipt of your transmission” or “Do you confirm receipt of my transmission.” Q codes were first used in Morse Code, and are still used to this day.  The QSL card shown to the left is from Steve Smith of Kent, England.  I “met” Steve via Twitter, and hope to work him on the air some day!  I have managed to talk to England twice, so I know it’s possible some day!

QSL Cards were probably independently invented a number of times.  According to Wikipedia, the “earliest” reference seems to be a card sent in 1916 from 8VX in Buffalo, New York to 3TQ in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”  Each card will detail out the callsigns of both stations involved in the contact, the time and date it was made (usually in what’s called UTC, or “Coordinated Universal Time), the radio frequency or band used, the mode of transmission (voice, Morse Code, various digital modes), and a signal report.  Most QSL cards are the size of a postcard, either 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″, or 4″ x 6″.

A QSL Card is a Ham’s “personal calling card”, and as such take great pride in designing them.  They may include a photo of their station, original artwork, images of the operator’s hometown, or other images that set them apart as an individual.  As a result, many Hams enjoy collecting QSL Cards from all over the world.  Cards from countries where there are few Ham Radio Operators are the most prized cards to collect, and you’ll hear many Hams on the Amateur Radio Bands trying to make “DX” contacts to add to their collection.  “DX” is simply a reference to “long distance” contacts.

To find out more about Ham radio, be sure to stop by the American Radio Relay League website.  Ham Radio is both educational (math, electrical, and radio knowledge is greatly improved) and a lot of fun!  Friendships can be built for a lifetime via this hobby.

Be sure to check out PrintMyThing’s offering of postcards for your own unique design ideas to share with friends!  You may not be a Ham (yet), but there are plenty of great uses for postcards that are just waiting for your very own creativity to flourish on.  73 de KD8NJZ (Best Regards from Craig!)

Searching for odd contests in history was a real treat.  It’s amazing what you can find on the Internet.  Here are some very interesting “contests” both of the past and modern times that you’ll get a real kick out of:

1)  Roman Gladiatorial matches have to rank as one of the most odd type of contests in history.  Disturbingly odd.  Fights to the death were a regular part of Roman life between as early as 264 B.C., and the 5th Century A.D.  Public executions were turned into a “sport” for citizens to watch and enjoy.  There are a number of resources out there describing the Gladiatorial Culture and practices of the Romans (and even cultures before them like the Greeks.)  It was a brutal time, and one that we have trouble relating to.  Not wanting to get into the gory details, I’ll just leave it to you to research more if you really want to.  But it was odd.  Very odd.

2)  Throughout history, women have traditionally worn their hair long.  Or at least, longer than men in most cultures.  However, in the early 20th century, women of the west began to cut their hair much shorter than in times past.  As a result, “Long Hair Contests” began to sprout up around the world.  The earliest picture I could find was from around 1910, in Berlin, Germany.  The most recent record holder according to the Guiness Book of World Records is Xie Qiuping of China.  Her hair is 18 ft 5.54 in long!

3)  The “Black Pudding Throwing Championship” definitely fits the bill of being an “Odd & Unusual” Competition. The first thing I had to ask myself when I ran across this was: What in the world is Black Pudding? I now regret asking myself that question.  According to Wikipedia, Black pudding is “a type of sausage made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.  It is also called blood sausage.  Pig or cattle blood is most often used; typical fillers include meat, fat, suet, bread, sweet potato, onion, chestnuts, barley and oatmeal.”  The more I think about this…this is beyond “odd.”

Anyway, what is the actual competition?  It’s simple enough:  knock down as many Yorkshire puddings as you can. You get three 6oz black puddings to attempt this, and puddings must be thrown underarm.  What is a Yorkshire pudding?  I’ll let you Google it.  But I’ll tell you this: It sounds more appetizing than a Black Pudding!

How did this competition come about?  It dates back to the 1850s and is a celebration of the old rivalry between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Supposedly during the Wars of the Roses, raiders from Yorkshire were attacking the borders of Lancashire and the citizens of Lancashire ran out of ammunition.  They continued the fight by throwing food instead!

4) Last, but certainly not least is the…heh…I’m sorry, I’m laughing as I type this:  The “Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championships.”  I’m serious.  The event has been broadcast by Fox Sports, and has been sponsored by Bud Light.  You can view the website here. I don’t think I need to explain the “Rock Paper Scissors” contest to you, but maybe a bit of history is in order.

According to Wikipedia, the game could date back to the Han Dynasty in China.  It was called “Li rihua.”  Another theory mentioned is that the Japanese invented Rock, Paper, Scissors in the latter half of the 19th Century.  It was commonly known as “Janken.”  Even Janken however is believed to have been linked to an earlier Japanese game called “San Sukumi” which translates to “freezing aspects of a snake, frog, and slug with fear.”

So, there are some fun “odd” contests and competitions from history. Be sure to become a fan of PrintMyThing on Facebook, and you can participate in some rather fun (and maybe sometimes odd) contests also!  Winning free stuff is always a good thing.

Let’s start with the well known “New Year’s Resolutions.”  The tradition of the New Year’s Resolutions goes back to 153 B.C.  Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.  Janus was always depicted as having two faces.  One face forward, and one looking backwards.  That way, Janus could look back on past events, but also look to the future.  Romans of the time would celebrate the new year by exchanging gifts, and giving each other branches from “sacred trees” as good luck tokens.  (It seems like I’ve been writing a lot about “sacred trees” lately, doesn’t it?  Apparently people of antiquity had a thing for trees.)  People of the time would seek forgiveness from their enemies.

The Babylonian New Year was celebrated for 11 days starting on March 23rd, with each day providing a different “mode” of celebration.  I will leave my description of this to this:  It’s safe to say that today’s celebrations are tame compared to what happened in antiquity.  To their credit however, it was the Babylonians who, almost 4000 years ago, started the tradition of “resolutions” by pledging to return something borrowed from a friend from the previous year.  People have been breaking resolutions every since.

The most common resolution to make is probably that of losing weight and getting oneself healthy and fit.  That’s one of my goals for this upcoming year.  However, according to an article on Wikipedia, “Recent research shows that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals.”  Men that took the time to set small, measurable goals however are 22% more likely to achieve success, versus just saying they want to “lose weight.”  Women are 10% more likely to achieve their goals if they make them known to others according to studies.

For myself, I will be joining a “biggest loser” contest here at PrintMyThing.  There are 10 other contestants, and we’re all paying into a “pot” to be a part of the contest.  The top 2 participants that lost the most percentage of their body weight will split the pot 60/40.  The combination of group accountability/support, and financial reward will most likely improve all of our chances of succeeding in losing the weight we want.  Be sure that if you make a resolution, you specifiy your goal, and try to be accountable to someone for the goals you have set.

The rest of the Odd History of the New Year celebration has more to do with traditions of “luck”, than of resolutions themselves.  Here’s a small list I’ve compiled of worldwide “luck” traditions observed throughout the world:

• In Austria, a  suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the new year. It’s served decorated with tiny edible pigs. Dessert is often green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover.  The ice cream I’m cool with.  The tiny edible pigs…not so much.
• Wales ushers in luck by opening the back door at the first toll of midnight and then shutting it to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is welcomed with all of its luck.
• An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year’s Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck.  (Personally, I LOVE this tradition.  Lasagna is an excellent food.  Macaroni (with cheese anyway), not so good.
• In Greece, A special New Year’s bread is baked with a coin buried in the dough. The first slice is for the Christ child, the second for the father of the household and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice holds the coin, spring will come early that year.  Odd.
• The kiss shared at the stroke of midnight in the United States is derived from masked balls that have been common throughout history. As tradition has it, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the old year and the kiss is the purification into the new year.  Whatever the history of the tradition…who doesn’t enjoy kissing their significant other? 

There are many more odd traditions of luck and resolutions that I could share, but there’s some of the highlights that I ran across while studying up on this topic.  We here at PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon wish you all the very best in 2010.  Happy New Year!

Business cards started as an evolution of an earlier form of card known as a “visiting card”, and also a “trade card.” These were used in all parts of England at the beginning of the 17th Century. Trade cards were used for multiple purposes including advertising, and as maps to direct customers the business person’s shop/store. At the time, there was no formal street numbering system, so maps were crucial to drive traffic to their storefronts.

Early tradecards were printed by using a woodcut or letterpress method, but by the 18th century copperplate engraving was the most popular way of printing them. They were often monotone in color/hue. Right around 1830, “lithography” using several different colors became the established method of printing trade cards.

In the United States, visiting cards and “trade cards” caught on in popularity. An article on Ezinearticles says: “For a short period there was not much distinction between the business card and the visiting card. Gradually, the two types of cards began to separate. The rules of etiquette that came into being during this period began to make the idea of a card that stressed a business function unacceptable as a calling card. In fact, when a person left a business related card during a social visit to a home, it was seen as an attempt to collect a bill or debt.”

Modern business cards have taken very creative and fantastic forms including folded business cards, business card magnets, and of course the traditional one-sided business card.

Much of my research was done using an article on Festivus from “Wikipedia”, but I will also be relying on my own recollections of an episode from Seinfeld. I will admit that in intially researching “Festivus”, I was under the (mistaken) impression that the holiday originated merely from Seinfeld. I was amused to discover however, that Festivus was actually a holiday marking the first date of Dan O’Keefe with his future wife, Deborah. This first celebration of Festivus occurred in February of 1965, but is now celebrated on December 23rd of each year, as shown on the 1997 Seinfeld episode called “The Strike.” Dan O’Keefe’s son, Daniel, was a scriptwriter for the show. He is responsible for the holiday being made public.

The Odd History of Festivus includes the following holiday traditions and practices:
1) The Festivus Pole
2) Feats of Strength
3) Airing of Grievances

We’ll start with “The Festivus Pole.” This pole was not a part of the original celebration of Festivus. Instead, it was introduced by the character Frank Costanza (the father of the character George Costanza.) This pole is made out of aluminum. A true Festivus Pole is displayed with no decoration of any sort. In Frank’s own words:

Cosmo Kramer: “And is there a tree?”
Frank Costanza: “No, instead, there’s a pole. It requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting.”
Frank Costanza: “It’s made from aluminum. Very high strength-to-weight ratio.”

The second observance of Festivus involves the traditional “Airing of Grievances.” This occurs immediately after the Festivus dinner. During the Airing of Grievances, individuals are allowed to lash out at each other, and the world in general as to why they have disappointed the offended individual. This portion of the celebration takes great courage to complete successfully. Only the strongest of families can endure this tradition.

Finally, to conclude the Festivus Holiday, “Feats of Strength” must be observed. The tradition of “Feats of Strength” involves the head of the household challenging a person of their choosing, to a wrestling match. The person that has been challenged has the opportunity to decline the challenge if they have something else they have to do, like work…or brush their teeth. However, tradition dictates that Festivus cannot end until the head of the household is successfully pinned to the ground. If the person that has been challenged fails to pin the head of the household, they are ejected from the Festivus celebration.

I trust that you’ve enjoyed this edition of “Odd History.” A very Happy Festivus to you (if you are still happy after your airing of grievances), and…since I can’t help it: Merry Christmas as well!

To start, the Winter Solstice is when the axial tilt of the earth is farthest away from the sun.  It occurs on December 21st (12:47pm EST to be exact), and is recognized as the “official” beginning of the season of Winter. As such, this day has had special “sacredness” given to it for millenia, and for a large number of civilizations throughout the world.  Some of the modern day practices associated with Christmas in fact have their origins in Winter Solstice celebrations.

For example, why does it seem that “evergreens” have such a prominent role in decorating during the Christmas season?  Well, evergreens were used as decorations for various Roman temples during the Midwinter holiday of “Saturnalia”.  The celebration was both a giant “fair”, and festival at the home.  Neighbors would bring gifts to each other as good luck tokens.

Did you ever wonder what in the world a “yule log” was anyway?  We’ve all heard the term, but where did it come from?  Well, in Scandinavia, the winter solstice was called yule (or juul.)  Giant “yule” logs were burned while people would sit around drinking mead, and listening to bards singing ancient legends.  The yule log was thought to have the magical ability to help the sun shine more brightly.

And what of mistletoe?  Yes, you guessed it…origins with Winter Solstice celebrations.  Mistletoe was considered sacred by both Scandinavians and Celtic Druids, since it grew on a tree considered to be sacred:  the Oak.  Mistletoe would be be cut, and sprays of it would be given to families to be hung in doorways for good luck.  (Luck seemed to be a common theme throughout these ancient celebrations and observances.)  And how did kissing under the mistletoe start?  That’s a story all in itself which I don’t have room to write about, but check out the full story here.

The Winter Solstice in Poland  prior to Christianity involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. The modern practice of this is called “Gody”  A festival called Chaomos, takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people of northwest Pakistan. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. Timeanddate.com says it involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires and festive eating.

Suffice it to say, Winter Solstice was a serious observance of many of our ancestors. In modern times however, the day goes by with just a bit of recognition of the fact that astronomically speaking, it’s the shortest day of the year.  Christmas is what most of us are looking forward to most.  As we approach December 21st, we here at PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon hope that you stay warm, and enjoy the day (as long…or short) as it lasts!!

What I found most interesting about odd traditions of Thanksgiving comes from New York.  “In New York City there are lots of engaging Thanksgiving traditions.  For example, a lot of New Yorkers don’t buy the frozen Thanksgiving turkey.  They prefer to buy the bird live and then push it in front of a subway train.”  That was a joke folks.  From David Letterman.  Seriously though…

It seems that in the Chinese section of San Francisco, engaged couples have a habit of buying a lock and a key, and then proceeding to chain the lock to the Golden Gate Bridge.  Then, inexplicably, they throw away the key.

An interesting tidbit about the first Thanksgiving feast, celebrated by our Puritan forefathers:  Historians don’t know for sure that turkey was actually served.  The only two meats they CAN confirm for sure included venison, and ”wild fowl.”  Maybe turkey was included under the category of “wild fowl”, maybe it wasn’t.  We just don’t know for sure.

Another odd historical practice I discovered in my studies (and I say odd, because my family has never done this):  knock three times on a wooden board before putting the turkey in the oven.  Why?  Supposedly the meat will come out tasting succulent.  (Personally, I think it’s my mother-in-law’s garlic butter that she coats the turkey with that makes it that way…but who knows.)

This one I found amusing:  Detroit has its’ own Thanksgiving parade down Woodward Ave.  And on the day of Thanksgiving, the Detroit Lions “play” a game of football.  Yes.  I put play in quotes.  Maybe I shouldn’t have.  I’m a Browns fan.  You can’t say a whole lot more about my team…

Thanksgiving 2009 will mark the 62nd anniversary of the President of the United States of America, “pardoning” a turkey (and its’ alternate) from certain death.  That’s right folks.  The leader of the free world will pardon a…turkey.  Odd.  Just…odd.  (And what I’d like to know is, why does the turkey have an alternate anyway?)

A relatively “new” historical element of Thanksgiving:  Green Bean Casserole.  Green bean casserole was invented in 1955 by Campbell Soup.  One might inquire:  “Why would they have done such a thing?”  From what I’ve read, it’s because they were trying to come up with new recipes for their annual Campbell’s cookbook.  Thanks Campbells.  Thanks so much.  (In my opinion, the ONLY thing that makes that casserole even remotely edible are those french onions sprinkled on top.)

So there you have it, some of the odd history and traditions of Thanksgiving.  A not so odd thought on Thanksgiving:  We here at PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon are very thankful to you, our customers for your patronage.  Happy Thanksgiving!

So in my quest to discover the histories behind these strange customs, I thought I’d start with the question of the “Jack O’Lantern.”  Where did this tradition come from exactly?  In doing my research, I ran across an interesting, albeit utterly unrelated question I wanted to solve:  Is the pumpkin a vegetable, or a fruit?  Click Here  to read my findings.

So, back to the question of where Jack O’Lanterns came from:  There is a tradition about a man named Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil one too many times.  He had made the devil promise not to take his soul when he died.  Due to Jack’s unsavory character, God would not allow him into heaven, and the devil would not take him into hell due to the promise he had made Jack.  Instead, he gave Jack a burning coal, which he placed inside a carved out turnip, to light his way through the night.

The tradition of trick or treating comes from the ancient Celts, who would place goodies out on their doorsteps and light candles for the wandering ghosts trying to find their way back to the spirit world.  The night they would do this was called “Samhain.”  Supposedly, the veil between the spirit world and the material world was thinnest during this night, thus the unusual number of ghosts and spirits wandering around.

Finally, the tradition of “bobbing for apples” comes from either Celtic or Roman (it is debated still) practices.  Some say that it comes from the Roman goddess Pomona, while others argue that the game is a part of the Celtic pagan religious festival of Samhain where families would gather together for a communal feast.  Supposedly, whoever would bite the apple first in the group would be the first to marry.  Interestingly, the game is fading in popularity because of sanitation issues.  That in my mind, is not odd. 

While I’m thinking on the subject of holidays (do you realize Christmas is only about two months away?), be sure to check out the growing collection of Custom Holiday Cards at PrintMyThing.  And, Happy Halloween!

According to records, the first Oktoberfest celebration took place October 18, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxon-Hildburghausen.  (Say that five times really fast.)  The citizens of Munich (where the celebration is held each year) were invited to the party where a military horse race was the main feature.  Horse races are no longer held at Oktoberfest.

Some of the earlier traditions of Oktoberfest that are no longer in practice included tree climbing, goose chasing, and “mush eating.”  Also featured at the festival were wheel barrow and sack races, along with barrel rolling races.  One can only imagine what the combination of beer and beer barrel rolling races resulted in.  Also, Oktoberfest claims to be the first festival in the world to feature mechanical rides.  Carousels and swings were the first rides to debut at the celebration.

One of the more modern traditions is for the German Red Cross to operate an aid facility that provides emergency medical care on the festival grounds for those that succumb to, well…too much beer.

One of the tents, called the “Armbrustschutzenzelt”, features crossbow shooting competitions.  The term “Armbrustschutzenzelt” (sorry, I just had to retype that because it’s fun) literally translates to “Crossbow Shooters Tent.”  Imagine that.  Personally, I’m still trying to figure out how safe large quantities of beer, and loaded crossbows really is…odd.

Known for its’ darker, higher alcohol content beer, Oktoberfest also features many wines.  As you celebrate Oktoberfest this year, consider designing your own custom wine bottle labels at PrintMyThing.com.

O’zapft is!