Today is Friday the 13. Considered an unlucky day, the origin of this superstition is just as mysterious as the day itself. Surprise your friends with fun facts associated with this date.- A large group of Templars were arrested by King Philip, tortured into a confession of heresy before being executed on Friday the 13.
- In Nordic mythology, 12 gods sat down for a banquet in Valhalla, but the uninvited trickster Loki crashed the party resulting in the fatal death of Balder, god of light.
- Similar to the Norse myth, is the Christian Last Supper where Jesus of Nazereth sat down with his 12 apostles and announced the betrayal of one in attendance.
- It is unlucky for a ship to set sail on a Friday (Columbus departed on a Friday)
- Friday has a complex association of both good and bad in many cultures. Noted as the "sixth day" in most calendars, it is dedicated to Venus and was once called Freyja from Scandinavian mythology. In Norse mythology, it is the luckiest day, but most cultures see it differently, including Buddhists. Associated with the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and Good Friday, Christians view Friday as a "bad day." In England, Friday was the most common day for executions, known as 'Hanging Day.'
One FREE event we think is actually pretty lucky is The Cabinet of Curiosities Art Show in Burbank where you can snap a selfie with a skeleton from the display of spooky art props.
Last weekend to catch the sizzling Thenardier's Inn a Les Mis Caberet in Santa Monica.
Valentine's Day is Saturday. The holiday predates Hallmark and florists shops. Surprise your sweetie with the inside scoop on the origin of this candy-heart shape day.- February 14 celebrates a priest in Rome who was imprisoned and later clubbed to death. His day coincides with St. Valentine, bishop of Terni, also martyred a few years later.
- The ancient custom of Valentines only has a coincidental relation to either saint.
- The holiday stems from the Roman festival Lupercal to honor the god of Pan held traditionally on February 15
- This day also marks the mating of birds, i.e. spring or love is in the air...literally.
- English poet Chaucer and Shakespeare both refer to Valentine's Day and its association with birds and courtly love.
We think the following V-Day events are bird friendly and Bard approved:
Presidents' Day is Monday, February 16. So which President do we owe our day off to?
- The answer: All of them but Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson are the ones who really got this holiday started. Washington and Lincoln share the same birth month, but Jefferson receives a nod as a springtime Prez, born in April (dying on July 4 at the age of 83).
- The holiday was once solely ascribed to George Washington in honor of our 1st President, but many states also recognized Abraham Lincoln, hence "Presidents."
- Most states honor the broad designation of Presidents' Day, but Massachusetts and Virginia recognize only Washington's B-Day. Utah, Colorado and Montana pay homage to both Washington and Lincoln's birthdays respectively.
- How to spell it out correctly. Presidents Day or Presidents' Day but NOT President's Day as the apostrophe only signifies one president exclusively.
- 4 U.S. Presidents were born in the month of Feb (Washington, Lincoln, Harrison and Reagan). Only two have died in the month of Feb. (Adams and Wilson).
Celebrate Presidents' Day with these patriotic events:  TICKET GIVEAWAY: Win tickets to see Deaf West Theatre's version of David Mamet's "American Buffalo." Offering a fresh look at the groundbreaking play that established Mamet as a seismic force in theater, the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at
California State University, Los Angeles joins forces with multiple award-winning Deaf West Theatre to present this dramatic postmodern classic. Deaf West Theatre is renowned for casting a mix of deaf and hearing actors in productions performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and spoken English. American Buffalo's highly-charged, naturalistic dialogue lends itself easily to translation into ASL. Three small-time crooks plan to rob a man of his valuable coin collection, including what they believe to be an extremely valuable Buffalo nickel. A little out of luck and way out of their league when the con goes awry, it's every man for himself in this modern classic that weaves humor and menace throughout an emotionally charged struggle for identity and dominance. Mature audiences. Enter to win one of five pairs of tickets for Sunday, Feb 22 @ 2 p.m. by emailing us at eyespylareviews@gmail.com.
Laughing is always good exercise visit our Comedy page for some great places to go where you'll find a barrel of laughs. Not everything good happens on the weekend. You'll find the rest of our weekly picks at EyeSpyLA.com and even more places to go on the Eye Spy LA Calendar - updated daily. PLAN AHEAD: Don't be disappointed. Many of the events we feature in our newsletter are small, unique and unusual - and often sold out by the time you read this. Eyespyla.com is updated daily go there anytime to explore and find out what's coming up so you don't miss out. In February plan ahead for Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year. SAVE $$$: Visit the Eye Spy LA DISCOUNT page for special discounts on local events and activities. |
