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Happy New Year!

All around the world, people are preparing to ring in the New Year in their own special way. In most cultures, people spend the evening wishing for good things in the year ahead. Some will drink champagne, others will make (and quickly break!) resolutions, some will wear a certain color to attract love or money, and others will eat a special dish to bring good fortune all year long.

In my family, my dad follows the New Year's tradition of cooking up some steaming Hoppin' John Soup and sometimes a batch of cooked cabbage on New Year's Day for a little extra luck. Other good southerners may substitute collard greens or kale for the cabbage. In Spain, people traditionally wish for luck by eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve, one for each chime as the clock strikes midnight. This tradition is also carried on in many Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico. Ecuador, however, has it's own unique celebration every December 31st.

La Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción in Cuenca, Ecuador

I had the pleasure of visiting Ecuador when I was in high school. I participated in a 5 week study abroad program arranged by one of my high school Spanish teachers. I stayed with a host family and learned about the local culture. During a discussion about holiday celebrations, my friend Hernan described how some people in Ecuador start the new year fresh by burning effigies that symbolize undesireable things from the past year. Often these straw dolls are adorned with masks of politicians or other infamous popular figures. The word on the street in Cuenca is that President Correa is the most sought after mask this year.

Night-time view of Cuenca.

How will you celebrate the New Year? Does your family have any special traditions? However you choose to ring in 2010, I hope it is a happy and prosperous year for all!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Aside from writing this blog, another part of my job is to facilitate a program called the Bilingual Café. Every other Saturday, native English speakers and native Spanish speakers gather to help each other improve conversational skills in their second language. Each meeting, I usually prepare several activities around a central theme. This past Saturday we talked about holiday traditions.


For the English speakers working on improving their Spanish, we watched this clip about a Hanukkah (Jánuca) celebration in Argentina. Even if you can't understand the video entirely, it is still quite interesting to see Latin American culture and Jewish culture meet on the Boca Juniors soccer field!


The Spanish speakers wishing to improve their English watched a short clip about Kwanzaa. This video was even informational for the native English speakers since it explains the 7 principles celebrated on the 7 respective days of Kwanzaa, celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.


The discussion about Christmas traditions sparked some interesting conversation. One of the attendees had recently arrived from Latin America and had never experienced Christmas time in the United States before. The rest of us had to explain the concepts of mistletoe, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and why poinsettia is prounounced by some people without the last "i." I am constantly amazed by the way Bilingual Café attendees can deepen their understanding of other people's culture just by trying to have a simple conversation. Although we may have been discussing some silly details, the laughter we shared sent us out into the snowy afternoon with a little more warmth.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Korean Culture Day

The Central Library's Young People's Department has teamed up with the Lexington Korean School to present Korean Culture Day tomorrow. The school's students and teachers will present traditional art, storytelling, music,and dance. Displays and activities begin at 11am and the event will culminate in a special performance in the theater from 2-3pm. All ages are welcome but reservations for the performance are recommended. Call 231-5532 to book your seats!

Hanukkah

On the evening of December 11th, Jews around the world will be lighting the first of 8 candles on the hanukiyah to celebrate Hanukkah. Though not a major holy day like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jewish families may choose to celebrate the occasion in their homes by cooking potato latkes, playing dreidel, exchanging gifts, and reciting blessings each night for the new candles that are lit. In Lexington, some members of the Jewish community (and anyone else who wants to gather to hear Hanukkah songs and popular Israeli standards) will be celebrating the 5th annual Hanukkah Night at Natasha's Bistro on Tuesday, December 15th at 7:30.

If you're in the neighborhood, you should stop by the Central Library's Young People's Department on the 2nd floor to see in person the wonderful multicultural display they have put together for the December holidays!

If you'd like to read more about Hanukkah traditions, here are a few good books at LPL: Hanukkah: A Counting Book, Harvest of Light, Eight Wild Nights, I Have a Little Dreidel, Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah: The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration, Simple Pleasures for the Holidays.

Also, for a glimpse at how Jews from all over the world vary their Hanukkah celebrations according to their culture, check out this Sun-Sentinel article:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/food/fl-hannukah-121009-20091209,0,1392227.story

Lastly, I leave you today with an entertaining video: Happy Hanukkah - flash mob style!

Human Rights

Every year on December 10th, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebrates another anniversary. This year marks the document's 61st birthday. The United Nations adopted the charter in 1948. It is the first document that established common standards of human rights for all nations and all peoples. Last year, the 60th Anniversary was celebrated by UN members around the world with much fanfare.

1st Article of the UDHR, illustrated by Brazilian artist Octavio Roth for the 60th Anniversary

This year, you can celebrate in the comfort of your own home by checking out these great children's books based on the Declaration: Every Human Has Rights and We Are All Born Free.

World AIDS Day and all that follows

Buenos días and welcome to December! Aside from the well-known religious holidays of Christmas and Chanukkah and the cultural celebration of Kwanzaa, December is full of many other note-worthy celebrations. Throughout this month I will be exploring the important days that fall on the calendars of many different cultures around the world and, when possible, talk about how they will be celebrated here in Lexington.


Today, our thoughts turn to World AIDS Day. In 1988 the World Health Organization established the first World AIDS Day celebration in recognition of the need for education and awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic that affects every region of the world. Today the World AIDS Campaign is the leading organizer of the international event. This year's theme is Universal Access and Human Rights. Organizers and partner agencies of the event strongly believe that access for all to HIV prevention treatment care and support is a critical part of human rights.


If you pay attention to the news at all, you know that HIV/AIDS is a global epidemic. As the following map with the latest numbers from the WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS shows, 33.4 million people worldwide are living with HIV.

Locally, AIDS Volunteers of Lexington (AVOL) is doing it's part to make sure fewer people in Central Kentucky become a statistic. If you want to show your support for AVOL's work, raise awareness about the global epidemic or pay tribute to a friend or family member affected by the disease you can take part in a community Candlelight Vigil this evening starting at 5:30pm. Participants can pick up candles at Third Street Stuff, Starbucks (Main St.), Tin Roof, Common Grounds, and Dunkin' Donuts (Main and Rose) and march together to Phoenix Park. On Saturday, you can give to a good cause and have a great time at AVOL's annual Red Ribbon Ball .

Lexington Public Library will be paying tribute to World AIDS Day by displaying panels from the AIDS Quilt all week. If you need refuge from the cold during the vigil or just want to admire a piece of the worlds largest ongoing community arts project in the world, stop in the Central Library to see the quilts hanging from the 3rd floor and in the 2nd floor atrium.


For more information about World AIDS Day celebrations or to download promotional materials visit http://www.aids.gov/ , http://www.worldaidsday.org/ or http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/