Events Around The World In December
| Published: 28th October 2008 20:59 |
Hanukkah Wednesday 5th - 12th December
Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights, it is an eight-day Jewish holiday. One of the most widely known symbols of this family orientated holiday is the Menorah, with it's nine candles, one more to be lit each night and a an extra light called a shamash, meaning guard or servant is also lit each night.
Have fun and make your own Menorah, for little ones use tissue paper to make a collage and for older children use clay to modle a Menorah and then dry it in the airing cupboard or low oven, before painting.
Try playing this Hanukkah game. Great for everyone from toddlers to grand parents, to play together whether you're Jewish or not. Playing dreidel is the perfect fun way to celebrate the holiday and create family memories.
Here's How:
1. All players get an equal amount of pennies, chocolate coins (gelt), candies, raisins, or tokens.
2. All players put one token in the pot in the centre.
3. The dreidel is a four sided spinning top with a different Hebrew letter on each side, really easy to make with a small square of card and a cocktail stick. Players take turns spinning the dreidel.
4. The player acts according to the letter which is facing up when the dreidel stops spinning.
Nun means the player does nothing.
Gimel means the player takes all the tokens from the pot.
Hay means the player takes half of the tokens from the pot.
Shin (or Pay in Israel) means the player puts one token into the pot.
The winner is the one with the most tokens.
Geminids Meteor shower December 7th -16th
Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through a comet's orbit, and left-over comet debris bombards the Earth. Meteor showers occur at roughly the same time each year. In the Northern hemisphere the Geminid shower is one of the year's most spectacular. The paths of Geminid meteors appear to point back to a spot near the bright stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini, giving the shower its name. The best night to see them will be 9th December as there is a new moon.
Anniversary of powered flight December 17th
On December 17, 1903, the "Wright Flyer" flew for 12 seconds and for a distance of 120 feet (37 m). The flight took place on the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA. The first working airplane was invented, designed, made, and flown by the Wright brothers, Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) and Orville Wright (1871-1948). Their "Wright Flyer" was a fabric-covered biplane with a wooden frame. The power to the two propellers was supplied by a 12-horsepower water-cooled engine.
Winter Solstice December 21st
The shortest day of the year, the Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. It is traditional to find a Yule log out in the forest large enough to burn for 12 nights, bring it back and burn it to protect your house.
Christmas Eve December 24th
The tradition of leaving a mice pie and a carrot out for Santa and Rudolph, can be expanded on by making your own mince pies, you can buy the pre-made pastry and mince meat and just get the kids to assemble them.
"Did you Know?"
Mince Pies were once banned. In the 1640's you were not allowed to eat mince pies because of their pagan origins. But once King Charles II came in to power and the monarchy was restored, all of the new laws from when Oliver Cromwell was in charge were ignored.
If you have older kids get them to help you wrap presents, put a few sequins or Christmas confetti in with the gift, they will all tumble out when the present is unwrapped.
If you can't bear church, then have your own carol service, everyone knows a few Christmas carols. Have candles and make it special. If you have a nice local church that has a carol service then go, it is Christmas after all.
Christmas Day December 25th
Traditionally celebrated by most Christians as the birthday of Jesus Christ. Now typified by the giving and receiving of gifts and eating a huge celebration meal.
Try concentrating on the giving aspect of Christmas, children are all too familiar with the receiving part of Christmas. Making homemade Christmas cards is a great way for children to create something to give to someone else.
Make a nativity scene, use pipe cleaners, toilet roll tubes etc to make the key figures, Nativities are becoming less and less common as we become more and more politically correct.
Boxing Day December 26th
The name Boxing Day originates as St. Stephen's day was the day when people would give a present or Christmas box to those who had worked for them throughout the year. This is still done in Britain for postmen and paper-boys - though now the 'box' is usually given before Christmas, not after.
Try putting together a care package to give to a homeless shelter or to the RSPCA and explain to your kids that Christmas isn't just about that Nintendo Wii that they want more than anything in the world.
Kwanzaa December 26th - January1st
Kwanzaa is a holiday that celebrates African-American culture. Kwanzaa lasts for seven days. The word "Kwanzaa" means "first fruits" in Swahili. Maulena Karenga, an African-American scholar and activist, founded Kwanzaa in 1966. Defined by the seven principles of Unity (umoja), signified by the gathering of family, friends, and community, Faith (imani), Purpose (nia), Collective work and responsibility (ujima), Cooperative economics (ujamaa), Self-determination (kujichagulia) and Creativity (kuumba)
On December 31, a Kwanzaa feast is enjoyed by family and friends.
Find out more at http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml
Make Kwanzaa candles using decorated toilet or kitchen roll tubes as the stem and red and yellow tissue paper as the flames.
New Years Eve December 31st
Celebrate the New Year by either waiting for Big Ben, or a clock to strike midnight while enjoying the party. In Scotland New Years Eve celebrations are known as Hogmanay. The traditional song Auld Lang Syne was written by Robert Burns, a Scottish poet.
The residents on the central Pacific Ocean island of Kiritimati (Christmas Island), the eastern-most island in the island nation of Kiribati claim to be the first to usher in the New Year.
Don't fancy the kids staying up to see in the new year go to Sydney harbour webcam and watch their fireworks and celebrations as they are GMT +10hours you can watch it all happening at 2pm New Years Eve. Have a look at http://www.sydney-webcam.com/index.php?nav=cam1
The people from Allendale in Northumberland have an unusual way of celebrating the New Year. 30 men carry 30 barrels down the street on their heads, not only that, but they are on fire! The men walk down to a waiting bonfire, where the barrels are flung on to the pile of logs and wood at midnight to welcome in the New Year.
Make your own firework picture by using black or dark blue paper, glue and different coloured glitter, or alternatively splodge watery paint onto a piece of paper and blow it into an explosion pattern using a drinking straw. These fireworks pictures are great decorations for New Year.
Make a family record, on New Years Eve write a record of each child, grandparents and parents etc. Make notes of height, weight anything you like, but also make note of resolutions, what you'd like to do in the next year. This can be a family tradition getting the book out each year to see how you've changed, it will also serve as a record of your families development.
Also in December...
World Elephant Polo Championships
Polo is normally played on the back of horses, but in India, it's done a little different, with Elephants. It's a welcome change for the elephants who normally spend their day carrying tourists around the safari park. The 16 elephants that take part are specially trained for the game with similar rules to the one played on horseback.
"Did you Know?"
Elephants can't jump. It's true, although their legs have the same number of bones as humans or other mammals, the bones are much more tightly packed, and so it doesn't have the flexibility or spring mechanism to jump. Not to mention that they can also weigh up to 12,000 kg (26,400 lb).
Favourite Websites:
Every year since 1955 the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), tracks santa's journey from the north pole all over the world. Great fun for kids to watch and wait. http://www.northpole.com/NoradSanta.asp
Answer to all of those Christmas questions that you'll be asked, everything from "Why is mistletoe hanging over the front door?" to "Why do people give each other presents on Christmas day?" http://www.howstuffworks.com/christmas.htm
Missing the snow? Have a look at the webcam pictures updated every 15minutes in the beautiful town of Arlberg in Austria. http://www.gasthof-traube.at/webcam.htm
