1 06, 2026

Wedding Traditions

By judythemorgan|2026-05-30T09:21:00-05:00June 1st, 2026|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

It’s June, the most popular month for weddings. What makes June so popular for weddings?

First, the month is named for the goddess Juno, protector of women, especially in marriage and childbearing. A wedding in Juno’s month provides a providential start.

The second reason comes from the Celtic calendar.

On the Cross-Quarter Day of Beltane, May 1^st, young couples would pair off to court for 3 months then be wed on the next Cross-Quarter Day, which was Lammas Day, August 1. Impatient couples shortened that to mid-June, and thus June became the month of weddings.

Another contributing factor is June’s pleasant weather, which makes it easier for guests to travel to your wedding.

Sunday used to be the most popular wedding day until the Puritans strict adherence to no festiveness on the Sabbath stopped that.

In the United States, Wednesday used to be considered the luckiest day for weddings. Friday was avoided as the “hangman’s day.” Now Saturdays are by far the busiest day for weddings.

Brides seem to ignore the old rhyme:

“Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all; Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all.”

Wedding Party Traditions

Traditionally, only an unmarried woman could be the maid of honor, and only the brother, best friend, or father of the groom could be the best man.

In the past, bridesmaids were used as “stand-ins” for the bride to protect her from evil spirits. They would look and dress much like the bride to fool the spirits until the wedding.

Another theory is that bridesmaids were necessary as witnesses at a wedding. That one comes from the fact that ancient Rome required at least ten witnesses to get married.

Still, another reason for the bridesmaid and best man was to help capture a runaway bride or recover a bride kidnapped by a rejected suitor. They also made sure she got to the church on time and kept hostile family members away.

These days, bridesmaids usually help the bride with dressing. The groomsmen usher guests to their seats, and the best man carries the ring and offers a toast at the reception.

Flower girls were once meant to protect the bride from the Devil with their shield of virginity. Today, a girl, a boy, or even a dog can be seen as the ring bearer and/or flower girl.

Why Be Given Away?

This tradition evolved from the days when men bought brides from their fathers. Today, brides may ask either or both parents to walk them down the aisle. Or not.

The Wedding Vows

The declaration of vows symbolizes the moment when a couple officially becomes one, though the wording varies by religion. Or couples can write their own vows.

The most often used vow is the traditional version.

Wedding Rings

At most wedding ceremonies, the exchange of rings follows the vows and seals those promises. The ring symbolizes the unbroken circle of love, and, at many ceremonies, more vows are spoken as rings are exchanged.

While at some religious ceremonies only one partner receives a ring, many couples choose to have a double-ring ceremony. A practice that became popular in the United States after World War II.

Throwing Rice

Wedding guests usually toss rice or birdseed as the couple leaves the ceremony. The practice predates Christianity and signifies the guests’ and family’s wishes for good fortune, a prosperous marriage, and children if they desire.

Interesting that the ancient Celts tossed grains to appease spirits and ask for blessings and fertility for the couple. Ancient Romans used wheat. Italians toss candies or sugared nuts. The Polish use rice and place coins at the couple’s feet to ensure prosperity. In Morocco, it’s dried dates or figs, and in Eastern India, the tradition is a rain of flower petals.

Why A Diamond Engagement Ring?

Before 1477, engagement rings held different stones. The diamond engagement ring was first used in Austria when Archduke Maximilian presented Mary of Burgendy with a diamond. After that, the diamond became the symbol of love.

25 05, 2026

MEMORIAL DAY and a Wedding Anniversary

By judythemorgan|2026-05-17T16:00:27-05:00May 25th, 2026|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Today is Memorial Day, a day established for reflection and remembrance of those who died while serving in the U.S. military.

From 1868 to 1970, the official date for the holiday was May 30, whichever weekday it fell on, not the fourth Monday of the month. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which passed in 1968, created three-day holidays. In 1971, Memorial Day began being celebrated on the last Monday in May.

There’s a reason I remember those obscure facts.

Many, many years ago, my husband and I chose Memorial Day for our wedding ceremony. For years, we celebrated the holiday along with our wedding anniversary. Not anymore, because now Memorial Day changes its date. Our anniversary doesn’t.

Why did we pick that date? Back then, we were financially strapped college students. Time off from work for a honeymoon was out of the question.

That particular year, Memorial Day, aka May 30^th, fell on a Thursday, which meant we only had to take one unpaid day off work to prepare for our wedding.

To save more expense, I wore my mother’s wedding dress, which she’d worn twenty-five years earlier.

My mother is in the dress in the picture on the top left.

I’m in the picture below her, wearing the dress with an altered neckline and a let-out hem.

The larger picture is our daughter in the same dress for her wedding, twenty-five years later. We added lace to the hemline and around the neck.

Otherwise, the dress, made by my grandmother from imported French Alençon lace, is exactly as it was when my mother wore it. Now safely stored in my mother’s cedar hope chest.

Memorial Day was set up to mourn and honor our nation’s fallen service members. It’s evolved into the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of travel and discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

Today will be filled with happy thoughts of our wedding, coupled with deep sadness for friends and family we’ve lost in military service. There are so many families out there that don’t have loved ones around to celebrate their wedding anniversaries with.

Join me at 3 p.m. for the National Moment of Remembrance to give them some silence, to say a little prayer, and acknowledge their ultimate sacrifice.

18 05, 2026

Monday Fun with Books

By judythemorgan|2026-05-13T08:57:58-05:00May 18th, 2026|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Ever wonder what books do when the bookstore closes? I did and found this fun YouTube video to answer the question.

ENJOY!

4 05, 2026

Busy, Busy May

By judythemorgan|2026-05-03T16:41:37-05:00May 4th, 2026|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Welcome to May, the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Time to celebrate the return of Spring.

It’s a month filled with graduations, dance recitals, piano recitals, and celebrations, plus other holidays filled with traditions like the maypole dance.

Never heard of a maypole dance?

Many haven’t in today’s world. It’s a way to “bring in the May” by gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving floral hoops and hair garlands.

Many of us still remember weaving ribbons around a maypole at school to celebrate the return of spring.

From the late 19th century through the 1950s, the maypole dance and festivities were a rite of spring. In the 1960s and 1970s, interest started to wane. Today, you may see a maypole dance in elementary schools as a fun spring activity.

People still decorate bushes and trees in Ireland with colorful strips of cloth.

Called a clottie, the ribbons carry their wishes and prayers, and you can still spot them if you go to Ireland.

The Kentucky Derby on May 1st started the month. The annual horse race held in Louisville, Kentucky, is known as the “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports.” The event inaugurates the Triple Crown, a series of three horse races. Watching it is a tradition around our house. Did you watch?

On the second Sunday of May, we honor mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, and all motherly figures. There’s time to plan your celebration.

Then May 25 is Memorial Day. A day we honor those who knew the risks, who accepted the odds, and who marched onward anyway to make the ultimate sacrifice.

A holiday with mixed feelings— sadness for the losses, and anticipation because it signals the unofficial start of summer.

Lots of celebrations, plus school graduations and recitals. May is perhaps as busy as December, don’t you think?

27 04, 2026

It’s Bluebonnet Season in Texas

By judythemorgan|2026-04-24T19:45:38-05:00April 27th, 2026|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Spring in Texas means seas of Bluebonnets along our roadways. We can thank two women for the beautiful color we enjoy.

The origin of bluebonnets, the Texas state flower, involves a young Indian girl named She-Who-Is-Lonely, who lived when Indians roamed Texas. It’s a familiar tale for most Texans.

According to legend, the Texas weather was not kind to the natives. Winters were harsh. Spring brought catastrophic flooding, followed by a summer drought. Food was scarce. The tribe appealed to the Great Spirit for help. She-Who-Is-Lonely overheard the Great Spirit tell them that selfishness had brought on their plight.

She took matters into her own hands and offered her most prized possession to the Great Spirit, burning her beloved doll in a fire. Once the fire cooled, she then took handfuls of ashes and turned north, south, east, and west, letting the ashes fall from her hands as she spun.

When the tribe awoke, the barren landscape was covered in lush blankets of blue and green. The Great Spirit had forgiven them. The tribe renamed the little girl “One-Who-Dearly-Loves-Her-People.”

Tomie dePaola wrote and illustrated a fabulous picture book based on the legend. It’s available here.

The other woman is Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Johnson, who made it her mission to improve the landscape along our interstate highways.

She convinced Texas Department of Transportation officials that wildflowers were good at erosion prevention along the roadside and strongly suggested that mowers skip cutting the wildflowers until after they had dispersed their seeds.

She even asked that mowers scatter flower seeds the last time they mowed in the fall.

Former Texas Governor John Connally offered free packets of wildflower seeds to Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and anyone who wrote to him. Other states followed, setting up their own wildflower programs for their roadways.

Lady Bird’s efforts provided the wildflowers we see when we travel through the Texas Hill Country each Spring. Funding cuts over the years have eliminated many seed sowing programs, but the show still happens every year.

This year is a good blooming year. We even have Bluebonnets in my neighborhood.

16 03, 2026

The Ides of March Just Another Day?

By judythemorgan|2026-03-15T07:29:15-05:00March 16th, 2026|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

Thanks to my English class on William Shakespeare, the phrase The Ides of March conjures prophecies of doom and a need for caution.

Even if you’ve never read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, you’re probably familiar with the phrase.

But the Ides of March didn’t originally mean anything sinister. The word Ides comes from the old Latin verb iduare, which means “to divide.” March 15 was a normal day in the Roman calendar, meaning halfway through the month, and coincided with the rise of the full moon.

Every month had an Ides. In March, May, July, and October, the ides fell on the 15^th. In the other months, Ides came on the 13^th, which would make it double trouble for those who suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia, a fear of Friday the 13^th.

During Roman times, the Ides of March was the deadline for settling debts. So perhaps, some Romans considered the date ominous even before Shakespeare dramatized the 44 B.C. assassination of Julius Caesar.

But it was the soothsayer’s warnings to Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play that forever linked the date with bad luck.

Before March 15, Caesar ruled Rome as a temporary dictator. He very much wished to make the position permanent. His quest for power triggered a conspiracy to have him assassinated, and he was stabbed 23 times on the stairs of the Senate House.

Perhaps Caesar should have listened to the soothsayer, who, it turns out, was a real historical figure named Spurinna. According to Roman historians, Spurinna was a haruspex or religious figure who was able to divine the future by examining the dissected innards of sacrificial animals. He’d seen signs in February and warned Caesar, but Caesar chose to ignore him.

Julius Caesar’s murder is not the only bad thing to happen on the Ides of March or March 15. Check out these:

Dreadful things can and do happen on March 15.

So can good things. This blog lists some of the good things: The Ides of March: Significant Events That Shaped Our World

I can tell you if I receive any warnings about the Ides of March, I’m going to side with caution. I don’t want a day like the one Julius Caesar had.

Are you extra cautious on Ides of March or is it just another day?

3 03, 2026

The Season of Lent

By judythemorgan|2026-03-03T18:45:33-06:00March 3rd, 2026|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday, Uncategorized|0 Comments

The 2026 Lenten season began on February 17th, with pancakes served on Mardi Gras (also called Fat Tuesday), signaling the last day of consuming rich, fatty foods and red meat before Lent officially began on Ash Wednesday.

Lent is a subject of confusion for some and a cherished tradition for others. Merriam-Webster tells us Lent is “40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter, observed by penitence and fasting and considered a means of preparation for Easter.”

If the season of Lent is not part of your experience, a closer look at what it is and what happens may help.

There is no biblical mandate for Lent. However, the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE formalized the period of preparation for Easter to echo the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan before beginning his public ministry, as found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Ash Wednesday was originally a time of penance for sinners who were excluded from Holy Communion and seeking restoration. They wore sackcloth and ashes as a sign of public penitence. Today, the custom is to receive ashes in the form of a cross on the forehead or sprinkled over the head.

Fasting, also practiced during Lent, is a biblical practice. Traditionally, Lent fasting involves limiting meals and abstaining from certain foods.

For most denominations that observe Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are formal fasting days, while the Fridays during Lent are meatless days. In earlier times, Lent fasting meant one main meal a day and strict observance of limited eggs or dairy.

Today, many people practice “giving up” something for Lent, like chocolate or social media, as a reminder of the season.

The last week of Lent is Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday and follows the New Testament narrative of Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday and the joyful celebration of His Resurrection three days later, Easter Sunday.

Some denominations acknowledge Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

The Maundy Thursday services recognize The Last Supper, where Jesus ate with his disciples before his trial and crucifixion.
On Good Friday, some celebrate by not eating all day. Others by a partial fast. Many churches hold special church services.

The season of Lent ends with Easter Vigil at sundown on Holy Saturday with prayers through the night. Other churches hold sunrise services on Easter Sunday morning, which include open-air celebrations in some places.

During Lent, crucifixes, religious statues that show the triumphant Christ, and other elaborate religious symbols are veiled. The custom of veiling is typically practiced from Passion Sunday until Good Friday.

Overall, Lent is a time for self-reflection, emphasizing the three pillars of Lent:

prayer

fasting

giving

Lent doesn’t fall on the same dates each year because, like Easter Sunday, it is tied to the calendar and the Moon rather than a fixed day. Easter itself is determined by the lunar cycle, following the Paschal Full Moon in spring.

The English word Lent is a shortened form of the Old English word lencten, meaning “spring season,” and the first day of Spring does fall during Lent this year. So if you don’t follow the Lent tradition, you can always celebrate the end of winter.

16 02, 2026

Presidents’ Day Love Stories

By judythemorgan|2026-02-15T15:30:28-06:00February 16th, 2026|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Presidents’ Day was set up in 1879 to commemorate the birthday of George Washington, the first President of the United States. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, moving all Federal holidays to Mondays to create more three-day weekends for workers.

Washington’s birthday was still celebrated on his birth date until 1971. While officially recognized as honoring Washington’s birthday, Presidents’ Day has evolved to recognize all presidents. The name change has never been authorized by Congress, even though it is used on calendars, in advertising, and by many government agencies. (Source: National Archives)

Today I’m looking at the love stories of three presidents – Washington, Lincoln (who both have birthdays in February), and Teddy Roosevelt.

~~George Washington, First President of the United States, was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia.

The romance of George and Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was hardly a wild, passionate romance by today’s standards.

By the time their engagement was decided, they liked each other a great deal, which was not the norm in 18^th century marriages, which were formed for ease of living.

Eight months after their marriage, George Washington wrote, “I am now I beleive fixd at this Seat with an agreable Consort for Life and hope to find more happiness in retirement than I ever experienced amidst a wide and busthng World.”

George and Martha choose wisely, perhaps more than they realized at the time. According to historians, they shared forty years during which they grew to love each other with true devotion.

~~Abraham Lincoln, 16^th President of the United States, was born in a log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. Several states officially recognize the date to honor his leadership during the American Civil War.

Mary Todd, the daughter of a successful merchant and politician, attracted the attention of the up-and-coming politician and lawyer. Her family did not approve of the match, but Mary and Abraham shared a love of politics and literature and a deep love for each other. When Lincoln won his Congressional seat in 1846, Mary joined him in Washington. Something unheard of at the time.

“My wife was as handsome as when she was a girl,” Lincoln once told a reporter. “And I, poor nobody then, fell in love with her, and what is more, have never fallen out.”

Though Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday isn’t in February, his life has ties to the month, which is why I’m sharing his love story.

~~ Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt unexpectedly became the 26th president of the United States in September 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley.

Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt was his first wife. He wrote of her: “Sweetest little wife, I think all the time of my little laughing, teazing beauty, and how pretty she is, and how she goes to sleep in my arms, and I could almost cry I love you so.”

Unfortunately, their love was short-lived. On Valentine’s Day in 1884, Roosevelt suffered a double loss. His mother died of typhus, and his beloved Alice died in childbirth. His diary entry for the day is a private tribute to his sweetest little wife.

She was beautiful in face and form, and lovelier still in spirit; As a flower she grew, and as a fair young flower she died. Her life had been always in the sunshine; there had never come to her a single sorrow; and none ever knew her who did not love and revere her for the bright, sunny temper and her saintly unselfishness. Fair, pure, and joyous as a maiden; loving, tender, and happy. As a young wife; when she had just become a mother, when her life seemed to be just begun, and when the years seemed so bright before her—then, by a strange and terrible fate, death came to her. And when my heart’s dearest died, the light went from my life forever.

Roosevelt spent the next two years grieving on his ranch in the Badlands of the Dakota Territory and working as a frontier sheriff. When he returned to New York in 1901, he married his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow. The couple raised six children, including Roosevelt’s daughter from his first marriage.

Happy Presidents’ Day!

9 02, 2026

All About Valentine’s Day: Traditions, Symbols, and Celebration Ideas

By judythemorgan|2026-02-08T15:46:17-06:00February 9th, 2026|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

This month has been dubbed LOVEuary by Hallmark. After all, February 14^th is THE romance day of the year.

Romance book sales soar. So do restaurant reservations, flower and candy sales, and Valentine’s card sales.

Overall sales for Valentine’s Day gifts in 2025 totaled 25.7 billion dollars.

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?

In the Roman Catholic, the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, it’s the day to honor Saint Valentine, who is the patron saint of engaged couples and happily married spouses.

Historical accounts suggest that Saint Valentine, or Saint Valentine of Rome, was a real priest in Rome during the third century AD who provided Christians with sacraments outlawed by the Roman Empire, such as marriage. He was executed on February 14, around the year 269 AD.

Besides marrying Roman soldiers, which led to his execution, Saint Valentine is said to have cut hearts from parchment, giving them to the soldiers and persecuted Christians to “remind them of God’s love and to encourage them to remain faithful Christians.”

However, in early Christian history, there were several martyrs named Valentine, and scholars still debate the identity of the Saint Valentine who inspired the holiday. Plus, historical details are not well-documented, and the story has been embellished and romanticized over the centuries.

With its roots in Christian tradition and the saint’s martyrdom, February 14^th has become a day to express love and affection to one’s romantic partner, pets, friends, and family by exchanging cards, gifts, and gestures of kindness.

Esther A. Howland is the “Mother of the Valentine.” In the 1840s, she used “scraps” to make elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures for family and friends.

She began receiving orders for her custom-made cards and employed family and friends to help create her cards. By the end of the 19th century, most Valentines were mass-produced by machine.

To me, Valentine’s cards are the mirror of romance. Remember classroom Valentine parties? I loved decorating my shoebox to receive the special card from that special someone.

I still collect valentine cards. My ephemera postcard collection has many. While not as elaborate as Ms. Howland’s, these cards speak of romance.

The Greeting Card Association estimates one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year worldwide. Whether homemade or store bought or e-card, Valentine’s cards tell others they are special.

Will you send valentines this year?

2 02, 2026

Groundhog Day

By judythemorgan|2026-02-01T09:04:45-06:00February 2nd, 2026|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Every February 2, the “faithful followers of Phil” gather before dawn in Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney, PA, to see whether Punxsutawney Phil (who has been predicting whether winter is over since 1887) will see his shadow when he climbs from his burrow.

If Phil sees his shadow: Six more weeks of winter.

If not: An early spring.

Punxsutawney Phil’s accuracy rate is about 39% overall, and it drops to around 36% when compared to actual weather outcomes since 1969. That’s not exactly an excellent track record. It means he is less reliable than flipping a coin for predictions.

But it’s fun for the Groundhog Festival in Punxsutawney.

The history of Groundhog Day is interesting, too, with Celtic and Christian roots.

Originally, a Celtic festival called Imbolc—a term from Old Irish that is most often translated as “in the belly”—a reference to the soon-to-arrive lambs of spring. Imbolc is the year’s first cross-quarter day, or a midpoint between seasons.

The Christian festival of light, Candlemas, is also observed at this time of year. The name comes from the candles lit in churches on February 2 to celebrate the Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple in Jerusalem.

And predicted the weather:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Come, Winter, have another flight;

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Go Winter, and come not again.

Animals have always clued farmers in about the change of seasons. A bear brought the forecast of Spring and Winter to the people of France and England.

Germans looked to a badger for a sign. Finding no badgers in Pennsylvania for Candlemas, only woodchucks, whistle pigs, or groundhogs, the German immigrants adapted groundhogs to fit the lore. Which then evolved into the Punxsutawney Phil tradition. All eyes turn to Punxsutawney Phil on every February 2^nd.

Sadly, the prediction this year is that Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow, and we’ll have six more weeks of winter. The news will not be well received by most of the U.S., considering the extreme cold that has blanketed so much of the country this winter.

It’s time to remember all the good things about winter –
• snowmen
• hot cocoa
• warm blankets
• and curling up by the fire with an enjoyable book.

If you’re unsure what to read, you’ll find some great suggestions here on my Amazon author page. All my books will warm your heart and make you forget about the weather outside.

Stay Warm and Happy Reading!