DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

     Labor Day , the first Monday in September, is a creation of the  labor movement  and is dedicated to the  social and  economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the prosperity and well-being of our country.     It was hard times in the days of depression that hit the country in the 1880s. It led to widespread wage cuts and  unemployment  in the traditional  pattern  of  the economic  cycle. This was when the Knights of Labor  came into being. It was their initiative that  Labor Day  turned out to be a  civic  event with parades and meetings.            The First Labor Day  Contrary to the present practice the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in  New York City , in accordance with the plans...

    Tuscany draws you with an irresistible air to Arezzo transforming a land into a theater filled with a lifestyle of tradition, culture and cuisine. Arezzo which is about 80 kilometers from Florence hosts the  Giostra del Saracino  or the joust held at the Piazza Grande. This medieval festival displays facets of its old world charm, its famous history, tradition and its tasteful cuisine.     Held on the first Sunday in September, the procession of La Giostra del Saracino winds its way right down to the Piazza Grande. Originating from the ancient Crusades, this Saracen joust began in the Middle Ages. The Christian Crusaders battled with the Islamic tribes or the Moors of the North African Arabs in an attempt to drive them out of Europe. This Baroque joust started between the 15th and the 16th centuries and gained popularity. But during the 18th century, the royal air that surrounded it declined and lost its notoriety. A brief...