Tag: celebration

INDEPENDENCE DAY!

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Independence – n., freedom from outside control

Federal – adj., of or being a form of government

Parade – n., a great show or display,  a public procession

Demonstrate – v., to show clearly

Patriotism – n., love for one’s country

Reflect – v., to realize, to consider

Expat (Expatriate) – n., a person who lives in a foreign country

Embassy – n., the official residence and offices of an ambassador

Homesick – adj., longing for home and family while absent from them

Colonies – n., an area over which a foreign nation has control

Highlight – n., something which is especially interesting

Spectacular – adj., striking, sensational

On July 4th, Americans all over the world celebrate Independence Day. In the United States, it is a federal holiday, so many people don’t have to work. Parades, picnics, and barbecues take place during the day, with fireworks lighting up the sky at night. Americans demonstrate their patriotism on July 4th, reflecting on their freedom and the things they love about their country.

American expats living out of the United States still observe the 4th of July. American embassies all over the planet host parties and events. Individuals celebrate with their friends, and many get a little homesick.

The holiday marks the separation of the 13 colonies from the rule of Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence (the document) was completed on the 4th of July, 1776.  But it was not signed until August!

A highlight of Independence Day in New York City is the evening fireworks display, this year to be held near the Brooklyn Bridge, on the lower East River. The spectacular display is the largest Independence Day celebration in the nation. For more information and where to watch the fireworks: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/where-to-watch-the-4th-of-july-fireworks

Happy Independence Day!

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LIGHT INTO DARKNESS – WINTER HOLIDAYS

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VOCABULARY PREVIEW

chilly – adj., cold
winter solstice – n., when the North Pole of the earth is farthest from the sun, the shortest day of the year
glittering – adj., sparkling, shiny
lavish – adj., fancy, elaborate
signify – v., to stand for something, to symbolize
struggles – n., difficulties
Stonehenge – n.place, a site of huge, ancient, carefully-arranged stones in England
doldrums – n., sad and bored feelings
renewal – n., newness, rebirth

The last months of the year bring winter, and winter brings cold and darkness. The days are short and the nights are long and chilly.

BUT – we are lucky that winter also brings holidays for almost everyone! Diwali, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, and winter solstice celebrations all bring warm cheer and shared joy. These holidays have different meanings for different cultures, but they all share one thing:

LIGHT!

The winter holidays begin with Diwali, celebrated by Hindus the world over, usually in November. It is a five-day-long party. A festival of lights and happiness, it falls on the darkest night of the year in the Hindu month of Kartik.

People celebrate Diwali by lighting their homes and streets with candles, dressing up in new clothes, exchanging gifts, and eating traditional food.

Source: https://blog.asaptickets.com/

Christmas comes with candles, lights, and glittering tinsel. A shining star is an important part of any Christmas story. In America, people decorate their homes with lights, inside and out. Some of the lighting displays are lavish! Dyker Heights, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, is well-known for its Christmas lights. Map to Dyker Heights: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nKRPh96XcMsy7nAg6 Go take a look!

Houses in Dyker Heights

Sources: https://mommypoppins.com/ and https://www.viator.com/

Kwanzaa has a tradition of lighting the kinara, a candleholder for 7 candles. One is lit each night for a week, and the different colors of the candles signify Africa and its peoples’ struggles and hopes. “Kinara” means “candleholder” in Swahili.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/18/kwanzaa-2020-when-and-how-black-families-celebrate-virtually/6540958002/

Hannukah celebrations include the lighting of a menorah, an eight-branched candleholder. Jews light Hannukah candles to remember victory in ancient battles, and the miracles that happened in those times.

Finally, the actual solstice, which takes place on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, has been a special time of celebration since the Stone Age. This was a significant and dramatic moment in the year for many cultures. Because it was the darkest night of all, there are monuments and traditions that revolve around bringing light into this darkness.

Sunset at  Stonehenge in England during the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice

No matter how you celebrate the solstice, use it as a way to replace winter doldrums with a sense of renewal. The winter solstice may signify the day the sun rises lowest in the sky, but it’s also the day before we start growing closer to days of more light.

https://www.sparksaba.com/family-resources

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Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life

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“Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.” – George Eliot

Vocabulary Preview:

  • Meaningful – adj., when something is important to you
  • Significant – adj., important, big
  • Deceased – adj., something or someone who is not alive
  • Reunion – n., a time when many people get together
  • Altar – n., platform or table used as a center of worship
  • Ancestors – n., pl., your relatives who lived before you
  • Skeleton – n., the bones of a human or an animal
  • Wacky – adj., silly, crazy

A beautiful and meaningful holiday for many Catholics, the “Day of the Dead” serves as a significant way to honor the deceased. The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.

First, people set up a candlelit altar in their homes so spirits can find their way back to their relatives. The altar also offers some of the favorite foods of the deceased—just in case they get hungry. Items that were important to the ancestors when they were alive, such as a favorite book or musical instrument, are placed on the altar as well. Then it’s off to the graveyard for a big party. Families bring a huge feast to eat while they clean tombstones, sing songs, and talk to their ancestors. Parents might even introduce a baby to a grandparent who died before the baby was born.

And don’t forget the skeletons. During Day of the Dead, life-size papier-mâché skeletons and miniature plastic or clay skeletons are everywhere. Why? Mexicans honor their ancestors on Day of the Dead, but they’re also reminding themselves that death is just a part of life. Hanging out with skeletons reminds people that one day they will be skeletons—but not for a very long time!

The skeletons are posed doing all sorts of wacky things, such as playing guitar, taking a bath, or making tortillas. Apparently people aren’t the only ones who get to have fun on Day of the Dead!

Source: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

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