Thursday, December 31, 2020

Watch Night - 31 December 2020 - Plague Journal Day 294

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 21:11-12
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Yes, today is New Year's Eve, but if you look on many calendars you'll see that today also lists Watch Night. "What is that?" I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you about it.

Back when the railroads were the main mode of long distance transportation, the need to keep schedules became clear and paramount. That was a large part of the move to standardized time zones rather than purely local time (based on noon as the actual local time of the sun's zenith) so folks in different cities could figure out when trains would really arrive and depart. That's the source of "Railroad Grade" pocket watches, and the origin of today's celebration - Watch Night. This is the night when all the train conductors would synchronize their watches based on telegraph signals sent down the rails to all the trains across the North American continent.

Remember, you read it here first. Happy New Year Anyway.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

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