Wishing all who are celebrating this Christmas holiday a very merry day. May Santa bring you everything you wish for and more!
Today we say Merry Christmas in various languages:
Something tells me we’ve surely done a post like this in the past, yet with each holiday season it never hurts to remind ourselves how individuals and families across the globe are spending their time on this very day. On this about.com page they list traditions from various countries which include Egypt, Argentina, Finland, and Papua New Guinea to name only a few. In the Philippines (the only Asian nation where Christianity is the religion chosen by the people), Christmas celebrations start up to nine days before with a mass called Misa De Gallo. The story continues and sounds pretty valid where some of the others seem a bit questionable, like Christmas in Micronesia and Iran. Who am I to say though? I’ve only celebrated the holiday in my home land, but I’d love to hear what traditions are practiced by our readers both near and far.
Like many I am still searching for the perfect way to spend New Year’s Eve. I’ve never been huge NYE celebrating type of person so it’s no biggie if I don’t find some spectacular fireworks display, but at the same time it’s always kind of nice. Last year I stayed nestled inside my apartment and the previous year I believe I was sitting on a beach in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica wishing I were somewhere else (long story). Well the Miami Herald offers a small sampling of what’s available across the states and even as far down and out as Australia, Italy and Costa Rica. Go figure. Nothing listed for Chicago so I’ll be moving onto the next list, but for those partying domestically in Key West, NYC, ATL or even Alabama check out their notes.
A friend of mine just shot me an email telling me to tune into KPFK 90.7 fm radio out of Los Angeles to chill out to some very soothing music and he was right. Thanks to his thinking of me I found yet another cool holiday event that seems worth all your attention. The 5th Annual Kwanzaa Heritage Parade and Festival kicks off December 30, 2006 from 10am-7pm in Leimert Park Village. For those who aren’t quite hip to the African American holiday which takes place every year from December 26th to January 1st, it was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and is derived from the Swahili word KWANZA, meaning first fruit. Though the roots of the holiday are African an extra ‘A’ was added by Dr. Maulana Karenga to distinguish differences between African and Afro-Americans.
Having never gone to a Kwanzaa parade or any event for that matter in my past it sounds like a great cultural learning experience if all else. They break down the meaning behind each day. The first is Umoja or Unity where individuals strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. Find out what the other six days represent and make plans to attend if you’re around So. Cal.
Being the bearer of bad news has never been my sort of thing (especially around holidays), so I’ll spare my comments on how expedited shipping is going to tear into your pocketbook and soul if you haven’t already purchased holiday gifts for your loved ones. Flight 001, a favorite travel gear site of mine, has some last minute recommendations for those who feel left in the dark about what to nab next. You can order as late as December 21 and still get nifty luggage tags, retro jet set bags and other travel treasures into their hands for whenever. The prices have never been considered outrageous at Flight 001 and you should be able to score a pretty sweet deal if you act now. Otherwise, count on spending just as much on your shipping as you did on the purchase.
It happened to me today. I wanted to cry. Hurry up holidays and end!
