| A_Very_Happy_Easter_to_All_from_Twilight_Bridge Learn about the origin of Easter, the significance of the holiday's symbols, and about fasting, cuisine, games, and crafts. |
| Whyeaster?com Easter traditions around the world, fun activities, and why Easter exists. |
| About_Mardi_Gras Allows visitors to post stories and articles about their own Mardi Gras experiences and to read what others have written. |
| Catholic_Encyclopedia__Shrovetide Some history behind this holiday. |
| The_Catholic_Roots_of_Mardi_Gras Learn about the Catholic roots of Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, the last hurrah before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Also has free Mardi Gras e-cards. |
| Fiesta_Tropicale_-_South_Florida\'s_Mardi_Gras A weekend of music in downtown Hollywood. Includes schedule, parade and ticket information, photos from past celebrations, and accommodations information. |
| Heather\'s_Happy_Mardi_Gras Includes top ten tips for celebrating Mardi Gras. |
| Mardi_Gras Explores holiday's pagan origins and argues that those who celebrate it align themselves with Satan. |
| Mardi_Gras_Digest Regional news and information on Mardi Gras. Updated all year with features for the Carnival industry. |
| Mardi_Gras,_from_Life_in_the_USA Provides brief description of the holiday. |
| Mardi_Gras_Links_and_News News and pictures of Mardi Gras around the world. |
| Mardi_Gras_on_the_Net Features history behind Mardi Gras, pictures of floats, crafts, and coloring sheets. |
| Mardi_Gras_Tidbits Author's first impressions of Mardi Gras in 1996, some favorite links, a message board, and information about the current Mardi Gras. |
| Colors_of_India An interactive site virtually celebrating the Indian Festival of Colors (Holi). Includes information on other representations of color in India. |
| Festivals_of_Bharat_-_Holi Summarizes several legends associated with the holiday. |
| Holi Describes a few of the ways the people of India celebrate. |
| Holi Offers information on the history of the festival and its celebrations. |
| Holi An informative site on holi with history, wallpapers, links, recipes and e-greetings. |
| Holi_-_The_Festival_of_Colours Provides a short overview of the holiday, including its origins, cultural significance, and modern celebrations. Includes photographs and online greetings. From IndiaExpress. |
| Kamat\'s_Potpourri_-_Holi Pictures show the people of India celebrating. |
| Canada_Day_Checklist Includes flag protocol, the words to O Canada (in English and French), and the origin of the name Canada. |
| Canada_Day_in_Sooke,_BC_A_Yearly_Celebration! Canada Day is celebrated July 1 every year, and gives all Canadians an opportunity to show pride in their country. |
| Canada_Day_Lessons_and_Resources Collection of annotated links geared toward teachers. |
| Canada_Day_Poster_Challenge An activity guide for educators, community groups, and others who will encourage young Canadians to explore what makes Canada "the place to be in the 21st century." |
| Celebrate_Canada The Canadian government invites all Canadians to celebrate from June 21 to July 1 every year. Site by Heritage Canada. |
| DLTK\'s_Canada_Day_Crafts_for_Kids Printable template for children's Canada Day crafts suitable for preschool, kindergarten and gradeschool kids. |
| Happy_Canada_Day Provides brief history of the holiday as well as lyrics for national anthem. |
| Day_of_the_Dead Explores what Mexicans are celebrating on the Day of the Dead. |
| Day_of_the_Dead Describes the celebration's history, spiritual significance, traditions, foods and decorations. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_-_A_Mexican_Perspective A Mexican woman explains the origins of the Day of the Dead. Contains a photograph of an altar dedicated to the events of September 11 2001. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Mexico Excerpts from Mary J. Andrade's book give a history of the holiday. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Oaxaca Describes the celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Oaxaca__Oaxaca,_Mexico The Cabrera family describes one of the most important festivities of Oaxaca. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Totimehuacan__A_Photographic_Study Decorated graves, home altars and public spaces on All Souls Day in San Francisco Totimehuacan, Puebla, Mexico, with bibliography. In English and Spanish. |
| Dia_de_los_Muertos Shows history, traditional foods, events and timeline, photos, altar, Realaudio interviews, and related e-postcards. |
| Dia_de_los_Muertos Brief overview of the holiday with links to related information. |
| Dia_de_los_Muertos/Day_of_the_Dead Dedicated to the Mexican holiday, el dia de los muertos (the day of the dead). Information on altar making, the history of the holiday and its art. |
| DÃa_de_los_Muertos Events, history and customs of the Mexican celebration. |
| Janitzio__Celebrating_the_Day_of_the_Dead Explores how the holiday is celebrated in Janitzio. |
| Los_Dias_De_Los_Muertos Provides a short description of the celebration, along with a brief look at its origins and contemporary customs. |
Spring NewsArticle
EASTER LILIESDr. Leonard Perry, Extension ProfessorUniversity of Vermont We can thank the two world wars for most the world production of theBermuda lily--better known as the Easter lily--in this country.Native to the Ryukyu islands of southern Japan, this lily (Liliumlongiflorum) was discovered by the famous plant explorer Carl PeterThunberg in 1777 and sent to England in 1819. Missionaries and sailorsfurther carried it to Bermuda in 1853. Much commercial bulb productionwas in Bermuda during the late 1800’s, hence the other name for this bulbousplant. When a virus destroyed this crop there in 1898, productionmoved to Japan where it continued until the outbreak of World War II.With the outbreak of this war, bulbs were of course scarce so the priceincreased greatly. The few with bulbs in this country who were growingthem more for a hobby began growing “White Gold”, as they were called,for business. World War I also was integral to this bulb productionon the southern Oregon coast, as it was the soldier in this war Louis Houghtonwho first brought a suitcase of these bulbs there to his friends.This area along the California-Oregon border is often called the “EasterLily Capital of the World” as it produces about 95 percent of all the bulbsgrown in the world for the potted Easter lily market, and virtually allused in this country. After World WarII there were about 1,200 commercial bulb growers in this area. Today the 10 growers of the Pacific Bulb Growers Association produce morethan 65,000 boxes of bulbs, shipping them to commercial greenhouses inthe U.S. and Canada. Almost 600 acres are planted to produce Easterlily bulbs, worth about $7 million a year for these bulbs alone. To help solve bulb production problems, these growers even have their ownresearch station.Most all Easter lilies are the cultivar (cultivated variety) ‘NellieWhite’, selected by a grower and named for his wife. Bulb productionbegins in the fall, when scales or bulblets are planted. The lilybulb is actually composed of many scales—specialized leaves below groundthat store food. These can be separated and planted. Bulbletsare mini-bulbs produced along the underground stem which can be removedand planted. Both bulblets and scales will form new bulbs. Each fall bulbs are dug, the largest packed to sell, the smallest plantedback to grow another year.So how did Easter lilies, a plant that naturally blooms in summer inmost of this country, become such a symbol of Easter? For this wecan thank a woman visiting Bermuda in the 1880s, Ms Thomas Sargent. She loved the flowers blooming naturally in Bermuda in the spring, so broughtsome bulbs back home to Philadelphia. A local nurseryman there, WilliamHarris, began growing them, forcing them into spring bloom, and sellingto other florists. Many began buying this flower for Easter, as theydo today, with it symbolizing the Resurrection.So how are Easter lilies forced or “tricked” into bloom in time forEaster? Once greenhouse growers receive bulbs in the late fall, thebulbs are potted and placed in non-freezing cool temperatures. Thebulbs must receive about 1000 hours of such moist cold in order to bloom,although additional light after they sprout can substitute for some cold.Once the lily bulbs sprout, they are closely monitored by growers inorder to time them for Easter. This can be difficult, as Easter canvary from March 22 to April 25. Temperature is used to speed up orslow down the crop. As each plant can respond a bit differently,many plants traditionally have been moved back and forth between warm andcold greenhouses, so are sometimes called a “wheelbarrow crop.” Growerstrack growth using such techniques as “leaf counting” in which rate ofleaf unfolding is recorded.When buying a lily, look for a plant with flowers in various stagesof bloom from buds to open or partially opened flowers. Foliage shouldbe dense, rich green in color, and extend all the way down to the soilline (a good indication of a healthy root system). Look for a well-proportionedplant, one that is about two times as high as the pot. You also shouldcheck the flowers, foliage, and buds for signs of yellowing (improper culture),insects, or disease.At home, keep your lily away from drafts and drying heat sources suchas appliances or heating ducts. Bright, indirect light is best with daytimetemperatures of 60 to 65 degrees F. Water the plant only when thesoil feels dry to the touch, but don’t overwater. To prolong the life ofthe blossoms, remove the yellow anthers (pollen-bearing pods) found inthe center of each flower. If you get this staining pollen on fabrics,don’t rub it off, but remove it with sticky tape.If you have cats, especially those that like to chew on leaves, keepyour lily away from them. Any part of this lily, as many of its relatives,can cause kidney failure in cats. Eating even one leaf can be fatalto a cat, starting with them stopping eating, vomiting, and becoming lethargic. If you think a cat has eaten a leaf, call a veterinarian immediately asprompt treatment often can be successful.Return to Perry's PerennialPages, Articles 
