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Interesting Easter Bunny facts: The Easter Bunny is believed to have originated in Germany. The egg-laying Oschter Haws, German for Easter hare, left coloured eggs for children while they were asleep. When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania in the 18th century, they brought the Oschter Haws custom with them. The Oschter Haws laid its eggs in baskets made by the immigrants’ children. Germany is also responsible for creating the chocolate Easter Bunny filled with candy. They gained mass appeal when Pennsylvanian Robert Strohecker created a 5-foot bunny as a promotion for his drug store. Annual worldwide production of chocolate bunnies is over 90 million. The Guinness Book of World Records lists a Brazilian-made chocolate bunny that is almost 15 feet tall and weighing over 9,000 pounds. #EasterBunny #Easter #HappyEaster

“You don’t have to play masculine to be a strong woman.” - Mary Elizabeth Winstead “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” - G.D. Anderson “We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.” - Malala Yousafzai “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Eleanor Roosevelt “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” - Michelle Obama “I want every girl to know that her voice can change the world.” – Malala “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” – Attributed to Ayn Rand “Strong back. Soft front. Wild heart. Just be you.” – Brene Brown “I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.” – Mary Wollstonecraft #WomensDay #InternationalWomensDay #Women

In 1990, Alberta’s premier Don Getty advised Lieutenant Governor Helen Hunley to proclaim Family Day as a holiday. Alberta became the first province to observe Family Day to recognize the importance of home and family to its founding pioneers. Other provinces that subsequently started to observe Family Day are B.C, New Brunswick, and Ontario. Around the world, Family Day is celebrated on various dates in Israel, South Africa, Nevada, Arizona, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vietnam. #FamilyDay #Family #FamilyTime

Did you know? ➡️ The first known celebration of Valentine’s Day was in Paris on February 14, 1400. ➡️ England’s King Henry VIII made St. Valentine’s Day an official holiday in 1537. ➡️ Cupid, the little boy with a bow and arrow, was a derivation of Eros, the Greek god of love. ➡️ Warm weather countries grow about 250 million roses for Valentine’s Day each year. ➡️ The heart-shaped box of chocolates was first produced in 1861 by Cadbury. ➡️ It is estimated that about 8 billion candy hearts are produced annually. #HappyValentinesDay #ValentinesDay

"The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” ―Josiyah Martin “And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” Rainer Maria Rilke “What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” —Vern McLellan “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” ―Germany Kent “You can get excited about the future. The past won't mind.” ―Hillary DePiano “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” —T.S. Eliot #NewYears #HappyNewYear

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it’s fun to look at the traditions that have developed on this holiday around the world. Here are some of the unique ways Christmas is celebrated. In Japan, many people celebrate Christmas with KFC. The national tradition started in 1974, when KFC ran an ad in Japan with the slogan “Kentucky for Christmas.” In Austria, Christmas tradition includes an evil creature called Krampus, who looks for children who aren’t behaving. Scary masked figures portraying Krampus wander the streets in December and a Krampus parade is held in Vienna. In Caracas, Venezuela, people go to mass on Christmas Day on roller skates. The tradition is so popular that many of the cities’ streets are closed to vehicles that morning. Iceland has the Yule Cat as part of its Christmas traditions. Farmers used to tell their workers that they’d get a new set of clothes if they worked hard, and if they didn’t, they’d be eaten by the giant cat roaming the countryside. Now everyone gets new clothing on Christmas to avoid getting devoured by the Yule Cat. In South Africa, the Christmas treat isn’t turkey and stuffing — it’s fried Christmas caterpillars. The Pine Tree Emperor Moth caterpillars are tasty and said to bring good luck to diners. Christmas begins at 3:00 a.m. in Sweden. At this time, families gather to watch a 1958 Christmas special called “Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas.” In Sweden, the Yule Goat has been a Christmas tradition since the 11th century, if not earlier. Way back when, the Yule Goat was a human-sized goat led by Saint Nicholas that had the power to control the devil. Now the Yule Goat is celebrated as a Christmas ornament or sidewalk holiday decoration. #MerryChristmas #Christmas

Most Hanukkah traditions are practiced in the same way all over the planet. But there are some variations, depending on where the celebrants live. Here’s a look at Hanukkah the world over. In Canada and the U.S., as well as in most other countries, a menorah is placed in the window for Hannukah. But in some North African communities, the menorah is hung in the doorway beside the mezuzah to strengthen the protection already offered by the mezuzah. In Eastern Europe, it’s common for people to make the menorah out of potatoes. Each potato is hollowed out and then filled with oil and a wick. Instead of putting all eight out every night, one potato is added each night of Hanukkah. In the Middle East, the sixth night of Hanukkah is also the Festival of the Daughters. Women and girls get together to eat, dance and sing, and go to synagogue while remembering Jewish heroines. In Aleppo, Syria, the Jewish community lights an extra candle each night of Hanukkah. There are various explanations, including that it is to honour God for bringing them to safety or that it might be to honour the people of Aleppo who welcomed them as refugees. #HappyHanukkah #Hanukkah

Here are some fun facts about U.S. Thanksgiving: The story has it that the first Thanksgiving happened in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. While it’s known that the colonists and the Wampanoag people shared a harvest feast, there is no evidence that it was called Thanksgiving. George Washington called for a national day of thanks in 1789. It would be held on the last Thursday of November and commemorate the ratification of the constitution and the end of the Revolutionary War. It wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving became an official national holiday. President Abraham Lincoln made the proclamation. Sarah Josepha Hale is known as the Mother of Thanksgiving. An abolitionist and the author of the poem “Mary had a Little Lamb”, Sarah believed that a national day of gratitude could help America heal from the Civil War. Abraham’s proclamation was due to her lobbing. The first Thanksgiving football game took place in 1876. It was a college game between Princeton and Yale. Not long after, Thanksgiving was chosen as the date for the college football championships, and so began the strong connection between Thanksgiving and football. #HappyThanksgiving #Thanksgiving #U.S.Thanksgiving #AmericanThanksgiving

Originally called Armistice Day, Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the U.S. mark the end of the First World War. These days give us an opportunity to remember all veterans who have served or are currently serving their country. In Canada, there is a one- or two-minute moment of silence every November 11 at 11:00 a.m. for those who served and even died in defense of our country. The first Armistice Day took place in 1919. The name was changed to Remembrance Day in Canada in 1931. In 1994, Canada recognized National Aboriginal Veterans Day on November 8 of each year. Indigenous veterans had to overcome many challenges to serve the country and weren’t recognized in Remembrance Day services prior to this time. In the U.S., Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. The U.S. also has Memorial Day to honour those who died in service, Armed Forces Day to honour those currently serving and, in a growing number of states, Women Veterans Day. The poppy is the official memorial flower for both Remembrance Day and Veteran’s Day. #RemembranceDay #VeteransDay

We are very pleased to welcome Jeanine Wilk to our FIRPTA CANADA family. Jeanine brings a diverse professional background and passion for simplifying the complex web of U.S. tax to our clients. Please join us in welcoming Jeanine to our family. You can learn more about Jeanine and our team at: https://lnkd.in/ge7SCxuG