National Flag of Canada Day — February 15 At the stroke of noon on February 15, 1965, Canada’s red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the very first time on Parliament Hill. On the same day in 1996, National Flag of Canada Day was declared.

Canadian Flag Etiquette

• The National Flag of Canada should always fly alone on its own flagpole or mast.

• The National Flag of Canada can be flown at night without being lit.

• When the National Flag of Canada is raised or lowered, or when it is carried past in a parade or review, people should face the flag, men should remove their hats, and all should remain silent.

• The National Flag of Canada is lowered to half-mast on occasions when a demonstration of sorrow is called for. Canada has its own Rules for Half-masting.

• Replace a faded or torn flag with a new one. When a flag becomes tattered and is no longer in a suitable condition for use, it should be destroyed in a dignified way.

• The National Flag of Canada should be treated with respect.

• The dimensions/proportions of the National Flag of Canada have an exact ratio of 2 to 1 (twice as long as it is wide), and must not be modified.

• The National Flag of Canada should not be written on or marked in any way, nor be covered by other objects.

• Nothing should be pinned or sewn on the National Flag of Canada.

• The National Flag of Canada should never be dipped or lowered to the ground as a means of paying a salute or compliment to any person or thing.

Disposal of the National Flag of Canada

A flag is considered to be worn when the colour has faded, it has developed a hole or the outermost seam (fly) of the flag has become frayed. When a flag becomes tattered and is no longer in a suitable condition for use, it should be disposed of in a dignified manner.

The disposal of a flag may be handled in the following manner:

• Flags made of natural fibres (wool, cotton, linen) should be burned in a dignified manner, privately, without ceremony or public attention being drawn to the destruction of the material.
• Flags made of synthetic material (nylon or polyester) should not be burned due to environmental damage and potential fire hazard. They should be respectfully torn into strips, with each element of the flag reduced to a single colour, so that the remaining pieces do not resemble a flag. The individual pieces should then be placed in a bag for disposal -- the shreds of fabric should not be reused or fashioned into anything.

Beechwood Cemetery, the National Cemetery of Canada, operates a program to respectfully retire national and provincial flags, consistent with the National Flag of Canada etiquette.

The government website has a pdf file with the proposed flags for Canada.

Canadian Links (Originally collected for my Canadian Culture ezine).

• Wildflower Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society
• Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan
• Native Plant Society of British Columbia
• Flora Quebec
• Alberta Native Plant Council
• North American Native Plant Society

People I've bought coffee for on ko-fi.

Noah Nowhere - Exploring old and abandoned places, somewhere in Ontario. Also on Instagram.

Shandi with the site: Small Town Canada - She was off to a great start but hasn't posted in awhile. See also Instagram and her YouTube account.

Canada's Magic

Robyn Lacy - historical archaeologist with a PhD, focused on burial grounds, historic landscapes, and built heritage. Spade and the Grave.

Not everyone gets into the hearts, flowers, romance and sentimental pink fluffy Valentine's Day. There are those who don't get into Valentine's Day at all, but then there are those who like to spike their Valentine's Day with a little dark humour. Those are the people who could be your creepy, Gothic, zombie Valentine.

I found this on a kid's blog, no link back to the original source. I couldn't resist adding it when it says everything in it's own creepy Valentine way.

Don't think of it as gross or gruesome. A creepy Valentine can be just as sincere, passionate and loving as a regular Valentine. Creepy Valentines can have the same heart, brains too. A creepy Valentine is just a bit more playful and looking on the light side of life, in it's own unique way.

There's no need to run away screaming... unless you want to be chased by your new Valentine. However, give them a chance to catch you. It's not easy to run when you're all dark and creepy (with parts of you missing in some cases). There's also an image to maintain - not every creepy Valentine wants to be seen running after their prey... I mean, sweetheart.

Scary, Spooky, Creepy Valentine's Day

What makes Valentine's Day so scary, creepy and spooky? For one thing, the pressure. On one hand, there's a lot of pressure not to be single and alone. On the other hand, if you are part of a couple, there's a lot of pressure to find the right gift, create the perfect evening and be romantic. I've heard of couples breaking up over Valentine's Day. Some men have said they deliberately break up before Christmas and Valentine's Day because they don't want the pressure to perform. Obviously, these were not great relationships anyway. But, it does show the horror of the looming holiday.

Should you get chocolates? I found fuzzy zombie chocolates in a Valentine box which you can make. They aren't edible, but they can be kind of cute. Like a candy you find in the bottom of your purse or under the car seat, something like that.

Share the love with a zombie Valentine T-shirt. Show her you really love her, or him by wearing your heart in the right place - visible to all.

Give your coffee or tea drinking Valentine a new mug. Or a Valentine key chain.

Of course there are always flowers. How can you go wrong with sending Valentine flowers?

Of course, it's easier to pick a Valentine card and send it in the mail. Snail mail, so you don't have to actually be there when it arrives. That way your Valentine has some time to cool off and find the humour.

The traditional gifts for your Valentine, on Valentine's Day are chocolates, flowers and jewelry. Then you might take her (or him) out for dinner, dancing, and if all works out well, a romantic night at home. That's the ideal we see in magazines and movies. But, those people have script writers, set designers and wardrobe/ costume artists. Those of us ordinary humans just have out own wits, instincts and whatever romantic notions we have scraped together.

Chocolates and flowers aren't so complicated. The stores have them all lined up in tidy rows for you to pick them up, pay and take them home. There isn't even much guess work any more. Does she like chocolate, likely? From there you have a choice between the standard milk chocolate or the more trendy and intimate, dark chocolate. In the case of flowers, you don't need to worry about those at all if she has allergies. If not, the standard roses are nice. Don't buy them from the grocery store or the gas station - those tend to fade too quickly. Carnations are a safer bet and much less expensive than roses on Valentine's Day.

Now that leaves you at jewelry. You don't have to spend your entire pay cheque to buy jewelry. You do need to know some basics about your Valentine: her style, her ring size and if she actually wears jewelry, for instance.

Picking Out Valentine Jewelry

First of all, does she wear jewelry? Not everyone wears jewelry, man or woman. If you haven't noticed, start looking.

What kind of jewelry does she (or he) wear? Rings, brooches, necklaces, pins, earrings, bracelet, etc.? Then there is a whole category of jewelry for the body piercing types like nose rings. I'm not an expert on that and I don't know all the right names for most of the jewelry worn in belly buttons, on toes and other, more intimate places of the human body.

Next thing you need to know, if she does wear jewelry - is there an allergy or sensitivity to something like silver or gold, or any kind of man made substance? You will probably have to just come out and ask about that. If you get it wrong he or she will never be able to wear something that causes their skin to break out.

You also need to spend time and observe her style of jewelry, fashion in general. Does she like pink, frilly, girlie stuff? Does she prefer a professional image with something not so flashy, pink or trendy? Maybe she loves anything that shines and sparkles in a rainbow of colours. This is important to know when you begin looking at Valentine jewelry. There is no point in spending money on something that doesn't appeal to her sense of style and taste. Also, it will impress her that you were actually paying attention and know her so well.

When you look at the actual jewelry and you are thinking about the financial side of things, also consider how well it is made. There should be a reliable fastening, there should be no rough edges which will catch on clothing and watch for loose stones, or anything that doesn't seem right. Don't waste your money on something that will fall apart. Also, this is the time to know a bit about cheap man made metals which turn green and leave her finger, wrist, whatever green as well. In general, avoid cheap junk and you will be fine. However, back yourself up by making sure the seller offers a decent money back guarantee.

Some jewelry, rings in particular, you will need to know a size for. A necklace has different lengths. Chances are she has pierced ears for earrings, but this is something else you need to be observant about before you buy them. If you want to keep this a surprise you can either stick with something safe like a brooch or get a gift receipt at the store so she can come back and exchange it for the right size. It is better if you can avoid the gift receipt, you want her to think you picked out just the right romantic Valentine jewelry because you know what she likes after all.

Gift Wrapping and a Word of Warning

Gift wrapping counts.

One word of warning first, unless you actually are giving her an engagement ring on Valentine's Day - do not wrap up your gift in a small square shaped box like a ring. Don't raise her expectations, not even because you think it will be funny. This is not a joke that will turn out well for you. Even if she laughs a bit at the time - she isn't laughing on the inside and you have gotten her started thinking about weddings, marriage, and all of that. Was that something you wanted to start? If the answer is no, avoid bringing up the question.

You can easily find a great way to wrap up a Valentine jewelry gift. The store you bought it from should have a service to do this. That is the easiest way.

Use a thick, fabric ribbon and tie the jewelry to an empty box as if it were the garnish. Put a note inside the box with some romantic thoughts and (if you like) an invitation to dinner or a coupon for a hug, kiss, etc. (Make sure the jewelry is securely on the box but don't use glue or anything which you can't easily remove or anything which could damage the jewelry).

You can also buy a gift bag at another store. You can wrap it up in a scarf (one of those silky types). Buy dish drying towels at the Dollar Store and wrap it up in one of those, as a little joke. Tie it up with ribbon to make it pretty and let her think you didn't spend much - until she opens it. Plus, who can't use another dish towel around? You can find endless gift wrapping ideas online.

The modern Groundhog Day holiday is based on ancient celebrations of the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, prompted by the early signs of spring. But the holiday’s origins are much weirder than that, and they involve a wood-gathering witch, a Roman hedgehog, and a whole lot of candles.

Historically, the beginning of February was a time for celebrating the coming spring, fertility, and rebirth. As animals begin to get ready for birthing and farmers prepared for the growing season, people developed elaborate rituals to secure a fruitful spring. In Celtic Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, the second day of February was known as Imbolc, and as the days started to get longer, spring crops emerged and livestock began producing milk for the youngsters to come, and people would hold massive feasts to usher in the changing season. At night, people would light candles in their windows or huge bonfires outside to represent the return of warmth and strong sunlight, and some would engage in purification rituals involving fire to symbolize rebirth.

On Imbolc eve, the Celtic fertility goddess Brighid was said to travel from home to home like a sort of springtime St. Nick, granting blessings to virtuous inhabitants while they slept. People even left milk and food for Brighid as she went about her travels. The goddess was believed to to have the power to shift the season from the months of darkness to the months of light, and people would light candles to symbolize this.

During this time the winter hag known as Cailleach gathered her firewood for the coming winter days. Legend has it that if winter was to last a long time yet, she would make the day bright so that she could locate the best firewood. If winter was going to end soon and Cailleach had no need to find wood, she would make the day gloomy and dark. Many people also watched for serpents and burrowing animals to emerge from their holes for the spring thaw and, if they did, it was a sure sign of a short winter. A Scottish Gaelic poem illustrated the tradition (Bríde, of course = Brighid):

• The serpent will come from the hole,
• On the brown Day of Bríde,
• Though there should be three feet of snow,
• On the flat surface of the ground.

As Christianity began to spread in the British Isles, the traditions of Imbolc and the Goddess Brigit was gradually syncretized into Catholic Saint Brigid and the Catholic holiday “Candelmas”. It is thought that the Saint Brigid was intentionally described to have the same characteristics of the Goddess Brighid, which is why Saint Brigid is, perhaps not coincidentally, the patron saint of midwives, dairy, babies, and farmers. Saint Brigid is honored every year on February first, followed by Candlemas on the second, which is celebrated with—you guessed it—candles.

These ancient Imbolc traditions carried over to the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas. It was believed that bright weather on Candlemas meant more bad weather to come (just like that witch Cailleach!). People believed that ground-dwelling animals like bears, badgers, and hedgehogs could predict coming weather, so when animals came out of their burrows and caves to sniff the air to determine the forecast, it was an omen of gloom if they cast a shadow. No shadow indicated that winter was waning. A traditional Candlemas poem showcases this same idea of sunny weather being a bad omen:

• If Candlemas be fair and bright,
• Then Winter will have another flight;
• If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
• Winter will not come not again.

So where does the groundhog come into all of this? Well, Romans, like many of their compadres around Europe believed that the weather in the early days of February could help predict the forecast, and to help with this soothsaying, Romans turned to hedgehogs for guidance. This tradition was carried throughout much of Europe and into Germany, and eventually travelled to the United States via German immigrants. But, since hedgehogs aren’t native to Pennsylvania and there weren’t many other hibernating, burrowing animals around, German immigrants settling in Pennyslvania took up the groundhog as their prognosticator. Add to that a sprinkle of Celtic witches and goddesses, a few ancient animal superstitions, and voila: you have yourself the modern Groundhog Day.

The true story behind Groundhog Day - Kristine Lofgren

Before you begin reading this, know that I like Valentine's Day and I'm a romantic, old fashioned even. You should also know that I like getting traditional gifts on Valentine's Day and I'm not high maintenance. I like giving gifts too. This is not the typical anti- Valentine's Day complaint about commercialism, retail stores making money, saturated fats, dead flowers, etc, etc. No, I think anti-Valentine's Day is worth writing about for the heart weary people of the world. The divorced and now single, the never married and now lonely and the widowed and now alone.

People who have lost someone, never found someone and those who have had someone taken away - we should have some patience (if not sympathy) on this one romantic, traditionally couple-some holiday of the year.

Send the single people you know a Valentine on Valentine's Day. Say it's an anti-Valentine, if you don't want to give the wrong impression. But, don't let them go by the whole long day without getting something they didn't go out and buy for themselves. This includes single men. Yes, men like chocolate and flowers too. Most of them, likely the same ratio as women but men try to be a bit stoic about the whole thing.

Alone on Valentine's Day?

• Do something for someone else. Give someone else the attention and affection you'd like yourself. Next thing you'll be feeling better and thinking about yourself a bit less.
• Arrange to spend the day with friends, or co-workers. Don't be alone if you really don't want to be alone. Chances are, others are feeling the same way you are.
• Work out a plan for meeting someone. Try a new personal ad on a new dating site. Join a group with people interested in the same things you are. Decide this is the year you really will meet someone. It's surprising how just setting your mind can make things happen.
• Do something for yourself. If you have kids or pets stash them with family and friends for the day. Get out and spend the day making yourself happy.
• Celebrate Valentine's Day. Whatever your own situation, why not enjoy the day. Celebrate the feelings behind the event. Romance and love are nice to have, to have had and to look forward to having again.