Mardi Grass means Fat Tuesday. it is a custom celebrated all along the gulf coast of america. New Orleans is the most famous ,but a lot of the cities and towns celebrate Mardi GrassLent begins on Ash Wednesday, and it is common practice among Christians to sacrifice worldly pleasures during this season to remember the sacrifice of Jesus being crucified (Good Friday). Somewhere someone got the idea that if you're going to abstain from worldly pleasures for 40 days you might as well party it up for the day (Fat Tuesday) if not the week (MardiGras) before.

Purple, green and gold are the colours used during the celebration.

Purple = Justice Green = Faith Gold = Power

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http://www.groundhog.org/

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Saint Valentine's Day, 14th

Poem

Frost flowers on the window glass,

Hopping chickadees that pass,

Bare old elms that bend and sway,

Pussy willows soft and gray.

Silver clouds across the sky,

Lacy snowflakes flitting by,

Icicles like fringe in line

That is outdoors’ Valentine.

Quotes about love

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Saint-Exupery, Antoine De

We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.
Von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang

Life is a journey, and love is what makes that journey worthwhile.
Unknown

Love is the beauty of the soul.
St. Augustine

From the Take me home collection

Valentine's card

Paint hands' palm pink and press on paper in a heart shape. Use the following poem to go with this hand print valentine.           

 Here are my little handprints,

Especially for you,

They make a pretty Valentine,

And say, "I love you too!"

Using a calendar, count the number of days from today until Valentines Day. How many days is that? 

Invite your children to draw or write messages for Valentine's Day. Keep them in a box till that day.

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Shrove is the past tense of the verb "shrive" which means to confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the Christian period of Lent, a time of abstinence when people give things up. Shrove Tuesday is therefore an opportunity to indulge in and use up foods which are banned during  Lent - such as eggs, butter, and fat. Consequently, pancakes are normally eaten on Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is otherwise known as Pancake Day in the UK, and Mardi Gras in France (which translates into grease or Fat Tuesday). 

www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/shrovetuesday.shtml

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Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent for western Christian churches. Traditionally, a mark on the forehead is made with the ashes from burned palms as a symbol of death, sorrow and sin. The marking also reminds churchgoers where the ashes come from. It is a reminder of baptism, that death comes to everyone, and that they must change themselves for the better. 

www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/ashwednesday.shtml

Chilean Independence, 12th

On February 12, 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic under O'Higgins' leadership. The political revolt brought little social change, however, and 19th century Chilean society preserved the essence of the stratified colonial social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics and the Roman Catholic Church. A strong presidency eventually emerged, but wealthy landowners remained powerful.

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