Currently viewing the tag: "holidays"

The Day of Turkey is upon us, and we hope that you are leaning into an extra-long weekend of relaxation, reconnection, and food. Lots of food.

Your Hirsh Health Sciences Library team will also be taking some time to relax and unwind (and eat), we will have reduced hours this coming week.

The Library will close at 5:00 pm on Wednesday November 23, and remain closed until Sunday November 27 at noon. Building hours will remain the same.

We hope you enjoy some rest and relaxation over the holiday. Maybe get a head start with this Washington Post article “This farm offers turkey cuddling. No, really.”

Tagged with:
 

For the holiday break this year, Hirsh Library will have some adjusted hours:

Rainbow Snowflakes

Image by Rachel Burkum from Pixabay

December 17th: 7:45am – 5pm

December 18th & 19th: Closed

December 20th – 23rd: 8am – 5pm

December 21st – 23rd: Library Service Desk Closed, remote help available until 5pm.

December 24th – January 2nd: Closed*

January 3rd: Return to regular hours (7:45am – 11pm)

*Please note, the 24th – 2nd is a Tufts University level closure, so the building will not be accessible via card swipe. Put your feet up and relax! Or go exploring!

If you need any assistance while we’re closed, you can always feel free to e-mail hhsl@tufts.edu, and someone will get back to you. The desk will follow the above hours, but we’re here to help, and we like to make sure we always can help.

But no matter what, we here at Hirsh Library hope you have a relaxing and rejuvenating break, and we’ll see you back here in January!

Tagged with:
 

Beginning at sundown this Wednesday, (May 12) is one of the most joyous holidays in the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr! Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Islamic holy month of fasting, Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated around the world with family and friends, sumptuous feasts and fireworks. The Hirsh Health Sciences Library sends out best wishes for a wonderful Eid al-Fitr!  Eid Mubarak!

https://www.techicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Eid-Mubarak-HD-Images-Wallpapers-free-Download-2.jpg

Want to learn more about Eid Al-Fitr? Looking for some dishes to contribute to your feast? Check out the fabulous links  below:

How is Eid al-Fitr celebrated around the world? (BBC)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z4cmkmn

38 Ramadan Recipes for Your Eid Feast (Saveur)
https://www.saveur.com/ramadan-eid-recipes/

 

 

 

Tagged with:
 

June 17, 2020 is the 245th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, an event we mark in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Bunker Hill Day. With in person celebrations and exploration is understandably off the table this year,  here are the Top Ten Things You Should Know About Charlestown and the Battle of Bunker Hill according to our Head of Research & Instruction and Charlestown denizen, Becky Morin

1) The Battle of Bunker Hill was mostly fought on Breed’s Hill. That’s where the Monument is. Bunker Hill is actually taller and steeper, and is home to the lovely Saint Francis de Sales, a beautiful Roman Catholic church dedicated in 1862. If you don’t know which hill is which, we know you’re a tourist.

Bunker Hill Monument and Col. William Prescott statue

By Siddharth Mallya. CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

2) Charlestown was actually not part of the City of Boston when the Battle took place. Charlestown is OLDER than Boston (as any proud Townie will gladly inform you), and did not become part of the City until 1874.

3) Charlestown is where Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride really kicked off. He was ferried in a rowboat from Boston, landing near the Charlestown Battery, where he picked up a horse from his friend Deacon John Larkin, a lifelong Charlestown resident.

4) There is debate as to why the Colonial forces fortified Breed’s Hill instead of Bunker Hill, although many think it is because Breed’s Hill is closer to Boston. The British had planned the siege to capture Bunker Hill, as they wanted to dig in fortifications on the area’s highest points.

5) It took the British three attempts to capture Breed’s Hill, even though their numbers were far greater than the Colonial forces.

6) Charlestown burned after the Battle, the first of two major fires to strike the community.

7) Proud Charlestown residents still fly the Bunker Hill Battle Flag.

Bunker Hill Flag

By DevinCook at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons

8) While the British defeated the Colonists at the Battle of Bunker Hill, they suffered severe casualties and the Siege of Boston came to a stalemate.

9) The Bunker Hill Monument (which you now know is on Breed’s Hill) is 221 feet tall and was completed in 1842.

10) Beloved French hero of the American Revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette, is said to be buried beneath a sprinkling of soil from Bunker Hill, procured by his son.

Want More?

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-true-story-of-the-battle-of-bunker-hill-36721984/
http://charlestownhistoricalsociety.org/history/historic-timeline/
https://www.masshist.org/revolution/bunkerhill.php
https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun17.html

Tagged with:
 

Summer is here and everyone at HHSL is looking forward to the 4th of July! See our library hours for the holiday weekend. The weather forecast says it will be mostly sunny on the 4th and 5th, but scattered showers throughout the weekend, so keep that umbrella in your bag! Here are our suggestions for how to enjoy a happy and healthy holiday weekend:

Fireworks Over Boston by Mike Halsall is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

The quintessential Boston 4th of July celebration is the Boston Pops performance and fireworks show on the Esplanade. Visit the official event website for a rundown of the schedule and more event details.

For fun throughout the weekend, head down to Boston Harborfest. Dedicated to celebrating Boston’s harbor and history, it’s the largest 4th of July festival in the country and features tons of activities, some free and some paid. Here’s the full schedule. Don’t miss the fireworks over the Inner Harbor on Tuesday night!

USS Constitution fires a 21-gun salute toward Fort Independence during the ship’s July 4th underway (US Navy) / CC BY 2.0

Go check out the USS Constitution turnaround! Watch the USS Constitution take her annual voyage to Castle Island to fire a 21-gun salute. You can buy a ticket for the cruise or watch from the shore!

Newton Fireworks at at Halloran Sports and Rec Complex by Owen and Aki is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Don’t want to fight the crowds for Boston fireworks on the 2nd or the 4th? Here’s a list of all the fireworks displays planned for this summer in MA. Of particularly local note, Somerville will be having a display on Thursday 6/27 at 9:15pm and Newton and Waltham will also have fireworks displays on Thursday 7/4.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, we hope you have a happy, healthy, and safe Independence Day. And don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Tagged with:
 

Photo by Tom, finish line diorama by Jean!

In observance of Patriots’ Day, the Library Service Desk will be open from 12pm-7pm on Monday April 15th. We will reopen for normal hours on Tuesday.

Patriots’ Day commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord, which took place on April 19th, 1775. It is also the traditional day for the Boston Marathon. How did these two events come to be linked? Hop over to this short article by The History Channel to find out!

For those interested in celebrating, MassLive has a good rundown of all the events going on this weekend, both Minuteman and Marathon -related.

We hope you enjoy the long weekend and wish good luck to any Jumbos running the race!

Tagged with:
 

February 5th marked the start of Lunar New Year celebrations, which will continue through Tuesday, February 19th. 2019 is the Year of the Pig, the twelfth animal of the Chinese Zodiac. ChineseNewYear.net offers some background on the pig’s symbolism and the characteristics of those born in the Year of the Pig.

Our campus is well positioned to take part in celebrations! Boston’s Chinatown hosts the largest parade in New England, which will kick off at 11am on Sunday 2/17 from Phillips Square (the corner of Harrison and Essex) and wend its way through the streets of Chinatown. Boston Discovery Guide gives a good run down of what you’ll expect to see during the parade.  After the parade, stick around to explore the Cultural Village which will feature arts, crafts, and cultural demonstrations. The Pao Arts Center is holding a number of workshops on Sunday as well, from dumpling-making and tea-tasting, to Lion Dance workshops for kids.

If you are celebrating Lunar New Year, we wish safe travels and much joy and prosperity this year! 恭贺新禧  Happy New Year!

 

Tagged with:
 

We’re in the thick of the semester, so why not take a moment to de-stress and send some love? This Thursday and Friday we’ll have a variety of supplies out at the Library Service Desk so you can make valentines for yourself, your friends, or that special someone (your favorite librarian, perhaps?). We’ll have all the glitter and doilies you need to let someone know how much you appreciate them!

Tagged with:
 

January is National Soup Month, at least, it is according to the good people at Campbell’s, and we feel like they know a thing or two about soup. And here at the Hirsh Health Sciences Library, we know a bit about soup, too.

For example, according to this article published in The Nurse Practitioner, there may just be something to the idea that chicken soup is a valid treatment for the common cold. According to this paper, it provides relief from symptoms and decreases the inflammatory response related to viral illness- in other words, chicken soup might actually make you feel better when you’re sick. SCIENCE!

Cure for the Common Cold? (courtesy University of Washington Libraries. Digital Collections: http://content.lib.washington.edu/u?/kiehl,360)

Cure for the Common Cold?
(courtesy University of Washington Libraries. Digital Collections: http://content.lib.washington.edu/u?/kiehl,360)

Regardless of its efficacy, who doesn’t like a hot bowl of soup in the winter, regardless of whether you’re under the weather? Research and Instruction Librarian Jane recommended this pot of Fire Roasted Tomato Soup for a yummy meal. If you’re looking for a weekend project (it is supposed to be quite chilly), make someone’s day with a labor-intensive batch of delicious Chicken Matzo Ball Soup (aka Jewish Penicillin). For vegetarians/vegans/spicy food lovers, this Lentil and Coconut Soup with Cilantro-Habanero Gremolata is delicious and cheap to make. It also makes enough soup to freeze for the next time you feel the sniffles coming on.

There’s a proverb (of Spanish or Portuguese origin, apparently) that states: “Of soup and love, the first is best.” We offer no opinion on the matter, but wish you a wonderful National Soup Month.

Tagged with:
 

TheGobbleGang

It’s our favorite time of year! Yes, that’s right. It’s turkey time!

Starting at 12pm this Thursday 11/15 and Friday 11/16, you can stop by the Library Service Desk and create your own feathered friend to bring home to Mom (or back to your study carrel). We’ll have a variety of materials out so you can create anything your heart desires, from the simple and majestic hand turkey (our personal favorite) to some 3D  pinecone poultry.

 

Tagged with:
 
Set your Twitter account name in your settings to use the TwitterBar Section.