Tens of thousands of families in Ukraine are simultaneously experiencing the drama of war and partition, after Kiev authorities enacted martial law and banned men who could defend their country from crossing borders. They remained to face the enemy, but they sent their families across the border, with tears in their eyes and broken hearts. In Romania and Moldova, thousands of women have been crossing the border for almost 24 hours, alone or in groups, accompanied by elderly parents or babies and children.

 

The drama of a Ukrainian who embraces his daughter only a few years old, whom he sends away from the war with only his mother, has been repeated in Ukraine hundreds and thousands of times. Adult men capable of fighting can no longer leave the country after the president introduced martial law.

 

Nazar is 13 years old. His mother fled Ukraine alone with him and his younger sister. The father remained in the country. Here is a conversation between him and a reporter.

 

 

Reporter: What did he tell you before you left?

Nazar, Ukrainian refugee: He told me everything would be fine. And to send him pictures.

 

Nazar spoke with a knot in his throat about the separation of the family.

 

Reporter: What is your father doing now?

Nazar: He's a medical technician, but now he's helping the military if they're injured.

Reporter: Was he in the Army before?

Nazar: No, he wasn't in the military before.

 

He hopes to stay with his mother and sister in Poland, where they will stay with a family of friends, only temporarily.

 

Reporter: What would you have done instead of your father?

Nazar: I think I would have done the same.

Reporter: Would you have fought?

Nazar: Yes!

 

A young Ukrainian woman took her two-year-old daughter and came on foot to Moldova. She managed to get in on Thursday night. This morning, people with dramatic stories continued to cross the border. A woman left Ukraine with only her one-year-old daughter and mother. They crossed the border on foot. My brother and father stayed in the country. With tears in his eyes, he tells how he lived his last night in his homeland.

 

 

Reporter: Are you afraid for them?

Woman from Ukraine: Yes, sure! I was scared, there were bombings near us last night. I was scared.

 

Hundreds of women alone or accompanied only by children, many brought in arms, in carts or on foot, if they are older than a few years, have crossed the border into Romania and Moldova.

 

 

Reporter: Are you alone?

Woman from Ukraine: My father went to fight for the country. My son is in Europe, in Germany. I'm alone now.

Reporter: Was it hard to leave your husband there?

Woman from Ukraine: Yes, very difficult.

Reporter: You have tears in your eyes.

Woman from Ukraine: Yes, I'm crying. I hope everything will be fine. We ask you to help us, to pray for Ukraine.

 

 

Welcome to Bemorepanda's countdown page until Christmas 2020. We want all of us to be part of this magical event so we will be sharing daily news and activities in order to bring back joy and happiness. Let's put aside all the negative news surrounding the Coronavirus Pandemic and start our preparation with enthusiasm!

 

 

When is Christmas in 2020?

 

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day occur on the same dates in the month of December. Christmas Eve is on December 24 with Christmas Day following on December 25. While the numbered dates remain the same, the days of the week for Christmas change year to year.

 

Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25?

 

Christmas Day is an annual Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Specifically, the meaning of Christmas comes in the remembrance and celebration of God’s presence in our world through Jesus. Christmas is also extensively celebrated by non-Christians as a seasonal holiday, on which popular traditions such as gift-giving, feasting, and caroling take place.

 

Although the actual date of Christ’s birth is unknown, Christmas has been symbolically celebrated on the 25th of December since the 4th century.

 

Scholars can’t agree on exactly when Christ was born, and the exact circumstances of the beginning of Christmas as we know it remains obscure. Some chronographers of the third century reckoned December 25, around the winter solstice, was the most likely day of Christ’s birth, although other dates had been suggested, including several in spring and fall. The oldest existing record of a feast to celebrate the birth of Christ in the western Church is in the Roman almanac called the Chronographer (or Chronography) of 354, also known as the Philocalian Calendar. This almanac noted that a festival commemorating Christ’s birth was observed by the church in Rome in the year 336.

 

How did the idea of a Christmas tree start?

 

Its origin is probably within winter celebrations long before the beginning of Christianity. The practice of decorating a tree, or using plants and trees that were green year-round, was important for people in winter climates. Some cultures believed evergreens would keep witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and even illness at bay. During the Middle Ages, December 24 was celebrated as the Feast of Adam and Eve, complete with a Paradise Tree, which was a fir tree hung with red apples. Today, the practice of using decorated evergreen trees as part of the Christian celebration of Christmas is a custom begun in Germany over 400 years ago that spread rapidly throughout northern Europe and, hence, became a tradition transplanted to the New World by European immigrants.

 

25th of December, 2020- Merry Christmas, dear friends! 

24th of December, 2020- December 24 is the 358th day of the Gregorian calendar and the 359th day in leap years. There is 1 day until Christmas. Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24th. If Christmas Day falls on a weekend, then this holiday may be observed on a different day.

23th of December, 2020- December 23 is the 357th day of the Gregorian calendar and the 358th day in leap years. There are 2 days until Christmas. FESTIVUS. Each year on December 23rd, Festivus commemorates a holiday episode of the television comedy, Seinfeld. 

22th of December, 2020- December 22 is the 356th day of the Gregorian calendar and the 357th day in leap years. There are 3 days until Christmas. National Date Nut Bread Day on December 22nd delivers a baker's delight to celebrate. Incidentally, some sources also suggest the day is celebrated on September 8th, too.

21th of December, 2020- December 21 is the 355th day of the Gregorian calendar and the 356th day in leap years. There are 4 days until Christmas. On this day is celebrated National Sangria Day.

20th of December, 2020- December 20 is the 354th day of the Gregorian calendar and the 355th day in leap years. There are 5 days until Christmas. Every year on December 20th, International Human Solidarity Day seeks to celebrate the word's unity in diversity. 

19th of December, 2020- December 19 is the 353rd day of the Gregorian calendar and the 354th day in leap years. There are 6 days until Christmas.Today is celebrated National Hard Candy Day.

18th of December, 2020- December 18 is the 352nd day of the Gregorian calendar and the 353rd day in leap years. There are 7 days until Christmas. Every year on December 18th, International Migrants Day emphasizes the protection of migrants' human rights. The day also recognizes the contributions and efforts of migrants around the world.

17th of December, 2020- December 17 is the 351st day of the Gregorian calendar and the 352nd day in leap years. There are 8 days until Christmas. National Maple Syrup Day and Wright Brothers Day is celebrated on this day.

16th of December, 2020- December 16 is the 350th day of the Gregorian calendar and the 351st day in leap years. There are 9 days until Christmas. Today is an extremely sweet day, as we celebrate National Chocolate Covered Anything Day.

15th of December, 2020- On December 15, 1791, the new United States of America ratified the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, confirming the fundamental rights of its citizens. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and the rights of peaceful assembly and petition. There are 10 days until Christmas.

14th of December, 2020- Every year on December 14th National Monkey Day celebrates the unique characteristics of simians. The day also focuses on other non-human primates such as apes, tarsiers, and lemurs. There are 11 days until Christmas.

13th of December, 2020- December 13 is the 347th day of the Gregorian calendar and the 348th day in leap years. There are 12 days until Christmas. Today is National Cocoa Day and National Violin Day.

12th of December, 2020- Today is celebrated the International Day of Neutrality. There are 13 days until the end of the Christmas.

11th of December, 2020- International Mountain Day is celebrated on 11 December every year to educate children and people about the role that mountains play in providing freshwater, clean energy, food, and recreation. Until Christmas there are 14 days.

10th of December, 2020- Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10 every year across the world. The day marks the date when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. There are 15 days until Christmas.

9th of December, 2020- On December 9, the following events are celebrated: National Pastry Day, Weary Willie Day, Christmas Card Day. There are 16 days until Christmas.

8th of December, 2020- On December 8th, many countries including Argentina, Austria, Chile, Colombia, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception with a public holiday. There are 17 days until Christmas.

7th of December, 2020 - December 7 is the 341st day of the Gregorian calendar and the 342nd day in leap years. There are 18 days until Christmas. Today is International Civil Aviation Day.

6th of December, 2020 -The 6th of December is the 340th day of the year, so until Christmas there are 19 days left. On December 6th, Saint Nicholas Day recognizes the third-century saint who became an inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus. St. Nicholas is known for selling all his possessions and giving his money to the poor.

5th of December, 2020 -The 5th of December is the 339th day of the Gregorian calendar, with 20 days left untill Christmas. Today is celebrated the Candle Day.

4th of December, 2020 - The 4th of December - the 338th day of the year according to the Gregorian Calendar. There were 21 days left until Christmas. National Cookie Day on December 4th serves up a sweet treat. Bakers across the country warm up the ovens for holiday baking, and we enjoy giving tins of cookies to friends and family all season long. We can thank the Dutch for more than windmills and tulips.

3nd of December, 2020 - December 3 is the 337th day of the Gregorian calendar. Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992.

2nd of December, 2020 - We are getting closer to the magic Christmas spirit with one more day. Worldwide 2nd December celebrated as World Computer Literacy Day, World Pollution Prevention Day and International Day for Abolition of Slavery.

1st of December,2020 - This is the day when the magic countdown starts. Everyone is waiting for Christmas and Santa to arrive. Happy 1st December everyone! Events for today.

30th of November, 2020 - Today is the last day of November and from tomorrow, the festive period will start, which is the December month. 24 days to go until the big event so stay with us more fun and interesting facts about the Christmas Holiday

Even if you are the most picky person, you will hardly want to eat the same dishes all the time. This is why people regularly look on the Internet for new recipes. Recently, cooking enthusiasts were surprised by the popcorn salad, which instantly went viral. Unfortunately, not for a good reason.

 

The popcorn and mayonnaise salad was prepared by online chef Molly Yeh, who regularly posts her video recipes.

Molly Yeh is a cookbook author, blogger, and host of Food Network Girl Meets Farm. Most of her recipes are inspired by her Jewish and Asian roots and the Midwest.

Usually her recipes look delicious and are very popular with users, but this time people on the Internet agreed that popcorn salad should not be made by anyone.

 

The salad contains: mayonnaise, popcorn and vegetables

 

While preparing the salad, Molly revealed that popcorn salad is one of the classic Midwestern dishes.

 

Typical ingredients for salad are vegetables, popcorn and mayonnaise, she says, but some also add fish to it. She admitted that adding fish to such a salad sounds strange, but she assured that the salad is even tastier with her.

  

Molly's particular recipe includes vegetables such as peas, carrots, and shallots, whipped with mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard

The whole thing is mixed with a bunch of popcorn, and the finishing touch is watercress and celery leaves, which are placed on top.

 

Molly Yeh described the salad as "crunchy", but people find it hard to believe, because they believe that with such a dressing, the popcorn will damp very quickly and everything will turn into porridge

The girl tried her brainchild and nodded approvingly at the camera.

"The texture of the popcorn in the salad is so extraordinarily good that I just can't get enough of it," Molly says in the video.

The video also featured Molly's friends trying the salad. One of her friends said that she "never heard of popcorn salad, but it's amazingly delicious."

 

As it turned out, not only Molly's friends, but also other people on the Internet, and even the residents of the Midwest themselves, for whom this salad supposedly should be "classic", had not heard about this salad

 

The salad was made by one of the authors of Buzzfeed and he really didn't like the result

 

After looking at the negative reviews, the journalist decided not to take her word for it, but she herself made a salad with popcorn

The salad didn't look appetizing, she said. The popcorn was soggy and the vegetables were crispy and not a good combination. Needless to say, it was disappointing because that was exactly what the users were talking about.

 

Many people have heard of popcorn salad for the first time, but if you google, you can find many recipes.

 

Salad preparation video:

In the comments to the video on Twitter, people wrote that they would never eat this salad, and felt sorry for Molly's friends who had to try it. Others called it a food crime, joked that they should call the police, or simply posted crying emojis and gifs.