International Nurses Day

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12th. 

Every year there’s a different theme set by the International Council of Nurses (ICN). This year’s theme for 2015 is Nurses A Force For Change: Care Effective, Cost Effective. A kit of promotional and educational material is distributed every year that supports the theme. 

There are different fields and levels of nursing, though all target to do the same thing, to help the individual in need to recover in good health. Nurses constantly try to maintain a sense of community. Nurses communicate with everybody. From doctors, to social workers, to patients and the patients families. 

Nurses are a huge part of the healthcare industry and are responsible for many different tasks. From welfare, recovery, and safety of patients, nurses work tirelessly everyday including holidays and weekends. They work long hours taking care of the ill and injured. So, let's take this week and thank the nurses for doing all the difficult tasks that they do.    

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

Although Saint Patrick’s Day is a great time to dress in green and drink to our stomach’s content... here’s a little history lesson as to why Saint Patrick’s Day is such a huge international holiday.

Interestingly, Saint Patrick was not born in Ireland. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He eventually escaped and found his way to Britain and then France to study to become a bishop. After years of training he felt he had to return back to Ireland where he converted the Pagans to Christianity.

There are many legends about Saint Patrick. According to one legend, it is said that the three-leafed shamrock is used to explain the concept of Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He used the power of Trinity to put a curse of God onto the snakes driving them into the sea to drown.

 

The holiday is celebrated on the day of Saint Patrick’s death, every March 17th.  The holiday initially celebrated the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day is also used to celebrate the Irish heritage and culture in general. Up until the 1970s Saint Patrick’s Day was considered to be a try holiday.  In 1995, the Irish government allowed drinking that day to increase tourism and show off Irish culture. From a religious perspective, drinking is allowed this day because of the Holiday Lent, which prevents Christians from drinking starting Ash Wednesday for six weeks until Easter Sunday.

The first Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in the United States, in New York City, in 1762 by Irish soldiers serving in the English military. They marched through New York City to signify their unity and strength. The Saint Patrick’s Day parade is seen as an international celebration allowing the Irish people to continue to express their ethnic identity.  

Valentines Day

Ever wonder the reasons why people celebrate Valentine’s Day?

During the Middle Ages, Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. The emperor realized that single men fought better than married men with wives and children and subsequently outlawed marriage for younger men.  However, as a temporary allowance, there would be a festival once a year allowing men to pull out names from a bowl to see who their lady friend would be and wear it on their sleeves. Valentine saw the injustice behind the decree and performed marriage rituals in secret for young couples. When his actions were discovered he was put to death.

Today, the phrase to wear your heart on your sleeve means to openly display your emotions. Recently I’ve been to this seminar about relationships and the main discussion topic was “What is love?” Love has many different meanings. To love can mean to admire someone. To love can mean to respect someone. To love can mean the way a mother would care for her child. To love can mean to look at someone full of affection and crave for it to be everlasting. To love someone with your heart, body and soul is to love the way Saint Valentine did.

According to another legend, Valentine may have been killed for helping others escape from the horrible beatings and torture in prison. He fell in love with a young girl that would visit him and he would send her letters signed “From your Valentine,” still used till this day, symbolizing him to be a heroic and romantic figure.