all enough to be worn around the neck on a string, requires no power or maintenance, and has no moving parts. As the user dips the straw into water and starts sipping, multiple filters take out disease-causing agents. It is intended for use in Third World countries, as well as places that have been struck by hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc.
(Source: Mental Floss)…
cember 21, the Jewish holiday Hanukkah starts at sundown. I've always been curious about the many traditions found in the religion and I found a little checking on the Internet profoundly helpful! If you have information you'd like to share about your religious holidays, please do it here.
Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is an annual Jewish holiday, which lasts eight days and eight nights. Hanukkah begins each year on the twenty-fifth day in the Jewish month of Kislev and coincides with fluctuating dates in late November and December. In 2008, Hanukkah is from sundown on December 21 until sundown on December 29.
The Hanukkah Story
Nearly 2,200 years ago, the Greek-Syrian ruler Antiochus IV tried to force Greek culture upon peoples in his territory. Jews in Judea - now Israel- were forbidden their most important religious practices as well as study of the Torah. Although vastly outnumbered, religious Jews in the region took up arms to protect their community and their religion. Led by Mattathias the Hasmonean, and later his son Judah the Maccabee, the rebel armies became known as the Maccabees.
After three years of fighting, in the year 3597, or about 165 B.C.E., the Maccabees victoriously reclaimed the temple on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah. Next they prepared the temple for rededication -- in Hebrew, Hanukkah means "dedication." In the temple they found only enough purified oil to kindle the temple light for a single day. But miraculously, the light continued to burn for eight days.
More about Hanukkah here.…