Goose Day

Today is September 29 - Goose Day!

The Medieval Period is also known as The Middle Ages. It lasted for 1,000 years, from the 5th century until the 15th century (the 400s until the 1400s). During this time, people celebrated Michaelmas, or the Feast of St. Michael, as a religious festival.

Michaelmas also happened to be the time of year when peasants paid their rent to the landowners. A peasant would come to the landlord's castle or manor house with rent, which could be paid in currency or, more often, a portion of the crops from the fall harvest. The peasant would also bring a stubble goose (a nice, fat goose), for the landlord's table, to ensure that the lease would be renewed for the coming year.

When the British began to colonize the United States in the 1600s, they brought the tradition with them. The only place in the US where it is still celebrated is in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, where there is a large population of people with British and Scots-Irish heritage.

In modern times, Michaelmas is called Goose Day, for the traditional goose dinner Mifflin Countians have on this day. Many restaurants in the area have a "goose day special." Eating goose on September 29 is said to bring good luck in the coming year. Other festivities include a 5K run and a "Wild Goose Chase," which is a county-wide scavenger hunt in which teams of people pile into cars and head out in search of clues. Another tradition is that a police officer will pull over a random car with out-of-state license plates, tell the occupants of the car that they will need to be "taken in," and then treat them to a surprise goose dinner at a local restaurant.

September 24, 1789

On this date in 1789, the United States Supreme Court was established, as Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789, and President George Washington signed it into law.

The original Supreme Court had six justices, but over the years, that number has increased to nine. Justices serve until they day or retire. New justices are nominated by the president, but must be confirmed by the Senate.

The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over all laws in the country, especially those in which the United States Constitution comes into play.

Today in Science History

On September 23, 1846, the planet Neptune was discovered by Johann Galle, a German astronomer at the Berlin Obervatory. Galle discovered the planet, not by directly observing it, but through mathematical calculations based on variations in gravity on its neighboring planet, Uranus. Italian astronomer Galileo observed Neptune as early as 1612, but he thought it was a star.

Neptune, the 8th planet from the Sun, is named after the Roman god of the sea, because of its blue color. It is 4 times bigger than Earth. Neptune rotates on its axis faster then Earth does; a day on Neptune is 16 hours long, whereas a day on Earth is 24 hours long. Neptune takes longer to orbit the sun than Earth does, though, so a year on Neptune is the same as 165 Earth years. Neptune has eight known moons, while Earth only has one.

Neptune is a gas giant, meaning that it is made up mostly of gases, as opposed to rock and other solid matter. Neptune is made up mostly of hydrogen, helium, ammonia and methane.

Social Studies Tip of the Week -- Nathan Hale

On this date, September 22, 1776, US patriot Nathan Hale was executed by the British for spying.

Hale joined the Continental Army, serving in a Connecticut regiment. He was involved in the overthrow of the British in occupied Boston in 1775.

In September 1776, he went behind enemy lines on Long Island, NY, to gather information about British troop movements. While he was there, the British took control of Manhattan. Hale was captured September 21, while trying to cross Long Island Sound to get back to American-controlled territory.

Nathan Hale was hanged the morning of September 22, 1776. According to legend, while standing on the gallows awaiting his execution, he uttered the famous words, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." He was 21 years old.

September 21, 1866

Science fiction pioneer HG Wells was born today in 1866. Wells wrote such classics as The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and War of the Worlds, all of which later became classic films as well.

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles directed an narrated War of the Worlds as a radio play on the Columbia Broadcast System (CBS). The play was presented as a series of "news bulletins" and without commericial interruptions. It was intended as a spooky Halloween show. Unfortunately, many Americans had missed the beginning of the show and did not realize that it was a Halloween prank. This resulted in mass hysteria across America by people who believed that space aliens were invading the planet.

Reading, Social Studies and Today in History All in One Post!

On this date, September 20, 1878, Upton Sinclair was born in Baltimore, MD. Sinclair was was a muckraker, which means he was an investigative journalist who dug beneath the surface to find the story beneath. It wasn't always pretty.

In 1904, Sinclair spent several weeks working undercover in Chicago's meatpacking industry. The result was his novel, The Jungle, which was published in 1906. It exposed the horrendous conditions, not only for the workers, but also of the food that was being produced for the American public. The novel cause such a public outcry that, with a few months of publication, the government passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act.

If you have never read The Jungle, pick it up sometime. It will make you appreciate your food and your working conditions!

Sinclair went on to write many other novels. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1943 for Dragon's Teeth. Another of his books, Oil!, was the basis for the 2007 film, There Will Be Blood, starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

Upton Sinclair died in 1968, at the age of 90.

September 17, 1862

On this date in 1862, the Battle of Antietam was fought. This battle, fought during the American Civil War, is known as the bloodiest one-day battle in American history, with over 23,000 casualties.

Antietam is the name of a creek near Sharpsville, Maryland, where the battle was fought. In the south, it's known as the Battle of Sharpsville.

At the end of the day, Union Major General McClellen won the battle of Confederate General Lee. Lee's retreat prompted President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery.

Many of the soldiers who fought at Antietam met again less than a year later at the Battle of Gettysburg.

September 13, 1814

On this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem. He had witnessed the bombardment of Ft. McHenry in Baltimore by the British during the War of 1812. He was amazed that the American flag was still flying over the fort the next morning. Scott's poem was set to music and became our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, in 1931.