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December 2020
"I heard the bells of Christmas Day; their old familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet the word repeat of peace on earth, good will to men!"
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1802-1882)
Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Breezy, turning milder (1, 2, 3, 4); showers turning breezy again (5, 6). Fair, colder (7, 8, 9) with more showers, wet snow, west (10, 11, 12); colder windy (13, 14, 15) turning fair and milder (16, 17, 18, 19, 20). More rain and wet snow, west (21, 22, 23) turning fair and windy, at first (24, 25); yet more rain, ice, and wet snow, west (26, 27, 28); fair and colder (29, 30, 31).
Full Moon: The Full Moon for December occurs on Tuesday, December 29th. Many Native Americans referred to December’s Full Moon as Cold Moon (for obvious reasons!). Other tribes called it Ice-Forming Moon and Beaver Moon because lakes and ponds begin to ice over and in many areas, beavers are scurrying to finish building their dams and lodges before the winter sets in for good.
Special Notes: Winter Solstice will occur on Monday, December 21st. The Hagerstown Town & Country Almanack wishes everyone the happiest of holidays and again, pledges to its loyal readers (and followers on social media!) to continue to inform, inspire, and entertain as it has done for 225 years! Remember that The Almanack makes a great gift that keeps giving throughout the year! Go to www.almanack.com/order to order a holiday copy or two (or three or four).
Holidays: Hanukah begins at sunset on Friday, December 11th, Christmas is celebrated on Friday, December 25th, and Kwanzaa begins on Saturday, December 26th. Enjoy family and friends during these festive times and keep that joyful and giving spirit alive throughout the coming year. New Year’s Eve falls on Thursday, December 31st. Make plans to attend a First Night Celebration and enjoy a safe, family-oriented evening of fun, food, and entertainment on the very first night of the year. Look online at www.firstnight.com/cities to
find a celebration nearest you.
The Garden: Consider a garden shop gift card or garden tool for the gardener in your life. Books on their favorite type of plants or a gift card to a popular gardening catalog are welcome gifts. Turn your gardening attentions to those houseplants (and other plants you have moved inside for the winter). Remember that warmer indoor temperatures can quickly dry out most plants and they will need a bit more than usual.
The Farm: Best for planting root crops (9, 10); weeding and stirring the soil (5, 6); planting above-ground crops (2, 3, 4); harvesting all crops (22, 23); the best days for setting hens and incubators (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31); the slaughtering and butchering of meat (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20); transplanting (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20); the weaning of all small animals and livestock (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21); harvesting and storing grains (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).
J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living
"The thought that goes into the giving of a gift to a friend or loved one is so much more important than the value of the gift itself"
Index of Past Month's Entries
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