D-Day
Meaningful Girls Names
War of 1812
Kabuki
Chicken

D-Day
08/06/03

Whether or not to capitalize the second “ D” in the term “ D-Day,” depends on which of my two English language dictionaries I choose to follow, but in either case, the meaning of the definition is the same: “ the unspecified (unnamed) day on which a military operation (offensive) is to take place (be launched).” Both dictionaries then specify June 6,1944 as the D-Day when Allied forces invaded France in World War II. The “ H-Hour” was not specified, but American, British, Canadian and French forces set sail from England in the early hours of June 6, 64 years ago to launch an invasion of continental Europe. After three years of planning, this “ greatest armada ever assembled,” including over 2700 ships, made its way across the English Channel to beaches of Normandy in France. The designation of the particular date of D-Day was related not only to the preparation and organization of armed forces, but to phases of the moon, the tide and the time of sunrise also. After air bombardment and a blockade, ground forces, numbering approximately 130,000, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, stormed the beaches and pushed back the Nazi forces on that D-Day. British and Canadian forces suffered more than 4,000 casualties and about 6,000 Americans were killed or wounded. It was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 3 years earlier, that motivated the United States of America to join the Allied forces. As a result of the successful invasion on D-Day, the German forces were defeated; the European section of the Second World War came to an end less than a year later, on May 8, 1945, celebrated in the U. S. A. as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day), but it was not until September 2, 1945 that V-J Day occurred. (1150)

Meaningful Girls Names
08/06/13

The “Timely Words” message (#1147) added to this website a couple of weeks ago noted the most popular names given to newborn girls and boys in the U. S. A. last year. What was particularly surprising in the list of girls names was the number of names related to spiritual or philosophical concepts, including Destiny, Trinity, Serenity, Harmony and Miracle. I presume that parents who give such names to their children have certain reasons for doing so. For me, the most amazing name in that list of over a thousand names was the 31st most popular one, which was 43rd on the list the year before. It was the name “Nevaeh.” Can you imagine why anyone would give that name to a baby girl? If you examine the name carefully, you will notice that it is the word “heaven” spelled backwards. It may be that parents hope their daughter will keep that goal in mind and fulfill the conditions for reaching that goal as she moves forward. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautioned his disciples not to store up treasures on earth, but to store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21), which should stimulate our consideration of the difference between material and spiritual treasures. I have just learned that the new great granddaughter of my wife’s brother was named Ava, the 4th most popular name for girls born last year. This name is evidently related to Eva or Eve, derived from the Hebrew word for “life,” the name given by Adam to his wife, who was “the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). We pray that this new life added to a pastoral family will both gain and manifest the new life that God gives to his children. (1151)

War of 1812
08/06/17

The United States of America officially came into existence as the result of the Revolutionary War, also called the War of Independence (1775-1783), between the 13 colonies in North America and the Kingdom of Great Britain. About 80 years later, the Civil War, the war related to slavery between 25 Union states of the North and 11 Confederate states of the South, occurred (1861-1865). In between these two well-known wars, there was another war, known as the War of 1812. Although the details related to this war are not as well-known as those of the other wars, it also has an important place in American history. Following a long period of troubled relations between the U. S. and Britain, during which Britain tried to keep U. S. ships from reaching France because of its conflict with that country, President James Madison declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812, after the U.S. Congress had voted for war on June 4 and 8. One memorable event that occurred during that war was the burning of the White House and other public buildings in Washington, D.C. in August 1814. Just a month later, however, British forces were turned back before reaching Baltimore, following their bombardment of Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key witnessed that spectacular assault and was inspired to write a poem entitled “The Star-Spangled Banner,” after viewing the flag still waving on the morning following the bombing. In 1931, that poem was officially declared to be the national anthem by Congress. The final line of each of the four verses describes the United States as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Is this an accurate description of the country today? (1152)

Kabuki
08/06/23

“Kabuki” is a Japanese word that is composed of three Chinese characters meaning: “sing,” “dance” and “art” (or “performance”). It is not a word commonly used in English and most Americans are probably completely unacquainted with it. It is found in my English dictionary, however, with the following definition: “A Japanese popular drama in which gestures, dances and songs are performed in a formal and stylized manner.” According to another reference book, the word is derived from “kabuku,” which originally meant “inclination,” but came to mean “unusual.” Kabuki, with its peculiar songs, dances and gestures, made its first appearance onstage during the seventeenth century. The original performances may have had a religious significance, but they were soon adapted to entertain the clients of brothels and a 1629 edict forbad women to appear onstage. Consequently, all actors in kabuki performances are male and those who take the parts of females appear completely transformed. Their colorful garments, facial makeup, masks and voices are all altered to fit the female image. Kabuki has been described as “vigorous, complex, flamboyant, colorful and gutsy.” Although it is not as popular now as it has been in the past, it is an important element to be included in any study of Japanese culture and history. In the New Testament, the Greek word used for the religious leaders of that time whose verbal professions and daily conduct were very different denoted “stage actors, who act under a mask.” It is the basis of the English word “hypocrite” and is used in Jesus’ criticism of their hypocrisy in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 23. (1153)

Chicken
08/06/27

What is the meaning of “chicken”? The answer to this question depends on its context. If we are sitting in a restaurant, ready to order a meal, it signifies a kind of meat, but if we are talking about people, it may mean a young woman or a cowardly man. In English, both “chicken-hearted” and “chicken-livered” mean “cowardly; timid,” and the phrase “to count one’s chickens before they are hatched” means to make definite plans about profits or advantages before it is certain one will obtain them. This saying is derived from an Aesop fable about a woman who, on her way to the market, thought about how much she would get for her eggs and how she would spend the money, but in her excitement she dropped the basket and broke all the eggs. Politicians and businessmen today who “count their chickens before they are hatched” should also be concerned about the possibility of “chickens coming home to roost,” implying that their mistaken or bad words or actions in the past may cause them trouble in the future. The “chicken problem” is not resolved if we switch to Japanese, in which “chickens,” whether “cocks” or “hens” are called niwatori, “garden birds.” Different Chinese characters have been used to identify them and there are also some interesting words or phrases related to them, including niwatoribito, or “chicken man.” In the English Bible, depending on the translation used, only once is the word “chick” or “chicken” found. It is in Jesus’ meaningful words to the people of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34): “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not.” Today also, Jesus’ plan for us depends on our reaction. (1154)