Thursday, December 29, 2022

New Year Traditions Around The World

 

The New Year is just around the corner so I wanted to explore how people celebrate around the world.


1. United States: Watching the ball drop

Millions of Americans gather around their television sets (or on the streets of Times Square, despite freezing temps) to watch the ball drop at the stroke of midnight each year. Kicking off in 1907 to ring in January 1908, New York Times owner Adolph Ochs created the event to draw attention to the Times’s new headquarters, and it’s been an annual spectacle and one of the most popular New Year’s Eve celebrations ever since.

2. Brazil: Heading to the beach

“In Brazil, people usually go to the beach since it’s the summer there. Immediately after midnight, you’re supposed to jump seven waves while making seven wishes,” says Hudson Bohr, a Brazilian photographer based in NYC. The tradition is rooted in paying homage to Yemanja, the goddess of water. “Before you get in the water, you’re supposed to wear all white, as it symbolizes purity.”

3. Spain: Eating 12 grapes

The Spanish start off their new year by eating 12 grapes, which symbolize each strike of the clock. The tradition of las doce uvas de la suerte started in the late 19th century and is believed to ward off evil while boosting your chances of a prosperous and lucky new year. However, this will work only if you manage to eat all of the grapes in a matter of seconds since they need to be gone by the time the clock finishes striking midnight.

4. India: Building a sculpture of an old man and burning it down

“Back in Bombay we’d make an effigy of an ‘old man’ that symbolized the old year and burn it at midnight,” says Stephanie Fernandes, an associate creative director at BBDO San Francisco. The burning symbolizes the passing of grievances from the old year and makes space for a new year to be born. “Everyone would gather around singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and then it would turn into a little party. Bombay is very cosmopolitan and was home to people of various faiths, therefore we’d have a ton of different festivals, but this was one that united across ages and faiths.”

5. Japan: Eating soba noodles

People in Japan kick off the new year by eating a warm bowl of soba noodles. The tradition dates back to the Kamakura period and is tied to a Buddhist temple giving out the noodles to the poor. Because the long thin noodles are firm yet easy to bite, it is believed eating them symbolizes a literal break away from the old year.

6. France: Feasting with Champagne

While the notion of drinking wine in France is about as groundbreaking as florals for spring, the French up the ante and go all out on Champagne to celebrate the new year. There is usually plenty of dancing and party hopping, but this year gatherings will likely be virtual (it’s Zoom season, the holiday edition). The food choices, however, remain the same: sparkling wines are paired with oysters, turkey, goose, or a Cornish hen.

7. Haiti: Sharing soup joumou

“January 1 is actually Haitian Independence Day,” says Olivier Joseph, a graduate student at Pritzker School of Medicine in Chicago. “We eat pumpkin soup (soup joumou) because it was a delicacy that enslaved Black people were not allowed to have. We often go to other people’s houses and bring some of our soup and swap for some of theirs—everyone makes it a little different.”

8. Denmark: Throwing old plates

Chucking plates at your friends usually signals a conversation gone very wrong. In Denmark, however, New Year’s Eve traditions like this bring your loved ones good luck. Tradition has it that the more broken kitchenware you accumulate on your door step, the better off you’ll be.

9. Canada: Going ice fishing

Freezing temps don’t keep Canadians from starting the new year with a winter favorite sport—ice fishing. According to Global News, families will rent heated huts and cooking equipment so that they can enjoy their feast with loved ones on the spot.
 
10. Philippines: Serving 12 round fruits

On New Year’s Eve, families in the Philippines make sure to serve 12 round fruits, like apples, grapes, and plums, which are believed to represent prosperity due to their shape, which mirrors coins. As for the lucky number, each fruit represents one month out of the year.

11. Mexico: Giving the gift of homemade tamales

In Mexico families gather to make New Year’s Eve food—specifically tamales, which are corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies all wrapped in husks—and then hand them out to loved ones on New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day, the warm pockets are often served with menudo, a traditional Mexican soup made from cow’s stomach.

12. Greece: Hanging an onion outside the door

Not only are onions a kitchen staple, they can also bring you good luck for the new year ahead. In Greece it’s tradition to hang an onion outside your door. Believed to symbolize fertility and growth (thanks to its ability to sprout on its own), the onion is hung on the door after church service on New Year’s Day.

13. Colombia: Placing three potatoes under the bed

On New Year’s Eve, Colombian households have a tradition, called ag眉ero, of placing three potatoes under each family member’s bed—one peeled, one not, and the last one only partially. At midnight each person grabs for one with eyes closed and depending on the potato they select, can either expect a year of good fortune, financial struggle, or a mix of both.

14. Ireland: Banging bread against the walls

To ward off evil spirits, families in Ireland make way for a healthy and prosperous new year by banging loaves of Christmas bread against the walls and doors throughout the home.

15. Norway and Denmark: Celebrating with a towering cake

Kransekake, a traditional ringed cake often made with at least 18 layers, is eaten in both Denmark and Norway on New Year’s Eve. The sugary layers, which look like cookies, are held together with a tasty royal icing.

Monday, December 26, 2022

Some Quick Notes On Kwanzaa


Here are some notes on Kwanzaa via www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org

As an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world African community, Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense.  

The holiday, then will of necessity, be engaged as an ancient and living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people's culture.

During the holiday, families and communities organize activities around the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles): Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and lmani (Faith). Participants also celebrate with feasts (karamu), music, dance, poetry, narratives and end the holiday with a day dedicated to reflection and recommitment to The Seven Principles and other central cultural values.

Primary Symbols of Kwanzaa
Mazao (The Crops)

These are symbolic of African harvest celebrations and of the rewards of productive and collective labor.

Mkeka (The Mat)

This is symbolic of our tradition and history and therefore, the foundation on which we build.

Kinara (The Candle Holder)

This is symbolic of our roots, our parent people -- continental Africans.
Muhindi (The Corn)

This is symbolic of our children and our future which they embody.

Kikombe cha Umoja (The Unity Cup)

This is symbolic of the foundational principle and practice of unity which makes all else possible.

Mishumaa Saba (The Seven Candles)

These are symbolic of the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles, the matrix and minimum set of values which African people are urged to live by in order to rescue and reconstruct their lives in their own image and according to their own needs.

Zawadi (The Gifts)

These are symbolic of the labor and love of parents and the commitments made and kept by the children.

Sunday, December 25, 2022

A Short History Of Boxing Day


I clearly grew up on too much British TV because I thought we celebrated Boxing day over here in the US too. I remember coming home from Peace Corps and wishing the person at the post office a happy boxing day and being given a look. LOL So for anyone else who does not know about boxing day here is a little history. 

Boxing Day
Via Encyclopedia Britannica

Boxing Day, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries, particularly Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, is a holiday (December 26) on which servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events. Boxing Day is celebrated on Monday, December 26, 2022.

Explanations for the origin of the name have varied, with some believing that it derived from the opening of alms boxes that had been placed in churches for the collection of donations to aid the poor. Others, however, have held that it came from the boxes of gifts given to employees on the day after Christmas. According to this theory, because the work of servants was required for the Christmas Day celebrations of their employers, they were allowed the following day for their own observance of the holiday. The practice of giving bonuses to service employees has continued, although it is now often done before rather than after Christmas Day.

Doctor Who 12 Days Of Christmas


My Christmas has gotten displaced in time (because of the modern Daleks named weather LOL) so here is a wibbly wobbly Doctor Who 12 Days Of Christmas to enjoy until Christmas's TARDIS gets Christmas where it needs to be not where it wants to be. 

The Doctor Visits Amy & Rory For Christmas | The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe 

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Happy Christmas Eve

 

On a Christmas Eve where many of us have had to "Throw away the plan" my wish is that we all are able to be cozy and warm this cold winter night. If you have a chance grab a good book, enjoy a warm beverage, put on a yule log on your computer or TV, and curl up and have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas Eve.

Happy J贸lab贸kafl贸冒
Happy Christmas Eve
May you read something wonderful tonight
A Book or A Story or A Poem
It does not matter what form it takes
Simply read
And Discover New Worlds
Or Go On An Adventure
Or Become Someone
You Never Thought You Could
May tonight be filled with
Stories, and Tales or an Epic Poem
Happy J贸lab贸kafl贸冒
Happy Christmas Eve

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Longest Night ...

 

Winter Solstice 
By Dreaming Ace

The Winter Solstice

The Longest Night

Blue Christmas Too


These are all the names

For this day, For this moment

In the spinning of the world


A reminder that there is darkness

A reminder that there is sorrow

A reminder that some feel isolated


But also …


A reminder there will be Sun 

A reminder the world will spin

A reminder there is always hope


Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Letting Go To Make Room In 2023

 

While many people have heard of "Spring Cleaning" I find that I tend to do "New Years Cleaning." I find it helpful to let go of items that I no longer need (and some of them become great holiday gifts for others.) Also as I am going through what I have and what I can let go of I tend to also be doing a semi-deep cleaning of my room. 

And it is always nice when I get back from Holiday Travels to come back to a clean space and a space that can absorb what ever holiday gifts I have gotten. I do find if I can get my space clean I feel more centered and more ready to face a new year. If I am able to break down cleaning tasks into manageable sized projects, and I have an interesting podcast going, I can make progress and feel good.

And yes one part of letting go to make room for 2023 is letting go of items, but it also is letting go of internal stuff that is holding me back. Repairing the worn edges of daily tasks that no longer help me move forward. Rebuilding bits of goals that have fallen off over the course of the year. Allowing others to have dreams that no longer bring me joy.

So if you have a moment or two during this busy holiday season I would recommend doing some cleaning too. It is never going to be perfect (And don't worry about dust unless you really want to LOL.) But with a little prep we can set ourselves up to be able to enjoy the start of a new year which is pretty much all anyone can ask for at this time of year. 


Prepping For A New Year


Some Steps To Prepare For A New Year 

If you have intentions to make 2023 your year, don’t wait for New Year’s Day. Instead, make time this month to set yourself up for success. Here are some suggestions I have found online. Remember you don't have to do them all, but sometimes doing one thing to set your self up for the new year can really make a difference. 

Review your year.

2022 is full of lessons and learnings. Make space for a deep-dive review of the year that’s about to close, and you can take the best bits with you.

Get clear on what’s most important.

There’s so much that could fill your time. But imagine who you’d become with more clarity, focus, and movement in the direction of your top priorities. When you define your core values, you create an inner compass that aligns you with what matters most.

Set a context for 2023.

When you define a word for the year ahead, you empower yourself to say YES to the things that matter and NO to those that don't align.

Review your habits.

Do your habits help or hinder you? Are there some new practices you want to integrate into your life to ensure you can thrive?

Be honest with the things you do on autopilot and decide if it’s time to make some tweaks.

Make a Live List.

Goals are brilliant for injecting focused activity into your life. But who do you want to BE and how do you want to FEEL? 

In the words of Oscar Wilde, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.”

Create your support structure.

Jim Rohn famously said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Who will surround you in 2023 and help you thrive? For example:

• Is it time to join a mastermind?
• Would you go further with an accountability buddy?
• Do you want to find more online groups where ‘your people’ hang out?
• Does your friendship group nourish and support you?
 
Set a three-month goal.

Goals give you a clear direction to focus your time, energy, and resources. Goals help you feel accomplished and productive by empowering you to achieve the things that matter most.

The trick is not to leave your goals to chance. Instead, architect them - it will maximize your chances of success. What could you achieve by the end of March 2023? Here’s to making the new year your best year yet.


Advent Week 4 Joy

 

The fourth week of advent is Joy.

There are so many ways we can celebrate Joy
There are so many forms of Joy we can celebrate too
The joy of simple pleasures
The joy of connection and community
The joy of self awareness
The joy of belonging 
The joy of knowing we are loved inside and out
There are so many ways we can celebrate Joy
There are so many forms of Joy we can celebrate too


Some Joy Filled Songs

Monday, December 19, 2022

Advent Week 3 Love

 

The third week of advent was around Love

There are so many different types of love that we can celebrate at this time of year.
What are you doing to celebrate Love this season?
I think I will focus on Meraki and Philautia

  • Ag谩pe: brotherly love, charity; the love of God for man and of man for God
  • 脡ros: romantic or passionate love
  • Ludus: playful love
  • Mania: obsessive love
  • Meraki: to do something with love, creativity, and devotion, when you wholeheartedly put yourself into what you are doing.
  • Philautia: self-love, to love oneself or regard for one's own happiness or advantage
  • Philia: affectionate regard, friendship, usually between equals
  • Pragma: enduring love
  • Storge: love, affection and especially of parents and children (Or I would add found family)
  • Xenia: hospitality, "guest-friendship" or "ritualized friendship"


Advent Week 2: Peace

 

The second week of advent was dedicated to Peace

Here are some peaceful music and videos to watch








Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Advent Week 1 Hope

 

The first week of advent is dedicated to Hope
Hope can be found in poetry and in fandom

Hope

(By Dreaming Ace)

What is Hope?
What does it look like?
Or taste like?
Or maybe we should ask 
What it feels like?

What is Hope?
In our bleak days?
In our joyous days too?
Is it always there?
Or does it travel to other realms?

What is Hope?
Who has know Hope's touch?
Who knows the sound of Hope?
Who is able to create Hope
Out of whole cloth?

What is Hope?
What does it look like?
Or taste like?
Or maybe we should ask
What it feels like?


A personification of Hope is Hob Gadling:

I've hated every second of the last 80 years, every bloody second. You know that?
So do you still wish to live?
Are you crazy? Death is a mug's game. I got so much to live for.

Hob Gadling and Dream of the Endless (Ep 6 The Sound Of Her Wings)

That might be the only thing I've learned after 500 years: People are almost always better than you think they are. Not me, though. Still the same as ever.

Hob Gadling and Dream of the Endless (Ep 6 The Sound Of Her Wings)


A personification of  Hope is The 11th Doctor

“I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes, and the dreamer of improbable dreams."

“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. the good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things or make them unimportant.”

“Letting it get to you. you know what that’s called? Being alive. Best thing there is. Being alive right now is all that counts.”


A personification of Hope is the Legends of Tomorrow

You won’t be doing it alone.
We are all just trying to figure out this being human thing together.
It’s not always going to be easy.
And you know sometimes you’ll feel like you’re out of your mind
Or that the darkness is too much to bear.
But it’s worth fighting the darkness to discover who you really are.
And not just for yourself.
So you can create a better world for everyone.
Now, you’re gonna make some mistakes.
There’s no formula to guide the way.
No destiny to surrender to.
It’s not about being perfect.
It’s about doing what you know is right.
And having a hell of a good time doing it.
That’s what it means to be alive.
And to be a Legend.
Welcome to the team.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

National Native American Heritage Month


I acknowledge the land that is under the place called Chicago. I acknowledge all the blood, sweat, and tears that watered this land throughout history. All us who call Chicago home are guests on this land and should treat it as such. 

I acknowledge

November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. (www.ncai.org)

Resources:

National Museum Of The American Indian

Film:


Virtual Exhibit:

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

5 Ingredient Food Adventures

As somebody who sometimes struggles to get excited about preparing and eating food I have started a personal 5 ingredients challenge this month. 

The rules are pretty simple for at least one meal a day, use 5 or more ingredients. 

So far it has been going pretty well and it is making me think creatively about at least one meal per day and helping me keep on top of what food I have in my apartment and how I can recombine it. 

If you have any quick and easy yummy 5 ingredient meals please share them with me. :)


Tacos: Taco shell, Rice, Cheese, Avocado, Homemade Avocado Salsa Sauce


Soup: Chicken Stock, Rice, Split Peas, Cheese, Croutons


Pancakes w/ Butter and Pear Syrup, An Apple, and Tea


Thanksgiving First Sunday Meal After Church
Turkey, Mac and Cheese, Stuffing, Green beans, Gravy


Mediterranean Bread Salad

Bread, Tomatoes, Green Olives, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Hummus


Tacos: Taco Shells, Quinoa, Corn, Cheese, Greek yogurt Lime Sauce

Other Meals I Did Not Think To Take A Photo Of

Sandwich: Olive Focaccia Bread, Cheese, Salami, Honey Pineapple Mustard, Pear Syrup

Kitchen Sink Soup: Rice, Split Peas, Pasta, Homemade Chicken Stock, Croutons + Cheesy Olive Focaccia Bread

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Living The Tale Of Utgarda-Loki


I'm in the midst of a busy season between work projects and activities. Many times, I have questioned whether I was making any progress at all on any of the tasks I want to accomplish. And this is all before the hectic holiday season has even fully arrived. So I am trying to find ways to do put in just enough energy to get stuff done, without over extending myself any more than I already am. 

So, for these times, I'm sharing one of my favorite Norse myths in today's blog post. Whether we are busy with life, worried about the state of the world, or simply feeling overstimulated, it is comforting to know that both Thor and Loki have been overwhelmed too. Sometimes it all feels too much because we don't know how to give ourselves enough credit for what we accomplish.


Around midday, the travelers reached their destination. The gate was locked and no one was there to open it, but Thor and the others found that they could fit through the very large spaces between the bars of the gate easily enough. Once inside, they found a hall where men sat eating and drinking. Amongst them was the king of this castle, the giant Utgarda-Loki, who immediately recognized his new guests and set about taunting them for their diminutive size.

Wanting to salvage his dignity and that of his companions, Loki proudly asserted that no one else in this castle could eat food faster than he could. Utgarda-Loki challenged him to prove this boast by entering a contest with one of the men there, whose name was Logi. A trough of meat was set before them, with Loki at one end and Logi at the other, and they were to see who could reach the middle first. They met in the middle at the same time, but while Loki had eaten all of the meat between the end and the middle, Logi had eaten the meat, the bones, and even the trough itself! Loki had clearly lost.

Thjalfi, who was an extremely swift runner, then offered to race anyone in the castle. Utgarda-Loki led him out to a race track and appointed one Hugi to compete with him. By the time Hugi reached the finish line, he was so far ahead of Thjalfi that he doubled back to meet his contestant. They raced a second time, and once again Hugi beat Thjalfi by a long bow-shot. Still, they raced a third time, but Thjalfi fared even worse; he was still at the midpoint of the track by the time Hugi finished.

Thor then challenged anyone in the castle to a drinking contest, something at which he had no little skill. Utgarda-Loki had one of his servants fetch the kind of drinking horn from which Utgarda-Loki’s men were said to drink. When it was placed before Thor, Utgarda-Loki informed him that whoever could finish the horn in one drink was considered a great drinker, whoever could do it in two was considered fair, but no one in his retinue was such a poor drinker as to be unable to finish it in three.

Thor drank mightily, but by the time he had to pause for a breath, the level of liquor in the horn had barely lowered. So he gave it a second try, straining to gulp and gulp until his breath failed him. This time, the level had gone down appreciably, but the better part of the horn still remained. His third drink was even more formidable than the previous two, but in the end, much was still left. By that point, however, Thor could drink could no more, and gave up.

Then Utgarda-Loki suggested that Thor attempt to simply lift his cat from the floor, but Thor proved unable to do so.

In a rage, Thor challenged anyone in the castle to wrestle with him. Insultingly, Utgarda-Loki appointed an old woman, Elli who was one of his servants. But the great god lost even this contest.

After this, Utgarda-Loki decided that there should be no more contests, and the company spent the night there in the castle.

In the morning, they rose and prepared to leave. After Utgarda-Loki had shown them out of the castle, he confided to them what had actually transpired in their contests, saying to Thor, “Now that you have left my castle, I shall see to it that you never enter it again. The knot on my provision bag that you almost succeeded in untying had been wrought in iron. I deflected the blows you attempted to inflict on me with your hammer; instead of my face, you hit the mountainside, and carved three gaping valleys into it. Had you struck me, I would have been killed then and there.

“Loki held his own remarkably well in his eating contest, since his opponent was none other than fire itself. So it was with Thjalfi, too – he raced against thought, which nobody could ever hope to outrun. The far end of the horn from which you drank was connected to the sea, and we were actually greatly afraid that you were going to drink it all. When you cross over the sea again, you will see how much you have lowered its level. My cat was actually the Midgard serpent, whom you succeeded in raising out of the ocean and into the sky. And, finally, you wrestled against old age, and took a long, long time to fall.

“Now, for your sake and for ours, leave, and never come back.”

Thor was so angered by this humiliating trickery that he raised his hammer and prepared to slay Utgarda-Loki and smash his castle to pieces. But when he turned to do so he saw no giant and no castle – just a vast, empty plain.

Friday, October 7, 2022

Mental Illness Awareness Week 2022

 
 
This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week 2022.

Here is an overview from NAMI

Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. However, mental illness affects everyone directly or indirectly through family, friends or coworkers. Mental health conditions are important to discuss year-round, but highlighting them during Mental Illness Awareness Week provides a dedicated time for mental health advocates across the country to come together as one unified voice. Since 1990, when Congress officially established the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week, advocates have worked together to sponsor activities, large or small, to educate the public about mental illness. 

This year’s Mental Illness Awareness Week is centered around the theme “What I Wish I Had Known” focusing on the power of lived experience.

To that end here are several examples of people living with mental illness:

Depresh Mode with John Moe: Honest, humane conversations with top artists, entertainers, and experts about what it’s like to live with an interesting mind. No shame, no stigma, and more laughs than you might expect from a mental health podcast. (I recommend this podcast because it covers a really surprisingly wide range of experiences)

And here are a selection of individuals who have spoken up about mental health


 

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Celebrating World Space Week


World Space Week is an international holiday celebrated every year from October 4 to 10 in nearly 100 countries across the globe. World Space Week is the largest space event yet, put in place to celebrate the benefits of science and technology to human society. 

The 2022 World Space Week theme, “Space and Sustainability” allows World Space Week to address sustainability from two angles: (1) how space benefits society and contributes to sustainable development on Earth and (2) what are the challenges ahead of us to keep space activities and the space environment safe and sustainable.


Some Space Fun For World Space Week










Monday, October 3, 2022

Photos Of Fall

Today's blog post is a photo dump of assorted cool photos I took this fall.
Most of them highlight how amazing mother nature can look at this time of year.