Monday, December 11, 2006

La Reina and the Virgin

Not being a religious person in any congregational sense, what I learned today is certainly well known to the rest of the world. But every year on December 12th, instead of saying, "Day of Worship- Donna Piranha's Birthday", my calendar always says, "Virgin of Guadalupe (M)". So I want to know who this bitch is that's taking my place on my sacred day. Now I know.

One day in December of 1531, a guy was walking up a hill on his way to attend Mass when the Virgin Mary appeared to him and told him she wanted a church built right there on top of the hill. So he went and told the Bishop his story but he didn't believe him and wanted proof. A few days later on the 12th day of December, he went back to the hill and there she was again. He told her he needed some evidence for his incredulous Bishop and she looked around and said, "Take him some of these roses". He gathered some up into his cloak and ran back to show him. When he opened his cloak, the roses fell to the ground and a perfect image of me, oops, I mean The Dark Virgin, was imprinted on the cloth. Centuries later, a priest named Morelos enscribed December 12 the Virgins feast day, and now millions of the faithful believers gather on this day to honor "La Reina de Mexico" (The Queen Donna Piranha).

Since I'll be the center of mucho attention-o tomorrow with all the feasting and fireworks, I won't be able to blog on this most revered day, December 12. I expect to see all of you on your knees with roses.
To enhance your December 12th pleasure, although I'm sure my birthday alone will suffice, here are some other amazing things that have happened on this honorable day:

1917- In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founded Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.

1950- Paula Ackerman, the first woman Rabbi in the US, holds her first service.

1982- 30,000 women hold hands and form a human chain around a 9 mile perimeter fence at Greenham Common. (I have no idea what this is but women did it and they are cool)

And other amazing people born on this day are:

Madeline Sophie Barat, another saint like myself, but a French one.

Edvard Munch, best known for his painting, The Scream


Sammy Davis Sr., Frank Sinatra, Bob Barker, Ed Koch, Keiko the whale, and Bridget Hall the supermodel.

It is also Kenya's independence day.

Thank you in advance for all of the wonderful gifts!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Boy, it's getting deeper and deeper with this blog. So what does the mother of Saint Donna Pirranha get? I mean after all, I had to put up with 7 1/2 hrs of labor so you could make your presences known to the world... LOL

Marcelo José Blanco said...

I feel your pain; the 8th of Dec is the day of the Immaculate Concepcion... really big in my hometown... fireworks, people in the street... I've learned to just pretend its all for me.

Anonymous said...

See, I have issues saying "Virgin" and "Donna" in the same sentence, but seeing it is your blessed day of birth, I guess I can make an exception. So Happy Birthday sweet cousin, I hope your day is just wonderful!

Donna Piranha said...

Don't I look virginal in this picture? When we were in Calistoga, there was a parade just for me. I didn't see any of you there though.