26 December - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Paper White

Gemstone of the Month: Turquoise

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!

IT’S BOXING DAY!

The day after Christmas when everyone recovers from the great day and either cold turkey or if you’re really lucky curried turkey will be on most people’s lunch time menus! It’s the day after the day before and in Nomanda’s previous life it was the day when all the blokes would go down to the pub sporting their extravagant Christmas gifts and the inevitable “I’ll wear it only once” silly Christmas sweater decorated with Santas and Reindeers!

I know that Christmas is mainly for the kids but to send your 2 year old out on her first stage debut seems a bit harsh! That’s what happened to Judy Garland on this day in 1924 where she was billed as “Baby Frances”. She went on to do more challenging things!




Of course it’s also the season of Pantomimes and of excited cries of “He’s behind you!” Have fun!




The Beatles obviously enjoyed this day over the years releasing “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” together on this day in 1963. And in the following year on this day their record “I Feel Fine” went to the #1spot and stayed there for another 3 weeks. I bet they felt very fine at that!



There’s no-one of special interest to Nomanda who has their birthday on this day but if today is your special day Nomanda sends you his best wishes and hopes you have a great time on your special day !



Happy Special Day to one and all!!


If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!

25 December - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!


IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY!

Nomanda wishes all our friends and faithful supporters a Very Happy Christmas and hopes that you all have a wonderful time with your families and friends on this special day!






The Royal Christmas message has become a great English tradition and during his Christmas speech on this day in 1932 King George V had his chair collapse on him. I’m sure he recovered the situation with appropriate dignity and probably sacked the carpenter afterwards! I wonder what her Majesty will have to say today. I can’t wait!


Christmas wouldn’t be the same without some of our favourite carols so let’s start with “Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer” who was introduced as the 9th reindeer to the world by Montgomery Ward on this day in 1939.





And while Rudolf is “Dashing through the Snow” let’s have another!




There are lots of people who have been born on this day. Most of them are still coming to terms with the fact that when they were kids they never really got a birthday present as it was all mixed up with their Christmas present!


However on this day in particular we are only remembering the infant Jesus who despite the fact that it’s pretty certain that He was not born on this day this is the day when we celebrate His birth!



HAPPY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS DAY ONCE AGAIN TO ONE AND ALL !!



If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!

24 December - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Paper White

Gemstone of the Month: Turquoise

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



It’s Christmas Eve. The children are quietly excited about what presents Father Christmas may bring them tomorrow. Parents are keeping the kids calm and getting them off to bed and asleep so they can have a few relaxing hours together before the great event tomorrow. Off the little darlings go and fall asleep immediately. And those without any family responsibilities are out partying the night away hoping to avoid police breath tests and find a taxi when they need one! It’s just started snowing outside and people are coming out of their houses in wonder at the silent quiet that has smothered all sounds.


What a load of romantic nonsense! The kids won’t go to bed, the family pets are going completely wild because everyone is so excited, and they’ve no idea why but just want to join in the fun! Parents are running around like tomorrow’s headless turkey wrapping up the last of the presents and putting them under the Christmas tree. Everyone is completely knackered and the grown ups fall asleep on the sofa only to be woken up in the middle of the night with cries of “Has he been yet?” That’s more like it! And it’s just started pelting down!


For some of the continental countries tonight is the “big day” and presents are opened this evening followed by a special family meal together. Alcohol is consumed in moderation and everyone has a good old fashioned time together! And it’s true!


No surprise that “Silent Night” was composed on this day in 1818 by Franz Gruber, and no surprise that it was performed for the first time the following day!



A final tip for all those harassed parents is to remember to leave out a glass of the old man’s favourite tipple and a carrot for Rudolf! We don’t want to upset them at the last minute now, do we?



One final tip for Mum, remember to set the alarm for around 05 00 so you can get up and put the great carcass in the oven so it will be cooked in time for the great Christmas lunch tomorrow!



Happy Special Day to one and all!!


If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!

22 December - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Paper White

Gemstone of the Month: Turquoise

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



The guy who invented the humble light bulb, Thomas Edison, decided to splash out on this day in 1882 and strung a whole load of them together and wrapped them around a Christmas tree. It’s difficult to imagine a Christmas tree without its fairy lights and so let’s all give our thanks to the great man who made the tree what it is today. Nomanda loves dressing up our Christmas trees and we have a glittering three trees in our home! The dogs leave them alone most of the time!


A lovely movie with snowy winter scenes “Dr Zhivago” premiered on this day in 1965. There are lots of great clips from the film and this one is Nomanda’s favourite! The music of “Lara’s Theme” is wonderful as was Julie Christie!



Not as classy as Julie Christie but every much a lady in her own way Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” went to the #1 spot on this day in 1984 and stayed there for 6 weeks!



One of the female tennis stars of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s; the iconic Billie Jean King (1943) will be popping down to the post office to pick up her pension cheque today! I don’t think she needs to worry too much with an impressive 12 singles, 16 ladies’ doubles and 11 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles to her name!



The cricketer Chris Old (1948) will be having his birthday bash today. Nomanda had the pleasure of playing against him at schoolboy level and can still remember a few of the snorters he bowled!



Sharing his birthday with Chris is the TV personality Noel Edmonds (1948). He may not be smarter than a 10 year old but he’s certainly earned a lot more than most 10 year olds!




Our next birthday boy is Robin Gibb (1949) one of the founder members of the group the Bee Gees. The party won’t start until late as he likes a bit of “Night Fever”!



Our final birthday wishes go to the lovely French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis (1972). If you get an invite to her bash be sure to call “Joe le taxi” to take you there!



Happy Special Day to one and all!!


If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!

21 December - Historical Events and Special Celebration

Gemstone of the Month

Turquoise

Flower of the Month: Paper White

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



With little regard for the children of the province of Flanders the authorities choose this day in 1582 to adopt the Gregorian calendar skipping 10 days and declaring the following day as 1st January 1583! So all the kids missed Christmas that year and all the turkeys got a reprieve! It’s just as well that in Flanders they celebrate Saint Nicolas Day on 6th December so at least the kids got something from him that year!


Well we now have a winner of “Strictly Come Dancing” and our congratulations and best wishes go to Tom and Camilla who won the competition last night! Nomanda loves the show and can’t wait for next year’s competition to start! Who will be the lucky celebrities? So it’s very appropriate that the best dancing couple ever, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, chose this day in 1932 to make their first movie together. It was called “Flying Down to Rio” and here is a clip of them dancing. Could last night’s winners compete with that?


There’s a curious custom, mainly followed by Anglo Saxons, to send out dozens and sometimes hundreds of Christmas cards at this time of the year. I can’t explain the mentality behind it but people you haven’t heard from since their last Christmas card last year send you another with their very best wishes and undying love! I guess the rationale behind it all is the more you send the more you get and you can prove to your friends how popular you are with the walls and house covered with the silly things! The only thing Nomanda recommends is that if you do send out lots of cards make sure you’ve got the spelling correct. The luckless Dan Quayle has got his name in the history books for sending out 30,000 cards on this day in 1989 all with a spelling mistake! Has he really got 30,000 friends and which one grassed on the spelling mistake?


The fitness freak actress Jane Fonda will not only be celebrating her birthday today (1937) but may spare a thought for the anniversary of her marriage on this day in 1991 to CNN Director Ted Turner. On the other hand Ted may not be in her thoughts as they got divorced in 2001!



Carl Dean Wilson (1946 – 1998) one of the founders of the Beach Boys is our next birthday celebrity and any excuse to have one of their songs is a good one!



Our final birthday guest is the professional tennis player Chris Evert (1954). She was a great ambassador for the game and with a total of 18 Grand Slam Singles titles she could play a bit as well! I wonder what she’ll be serving up at her party today!




Happy Special Day to one and all!!


If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!

14 December - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Paper White

Gemstone of the Month: Turquoise

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!




I know that the Christmas season is upon us and it’s difficult for all the kids out there to be patient and wait for the special day when they get all their presents. The children of the provinces of Zealand and Brabant in the Netherlands struck lucky on this day in 1582 that marked the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. Tomorrow would be the 25th December, Christmas Day! Brilliant!


The Australian cricket team that took on England for their second test match on this day in 1928 must have had a very impressive line up as the great Bradman was selected as 12th man!



The film musical that was to propel John Travolta to stardom, “Saturday Night Fever”, premiered on this day in New York in 1977. Here’s one of Nomanda’s favourite tracks from the film!




Taking off from Edwards Air Force Base on this day in 1986 were Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager on the first non stop non re-fuelled flight around the world. They headed out west, cruising at an average altitude of 3,400 metres, averaging a speed of 187kph and landed back on the base just a couple of minutes over 9 days later! Fantastic!



Our first birthday celebrity is the French astrologist and seer, Nostradamus (1503 – 1566). Many people are sceptical about his prophecies and predictions but it makes a great story!




The actress who gained her fame as the French waitress and resistance fighter in the series “Allo Allo”, Vicki Michelle (1950) is our next birthday guest. A great series and very funny, have a look at this clip!



Love him or hate him it’s the Scottish rocker, Mike Scott’s birthday today (1958).






Happy Special Day to one and all!!


If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!