Today was Ascension Day and I thought I would share a few thoughts about the day.

Ascension Day is not a public holiday in the US, but it is observed in other countries.

I am reminded of Ascension Day when our colleagues in Germany have the day off. Since Ascension Day is on Thursday, the Friday is often taken off as well. The date of Ascension Day changes each year but it is always on a Thursday as it is 40 days after Easter.

This makes it difficult to get things done since people are out of the office. This year since Ascension day is right before Memorial Day it is a bit more difficult. Of course, the next weekend is Pentecost which adds to the time off in Germany as they take off Whit Monday.

Ascension Day also makes me think of an Amish wedding that I attended many years ago when I lived back in the Midwest. The wedding was in Arthur, Illinois and was on Ascension Day.

In Hostetler’s Amish Society it says that Ascension Day is observed by the Amish as a day of rest and visiting and that young people often go on picnics, go fishing, or play sports.

In Arthur they often have weddings on Ascension Day as it is a time of year when spring planting has already been completed and there is less farm work to be done. In other Amish areas weddings may be late in the year after harvest. It all depends on the individual communities and where they are located.

It was an interesting experience to attend an Amish wedding. When I moved from Ohio back to Missouri back in the early 90’s I had stopped by my Amish cousins in Arthur to spend the night and their daughter invited me to her upcoming wedding.

One thing that I miss about living in the Midwest is being able to visit my Amish cousins. For several years while living in Kansas City I would help some of my cousins with their produce and baked good stands. It was also a great experience.

Lots of thoughts tonight.

Steven