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Home , Boxing Day, Winter solstice

MESSAGES FROM MEREDITH HILL Connecting Our School Community VOL. 2, ISSUE 14 18, 2020 ’s greetings, Orca families!

2020 has been quite a year and we are almost to the end of it. A brings opportunities for new learning, experiences, and goals. We look forward to sharing in those opportunities with our Meredith Hill school community. This issue is part two in sharing about different celebrations around the world. Whichever holidays you celebrate, we hope you have a warm and safe winter break! We’ll see you back for remote learning on January 4, 2021! WINTER CELEBRATIONS

2020-21 Winter Holidays Winter / Around the World is the day of the year with the shortest amount of Dec 21 /Yule daylight. It is marked with Dec 25 Day festivities to celebrate nature Dec 26 and to set new intentions. Dec 26-Jan 1 “Yule” can also refer to Christmas. Dec 31 New Year’s Eve// Omisoka Jan 6 Three Kings Day/ Feb 12 Lunar New Year Feb 16

Christmas is a religious for Christians and also a cultural holiday for non-Christians all over the world. For Christians, it celebrates the birth of . include attending church, singing carols, gathering of friends and family, enjoying a feast, and exchanging gifts. Decorations may include a representing Jesus’ birth, Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of candles, wreaths, , decorated trees, and African family, culture, and traditions. It was lights. comes from the tradition introduced to the United States in 1966. The name inspired by St. Nicholas, the patron saint of comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya children. Santa is said to deliver toys and kwanza” which means “first fruits of the harvest.” gifts to children as they sleep on Christmas Symbols for the celebration include unity cups, eve. fruits, nuts, and vegetables (for the harvest), an ear of corn placed on a mat of straw or African cloth Boxing Day is the day after Christmas for each child at the celebration, and seven candles and was historically a time to representing the seven principles: give gifts or money to those in  Unity service positions or to those in  Self-determination need. It is celebrated in the  Collective work & responsibility and other  Cooperative economics (building and Commonwealth countries (such maintaining African American stores as and ) as a (a public and businesses) holiday).  A sense of purpose  Creativity  Faith (in our hearts and people)

Clipart used in this newsletter is from http://clipart-library.com and https://publicdomainvectors.org Three Kings Day / Epiphany is a Christian celebration of the three Kings, also called wise men or Magi, meeting the baby New Year’s eve is Jesus with gifts. This day celebrated on the last marks the official end of the day of the year in the Christmas holiday and the Gregorian calendar (the beginning of the Carnival internationally accepted season of festivities. Traditions include singing, calendar) with festivities dancing, and enjoying a special king cake. To see to bring in the new year. different king cakes from around the world, visit https://bit.ly/3gQ5oCU. To learn more about New Year traditions and celebrations around the world (including MaRdi Gras is the last day Hogmanay), visit https://bit.ly/2LzFsQh . of the Carnival season, right before the beginning of Lent (a religious season of reflection Omisoka means “last great and preparation day” and is a new year’s eve for ). Many celebration in . Traditions people around the include decluttering homes to world celebrate with Carnival activities create a clean slate for the new including parades, costumes, and parties. year, eating a meal of long noodles (representing long life and crossing to the new year), and visiting shrines and ringing a large bell at .

Lunar New Year Moon Phases: Lunar New Year is a celebration starting on the day of the first new moon and ends on the first on the lunar calendar. Countries that celebrate Lunar New Year include Vietnam and China.

Full moon

In China, it’s called and is a big that includes gathering with friends and family, special meals, gifts, and fire crackers. Red paper lanterns symbolize the wish for a bright future. Each year is represented by an animal; 2021 will be the year of the ox!

Clipart used in this newsletter is from http://clipart-library.com and https://publicdomainvectors.org