Throughout Christendom, this day has been cause for a celebration of the proclamation of the Gospel--not just of the two men whose lives are synonymous with it. Children born on this day have invariably been named for both saints. Thus, in 1577 when the Rubens family near the village of Siegen in the heart of Westphalia was blessed with a son, they followed the tradition of the lower Netherlands naming him for the two saints. He would grow up to become one of the greatest of the Flemish masters: Peter Paul Rubens.
My google research shows that the "Peter Paul" candy company, manufacturer of Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars, was named for co-founder Peter Paul Halajian, an Armenian immigrant who had operated candy stores in Torrington and Naugatuck, Connecticut. No word, however, on Mr. Halajian's birthdate or namesake.
ReplyDeleteNow I want a Mounds bar . . . .