The Junto December 2019 The Peace Candle in Easton’s circle makes an appearance every year around the holiday season. The lighting ceremony is held at night and crowds of people gather downtown to watch it illuminate the season. It is one of our most treasured Easton traditions.
1 People The Junto December 2019 The More You Give The More You Have Rachel Arzoumanian - Copy Editor The holidays are Each year, the eleventh grade office hosts a “Tree of Giving.” Peo- always a magical and ple can go into the eleventh grade office and take a tag from the tree. special time of year. The tag has a person’s age, gender and what gifts they would like for They consist of tradi- Christmas. You can then buy the gifts listed for that person and bring tion, giving, decora- them in, wrapped, with the tag attached. The drive is being done tions, delicious food, through Communities in Schools. The tags are all for students in Eas- and time spent with ton. family and friends. When the air gains a Key Club is also hosting its annual food drive this year. There are frosty chill, houses don collection boxes in homerooms in the high school. The food will be twinkling strands of given to families in the Easton Area School District. You can donate lights, and the breeze smells of pine and cinnamon, you know it’s the non-perishable food items until December 19th. holiday season. The holiday season brings a host of festive traditions Easton Area High School’s gifted program also participated in here at Easton Area High School. Just a few of these traditions include gathering and organizing Holiday Hope Chests. Holiday Hope Chests the baseball team selling Christmas trees, the Tree of Giving in the are shoeboxes stuffed with small presents based on age and gender, and school, the Key Club food drive, and the collection of Holiday Hope they are donated to children throughout the district. People could do- Chests. nate fully stuffed and wrapped boxes or individual gifts. The Easton Area High School baseball team sells Christmas trees During the months of December and November, it is clear that right off of the baseball field as a fundraiser during the holiday season. Easton is filled with cheer and the giving spirit. Please consider partici- They range from $35 to $55 and are sold 4-8pm on weeknights and pating in or donating to these projects this year and in years to come. 10am-7 on weekends until the stock is gone. At the end of the sale, 10 trees will be donated to families in Easton. Christmas Light Display Alania Mariano - Photography Editor Every year my family and I drive around to take in the christmas spirit by looking at the most spectacular houses! We see crazy ones, for sure. In this article I will be pointing out some of our personal favorites.
This one is found in Palmer and is known for its crazy amount of blow up decorations in their front yard and two huge ones in the back! On top of the blow ups, they also have hot chocolate for visitors and lights on the roof that is connected to music on their own radio station!
This house also found in Palmer is right down the street from the pre- vious one. My family and I liked this one because it was simple yet very detailed. Each tree around the house is outlined with white lights and there are even lights lined up going up the driveway above the cars!
2 Points of View The Junto December 2019 Continued... The last two that we saw that stood out were two houses in Forks that had their entire house outlined! The one to the left has the classic white light look and the one to the right has a rain- bow colorful look. Personally, I love these ones because they look so neat, yet still very festive!
In Forks we found a house that decorated a tree in their front yard that is about 80 feet high! This tree had lights going up to the very top and even had a blue star to complete it! Easy Holiday Treats Alania Mariano- Photography Editor Mallika Pal- Contributing Writer I think we have all been there when we forget to make food to bring to a holiday party because of how busy it is around this time. Well we came up with these recipes that breaks down how to do beautiful treats in an easy way.
Sugar Cookies Did you know that Pillsbury sells sugar cookie dough pre-made? All you need to do is bring out the festive cookie cutters, buy some icing in any color, and grab some holiday sprinkles!
Festive Popcorn Mix For this treat you first need to pop a bag(s) of popcorn. Then you need to melt some white chocolate in a bowl. For this part you need to put the chocolate in for 30 sec- onds then stir then back in for another 30 seconds then stir again. Continue this process until the white chocolate is fully melted. While you wait for the white chocolate to melt, you can put in mini pretzels, red and white M&M’s, and even sprinkles if you are feeling adventurous. Once you mix everything together, lay it on a flat tray and place in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes. This part is optional, but be ready to get your hands messy if you can’t wait to eat it! Grab a festive bowl or jar, throw the popcorn in there and you are good to go. Reindeer Cookies These cute Nutter Butter Reindeer are sure to spread holiday cheer to friends and family! Melt white chocolate wafers and spoon into a piping bag. Pipe the top corners of a Nutter Butter, and stick on pretzels as ears. Pipe three dots onto the face of the cookie as eyes and a nose. Place two mini chocolate chips on the icing to finish the eyes and a red or brown M&M as the nose. Ho-ho-ho! Your reindeer are ready to lead Santa’s sleigh.
Classic Hot Cocoa Here’s your classic, liquid gold: hot cocoa. Simply use any cocoa which is powder- packaged to stir in with hot milk. I added a dash of cinnamon for a twist. Add a hand- ful of mini marshmallows, a candy cane, and enjoy!
3 Places The Junto December 2019 Places to volunteer Mallika Pal - Contributing Writer
As the holidays approach, we spend time with our families to manifest the happy, holiday spirit. However, it is diffi- cult for some families to do so. Here are some places to volunteer around Easton to help out families in need.
Project of Easton: ProJeCt of Easton is a non-profit organization which helps people living in the Lehigh Valley succeed and thrive with their work and personal lives, and ultimately climb out of poverty. ProJeCt has a family literacy program, an adult education pro- gram (GED and ESL), a daycare and summer camp system, emergency support, and a food pantry. The organization was founded in 1968, and impacts more than 5,000 people each year. Their mission statement says, “ProJeCt believes that education is key to helping people help themselves, and we invest in research-based, rigorously-evaluated school and workforce preparation services that teach cli- ents the skills needed to increase their upward economic mobility.” Anyone can apply online or call ProJeCt to volunteer, whether it is through the food pantry or through the literacy center (tutoring, community gardening, reception and administrative support).
EAHS Food Pantry: Most students are not aware of the fact that we have our very own food pantry! It is currently being run by the Miller family as previously mentioned in Junto’s November issue. Any EAHS student in need can contact one of his or her teachers to access the pantry and take what is needed. This includes, canned foods, pasta, condiments (like peanut butter and jelly!), baby food, and more. As a community within the school, we should lift each other up when times are dark. Any EAHS student can contact Ms. Smith to volunteer in the food pantry to organize and shelf food as it comes in. Nobody should be hungry during the holidays.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and NE Pennsylvania: The Second Harvest Food Bank is non profit and serves food for over 60,000 people in Northeast Pennsylvania each month. The bank rescues around nine tons of food per day for families in need. You can fill out an application to volunteer online (volunteering includes packaging boxes of food for seniors and children, sorting food donations, leading nutrition education classes, helping out in our offices, lending a hand at events, and more).
One World Community Cafe: This soup kitchen located in Phillipsburg, New Jersey is the first daily Halal, Kosher & vegan soup kitchen program in North America. It provides a day-time shelter and fresh meals, and even little concepts we sometimes take for granted, like a mailing address. The kitchen was founded by Muslims Against Hunger’s feeding program, when the program wanted to expand their horizons. With one click, anyone can fill out the google form on One World’s website to help out those in need!
4 People The Junto December 2019 Holidays Around The World Kellie Painter - Places Editor
Holidays are exciting for people around the world. Every holiday that is cele- brated has its own special traditions. For example people who celebrate Hanuk- kah light a menorah for eight days to celebrate the eight days of the holiday. As for Christmas many people decorate a Christmas tree. Although in other countries around the world people put their own twist to the holidays.
Japan celebrates Christmas during the holiday season. They mainly use the holiday to spread cheer rather than going the religious route. One thing that I found very interesting is that they eat Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas it has been a tradition since the 1970s. Christmas Eve is celebrated more than Christmas Day because they feel that Christmas Eve is more romantic.
In Jordan, people celebrate Christmas on January 7th. It is interest- ing that the government can change the holidays to whichever day works best for them. As for food, they thoroughly enjoy dipping fruit in some type of dark liquor. The most important part of Christmas is spending time with family in Jordan they see it as be- ing very valuable. Christians and Muslims both celebrate Christmas in Jordan.
As for Norway they have many different traditions that I have never heard of. Instead of Santa Clause they call him Julenissen and the presents are brought by gnomes called nisse. They include everyone in the gift giving including birds. They give the bird a sheaf of wheat to enjoy throughout the holiday. In Norway they also light a candle from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. One huge tradition is that the Norwegian people gift a Christmas tree to the UK everyone as a thank you for help during World War II. As for sweets Norway is known for their treat called a julekake, it raisins and candied carda- mom.
Christmas in North Macedonia is celebrated on January 7th but all the festivities start on January 5th which is called Kolede. Everyone sings carols around a bonfire normally around held at parks where hundreds of people go. After the bonfire people will go home and make bread that has a coin baked into it. If you find the coin then you get good luck for the rest of the year. Their special meal that they eat on Christmas Eve is called posna, it does not contain any animal products. At the end of the evening that will bring an oak Yule log and light it during dinner.
5 Points of View The Junto December 2019 Christmas Movie Musts Ally Fuller - Editor-in-Chief
Nothing sets the tone for the holidays like curling up with some hot chocolate and a good Christmas movie! There are so many good ones out there, it’s hard to keep track of them all! From the classics to the underrated favorites, these movies are on my holiday season must-watch list!
Elf (2003) When Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) discovers that he’s really a human, he sets out to find his real father in New York City. Naturally, chaos ensues as he assimilates to human life, creating a comedy that’s fit for all ages, and along the way, he shows a few people the best way to spread Christmas cheer.For my family, this movie is a Christmas given. Every year we sit down together and watch it because we just can’t get enough of Will Ferrell in his green coat and yellow tights.
Prep and Landing (2009) This half-hour short was released ten years ago, and is still a huge hit for the Disney Studios. Prep and Landing fol- lows the story of an elf names Wayne, who has been working Santa Claus and getting houses ready for his arrival for what feels like forever. He misses out on the year’s big promotion and gets stuck with a new partner, Lanny, who is an overly-enthusiastic, Christmas-loving elf. Throughout the story, Wayne’s negative attitude gets the two of them into a lot of trouble on Christmas Eve, and it is up to Lanny’s spirit to get them out of it. For anyone looking for a quick boost in holiday cheer, this quick flick is sure to do the trick.
A Christmas Story (1983) All little Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder air rifle, against the best wishes of his mother. The story follows his longing for the rifle, as well as the trouble he gets himself into with his parents until Christmas Day. While this movie isn’t my personal favorite, it sure is a classic and a must-watch for anyone in the holiday spirit. There is always at least one channel that keeps the film playing on repeat on December 25th.
Christmas with the Kranks (2004) Mr. and Mrs. Krank are at a loss when their daughter leaves to join the Peace Corps. The Kranks, locally-renowned for throwing the best Christmas parties in the neighborhood, decide that they’ll cancel Christmas this year and in- stead go on a cruise. The neighbors are distraught by the news, but when the Kranks’ daughter calls them to tell them she’ll be home for Christmas after all, they must turn to their friends to help them get Christmas back on track. This movie may not be on the top of everyone’s watch-list, but if you’re looking for an hour and a half of good laughs and ridiculous humor, this movie is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) All Clark Griswold wants is for his family to have the perfect Christmas, but things go off the rails pretty quickly, as most of Clark’s plans tend to do. From unwanted relatives and uprooting their Christmas tree, to power outages and kidnapping, this movie will have everyone in the family crying tears of laughter the entire time. If I had to guess, at least half of the jokes made around Christmastime stem back from this movie.
6 Points of View The Junto December 2019 We Know What We’re Talking About: The World’s Winter Holidays
Holidays are an integral part of cultures around the world. The period of late October to December is the time period in which many celebrations occur. Some are religious celebrations, while others celebrate culture. From Christmas to Hanukkah, from Diwali to Kwanzaa, people across the world are celebrating cold-weather holidays.
Diwali is a five-day Hindu celebration that usually occurs in late fall. According to Lauren Mackie from United Planet, It is a na- tional holiday in several South-Asian countries, such as India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It is known as the “Festival of Lights” and celebrates both the attainment of nirvana by Mahavira (an Indian Sage), as well as a Death Anniversary of Swami Dayanand (Hindu religious leader). Diwali means “Row of Lamps.” If you celebrate Diwali, you may see rows of lamps, hear fireworks, dress in new clothes, and share good food with your family and friends.
Hanukkah, or Channuka, is an eight-day Jewish festival celebrating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Mac- cabean Revolt. It begins on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew Calendar, which falls anywhere from late November to December. If you celebrate Hanukkah, you may have menorah with nine candles, one of which is used to light the other candles and the other eight of which are lit one each night. Other customs include reading Psalms, singing songs, exchanging gifts, and a traditional dinner.
Christmas is a holiday celebrated across the world, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christian Messiah. It takes place on December 25th. If you celebrate Christmas, you may attend church or mass on Christmas Eve. You may decorate your house with strands of lights, nativity scenes, garland, and a Christmas tree decked out with ornaments. There is a legend in which a man called Santa Claus delivers gifts to good children on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day, you may exchange gifts and enjoy traditional foods.
Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. It is celebrated in the U.S.A., Canada and the Western African Diaspora to honor African heritage in African-American culture. If you celebrate Kwanzaa you may have a feast and exchange gifts on January 1st. There are seven core principles celebrated during this holiday-unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative eco- nomics, purpose, creativity, and faith. If you celebrate, you may decorate your home with colorful African art and cloth, read the African pledge, and have a candle-lighting ceremony with a kinara.
There are many holidays celebrated during Fall and Winter holidays. Holidays add joy, togetherness, family, friends, and tradition to lives around the world.
7 Points of View The Junto December 2019 christmas jam sesh branden cunard- pov editor As someone with a variety of music taste and differing music opinions, there is one thing that can make me happy during this time: Christ- mas music. From Mariah Carey and Kelly Clarkson, to Burl Ives and Bing Crosby, their Christmas music can put almost anyone who celebrates this holiday in the Christmas spirit. If you’re in need of some cute and quirky tunes, here is a list of some personal modern-day favorites compiled by yours truly that are definitely worth listening to this holiday season.
Michael Bublé- “Christmas” Idina Menzel- “Christmas: A Season of Love” Pentatonix- “That’s Christmas to Me”
John Legend- “A Legendary Christmas” Lea Michele- “Christmas in the City” Hits and misses From snow squalls to congressional brawls, we feel like we’ve seen it all this month.
The teachers got new school copiers!
It looks like we’re finally getting that winter weather we’ve been looking forward to.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes out this month-- the final film in the new trilogy
Rapper Juice WRLD passed away
“Friends” is leaving Netflix at the end of this month
The threat of impeachment still di- vides our nation
8 “I had form'd most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which we called the Junto” - Benjamin