The Library at Madras, Manawa and Woolston Campus will be closed on Friday the 17th November for Canterbury Anniversary Day or as we like to call it, Show Day. We will reopen at 10 am on Saturday 18th November. Please note the After Hours Pod will also be closed on Show Day.
This holiday celebrates the establishment of Canterbury as a province of New Zealand.
The annual Agricultural Exhibition held at the show grounds in Hillmorton will go ahead this year after being cancelled for the last two years. In 2019 over 100 000 people visited the Show over its three days.
The Addington Show Grounds
The weather over Show Weekend is usually fine so some sort of outdoor activity is always a good alternate. Picnics, barbeques, camping, tramping, beach walks and family get togethers are other options…
Bark Bay Hut in the Abel Tasman…my favourite place!
From all of us here at Ara Library we wish you a very happy Anniversary Weekend.
Did you know that World Ocean Day is on June 8, 2023?
Many of us enjoy our kai moana (seafood) like shellfish, smoked fish, fish and chips and sushi. We also love fish for its healthy protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Our kai moana is nature’s taonga (treasure) from the ocean. Therefore, it is important for everyone to protect the oceans. Let’s learn more about the oceans.
Why are the oceans important?
Seafood is a significant part of the diet of three billion people around the world (World Benchmarking Alliance, n.d.).
The oceans support life on our planet through photosynthesis. Plant plankton such as algae use carbon dioxide and produce oxygen (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, n.d.).
Half the earth’s oxygen is from the oceans (National Ocean Service, n.d.).
The oceans support 80% of our planet’s biodiversity (Jaksha, n.d.).
A calm day on the Tasman Sea at Hokitika
What are the major threats to our oceans?
Overfishing threatens the oceans’ biodiversity and the sustainability of seafood harvesting.
Acidification caused by air pollution makes the oceans increasingly less able to support marine life.
Pollutants such as plastics, abandoned fishing nets, rubbish, sewage and industrial waste harm the marine ecosystem and kill aquatic life.
Brine discharged by desalination plants kills sea life (Omerspahic et al., 2022).
What are some actions to save the oceans?
The Ocean Cleanup (n.d.) is a non-profit organisation that is removing (to recycle) the floating plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This patch has about 100,000,000 kilograms of plastic.
Floating waste in certain rivers in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and California is regularly removed by The Ocean Cleanup’s autonomous solar-powered barges.
There are public education campaigns in many countries to reduce water pollution.
Organisations like Greenpeace and the United Nations have campaigned for legislative protections for vulnerable marine areas.
Totaranui Beach from Skinner Point, Abel Tasman NP
Takeaway
Given how important the ocean is, every one of us needs to do all we can to help safeguard it.
Omerspahic, M., Al-Jabri H., Siddiqui, S. A., & Saadaoui, I. (2022) Characteristics of desalination brine and its impacts on marine chemistry and health, with emphasis on the Persian/Arabian Gulf: A review. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:845113. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.845113
Monday the 5th June is the first official King’s Birthday celebration.
King Charles III, head of state of New Zealand
This is the first King’s Birthday Weekend since the ascension of King Charles III to the throne. It was decided in 2022 to keep the first Monday in June as a day of celebration of the sovereign. Previously this day was Queens Birthday Weekend so it is going to take some time to get used to the new name.
King Charles III’s birthday is actually on 14th November…he was born in 1948 so he is currently 74 years old.
All branches of the Ara Library will be closed for the day and our normal hours of operation will recommence on Tuesday 6th June at 7 am. From all of us here at Ara Library we wish you a peaceful and productive long weekend and we look forward to seeing you when we reopen.
Have you discovered the joys of finding out about your heritage?
Perhaps you wonder where your name came from. Perhaps you hope to find more about your heritage. Perhaps you wonder if anyone in your whānau/family had similar talents to yours.
My husband’s birth mother passed away when he was a young child, so he didn’t get the chance to know her. He asked his aunts, uncles, and friends of the family to write/tell him their memories of his mum. He heard some funny stories, some hard times that she got through, what she liked and didn’t like, and a got a few photos of her. He is grateful that he asked, because now he knows his mum a lot better. Plus, he can share that information with our children.
My friend felt alone struggling with money and trying to care for her family. She found out about her great grandmother who had similar struggles living through World Wars and the Great Depression. My friend felt that even though it was hard, she could keep going and even smile more, knowing that she was descended from a strong capable woman.
When we know more about our heritage it can give us strength and a better understanding of who we are. Life is challenging – when we find out what tough times our ancestors faced and lived through, we can be inspired and gain courage to keep going too. We may find we have an easier life after all!
How do you start? Begin with what you know and any documents you have. Ask others in your whānau and family friends to fill in more detail. Look online for information about the areas your ancestors lived in too.
The Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort takes place in May. A long weekend of celebrations and events are planned including the Coronation ceremony and procession, a celebratory concert and street parties across the United Kingdom.
King Charles III Coronation and procession
King Charles III is the head of state of New Zealand and is due to be officially crowned as the King this week. It has been over 70 years since the last coronation when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953.
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953
The Coronation of King Charles III occurs on Saturday 6th May 2023 at Westminster Abbey, London. During the ceremony, the King will take the Coronation oath, receive the orb and sceptre with St Edward’s gold crown placed on his head. The Queen Consort will also be crowned Queen.
Official portrait of King Charles III
The Coronation will be followed by The King’s Procession with a larger Coronation Procession involving other members of the Royal Family afterwards. The day’s ceremonial events will conclude with the Royal Family standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Official King Charles III Coronation emblem
There is some New Zealand involvement in the Coronation with a contingent of Kiwi military personnel taking part in the Coronation Procession. We will also be represented by senior politicians, government officials and the Governor General who will be on their way to take part while you are reading this.
Join us at City and Timaru Campuses, or online, to create and share your Blackout Poetry. Making Blackout Poetry is easy and lots of fun, and there are chocolate prizes up for grabs. Add your entry to the wall in the library, or share it with us here, before Sunday 26 March to be in to win
Check out the images for further instructions and ideas
Among the superstitions that have lasted for decades, if not centuries, despite the evolution of modern science is Friday the 13th. Though not believed everywhere, people in the West consider Friday the 13th to be unlucky as they associate it with bad luck, death and deceit.
It is not uncommon for 13 and Friday fall on the same day in the Gregorian calendar. It happens every year and sometimes even two or three times in the same year.
It is unclear how Friday the 13th started carrying negative connotations, but there have been various recorded instances throughout history where something ominous has taken place.
Biblical roots of Friday the 13th
The fear seems to have stemmed from the story that Jesus Christ’s last supper and crucifixion took place on Friday.
The Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci shows 13 people gathered on the night before Good Friday – the date of Christ’s death – with Judas the 13th member of the party.
Leonardo Da Vinci: The Last Supper
The superstition has resonance with the Norse folklore as well which claims that when 12 gods were partying in Valhalla, Loki arrived uninvited as the 13th guest, and got Balder killed.
Friday 13th in the literature and popular culture…
The first recorded mention was found in a biography of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who died on Friday the 13th.
‘Friday the Thirteenth’, a 1907 book by American businessman Thomas Lawson, also used this premise. It is believed that the book popularised the superstition.
In the novel, an unscrupulous broker takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th.
Friday the 13th has also been popularised by the 1980’s movie franchise featuring the villain Jason Voorhees causing mayhem in his infamous hockey mask.
Jason Veerhees in the ‘Friday the 13th’ slasher movie series
It was also mentioned in the Dan Brown book the Da Vinci Code associated with the arrest of most of the Knights Templer Order on Friday, October 13th in 1307.
What about other countries?
In Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday the 13th (or Martes Trece) is considered a day of bad luck, occurring in months that start on a Thursday.
Greek people also believe Tuesday, and especially Tuesday the 13th, to be unlucky.In Greek mythology, Ares, the god of war, is associated with Tuesday.
Historic depiction of Ares…the Greek God of war
Apart from that, there are many unfortunate historical events that have taken place on Tuesday 13th, like the fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade on Tuesday, April 13, 1204.
Italy, on the contrary, considers 13 to be a lucky number, which was also the case in ancient Egypt and China.
For Italy, Friday 17th rather than the 13th is the day of bad luck as it has links to Roman numerals (XVII).
According to local beliefs, if one re-arranges the Roman numerals, you will get the word VIXI, which means ‘I have lived’ in Latin, implying death in the present and an omen of bad luck.
The Library at Madras, Manawa and Woolston Campus will be closed on Friday the 17th November for Canterbury Anniversary Day. We will reopen at 10 am on Saturday 18th November.
Also known as Show Day this holiday celebrates the establishment of Canterbury as a province of New Zealand.
The annual Agricultural Exhibition held at the show grounds in Hillmorton will go ahead this year after being cancelled for the last two years. In 2019 over 100 000 people visited the Show over its three days.
The Show Grounds at Hillmorton in 2019
It will be good to see its return!
The weather over Show Weekend is usually fine so some sort of outdoor activity is always a good alternate. Picnics, barbeques, camping, tramping, beach walks and family get togethers are other options…
Why not walk to one of the Canterbury Foothill peaks…?
From all of us here at Ara Library we wish you a very happy Anniversary Weekend.
Nei rā ngā mihi o te Māhuru ki a tātou! – Happy spring to you all!
Māhuru doesn’t just mean September. The translation of Māhuru (beginning of Spring), refers to the fact that the earth has now acquired warmth.
As such, it also represents a time to promote the planting of crops for our Māra Kai (Gardens.)
Different narratives are shared by many Iwi. Traditionally the month starts during the period of either Rakaunui (the full moon) or Whiro (the new moon) depending on what part of Aotearoa, Te Wai Pounamu you live in.
Māhuru is also the name for the star constellation, scientifically known as Alfard – whose appearance in the northern night sky heralds the arrival of the season.
This is the time when the days become longer and warmer, and where much labour-intensive work is performed, with the ploughing of earth and the tending of gardens; and for many farmers – the birth of kararehe (animals).
More recently, it has been signified as a period in which to acknowledge Te Reo Māori, with efforts such as Māhuru Māori language week. It is a time in which we can celebrate much activity, and to support each other as we acknowledge our heritage and culture.
The Kūmara (Sweet Potato) is an important food source, that has many health benefits; containing a variety of nutrients, vitamins and is high in fibre.
Kūmara is generally planted during Spring and flourishes during the warmer months.
There are many different varieties of Kūmara that were grown traditionally, one of which was the Taputini. These Taputini were scraped of its skin, sliced into thin strips, and dried by placing on large rocks that retained the heat of the sun throughout the day and night. These were regarded as an absolute delicacy.
The Kūmara also has an interesting origin story. Scientists have found that the original source of the Kūmara is only in South America, near present day Peru, where it is still referred to as the ‘Kumar.’
In addition, the Kūmara is also mentioned in a well-known Whakatauki or proverb :-
‘E kore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka! – The humble kūmara does not boast of its own sweetness!’
As it is renowned for its sweet flavour, as opposed to the many varieties of potatoes that are available today – this proverb is an encouragement for people to be modest while discouraging arrogance! So, the lesson is……………..be a kūmara! 😊
Glossary
New words (kupu):-
Te Pātaka Kōrero -Ara Library
He Kurutete Pihinga– Plant and Seedling Swap
Māhuru – September / Beginning of spring
Rakaunui – The full moon
Whiro – The new moon
Aotearoa – New Zealand
Te Wai Pounamu– South Island
Kararehe – Animals
Words relevant to planting / gardening:-
Whakatō – To plant
Kākano – Seed
Whakatipu – To grow
Māra Kai – Food Garden
Hauhake – To harvest
Putiputi – Flower
Hua Whenua – Vegetables
Hua Rākau – Fruit
Haumie Tiketike – God of uncultivated foods (produced naturally in the wild)
Ronga Ma Tāne – God of cultivated foods (such as the kūmara)
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