Happy Easter!

Hoping everyone has a peaceful and candy-filled Easter/Passover weekend.  Here are some fun facts about the season: 

• When taking a bite into a chocolate bunny, 76% of Americans prefer to bite off the ears first. 5% eat the feet first and 4% eat the tail first.
• During the Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Peeps - making Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
• Ham came to be the traditional favorite for Easter dinner because in pre-refrigeration days, hogs were slaughtered in the fall and cured for six to seven months. Just in time for Easter dinner.
• Each day throughout the year, 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
• 16 billion jelly beans are made specifically for Easter which is enough to fill a plastic egg the size of a 9-story building.
• Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Spring equinox.
• The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.
• 57% of kids get up super early on Easter to see what the Easter bunny has brought them.
• 80% of parents carry on the tradition of the Easter bunny by preparing a surprise Easter basket filled with goodies for their children and 90% of adults hope for their own Easter treat.
• The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.
• In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.
• The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt.
• The Easter egg roll on the White House lawn has been a tradition since 1878.
• After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday.

 

You can read more Easter Fun Facts here and here.

Monsters on Campus!

Looking for a little magic in you day?  Check out the new exhibit at the Carlos Museum.  Now until June 19th you can wander amongst the monsters of ancient civilization on view now as part of the Carlos' Monsters, Demons, and Winged-Beasts exhibition.  See the Cyclops, peer at a Pegasus, or gander at a Gryphon.  And don't worry; these ancient artifacts probably don't bite!      

Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

The Decatur Business Association is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt next Saturday, April 16th on the square in downtown Decatur.  The Easter Bunny will arrive by firetruck at 10:30am and the Hunt begins at 11am... sharp!  This FREE event is a perfect activity for children ages 0 to 10yrs.  So get your basket ready!   Check out the Decatur Business Association webpage for more details. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Check out these fun facts and may the luck of the Irish smile upon ya!

Fun Facts about St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The actual color of St. Patrick is blue. Green became associated with St. Patrick's Day during the 19th century. Green, in Irish legends, was worn by fairies and immortals, and also by people to encourage their crops to grow.

St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland; the snakes represent the pagans that he converted to Christianity.

The very first St. Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737.

In Chicago, on St. Patrick's Day, the rivers are dyed green.

In Seattle, there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted down the roads.

Most Catholics attend mass in the morning and then attend the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Shamrocks are worn on the lapel on this day.

In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair

Many young people dye their hair green for the special day.

Many people wear green on this holiday to avoid being pinched.

The phrase, "Drowning The Shamrock" is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.

Many bars in the United States, and abroad, serve green beer to celebrate St. Patty's Day.

Fun Facts about the Irish

34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.

Nine of the people who signed our Declaration Of Independence were of Irish origin, and nineteen Presidents of the United States proudly claim Irish heritage -- including our first President, George Washington.

Some American towns have “Irish” names. You could visit: Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia; Shamrock Lakes, Indiana; Shamrock, Oklahoma; Shamrock, Texas; Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio.

The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as “the Emerald Isle.”

The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.

The name “leprechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.”

Fun Facts about Clovers

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14.

One estimate suggests that there are about 10,000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.

Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

Read more: http://www.whsv.com/seasonal/misc/40129602.html

Top 5 Things to Consider BEFORE Renting an Apartment

 

Here are some pointers to help you find the best apartment for you.  We think you will find the best combination of all 5 right here at Clairmont Reserve!

Finding an apartment can be overwhelming. Not only must you choose a new place from the seemingly endless options available, you often have to sign a long-term lease that holds you to your decision for an entire year.
To make the process more manageable, you should gain an understanding of exactly what it is that you are looking for prior to beginning the search. Here are the 5 most important things to consider when looking for a new place:

Top 5 Things to Consider BEFORE Renting an Apartment

Daylight Savings Time Begins on March 13

 

Daylight savings time is coming up this weekend.  Don’t forget to set your clocks forward!

Every year, daylight savings time seems to take people by surprise. In the United States, daylight savings time begins on March 13 at 2 a.m. local time except in parts of Arizona and Hawaii. As the popular saying goes, clocks need to "spring forward" to observe the change. In other words, clocks need to be set ahead by one hour when the clock strikes 2 a.m.

Daylight Savings Time Begins on March 13 in the U.S. - Yahoo! News

Happy President’s Day!

We want to wish everyone a Happy President’s Day.  Enjoy the day off for those of you lucky enough to get it.  Also, be sure to check out some interesting facts you may not already know about President’s Day at the link below:

The third Monday of February celebrates the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and George Washington (Feb. 22). Most Americans refer to this day as President's Day.

Here are some interesting facts about the day and the two presidents it honors.

Presidents Day Fun Facts - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com