Dec. 6, Monday -- St. Nicholas. Ira Gershwin born, 1896.
Dec. 7, Tuesday -- St. Ambrose. New Moon. Pearl Harbor attacked, 1941. Gas refrigerator patented, 1926.Dec. 8, Wednesday -- Moon at apogee. Sammy Davis Jr. born, 1925.
Dec. 9, Thursday -- Kirk Douglas born, 1918. 14 inches of snow, Vevay, Ind., 1917.
Dec. 10, Friday -- First Nobel prizes awarded, 1901. Alfred Nobel died, 1896.
Dec. 11, Saturday -- Fiorello La Guardia born, 1882. 20 degrees F, San Francisco, 1932.
Dec. 12, Sunday -- Third Sunday in Advent. Ed Koch born, 1924. Kenya declared independence, 1963.
Ask the Old Farmer's Almanac:In France recently, I was informed that the word for our little hors d'oeuvres, "canape," takes its meaning from "couch." What's the connection? -- L.C., Pompano Beach, Fla.
Answer: If you think it's a stretch to get from a big, lumpy old couch to a delicate canape, try starting with a mosquito! In ancient Greece, "konops" was the word for that pesky little insect that kept people awake at night. To keep off the mosquitoes, the beds and sleeping couches were hung with netting or curtains and the draped furniture was called konopion.
This made its way into the French word, canape. A split occurred here, however, when the French attached the word to the couch involved and the English attached the word to the curtain itself. In English, we speak of canopy beds, for example, which would be redundant in French.
In any case, the little appetizers that start with a cracker or piece of sliced French bread, with various blankets of delectable ingredients mounded on top of that simple bedding, came to be associated with the French word for the couch itself, because of the physical resemblance (albeit in miniature). Just because language is used for communicating, doesn't mean it always makes sense. . . . Hors d'oeuvre, anyone? (Now, would someone like to explain why hors d'oeuvre comes from "outside of work" in French?)
Ask the Old Farmer's Almanac: Is St. Nicholas the precursor to Santa -- H.L., Indianapolis, Ind.
Answer: Well, yes, but one of many, you might say. Santa literally means Saint and Santa Claus has become a conglomerate of many traditions and many generous souls honored in the various traditions. Germany has its Sinta Klass and his servant or helper, Fur Nicholas; while in Holland, it's Kris Kringle. Italian children have the female, Befana, who fills stockings on Twelfth Night or Epiphany.
St. Nicholas of Patara, however, may be the closest thing to the origin that you're apt to find, and certainly, he carries the name. A third century Bishop from Myra, in Asia Minor, St. Nicholas was born in Turkey around A.D. 270. His feast day, Dec. 6, was called Children's Day and was once as important a holiday as Christmas itself. The next time your children point to Mother's Day and Father's Day and complain that there is no Children's Day, tell them about Dec. 6. Be sure to emphasize, however, that this patron saint of children was known for leaving SMALL offerings of sweets and gifts in the shoes, during the night for those who had been very good. And sometimes he had a little help . . .
In the Middle Ages, the author Naogeorgus wrote a biography of St. Nicholas, in which he described the children's mothers hiding gifts for the children and ascribing the gifts to the saint: "Both apples, nuts and prayers they bring, and other things beside, As caps, and shoes, and petticoats, with kirtles they hide, And in the morning found, they say, 'St. Nicholas this brought.' "
Ask the Old Farmer's Almanac: If someone has a blood type of AB, does that mean he or she could only use blood donated from others with the AB blood type? -- R.E., Midlothian, Va.
Answer: No. Someone with an AB blood type is extremely fortunate in this regard; they could receive donated blood from any of the other blood types, whether they have A, B, AB, or O blood. AB is not choosey! Only those in that particular bloodtype are so fortunate. Anyone with any other blood type has, at most, two blood donor groups, and the Os have only one. Those of the O blood type can only receive O blood. Those with A blood can receive blood from other As or from Os. And those of the B group can receive blood from other Bs and from Os. Someone with AB blood is called a Universal Recipient," meaning they can receive blood from virtually anyone with safe blood. (And blood screening is safer than ever, these days.) However, he or she can only donate blood to other ABs.
Send your questions to: Ask the Almanac, The Old Farmer's Almanac, Main St., Dublin, NH 03444. Every day the editors of The Old Farmer's Almanac answer a question on the Internet. All questions are archived there as well. On the World Wide Web, the address is www.almanac.comYankee Publishing, Inc. Dist. by United Feature Syndicate Inc.