29 April 26

Kaunda Day is an annual celebration in Zambia, on 28 April (yesterday). It marks the birthday of Kenneth Kaunda (1924-2021), the "Father of His Country." He was the first president of Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) upon its independence in 1964. My own interests in Zambia trace back to childhood memories of church visits by missionaries who were based at the Jembo Mission of the Pilgrim Holiness Church, and of family friendships with some Zambians who were students at a local Bible college. My tie scrambles the letters Z-a-m-b-i-a; it was gifted to me by Beth's parents after their short-term mission trip there in 2000.

25 May 25

Mom Wilma Wollenweber asked me to wear my Zambia letters tie today. It's one of the ties she and Dad brought back to me from their 2000 short term mission trip to that country. Yesterday (24 May) was Dad's birthday, and he would have been 100 years old! We have a family tradition of celebrating "Soup Sunday" near his birthday every year, to remember one of his most loved foods. This time we are preparing cheesy corn chowder, using a very easy recipe from the More With Less Cookbook.

23 October 22

Tomorrow, 24 October, is Zambia's Independence Day, but I have a special family occasion to celebrate, so I'm wearing my Z-a-m-b-i-a tie now! Zambia became known to me in childhood as a "mission field" (then called Northern Rhodesia) for the Pilgrim Holiness Church. My parents-in-law spent time there in 2000 on a brief mission trip for the Wesleyan Church, and they brought back this tie for me. By the way, today (10-23) is special to chemists as Mole Day, because those numbers match the exponential part of Avogadro's Number (6.022 x 10**23), which counts the number of carbon atoms in 12 grams of carbon and the number of water molecules in 18 grams of water (and so on), See more about moles at this blog post.

24 October 21

On this date in 1964, Zambia ("Northern Rhodesia") achieved independence (from Great Britain). My tie shows the letters Z-a-m-b-i-a and was bought for me by Mom and Dad Wollenweber during their short-term mission trip in 2000. Zambia's independence was one part of the general decolonization movement, as "Western" nations provided nonviolent paths to create and recognize mostly-democratic governments based on what they called "native" authority. The movement was particularly strong in the 1960s. As a child I was aware of "Northern Rhodesia" as a primary mission field for the Pilgrim Holiness Church.

7 July 20

Today is "Unity Day" in Zambia, created to celebrate the multiplicity of ethnic groups in that country. I can't find anything to show that it's currently a major holiday. My tie shows the letters Z-A-M-B-I-A and its label proclaims that Zambia is "The REAL Africa."

2 July 19

Today (the first Tuesday in July) is Unity Day in Zambia, and my tie spells out the name Z-A-M-B-I-A. "Zambia is a multinational state; its population comprises over 70 ethnic groups. Most Zambians belong to nine major ethnic groups: the Chewa, Tonga, Bemba, Tumbuka, Luvale, Lumba, Lozi, Nkoya and Kaonde. Only two of them (the Bemba and Tonga) have enough people to constitute more than 10% of the country's total population. Unity Day was established to promote the idea of national unity. It aims at fostering solidarity between various ethnolinguistic groups and maintaining the spirit of national unity." (https://anydayguide.com/calendar/2172)

The label on the back of my tie says that Zambia is "The Real Africa."

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24-25 October 17

Zambia celebrates Independence Day every 24 October! When I was growing up, my familiarity with Africa came mostly from missionaries' slide shows, and that's how I learned about "Northern Rhodesia," with a special emphasis on the schools and churches in "Jembo Mission" that were associated with the Pilgrim Holiness Church. The country gained independence (from Britain) in 1964, taking the name Zambia. In the late 1960s, a Zambian Pilgrim minister named Denis Sichombo and his family came to study at a Bible college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and our families became good friends. Much later, in 2000, Beth's parents went to Zambia on a short-term mission opportunity, and when they returned, they brought me this tie -- whose orange and blue letters spell out Z-A-M-B-I-A. I have a couple of Facebook friends who live in Lusaka, the capital!

8 August 16

Yesterday was the birthday of our friend Steriah Mwiinga, whom Beth's parents got to know during a mission trip to Zambia in 2000. Someday we may get to meet Steriah and her two wonderful daughters! My tie has orange and blue letters that spell Z-a-m-b-i-a.

7 July 2015

Today is Unity Day in Zambia, and my tie spells out the name Z-A-M-B-I-A. "Zambia is a multinational state; its population comprises over 70 ethnic groups. Most Zambians belong to nine major ethnic groups: the Chewa, Tonga, Bemba, Tumbuka, Luvale, Lumba, Lozi, Nkoya and Kaonde. Only two of them (the Bemba and Tonga) have enough people to constitute more than 10% of the country's total population. Unity Day was established to promote the idea of national unity. It aims at fostering solidarity between various ethnolinguistic groups and maintaining the spirit of national unity." (https://anydayguide.com/calendar/2172)

The label on the back of my tie says that Zambia is "The Real Africa."

21 October 14

This coming Friday -- which is a no-tie day for me -- is the 50th anniversary of the independence of Zambia! In my childhood the country was known as Northern Rhodesia, and I recall watching numerous slide shows from missionaries to that country. My wife's parents spent some months in 2000 on a short-term mission trip in Zambia, and they brought back this tie for me! The blue and orange letters spell Z-A-M-B-I-A.

24 October 13

This is Independence Day #49 for Zambia, which was "Northern Rhodesia" in my early childhood. In the 1960s we learned about the country through good family friends who were missionaries at Pemba, and other attachments have grown over the years. My tie bears the letters Z-A-M-B-I-A, and according to the tie's label, Zambia is "The REAL AFRICA." Someday maybe I'll get there in real life.

28 April 13

Today is the 89th birthday of Kenneth Kaunda, first President of Zambia (1964-1991), who is widely recognized as the "father of his country." His birthday has been proposed as a national holiday. My tie has the letters Z-A-M-B-I-A in blue and orange, and was brought to me by Beth's parents after a mission trip in 2000. My (unseen) hair ties are green, red, black and orange, for the colors on the Zambian flag.

3 June 12

My tie today says Z-a-m-b-i-a in orange and blue letters. Beth's parents brought it back for me from a short-term mission trip to Zambia in 2000. I am wearing it today to attend a worldwide missions celebration at the 12th General Conference of the Wesleyan Church, being held this week in Lexington, Kentucky. My dad was a delegate to the first General Conference, in 1968, when we went to Anderson, Indiana, to witness the merger of the former Pilgrim Holiness and Wesleyan Methodist denominations.

5 July 11

Today is Unity Day in Zambia (always the first Tuesday in July). This is a memorial day for Zambians who died in the struggle for independence, which was achieved in 1964. On this day, political rallies throughout the country stress solidarity. My tie's design is based on the letters Z-a-m-b-i-a in blue and orange. My wife's parents brought it back for me in 2000, when they were in Zambia for a short-term mission trip.

06 July 10

Zambia: Unity Day July 6 (always the first Tuesday in July). This is a memorial day for Zambians who died in the struggle for independence. Political rallies stressing solidarity throughout.

My interest in Zambia stems from childhood memories of visits to our church by missionaries from the Pilgrim Holiness Church mission station at Pemba, Northern Rhodesia. In 2000, Beth's parents were in Zambia for a short term mission stay. This is one of the ties they brought back to me.

28 April 10

The founding president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, was born on April 28, 1924.

28 April 08

Kenneth Kaunda, longtime president of Zambia, was born on 28 April 1924. The tie celebrates my wife's parents' mission trip to Zambia (for The Wesleyan Church) in 2000.









Also born on this date: Oskar Schindler (1908) and Saddam Hussein (1937).