Surfing on wikipedia I found this little historical tidbit I found interesting:
Yet another historical legacy that lives on to this day. I had no idea & I bet many Catholic Churches don't even know why they still ring the bell at noon. I had always assummed it was just so everyone working would know it was dinnertime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noon_bell
quote:
During the Siege of Nándorfehérvár (modern-day Belgrade) in 1456, Hungarian nobleman John Hunyadi defended the city against the onslaught of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. During the siege, Pope Callixtus III ordered the bells of every church to be rung every day at noon, as a call for believers to pray for the defenders of the city.
However, in many places, news of the victory arrived before the order, and the ringing of the church bells at noon thus transformed into a commemoration of the victory. The Pope didn't withdraw the order, and Catholic churches still ring the noon bell to this day. [1]
Yet another historical legacy that lives on to this day. I had no idea & I bet many Catholic Churches don't even know why they still ring the bell at noon. I had always assummed it was just so everyone working would know it was dinnertime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noon_bell