At 3 a.m. EST today, people began celebrating at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., hoping to eventually catch a glimpse of Punxsutawney Phil as he emerged from his burrow at around 7:30 a.m. to tell us whether we should expect six more weeks of winter. Though the ceremony—replete with its unnerving pomp and circumstance—brings me fond memories of my hometown in Pennsylvania, it also reminds me of the 1993 comedy "Groundhog Day." The film features Bill Murray as a witty-yet-inconsiderate television reporter forced to relive Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney over and over, until he discovers how to appreciate and demonstrate his love for the town, its population, and his coworkers, changing his life—and theirs—forever. Much like the general population, I overlooked the film upon its release, but it grew on me over time as I watched bits and pieces whenever it aired on television. When I finally sat down to [...]

On this day, in 1949, the United States first celebrated National Freedom Day, the landmark creation of Richard R. Wright. Born into slavery in Georgia in 1855, Richard Robert Wright attended the Storrs School, which later became Atlanta University, several years after his emancipation. He then entered into Georgia Republican politics. Though he never served as a delegate, he won renown, and was appointed the first president of the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth in 1891. During his tenure, President William McKinley selected him to serve as a major and paymaster for U.S. Army volunteers during the Spanish-American War in 1898. In his later years, Wright moved to Philadelphia, where he opened two banks and founded the National Freedom Day Association, dedicated to setting aside the first of February to memorialize the signing of the proposal of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States by [...]

משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה “When one enters Adar, one increases joy.” Tonight marks Rosh Hodesh, the beginning of the Jewish lunar month of Adar I. This year—as noted in Thursday’s kavannah—is a leap year in the Jewish calendar, which means that there are two months of Adar. As such, although Purim is celebrated in the month of Adar, we will not celebrate it for another 45 days, in the middle of Adar II. Nevertheless, both Adar I and Adar II are considered seasons of joy in Jewish tradition, owing to their association with Purim. We are reminded during these months to find cause for celebration, either in the joys we share among loved ones and friends, or in the appreciation and compassion we show for the stranger. As a civilization that increasingly finds itself online, sharing joy with the stranger seems more and more difficult, but practicing mindfulness in our [...]