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Happy New Year and a Wonderful Jubilee
Happy New Year is oftentimes the first thing most of us will hear, in our respective language of course, at midnight new years morning. Over the centuries new year has held a great significance of some sort world wide, weather it was based on superstition, or celebration of a great year and the welcoming of a great new one. I want to take a minute to look at one that to many Americans is a very important celebration of freedom and their way of life.

For African Americans, New Year’s Day has a special significance, and is often called Emancipation Day or Jubilee Day. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves from bondage, was read in Boston. Today, many African-American families hold “watch services” on January 1. Traditional foods include black-eyed peas, collard greens, ham hocks, and macaroni and cheese. The uniquely African-American celebration, Kwanzaa, continues over seven days starting December 26, so the New Year’s celebration is often part of Kwanzaa’s way of reconnecting people with their African roots. Kwanzaa began in the United States in the 1960s, and is not celebrated in Africa. This is perhaps one of my favorite facts being that I am American. when I learned about this and how it was part of the Kwanzaa celebration it gave me a whole new respect for Kwanzaa. In a lot of ways Kwanzaa and emancipation day are to the African Americans, just like Hanukkah to the Jewish people. Both holidays are a Celebration of their roots and a time to give thanks for the miracles that had been afforded there forefathers of years gone bye.

Jubilee is a time that we can learn about in the bible. it is a time every 50 years when all property was to be returned and debts forgiven and all slaves and indentured servants were to be freed. there is also parts of the same laws that talk about a year of liberty every 7 years that slaves were to be freed.

Hanukkah is the Jewish celebration of the miracle of the lamp oil that burned for 8 days for the re-dedication of the temple in Jerusalem circa 163BC. The Maccabees a family of priests defeated the Greek ruler Antiochus IV to take back the holy temple and upon doing so cleaned and rededicated it to God. The Maccabees priests only found 1 jar of oil for the temple lamp that had to burn all the time day and night. One jar of oil is only enough for one day of use in the lamp, but this jar burned for 8 days. This allowed time for the priests to prepare more oil for the temple lamp, and marked the beginning of Hanukkah, to celebrate the miracle that had taken place in that place at that time.

I am glad to have been able to learn about these things and to share them with you all. To all of the African American people, Happy Jubilee Day and Happy new year to all. I pray a blessing of prosperity for mankind in 2012. Here is to a hope for a world with out any sort of slavery or oppression upon any people for any reason.

Shalom

New Year’s eve traditions in many countries revolve around the New Year’s party, counting down to the new year and making new years resolutions. But how much do you know about New Year’s customs and traditions that you may consider a little bit strage? Here is a preview of some of these customs that may be strange but true as practiced in Mexico and Bolivia and has to do with the wearing of colorful underwear.
 
Here is a New Year’s day custom that we can all get our butts in. After all it’s just a matter of sprucing up your undies for the new year. This strange custom is practiced in different forms in Mexico and Bolivia.

In Bolivia it is believed that your luck will change for the better if you change the color of your underwear just before the New Year. Bolivians of all walks of life and ages, purchase yellow underwear before New Year’s eve. One can only imagine how well stocked the lingerie store department has to be to accomodate the high demand for  yellow underwear at new year.

After the yellow panties or briefs are purchased they are tucked away in a safe place until a few minutes before midnight on New Year’s eve. When the bell strikes midnight, Bolivians run to a location where they can change into their yellow underwear. Yellow underwear will bring you not only happiness but money too. For money and happiness in the new year it is surely worth a pair or two of yellow underwear. 

The other New Year’s color underwear custom can be found in Mexico.  Here the underwear is not limited to one color but a variety of colors are embraced. The  kind of luck you want to attract in the new year will determine the color of your underwear for the most part. Down on love in the old year? Why not try  wearing red underwear on New Year’s eve? Pink underwear is also worn in Mexico for true friendship and love.

If it’s just pure luck in any area of your life you crave then like the Bolivians, it is the trusty yellow panties to the rescue. In Mexico, red underwear worn on New Years eve also signifies prosperity and happiness while green underwear is for health and well being.

Wearing colorful underwear on New Year’s eve is a strange New Year’s tradition we can all get behind. Want to change your luck in the new year change the color of your underwear.

Chinese Good Luck Customs

• Colors: Surround yourself with the colors red and gold 
• Foods:Tangerines/oranges, long noodles,leafy greens, lentil soup, pork, and whole fish 
• Decorations: Chinese word for Good Luck is Fu which is often painted on signs and hung upside down at doors and windows
• What to do: Do a project that will be successful but not time consuming that is career related on the first so that you will be successful but not overworked, wear something new (preferably in red on the first) so that you will have luck with getting new objects all year, all that you do on the first will reflect your luck in the upcoming year
• If you are single: if you are a single woman look out your bedroom window on the first when you wake up and if you see a man passing by you will have luck in marriage in the upcoming year

Japanese

• Straw Rope:Hang a straw rope from the front door

MexicanFoods:Eat pan dulce(sweet bread) which is baked with a coin in it, whoever gets this coin will have the greatest luck during the next yearUndergarmets: decide the fate of the wearer-Women should wear red wear if she wants luck in her love life, green for money, for good health she should wear white, in general yellowe underwear represents financial growthDutch 

• Food:Eating donuts on the first
• Visiting others:people visit their loved ones and has to have at least one drink with them, eat something with each of them and to give a ring shaped gift to each of them

Buddhist 

• Candles:Light candles at monastaries or temples out of respect to the supreme power and blessed souls who in turn bless them with good luck

Spanish

• Food:Eat 12 grapes (each representing a month) for good luck at midnight

Swiss

• Tradition:Drops cream on the floor

Italian/Sicilian

• Food:Eat lasagne on New Years day, Bake and eat a cake with a coin baked in it
• Gifts:Carefully choose gifts for their loved ones; those that are lucky are lamps, a honey jar, silver or gold, money,and sweets

Portugal

• Carols:Children go door to door singing carols which brings good luck

WalesTradition:Unlike many other countries who open their doors to let the old year’s fortune out, people in Wales open their front door to let good fortune in and lock their back door to keep bad luck out at midnight

A Common Good Luck Custom

• First Footing:The first foot in the house after midnight should be a tall, dark haired, handsome man and should bring a gift in representation of luck of bread (food), coal(warmth) and salt(money), in some cultures no one can leave before the first footer does

Image by tim geers via Flickr

We all know, or think we know about our traditional Christmas holiday, but for some, celebrations start much earlier, or much later, and are by no means the same as our own. In Spain, the holidays begin on Dec. 8 on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, when an elaborate ritual dance is performed by boys on cathedral steps. Children in Spain receive gifts on Epiphany when the Magi re-enact their journey to Bethlehem. Shoes filled with straw are left on window sills for the horses of the wise men.

In Sweden, the eldest daughter in a family wears an evergreen wreath with candles on her head and serves coffee and buns to her family for breakfast on Dec. 13. This ritual remembers St. Lucia who carried food to the early Christians hiding from persecution in dark underground tunnels. To light the way, she wore a wreath of candles on her head.

In Iraq, families gather around lighted candles as children read the Christmas story. After the reading a bonfire of thorn bushes is lit. If the thorns burn to ashes, good luck will fill the year ahead. When the fire dies each person jumps over the ashes three times and makes a wish. On Christmas day the priest also blesses one person with a touch. They then touch the one sitting next to them and this continues until all present have felt “the touch of peace.”

In Greece, 40 days of fasting precedes a Christmas feast, which always features “christopsomo” or Christ Bread. These large, sweet loaves are shaped and engraved with images that reflect the family’s profession.

To remember the star of Bethlehem, in Poland, the Christmas meal does not begin until the first star appears in the sky. The feast is made up of 12 courses, one for each apostle and an extra chair is set at the table for a stranger, or the Holy Spirit to share the meal.  Paper lanterns decorate the “Tree of Light” that is central to celebrations of Christmas in China, where children await visits from Dun Che Lao Ren, which means Christmas Old Man.

Mango and banana trees are decorated in India and small oil-burning lamps light the edges of rooftops as special decorations.  The first Christmas in Australia was celebrated in 1788 with a worship service and a toast to the King. That day’s goodwill to the convicts, who made up a large part of the country’s population took the form of leniency. Michael Dennison, who stole a pound of flour was granted only 150 lashes, instead of the 200 to which he was sentenced.

For many, the 17th Dcember is special, because The Lord of Misrule arrives. This is the first day of the Roman festival Saturnalia. It was a period of great feasting and festivity, with a lot of drinking and eating not unlike a modern Christmas party. Slaves would become masters for the festival, everything was turned upside down. This part of the Roman festival survived into the 17th Century in the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. A servant was made the Lord and organized the chaotic celebrations.

“La Posadas,” the remarkable build-up to Christmas Eve, is perhaps the most delightful and unique Mexican tradition. Beginning December 16th, it commemorates the events in the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and  this nine day festival is gaining in popularity.

Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe are used as Christmas decorations , but they predate Christian celebrations. Holly and ivy were used by the Romans,  during Saturnalia. Although many people still demand a celebratory kiss under the mistletoe, you are meant to pick one berry for each kiss. The ancient druids regarded mistletoe as a magical plant and are said to have harvested it with a golden sickle.

In Italy they have no Christmas trees, instead they decorate small wooden pyramids with fruit. The Christmas tree is an evergreen plant that symbolises life. It was sacred to the Druids who tied golden apples to its limbs, so decorating trees is an age-old custom. Egyptians brought green date palms indoors to symbolise life over death during the winter months.

16th century Germany popularized the idea of a decorated Christmas tree. Folklore tells us that Martin Luther was so amazed by the twilight stars that he brought a tree into his house and decorated it with candles to capture the moment. The first Christmas trees were decorated with candles, fruits, sweetmeats, gilded nuts, ribbons and small trinkets. During the Victorian Era glass blown ornaments became popular.

Lights illuminated many pagan winter festivals The Romans bound candles to trees during the festival of Saturnalia. During the Celtic ‘Imboli’ candles were placed in every window, and bonfires lit. During medieval times a giant candle was lit and was kept glowing until Twelfth night. Many people still leave a candle burning in the window to “light the way for Joseph”.

The Welsh, in ancient times, also decorated a Holly Tree in some areas, and practised the customs of throwing out Beans to release the demons, a similar tradition to the European custom of taking down all the Christmas decorations by Twelfth night or bad luck will befall. Originally, the date for taking down evergreens was 2nd February, thereby releasing the wood spirits, which had sheltered in the house during the winter.

A quaint legend surrounds decorating trees with tinsel. A mother decorated a tree for her many children. Late at night spiders spun webs to cover the tree. The Christ-child turned the webs into silver stands as a blessing. An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.

In Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, it is customary for the streets to be blocked off on Christmas eve so that the people can roller-skate to church. Father Christmas is called Papai Noel in Brazil. Many Christmas customs are similar to USA or UK. For those who have enough money, a special Christmas meal will be chicken, turkey, ham, rice, salad, pork, fresh and dried fruits, often with beer. Poorer people will just have chicken and rice.

Sending red Christmas cards to anyone in Japan constitutes bad etiquette, since funeral notices there are customarily printed in red. In Norway on Christmas Eve, all the brooms in the house are hidden because long ago it was believed that witches and mischievous spirits came out on Christmas Eve and would steal their brooms for riding.

Finally, you need to know that the Egyptians don’t even begin their celebrations until January 6th, officially, so you can appreciate just how long the Christmas celebrations last, if you hop around the world.  So think again about your own perceptions, where Xmas is concerned. There is much more to it than you might ever have believed.

I’d been on the Christmas treadmill for five decades and was getting pretty tired of the whole scene. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved the decorating, the food, the cards, and parties. But the compulsory gift-giving lost its luster long before my kids hit their mid-twenties. Thinking up gifts, hunting them down, feeling desperate, and still missing the mark on the perfect thing was too much for me. I suspected we all felt like cutting each other a few checks and calling it a day. Sad attitude, isn’t it?

Photo by Stephanie Carter

I decided to change things last Christmas — we exchanged only gag gifts, and as a family, made a significant food contribution to our local urban ministry.

If you feel like a change is in order, start with these simple ideas for a great time:

• Plan your family get-together as usual. We chose Christmas Eve night for gathering to share a nice spread of hors d’ oeuvres and a glass of champagne. In years past, we’ve done a Christmas Day brunch or dinner. The key is to honor your special traditions.
• Instead of the usual gifts, have everyone buy (re-gift, re-purpose, make, or find) gag gifts for each adult member of the family. Last year, my 90-something mom received a Clapper and a bicycle bell for her walker. My future daughter-in-law received a rolling pin (you know that old joke). I gave one of my sons a cool necktie with a rubber duckie design (I refer to him as “Baby Duck,” so it seemed apropos). If you like fancy wrapping jobs, don’t let the contents of the boxes slow you down. A Chia Pet looks great wrapped in shining paper with big fancy bows.
• Take your time. Let each person unwrap a gift, then give everyone a chance to tell stories, have a good laugh, and play with their new flying screaming monkies.
• Do observe the season’s blessings and share in meaningful ways with others in need. We each brought a big bag of groceries to our get-together, which I took the day after Christmas to our local food bank. The money we’d saved meant a gift to others.

You may not find the idea of a gag gift exchange appealing for your family. But remember, you have lots of choices for an alternative to the traditional American compulsory gift-giving scene.

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I get it that people don’t want religion shoved down their throats. But does a cheery “Merry Christmas” greeting from a WalMart cashier constitute shoving religion down the customers’ throats?

And who are these people writing letters to their mayors’ offices to insist that the town Christmas trees be called ‘holiday trees’? Are they the same people who claim that setting up a nativity scene anywhere except in church is a violation of the separation of church and state?

In my opinion, Santa Claus is much more damaging to our culture than Jesus. Along with spreading the joys of childhood wonderment and hopeful anticipation, he also spreads the viruses of greed, materialism and entitlement syndrome.  Santa Claus promises to give kids whatever their little hearts desire, but he doesn’t deliver any of it. For many, many children, Christmas morning brings disappointment, and for countless others a childhood full of disappointing Christmas mornings confirms their status as second class citizens.

I am not asking that we purge North America of the myth and traditions of Santa Claus. I am just challenging the notion that our society would be better off with Santa Claus than Jesus.  

The Reindeer – who are they?
They were first named in the now legendary Christmas poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” also known as “The Night Before Christmas” first published in 1823.  There were eight in the original line-up.  Rudolph was added in 1939.

1.  Rudolph with his red nose.  Heads up the team as the light of the way with his shiny bright red nose so Santa could see through thickening fog, which had previously caused several accidents and delays. The message of Rudolph proved popular, that is, a perceived liability (his nose for which he was ostracize, teased and often made fun of) is often an asset waiting to be discovered!  

2.  Dasher is the fastest.  She was the right-hand leader of the sleigh before Rudolph was included.

3.  Dancer can’t stop dancing and the left-hand leader before Rudolph was included.

4.  Prancer is elegant and good looking and the third reindeer on the right in the second row before Rudolph was included.

5.  Vixen is the practical joker and the fourth reindeer on the left-hand side in the second row before Rudolph was included.

6.  Comet is the day dreamer looking upon stars and making wishes and the fifth reindeer on the right-hand side in the third row before Rudolph was included.

7.  Cupid is the love reindeer – Santa’s second favorite and the sixth reindeer on the left-hand side in the third row before Rudolph was included.

8.  Donner is the lover of poetry, giggles and having fun and the seventh reindeer on the right-hand side in the fourth row before Rudolph was included.

9.  Blitzen was the last reindeer in the original line-up and her motto was: “Santa saved the best for last” and the eighth reindeer on the left-hand side in the fourth row.  Note ‘Blitz’ is German for ‘lightning’ and Blitzen was known to be lightning fast!

So if you now go over the reindeer and their attributes you will see that they take on a different energy when you now consider them female.  However, Santa with his busy schedule does not have time for long explanations when out and about, so he doesn’t refer to the reindeer as male or female rather only by their names and qualities. 

Santa believes that we all, male and female, can transform our lives if we take on the qualities of the reindeer.  We all need to ‘lighten up’, laugh more, dream more, take better care of ourselves, reach out and love more and incorporate more fun into our lives.  It’s good for our health and well-being and peace on the planet.  Plus when we have fun and laugh together, we are creating quality time together; connecting more deeply at a heart level.  Plus, we create some of our best and most cherished memories when we play together.

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1.  Ensure you use a planner to diarize times to celebrate the Christmas season doing special festive activities together.  This will ensure you get to create some magical festive memories that will be cherished for years to come.  It also has the possibility of creating annual traditions that you will all look forward to too each year.

2.  Diarize a date as a family to go see the Christmas sights in your city such as the tree lighting ceremony in your city-square or local park.  Go see the special Christmas shop window displays in your major city and you could even check out some of the big hotel foyer decorations – some even put on Christmas themed puppet shows or moving festive displays on the hour!

3.  Diarize to go for a family walk to view the Christmas and holiday decorated homes in your local streets.  You could even research and then visit the most popular decorated street or streets in your city.  This can be a magical time together while enjoying a feast for your eyes and a leisurely yet healthy stroll together.

4.  Research and diarize a local carol’s by candlelight in your area or you could find the most popular carol’s event and send out invites to not only extended family but friends too to join the night in song and celebration together.  Often you can bring a picnic and make it a truly special time sharing together this momentous occasion.

5.  Diarize a Christmas cookie-baking day together with your kids.  There are many free recipes available on the net.  Put on some of your favorite Christmas music in the background to create a magical atmosphere.  It can be fun for the kids to take turns adding mixture and stirring while making a Christmas wish.  Decorating can also be a lot of fun as you all get creative.  Expect that you all, as well as the kitchen, get messy and make that part of the fun together.   Come with the expectation to create some quality time and magical memories making Christmas biscuits for gifts for others this year as a family. If it doesn’t turn out, you could feed the local ducks or birds as a special Christmas treat and you can always try another recipe and have another fun baking day together!

Once you’ve made some great biscuits, you could use jars to place them in and make your own hand-made labels with Christmas wishes.   Wrap your jars in festive colored cellophane and tie with a Christmas ribbon.  You could make a basket full and together as a family go give out to people at the local nursing home or retirement village near you.  Plan to do something as a family to give back to the community.  Alternatively, you could volunteer at places like the Salvation Army, a soup kitchen or a local community group.  Doing something as a family that gives without the expectation of anything in return for others, is experiencing first hand the real spirit of the season.  You’re also teaching your children community care, service and responsibility.  Imagine the heart connection between you all, much stronger and the new local friends and smiles you will meet!

So enjoy the festive holiday season with your family creating great memories and connecting more deeply as a family by doing festive activities together.  Remember, it’s not things that are often remembered and cherished now or later in life, it’s quality time together; doing special and memorable things together, creating traditions and heart-felt connections.  If you would like to find out about more festive fun traditions come visit www.HohoHoChristmas.com

Colleges: Lincoln and Brasenose

Every year, on ascension day, Lincoln college serves the students of Brasenose each a pint of beer that has been poisoned with Ivy. After the drinking, students gather to watch as heated pennies are dropped from the college tower rooftop onto a group of primary school aged children, who pick them up with bare hands.

WHY?

Brasenose and Lincoln share a long-standing rivalry. It is not uncommon for colleges in close proximity to each other to be rivals, but an interesting story accompanies this one. A couple of centuries ago, it is said that in a “town versus gown” riot, a student of Brasenose and a student of Lincoln were being chased by a mob through the city. The students ran for cover in the nearest university building they could see – Lincoln College. At the gate, the Lincoln student was allowed entry and refuge in the college, but the door was slammed upon the Brasenose student, leaving him to the mercy of the mob. He was killed.

Now, all these years later, the beer is served to Brasenose members as an apology and repentance. The door that links the two colleges is opened for only 5 minutes each year, at midday on ascension day, for this to take place. The beer is poisoned though, to prevent the Brasenose students from enjoying it too much and taking advantage of Lincoln’s hospitality.

The penny throwing at children exists as a lesson to them, in the dangers of greed. Today though, the coins are no longer heated, so there is no reason not to pick them up.

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The Time Ceremony

College: Merton

Students dressed in formal academic dress (sub-fusc) walk backwards around the fellows quad drinking port.

WHY? 

It is said that the purpose of this, performed each year during the transition from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time, is to maintain the integrity of the space-time continuum. It is less of a tradition though, being established by students as recently as 1971, as both a mockery of other Oxford ceremonies and a celebration of the BST experiment (Britain had been permanently using BST all year round since 1968, an unsuccessful move).

Sub-fusc

College: All

The academic dress of the university. Sub-fusc is worn by students to all university examinations, as well as ceremonies such as matriculation (official enrollment, or becoming a member of the university) and graduation. At some colleges, it is even worn to formal hall - another Oxford tradition, a formal dinner of 3 courses served at the table – a break from your typical university canteen! 

When attending exams, students adorn their sub-fusc with a carnation flower. Traditionally, a white carnation is worn for the first exam in a set, pink for the following exams, followed by red for the final paper. This represents the blood shed by the students in their exam stress! The presence of the red carnation also notifies other students of the need for the ritual of trashing.

Trashing

College: All

A modern day post-exam tradition, which despite it’s modernity still does not appear at other universities. Finishing examinees, made distinctive by their red carnations and sub-fusc, are greeted by their friends outside the exam hall, usually accompanied by large amounts of confetti, party poppers, silly hats and clothes, silly string, balloons and alcohol! Away from the exam schools and the eyes of the proctors and university police, it is fairly common for the examinee to then be covered in flour, eggs or any other foodstuff their friends have gotten hold of – a practice very strictly forbidden. Drinking of course is a must, and the sub-fusc is worn all day, whatever it may be covered in!

Ale Verses

College: Brasenose (and Balliol*)

On pancake day, students gather in the hall, stand on the benches and sing parody songs about the college, drinking from large tankards of warm ale.

WHY? 

Brasenose college once had an ale-house, and brewed its own beer. Sadly it is no longer standing, but a tradition from those days lives on. Each year, on Shrove Tuesday, beer would be shared and songs sung in praise of this fine Brasenose Ale. Today, the songsare sung usually to the tune of modern pop songs and talk of the college, staff, tutors and students – no one is safe! All lyrics are submitted by students.

*Balliol college have a similar tradition of singing and drinking. However theirs occurs before Christmas, and students gather to sing carols and drink mulled wine. The traditional finale to this event is everyone walking to the gates of nearby rival Trinity college, and singing a song about the college, written in the 1700s, to taunt Trinity students. 

African slaves were denied certain cultural customs such as their native language, drums, and several other traditions. Some practices were kept and became a part of the American way of life.

In 1721 the smallpox epidemic struck, a Boston slave named Onesimus instructed Cotton Mather, a Puritan cleric, how to inoculate the African way, it was the earliest recorded use of the technique in America, but a common practice in Africa.

Rice – Africans introduced the rice plant to North America and taught the English settlers how to cultivate and irrigate the crop. Rice became so important to South Carolina’s economy that it continued to be the colony’s major crop long after the rest of the South had turned to cotton farming in the 19th century.