Greetings to all our Judaic brethren as they celebrate Rosh Hashanah today, literally by blowing their horns. On a secular note, Year 220 of the French revolutionary calendar ended on Saturday, so today is the second day of the intercalary period, before Year 221 starts next Saturday.

Are Jewish scientists even more agnostic (or atheist) than Christian ones, in the sense that (I presume) they have to ignore this yearly reminder that their church not only believes the six-day creation story in Genesis is for real, but puts a specific date on when it happened?

Rogin- there's a doc on the BBC Iplayer from last week debating that vry issue (haven't watched it yet myself, I'm still shaking after the DW dinosaurs on a spaceship coke-fest).

Just missed Mexican Independence Day yesterday, but the Nikkei is closed to mark Respect for the Aged Day, and hopefully our Americans won't be worse for wear after Constitution Day.

Today is also the feast of St Lambert, the patron saint of non-premium brand cigarettes.

Also the birthday of Agostinho Neto, celebrated as National Heroes Day in Angola.

All I know about the chap is there's a university named after him in Luanda. Was he a goody or a baddy?

Rogin the Kitten Minder wrote:


Hang on, what? Biblical literalism isn't unknown in Judaism, I believe, but I think it's desperately rare. Even among the Orthodox, the norm is to sign up to the main findings of biology, geology and physics. Young Earth Creationism is a Christian thing.

That's to say, it is the teaching of certain "churches". That's not just me being arsey (though it's that a bit); it's important in this context to note that Judaism has no "church", and no church doctrine. It's just not how it works.

WE, in which case, why persist with the Anno Mundi thing, dating the creation to precisely 5,773 years ago? Is it just because once you've started something like that, no-one wants to give it up?

Greetings to all our Judaic brethren as they celebrate Rosh Hashanah today

Ah, so that's why there are besuited men in skullcaps walking down towards the synagogue at the end of our street today.

It's a common enough sight on Fridays and Saturdays, but not usually on a Monday evening.

[/atheist ignoramus]

In fairness, I wouldn't have known either if it wasn't on my calendar, which seems to have all the Islamic holidays and Diwali also. Re the year numbers, I'd agree with WE that Jews are probably the least doctrinaire of all the major religions, what with all the different varieties, probably more a cultural leftover than anything rigid.

Rogin the Kitten Minder wrote:


The really weird thing about that is that the one they use is (I think) that of Maimonides, and he was, famously an earlyish advocate of not taking the whole Bible thing literally.

Got one coming up in S.F. -- October 9th, the Tuesday after Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day (delete as appropriate) which also marks the end of Fleet Week, is celebrated at chez alyxandr as Tourists Fork Off Day (name changed slightly so as not to offend delicate sensibilities.)

Sure some DJ was saying they'd something similar in Seattle last week, because of all the tourists, the locals get to celebrate their own day.

I didn't know it was Unmarried and Single Americans Week. I could have been celebrating by doing whatever I want when I want. Oh, that's right--that happens every day.

Happy Independence Day, St Kitts & Nevis!

Surely OTF can come up with some suitable epigrams for International Talk Like A Pirate Day?

Diable Rouge wrote:


But this site's for fans of low-league soccer
Not Davy Jones's locker

The first Sunday in October is, apparently, National Grandparents Day.

I had no idea that this was a thing.

Today is World Tourism Day, organised by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. This years theme is Tourism and Energetic Sustainability, which I assume is something to do with not overdoing it on the first couple of days of your holiday and then being knackered/ hungover for the rest of the week.

Apparently, today is the Hindu holiday of Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, when Lord Rama defeated the ten-headed demon king Ravana, and Goddess Durga overcame the demons Mahishasur. More prosaically, it's Digital Switchover Day in the Republic of Ireland.