Welcome to the final edition of Reach for the 2008 calendar year.  We are so very grateful for all of the emails that we receive each month regarding this publication and how the contents affect your lives and ministries.  It is our prayer that as we journey towards the close of this year and reach towards the days of the coming year; that we will find new and exciting ways to bring to life celebrations, traditions, holidays and Holy days from around the world and around the corner.  On behalf of our entire team, we wish you a blessed Advent and a happy holiday season. 

December Devotional

The  December devotional has been so graciously provided to us by Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, Regional Elder serving MCC Region 5.

I was out on my back deck the other morning and saw something white up on the hill.  I thought that it might be a dog, but it was too large.  Then I thought it was a horse, but it was too small.  And it was too big to be a goat.  I decided to investigate.  As I walked through the underbrush, the animal did not move.  It just stood there, silently watching my approach.  I got closer and closer, and when I was about ten feet away, it lifted its tail and bounded off about ten feet.  It was a white deer.  The eyes were brown, and it had two brown spots on its withers.  Its hoofs, nose and eyes were black.  I had never seen anything like it.  It was a doe, and she was amazing.  I followed her through the woods for about thirty minutes.
 
Apparently white deer, that are not albinos, are called piebalds.  They are a genetic mutation of white-tailed deer.  There are about three hundred of them in the world, and generally they do not live long because of their coloring and a defect with their hearing.  First Nations people call them the Ghost Deer; others call them the Christmas Deer.
 
Few things surprise us these days, but that deer on the hillside filled me with such a feeling of gratitude.  Our God is truly amazing.  This holiday  season, I wish you all a Ghost Deer experience.   I am so thankful for each of you and the amazing ministry you do in your churches and communities.  Take some time to celebrate God's mystery and have a wonder-filled holiday season.

A Few Facts About the Month of December

December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.   In Latin, decem means "ten". December was also the tenth month in the Roman calendar until a "monthless" winter period was divided between January and February.  December is the month with the shortest amount of daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Advent is the 4 week period before Christmas when the Church celebrates the first coming of Christ and anticipates his second coming.  The word "advent," from the Latin adventus (Greek parousia), means "coming" or "arrival" and the season of Advent is focused on the "coming" of Jesus as Messiah (Christ or King).
 
Liturgical Color(s):  Violet (optional: Rose for 3rd Advent)
Type of Holiday:  Season; Fast
Duration:  Roughly 4 weeks before Christmas; Sunday after Christ the King Sunday
4 Sundays and their weeks ending at Christmas Eve
Celebrates/Symbolizes:  The coming of Christ
Scriptural References:  Isaiah 2:1-5,7,10-14, Jeremiah 33:14-16, Zephaniah 3:14-18, Micah 5:2-5a, Matthew 24:37-44, Romans 13:11-14
http://www.textweek.com/advent.htm  
 
 
Adapted from a prayer by Henri Nouwen, 
 to prepare ourselves...

Jesus, we find ourselves amidst both the light and the darkness, we pray that you would send the blessings of peace and grace upon our preparations for this busy season.

We, who have so much to do, seek the warmth and serenity of quiet spaces just to hear your voice each day.

We who are anxious about so many things; some that we can control and others that somehow take control of us - we look forward to the blessed peace of your coming among us.

We, who are blessed in so many ways great and small; known and unknown long for the complete joy that your life brings.

We whose hearts are heavy seek the simple joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.

To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus Come!"
Amen.

1 December  

World AIDS Day

Each year on 1 December a multitude of organizations, groups, and people around the world host and participate in the observance World AIDS Day by holding prayer services, candlelight vigils, press conferences and memorials. We take this opportunity to lift from the pages the staggering number of individuals who are infected and affected by the disease.  We also take the time to remember those who have lost their lives, pray for those who administer the care of the many who are still living with HIV/AIDS. 
 
A Little History World AIDS Day
1 December 1988, the first World AIDS Day was organized by the World Health Organization. Prior to 1988, the day was organized by UNAIDS who chose a new theme each year which focused on some of the most pressing concerns and perspectives. In 2005, UNAIDS shifted the responsibility of World AIDS Day to The World AIDS Campaign (WAC), an independent HIV/AIDS organization.
 
From that point to the present, the theme of World AIDS Day has been "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise." The establishment of this theme is to provide perspective and focus aimed at determining ways to providing universal access by all people to treatment, care, support, and prevention services by 2010. The theme "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise" will continue until 2010, with sub-themes chosen each year.
 
Past World AIDS Day Themes

Here are the global themes of World AIDS Day for the past 10 years:

• 2008 - Stop AIDS; Keep the Promise - Lead-Empower- Deliver
• 2007 - Stop AIDS; Keep the Promise - Leadership 
• 2006 - Stop AIDS; Keep the Promise - Accountability 
• 2005 - Stop AIDS; Keep the Promise 
• 2004 - Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS 
• 2003 - Stigma & Discrimination 
• 2002 - Stigma & Discrimination 
• 2001 - I care. Do you? 
• 2000 - AIDS : Men make a difference 
• 1999 - Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People 
• 1998 - Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People

 
To read the Sermon for World AIDS Day 2008 - Uncommon Hope the First Sunday in Advent by Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson (Click Here )
 
In Remembrance

We are in the process of collecting the names of individuals who have lost their lives to AIDS over the years and need your help to construct this memorial listing.  What started a few months ago as a listing of just over 300 names has grown to contain well over 1,000 names.  To submit the names of individuals to be listed, please email Joshua Love at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 

8 December

Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)

Buddhist celebration of the time when Prince Gautama took his place under the Bodhi tree, vowing to remain there until he attained supreme enlightenment.

Rohatsu - the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is a time when Zen Buddhists mark Buddha's enlightenment. It starts on the 1st of December and ends on Rohatsu Day - the 8th of December.  In the seven days leading up to the day of Rohatsu, monks will spend their time in silent and intensive meditation. This period of intensive meditation is known as 'sesshin.' This practice is the culmination of all the work that has been done previously in that year.  
 

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the eleventh century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the eighteenth century it became a feast of the universal Church.

In 1854 Pius IX gave the infallible statement: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin."

In Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel, speaking on God's behalf, addresses Mary as "full of grace" (or "highly favored"). In that context this phrase means that Mary is receiving all the special divine help necessary for the task ahead.

Quote: "[Mary] gave to the world the Life that renews all things, and she was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role." (click here to learn more )
 

What is Eid al-Adha?

At the end of the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca), Muslims throughout the world celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). In 2008, Eid al-Adha will begin on approximately December 8th, and will last for three days.
 

What does Eid al-Adha commemorate?

During the Hajj, Muslims remember and commemorate the trials and triumphs of the Prophet Abraham. The Qur'an describes Abraham as follows:

"Surely Abraham was an example, obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous." (Qur'an 16:120-121)

One of Abraham's main trials was to face the command of Allah to kill his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allah's will. When he was all prepared to do it, Allah revealed to him that his "sacrifice" had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his God superseded all others and that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God.
 
To learn more about Islamic Holy Days, click the following link.
http://islam.about.com/od/holidays/f/holidays.htm

10 December

Human Rights Day

Celebrated around the world on December 10th, Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on December 10, 1948. This year's marks the 60th anniversary of this landmark document.
 
"The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities." Eleanor Roosevelt

12 December

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Blessed Virgin Mary, by her title, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is the Patroness of Mexico and the Americas. On December 9, 1531, Our Lady appeared to Saint Juan Diego, an Indian Christian, whom she sent to the bishop with the request to build a Church in her honor on the hill where she appeared. The bishop asked Juan Diego for a sign to prove that the Virgin had appeared to him. Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego again on December 12 and promised that his uncle would be healed. She directed Juan Diego to gather a bouquet of roses that miraculously appeared on a bush nearby (roses do not bloom at this time of the year) to present to the bishop. Juan Diego gathered the roses in his tilma (cloak). When he opened his tilma before the bishop, the roses fell to the floor, and the bishop was amazed to see the miraculous image of the Mother of God imprinted on the cloak. The image persuaded the bishop to believe what Juan Diego had told him, and the Church was built.
 
This image, which almost immediately inspired the conversion to Christianity of many thousands of Indians, may still be seen in the Cathedral in Mexico City. Many believe that the fact that the image remains intact on a coarse fabric woven of a cactus-like plant that ordinarily deteriorates within a few years is further indication of the miraculous nature of the image. The symbolic significance of the image includes Mary's complexion, which is similar to that of the Indians who were native to the region, her pregnancy, the gold stars adorning her blue mantle that represents the heavens. The purple tassels of her sash signifying royalty.
 
To learn more, click the following link.

http://www.inside-mexico.com/guadalupe.htm

13 December

St. Lucia's Day 

Lucia Day ' aka Saint Lucy's Day ' on December 13 ranks among the most important days on the Swedish calendar. It honors a young Christian girl, martyred in ancient Rome, who is always portrayed with her head encircled by a halo of lights. Though it's not officially part of Advent, for many Swedes Lucia Day forms the gateway to the Christmas season.
 
Lucia - the bearer of light - Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth.

Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.

The many Lucia songs all have the same theme:

The night treads heavily
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.

21 December

In 2008, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 21st. 

Hanukkah is the Jewish Feast of Lights or Feast of Dedication. The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication.
 
Hanukkah is also written Hanukkah or Chanukah. The holiday begins on the eve of the 25th day of the Hebrew Month of Kislev and lasts eight days. Hanukkah usually falls in the month of December, but occasionally can start in November.

The books of the Maccabees tell the story of Hanukkah which occurred in 165 B.C. After three years of struggle, the Jews in Judea defeated the Syrian tyrant Antiochus. The Jewish people held festivities in the Temple of Jerusalem, and rededicated it to God. After removing all Syrian idols from the Temple, the Jews found only one small cruse of oil to light their holy lamps. Miraculously, the cruse provided oil for eight days. Judas Maccabaeus, the Jewish leader, then proclaimed a festival to be observed by Jews.

Each evening during Hanukkah, one additional candle is lit on the Hanukkah menorah (candelabra). By the last evening, eight lighted candles stand together.

For planning purposes, in 2009 Hanukkah begins at sundown on 11 December and in 2010 on 1 December.   Click this link to learn more.

Winter Solstice

 
The next Winter Solstice begins December 21, 2008 at 12:05 GMT. In the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice is day of the year when the Sun is farthest south. The declination of the Sun on the (northern) Winter Solstice is known as the Tropic of Capricorn. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is at a minimum for the year. The Winter Solstice marks the first day of Winter, in the northern hemisphere.
 
INCA RELIGION: The ancient Incas celebrated a festival if Inti Raymi at the time of the Winter Solstice. It celebrates "the Festival of the Sun where the god of the Sun, Wiracocha, is honored." 16 Ceremonies were banned by the Roman Catholic conquistadores in the 16th century as part of their forced conversions of the Inca people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia Indians in Cusco, Peru revived the festival about 1950. It is now a major festival which begins in Cusco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away.
 
IRAN: Shabe-Yalda (a.k.a. Shab-e Yaldaa) is celebrated in Iran by followers of many religions. It originated in Zoroastrianism, the state religion which preceded Islam. The name refers to the birthday or rebirth of the sun. People gather at home around a korsee -- a low square table -- all night. They tell stories and read poetry. They eat watermelons, pomegranates and a special dried fruit/nut mix. Bonfires are lit outside.
 
NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY:  The Pueblo tribe observe both the summer and winter solstices. Although the specific details of the rituals differ from pueblo to pueblo, "the rites are built around the sun, the coming new year and the rebirth of vegetation in the spring....Winter solstice rites include...prayerstick making, retreats, altars, emesis and prayers for increase."
 
The Hopi tribe "is dedicated to giving aid and direction to the sun which is ready to 'return' and give strength to budding life." Their ceremony is called "Soyal." It lasts for 20 days and includes "prayerstick making, purification, rituals and a concluding rabbit hunt, feast and blessing..."
 
There are countless stone structures created by Natives in the past to detect the solstices and equinoxes. One was called Calendar One by its modern-day finder. It is in a natural amphitheatre of about 20 acres in size in Vermont. From a stone enclosure in the center of the bowl, one can see a number of vertical rocks and natural features in the horizon which formed the edge of the bowl. At the solstices and equinoxes, the sun rises and sets at notches or peaks in the ridge which surrounded the calendar.

24 December

Christmas Eve Around the World

 
Meals
Large meals are common, often with turkey or ham as the main item. A traditional dish in Germany is roasted goose. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia it is a fish soup and breaded roasted carp with potato salad. Italian Catholics eat seven types of seafood. In some parts of Eastern Europe such as Poland and Lithuania, a traditional meatless 12-dishes Christmas Eve Supper is served before opening gifts.
 
Gift Giving
It is also seen as the night when Santa Claus or his international variants, make their rounds giving gifts to good children. In the Czech Republic, where St. Nicholas (sv. Mikulás) gave his sweet gifts already more than two weeks earlier, is Jezisek, that is Child Jesus, the Christmas gift-giver. In Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Iceland, Argentina, Poland, Portugal and Quebec, Kazakhstan Christmas presents are opened on the evening of the 24th, while in Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, English Canada, South Africa, and Australia mostly on the morning of Christmas Day. In Finland Joulupukki personally meets children and gives presents in the evening of Christmas Eve. In most parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland Christmas presents are opened in the evening of December 24th ('Bescherung'). In Spain gifts are traditionally opened on the morning of January 6, Epiphany day ("Día de Los Reyes"), though in some other countries, like Argentina and Uruguay people received presents both around Christmas and on the morning of Epiphany day; there are also some countries, like the rest of Latin America, where people stay awake until midnight, when they open the presents.

 
Regional Traditions
 
South America
In South America Christmas Eve, know as Nochebuena (English - Good Night), is celebrated by staying up until midnight. At midnight gifts and presents are opened.

Spain
When it is Christmas Eve or La Nochebuena, as it is known in Spain, there are two important traditions - attending Christmas Mass and secondly, enjoying a meal with friends and family.
 
In Iceland and Norway Christmas starts on Christmas Eve, at 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. respectively. Church bells ring at that time and people either sit down for holiday dinner at home or with closest family. After that they open gifts and spend the evening together.

North America
In North America, there is a mixture of families opening gifts in the evening and, more commonly, on Christmas Day morning.

Canada
In Quebec and among many francophone families living in other provinces, the Réveillon is held on Christmas Eve with traditional food such as tourtière, attendance at church, and the opening of gifts.

Philippines
In the Philippines, the predominantly Roman Catholic Christian country in Asia, Christmas Eve is usually celebrated by attending the "Rooster's Mass or Misa del Gallo." Misa del Gallo is the Holy Mass celebrated hours before the clock ticks 12 A.M. that signifies the arrival of December 25 Christmas Day. After attending church, Filipino families usually hold a feast named Noche Buena to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

25 December

Christmas Around the World and Back Again

 
Belgium
On the sixth of December Sinterklaas or Saint-Nicholas is celebrated, which is an entirely different holiday from Christmas. Santa Claus in Belgium is called de Kerstman or le Père Noël, and he does come around on Christmas day to bring children presents.  Small family presents are given at Christmas too, under the tree, or in stockings near the fire-place, to be found in the morning. Christmas breakfast is a special sweet bread called 'cougnou' or 'cougnolle' - the shape is supposed to be like baby Jesus. Some families will have another big meal on Christmas day.
 
 
Finland
Finnish people believe that Father Christmas (Santa Claus) lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi, north of the Arctic Circle.  Everyone cleans their houses ready for the three holy days of Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Christmas Eve is very special, when people eat rice porridge and a sweet soup made from dried fruits (plums, raisins, apples, pears, apricots and figs).  They will then gather together to decorate a spruce tree in their home and at mid-day, the 'Christmas peace declaration' is broadcast on radio and TV from the Finnish city of Turku by its Mayor. In the evening, a traditional Christmas dinner is eaten.
 
France
In France, Christmas is  called 'Noël. Everyone has a Christmas tree, sometimes decorated with red ribbons and real white wax candles. Also, fir trees in the garden are often decorated with lights that can be left on all night.
 
Germany
There is great joy experienced in the decoration of houses at Christmas time. Many homes will have little wooden frames holding electric candles in their windows, and colored pictures look like beautiful stained glass from the outside at night. Often too, they will have an 'Adventskranz' - a wreath of leaves with four candles. (Advent - meaning 'coming' - is the 4 week period before Christmas). On each Sunday of Advent, another candle is lit. 
 
Hungary
Santa Clause (Winter-grandfather) (Tel-apo or Mikulas) comes on the 6th of December. Children filled with the excitement of the season clean and place their shoes outside next to the door or window before they go to sleep. The next day, they find their shoes filled with candies and/or small toys in little red bags.
 
Latvia
Latvians believe that Father Christmas brings presents on each of the 12 days of Christmas starting on Christmas Eve. Usually the presents are placed under the family Christmas tree. The special Latvian Christmas Day meal of brown peas with bacon (pork) sauce, small pies, cabbage and sausage is enjoyed by family and friends.

New Zealand
Christmas starts with gifts under the tree, to be opened on Christmas morning. Then it's onto a Christmas lunch either at home with family or out with friends. The air is filled with the aromas of turkey or chicken with all the trimmings.   
 
Portugal
There is such comfort and joy in the tradition of Father Christmas bringing presents to children on Christmas Eve. The presents are left under the Christmas tree or in shoes by the fireplace. A special Christmas meal of salted dry cod-fish with boiled potatoes is eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.
 
Sweden
The most important day is Christmas Eve. A special Christmas meal is eaten on this day of ham (pork), herring fish, and brown beans - and this is the time when families give presents to each other. Many people attend a church meeting together early on Christmas Day.
 
Christmas in the United States is an eclectic celebration of faith, heritage and tradition all wrapped up in hope, peace and goodwill for all.  There are many who gather for religious observances that tell the story of the birth of Christ. This story is told to us scriptural lessons and holiday carols. 
 
Some holiday celebrations are marked by candlelight processionals and family gatherings while others are marked by adorning our homes with lights, decorating Christmas Trees, hanging and filling Christmas stockings and baking tasty holiday treats.  The air is filled with the smell of cinnamon, apples and ginger bread.  We warm ourselves by the fire and sip on hot chocolate with marshmallows.  The season is filled with the exchange of presents and the telling and retelling of the Christmas Story in many languages and traditions. 
 
As we gather to celebrate with many customs, traditions and faiths; it is our prayer that we seek and find our own special holiday moments that will revive and renew our deepest hope.  May this holiday season speak to each of us in new and exciting ways as we seek to bring joy to this world, while listening to the herald angels singing in the calmness of the holy night.  May the carol of the bells remind us of the blessings that came upon that midnight clear.
 
Merry Christmas!

26 December

St Stephen's Day

St. Stephen was martyred in Jerusalem about the year 35. He is considered both the first Christian martyr (the protomartyr) and one of the first deacons of the Christian Church.  All that we know of the life, trial, and death of St. Stephen, is found in the Book of Acts, Chapters 6 and 7.  In the long chronicle of Christian martyrs, the story of Stephen stands out as one of the most moving and memorable. His name is Greek (from Stephanos, meaning crown).
 

Boxing Day

History of Boxing Day

St. Stephen was one of the first 'social workers' in the Church, and it was his task to organize meals to feed the poor. In remembrance of Stephen's work for the needy, the British people used to collect money throughout the year in little clay boxes. On the feast of St. Stephen or 'Boxing day' as it is called in Britain, these boxes were broken and the money was distributed to the poor. (This is the origin of the 'piggy bank.') Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr), originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in boxes, gave the holiday it's name, "Boxing Day".
 
United Kingdom & Canada
It is a statutory holiday in the federal jurisdiction and in Ontario. If it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the working day immediately preceding or following Boxing Day is considered a legal holiday.

Also related to the origin of Boxing Day is the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The contents of these boxes were distributed amongst the poor, by the clergy, the day after Christmas.

Today, Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations. It is a time for family and friends to gather with lots of food and fun. Outdoor sports such as soccer, horse racing and hunting are popular on this holiday. Retailers offer huge savings on many items on this day, making it the biggest shopping day of the year in Canada.

Throughout the Christmas season, many organizations keep the original tradition of Boxing Day alive by donating their time, energy, and money to fill the Food Bank and provide gifts for the poor.

Happy Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa, is an African-American celebration of cultural reaffirmation.  It is one of the fastest-growing holidays in the history of the world. It took root 30 years ago, when then graduate student Maulana Karenga, disturbed by the 1965 riots in Los Angeles' Watts area, decided that African-Americans needed an annual event to celebrate their differences rather than the melting pot. Not a religious holiday, Kwanzaa is, rather, a seven-day celebration that begins on 26 December and continues through 1 January.

Kwanzaa is a spiritual, festive and joyous celebration of the oneness and goodness of life, which claims no ties with any religion. It has definite principles, practices and symbols which are geared to the social and spiritual needs of African-Americans. The reinforcing gestures are designed to strengthen the collective self-concept as a people, honor the past, critically evaluate the present and commit ourselves to a fuller, more productive future.
 
UMOJA - (ooh-MOE-jah) means Unity, and it is the principle for the first day of Kwanzaa. Our families and communities need unity in order for them to be productive and to survive. On this day, we pledge to strive for -- and to maintain -- unity in the family, in the community, in the nation that we have helped to build, and with our people.

KUJICHAGULIA - (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-ah) means self-determination and is the second day of Kwanzaa. On this day, we pledge to define ourselves, to NAME ourselves, to create for ourselves, and to speak for ourselves, instead of being defined, named by, created for and spoken for by others. On this day we design for ourselves a positive future and then vow to make that prophecy -- that DREAM -- a self-fulfilling one.

UJIMA - (ooh-GEE-mah) is the third day of Kwanzaa and means "collective work and responsibility". On this day we celebrate working together in the community to help others. For Ujima, we pledge to rebuild our communities and to help our people solve our own problems by working together to do it.

UJAMAA - (OOH-jah mah) means cooperative economics and is the fourth day of Kwanzaa. On this day of Kwanzaa, we pledge to develop our own businesses and to support them, to maintain shops, stores and industry that contribute to the well-being of our community and to drive out businesses (boycott, etc.) that take FROM our communities and give nothing back.

NIA - (NEE-ah) is the fifth day of Kwanzaa and it means "purpose". On this day, we pledge to build and develop our communities, our schools and our families. We also pledge to provide a strong communal foundation from which our children can develop into strong and productive people.

KUUMBA - (koo-OOM-bah) is the sixth day of Kwanzaa, and it means "creativity". On this day, we pledge several things. We pledge to do whatever we can to make our communities and homes more beautiful and better than we found them. We also pledge to use our creative talents and energies to improve young minds and hearts.

IMANI - (ee-MAH-nee) is the seventh and last day of Kwanzaa. Imani means faith. On this day, the beginning of the new year and we pledge to believe with all our hearts and minds in our people, our parents, our good and dedicated teachers and leaders, and in the greater good of the work we do with and for one another, for the community and for the people.
 
To learn more, click the following link.
http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml

27 December

In Hong Kong the festival of a Ta Chiu is held (a Taoist festival of peace and renewal) held on 27 December each year. Participants summon all their gods and ghosts of their ancestors so that the collective power will renew their lives and fulfill wishes for the coming year. At the end of the festival, priests read aloud the names of every person living in their area. Then they attach the list of names to a paper horse and set it aflame, letting the smoke carry the names up into the heavens to reach the Gods so they will remember them.

28 December

Holy Innocents

 
Matthew 2:1-18 tells this story: Herod was "greatly troubled" when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of "the newborn king of the Jews," whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also "do him homage." They found Jesus, offered him their gifts and, warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt.

Herod became furious and "ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under." The horror of the massacre and the devastation of the mothers and fathers led Matthew to quote Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah,/sobbing and loud lamentation;/Rachel weeping for her children..." (Matthew 2:18). Rachel was the wife of Jacob/Israel. She is pictured as weeping at the place where the Israelites were herded together by the conquering Assyrians for their march into captivity.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07419a.htm 
 

Feast of the Holy Family

 
Liturgical Color (s): White
Type of Holiday: Feast; Holy Day of Obligation (if on a Sunday)
Time of the Year:  The Sunday between Christmas and New Year's Day: if both are Sundays, the feast is celebrated on December 30th.  This year, it is celebrated on December 28th.
Duration:  One Day
Celebrates/Symbolizes:  The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Alternate Name:  Holy Family Sunday
Scriptural References:  Matthew 2:13-23; Luke 2:1-24, Psalm 128, Colossians 3:12-21
 
http://www.churchyear.net/holyfamily.html
 

Prayer for the Feast of the Holy Family

Loving God, bless all of our families.  Bestow unto us the unity, peace, and mutual love that You found in Your own family in the little town of Nazareth.

Bless the parents, guardians, leaders and nurturers of our families. May they know the strength, the gentle wisdom, and the forethought needed to provide for those in their care. 

Bless the children and those who are children at heart in our families. May they find devotion and love in the journeys of their lives and may they grow, as You did, in wisdom, courage, and peace and grace.

Holy Family of Nazareth, make our hearts and homes more and more like Yours, as we endeavor to be all one family, happy, whole and at peace. May it be so.

31 December

 
New Year's Eve is celebrated around the world as the last day of the calendar year and is denoted as 31 December in the Gregorian calendar. Celebrations on this night typically include a myriad of events and celebrations. One of the most famous gatherings occurs at Times Square in New York City (USA). At 11:59:00 p.m., a six-foot shimmering ball (actually an apple) is lowered 70 feet in sixty seconds. When the apple reaches it destination at midnight, bells ring, confetti is tossed, and everyone shouts "Happy New Year!" This tradition began in 1907 after New York City outlawed firecrackers for New Year's Eve. The lowering of the ball is followed by the singing of Auld Lang Syne and toasting the possibilities of the New Year.
 
There are some who will choose to simply watch and pray.  A watch night service is a church gathering of family and friends, filled with singing, fiery sermons and testimony about the goodness of God.  Watch night services originated as a Wesleyan tradition for worship as the New Year arrives. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, originated watch night services in the mid-18th century, sometimes calling them Covenant Renewal Services.  How ever you choose to greet the New Year, we wish you peace, prosperity and hope for the coming days. 
 
May the God who began a good work in us remain faithful and carry it on to completion!
Philippians 1:6

1 January

Happy New Year!

The beginning of the New Year (shogatsu or oshogatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together.
 
Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while bonenkai parties ("year forgetting parties") are held with the purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind.
 
Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned.
 
January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done.
 
It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode). The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine, attract several million people during the three days.