Moorish American News: This Day In Moorish History – Moorish Tag Day March 17th 1929

Preparation For Moorish Tag Day In Readiness

To be Celebrated In all Temples

The first Moorish National Tag Day will be celebrated by all Temples of The Moorish Science Movement, the same having been sponsored by the Moorish National Sisters Auxiliary To Hold Tag Day Within Temple Number One

The first Moorish Nation Tag Day will be celebrated by Temple No. 1 of Chicago from March 17-29.

The tags will be sold within the Temples prior to and after each meeting held between the above dates. The nominal price will be ten cents. All subordinate temples will receive a sample tag (so) to that the idea may be passed along to them for the (due) consideration. This tag will be held under the auspices of the Moorish National Sisters’ Auxiliary.
There will also be a week of sacrifice. This will be celebrated a week before the return of the prophet from his tour around to the temples. For a whole week members will drop as much money as they can spare into a box. Upon his return the box will be presented to him for the Uplifting Fund, for fallen humanity.

Sister Lavine-El, President
Sister Rhodes-El, Recording Secretary of Temple No. 1, of Chicago, March 17, 1929.
(Editorial from Moorish Guide 1929)

Now clearly and unambiguously the title of the article reads, “…Tag Day will be celebrated by all Temples…”, now we realize that any “Tag Day” is a day on which contributions to a fund are solicited, subsequently each contributor receiving a tag; it is a day on which collectors for a charitable fund solicit contributions, giving each contributor a tag. Therefore the requisite question must be, What is being Celebrated? To answer that question, we must come to a realization of the symbolism on the Tags. On the tags was a heart with a five pointed green star in the center, pointed at the word “UNICE.” It has been reported by Bro. J. Blakely-Bey, that Prophet Noble Drew Ali said the heart means LOVE, dear to the next person or just plain goodness to all mankind. The color green means LIFE EVERLASTING. In the center of the heart is a five pointed green star pointed at the word “unice” which means PEACE and UNITY among MOORISH-AMERICANS. Consequently, the celebration of Tag Day (March 17th) consist of the celebration of: LOVE, LIFE EVERLASTING, and PEACE and UNITY AMONG MOORISH-AMERICANS (which is sorely needed).

We indeed realize that March 17th has a divergent meaning for those of Irish descent, in honor of Patrick whom they refer to as a Saint. It is this Patrick who is known for banishing the “snakes” from Ireland; there are elders who taught that the “snakes” was actually a surreptitious expression which referenced the Moors. There were Moors in ancient Ireland, they were known as Fomorians (fo-MOOR-ians). The Fomorians were an ancient sea-faring people, it is thought that they originally came from Northern Africa or Asia as they are described as having dark hair and dark skin in the original accounts. Fomorians are considered by the most ancient, native inhabitants of Ireland. Conaing is one of the first of the Fomorians to have settled and they seem to have settled on all the Northern Islands along the coast of Ireland and across to Scotland and Norway. The Fomorians, whose name means ‘dark of the sea,’ has been traced by early Christian commentators to Ham, son of Noah. The account of the Fomorians has been thoroughly embedded in Irish mythology, included is their “banishment” from Ireland by the mythical Tuatha de Danann (which may be the character Patrick is modeled after).

At any rate, March 17th we don’t celebrate the banishment of the Moors, neither do we celebrate the defeat of the Moors of Spain. March 17th has a spiritual significance to the Moors which has been demonstrated on the symbolism of the Tags sold on that date. LOVE, LIFE EVERLASTING, and PEACE and UNITY AMONG MOORISH-AMERICANS.