*Ø* Blogmanac July 19-20 | Adonia, ancient Greece
A holy enactment of the wedding of Adonis and Aphrodite took place at this time. Celebrated only by women, the Adonia was a summer festival held at Athens and Alexandria, and had Egyptian roots. Images of Adonis and Aphrodite were laid on a silver couch and on the second day cast into the sea, along with potplant-type arrangements called Adonis Gardens, which assured the renewal of vegetative growth with the summer rains, or, so it is said.

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Celebrating Lammas – Lammas is nearly upon us

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Lizzie Borden took an axe
Gave her mother 40 whacks.
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father 41.
Children’s song, 19th Century America; Lizzie Borden, famous accused murderess, born July 19, 1860

1860 Lizzie Borden, alleged American parricide
Although eventually acquitted of the crime, birthday girl Lizzie Borden will always be remembered as the girl who “gave her mother forty whacks” with an axe. Her name entered American folklore and will remain there for a long time, regardless of the presumption of innocence.

Virtual Borden House Try to solve the mystery

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1847 The Choctaw nation of American Indians gave $750 for Irish famine relief.

1873 William Gosse named Ayers Rock (Uluru) in honour of South Australian Premier Sir Henry Ayers. In March 1983 it was leased from the traditional Aboriginal owners by the Australian Government on a 99-year lease for $100,000 a year. Uluru, the world's largest monolith, is at the very heart of the continent, and is thus part of the Almanac's symbol.