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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261226
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SUMMARY:Kwanzaa (first day)
DESCRIPTION:Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday honoring African culture and traditions. It falls between December 26 and January 1 each year. Maulana Karenga\, an African-American leader\, proposed this observance and it was first celebrated between December 1966 and January 1967. \nIs Kwanzaa (first day) a Public Holiday?\nAlthough Kwanzaa (first day) is not a public holiday\, businesses and schools may be closed because it falls on the same date as Day After Christmas Day in 2024\, which is a public holiday in North Carolina\, South Carolina\, and Texas. \nWhat Do People Do?\nKwanzaa is a holiday honoring the culture and traditions of people of African origin. It is celebrated by people from a range of African countries and their descendants. Kwanzaa consists of a week of celebrations\, which ends with a feast and the exchange of gifts. During the celebrations\, candles are lit and libations are poured. A libation is the name given to a ritual pouring of a drink as an offering to a god. During Kwanzaa\, a wooden unity cup is used to pour the libations. \nA Kwanzaa ceremony often also includes performance of music and drumming\, a reflection on the Pan-African colors of red\, green and black and a discussion of some aspect of African history. Women often wear brightly colored traditional clothing. Some cultural organizations hold special exhibitions of African influenced art or performances during the period of the celebrations. \nOriginally the people observing Kwanzaa did not mix any elements of other festivals into their celebrations. However\, in recent years\, it has become increasingly common for people to mix elements of Kwanzaa with Christmas or New Year celebrations. For instance\, a family may have both a Christmas tree and a Kwanzaa candle stick on display in their home. This enables them to include both Christian and African inspired traditions in their lives at this time of year. \nPublic Life\nApart from New Year’s Day (January 1)\, the days on which Kwanzaa falls are not public holidays. It is largely a private celebration observed by individuals\, families and local communities. However\, it falls between Christmas and New Year’s Day\, when some businesses and organizations may be closed or run fewer services. If you need to do business with a company or organization with an African-American orientation during this period\, it may be wise to check whether they are open as usual. \nSymbols\nThe main symbols of Kwanzaa are a mat\, on which to put the things needed for the celebration\, the unity cup used to pour libations\, a candle stick holding seven candles\, the seven candles\, ears of corn\, the Kwanzaa flag and a poster depicting the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are: unity; self-determination; collective work and responsibility; co-operative economics; purpose; creativity; and earth. \nThe colors of Kwanzaa are red\, black and green. The Kwanzaa flag consists of three blocks\, one in each of these colors. Three of the seven candles are red\, three are green and one is black. Each candle represents one of the principles of Kwanzaa. The candle holder is carved from a single piece of wood and its shape was inspired by the form of the Ashanti royal throne. \nBackground\nKwanzaa was first celebrated in December 1966 and January 1967. The holiday was proposed by Maulana Karenga to give those of African descent a holiday to celebrate their own cultural heritage and the key values of family and community.  Although seen as an alternative to Christmas and thus possibly anti-Christian in the early years\, many people now observe aspects of both festivals. \nIn 1997 and 2004\, the United States Postal Service honored Kwanzaa by issuing stamps depicting an aspect of the festival. In 1997\, the stamp was designed by Synthia Saint James and showed an African-American family observing the celebrations. In 2004\, the stamp was designed by Daniel Minter and shows seven figures representing the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa gained popularity quite quickly. It is now estimated that about 13 percent of African-Americans (nearly five million people) celebrate the festival in some way.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/kwanzaa-first-day-2/
CATEGORIES:Observance
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261231
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270101
DTSTAMP:20260404T045949
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SUMMARY:New Year's Eve
DESCRIPTION:New Year’s Eve\, which is on December 31\, is the last day of the year in the United States. It is a major social observance and many parties are held\, particularly in the evening. \nIs New Year’s Eve a Public Holiday?\nNew Year’s Eve 2024 is a state holiday in Louisiana\, Michigan\, and Wisconsin and an observance in 48 states. \nCelebrate New Year’s Eve\nNew Year’s Eve is a major social holiday for many people in the United States. Many people hold parties at home or attend special celebrations to celebrate the upcoming New Year. In many cities\, large scale public events are held. These often attract thousands of people. \nA particularly striking aspect of the New Year’s Eve festivities is the ball drop in Times Square in Manhattan\, New York City. The ball is made of crystal and electric lights and is placed on top of a pole\, which is 77 feet\, or 23 meters\, high. At one minute before midnight on December 31\, the ball is lowered slowly down the pole. It comes to rest at the bottom of the pole at exactly midnight. The event is shown on television across the United States and around the world. The event has been held every year since 1907\, except during World War II. \nAcross the United States a range of cities and towns hold their own versions of the ball drop. A variety of objects are lowered or raised during the last minute of the year. The objects are usually linked to an aspect of local history or industry. Examples of objects ‘dropped’ or raised in this way include a variety of live and modeled domestic and wild animals\, fruit\, vegetables\, automobiles\, industrial machinery\, a giant replica of a peach (Atlanta\, Georgia)\, an acorn made of brass and weighing 900 pounds (Raleigh\, North Carolina) and ping pong balls (Strasburg\, Pennsylvania). \nPublic Life\nDecember 31 is not a federal holiday\, but it does fall in the holiday season at the end of the year. It is a holiday in some states like Kentucky\, Michigan\, and Wisconsin. Most schools and other educational institutions throughout the United States are closed. Some organizations are closed and others are open but offer limited services. Many stores are open on New Year’s Eve\, but may close early. Many theaters\, clubs and other entertainment venues have special programs. It may be necessary to reserve tickets many weeks in advance. \nPublic transit systems may operate normal or reduced services. Some companies extend their schedules into the early hours of January 1 to enable people who have attended New Year’s Eve parties to return home safely. If you need to use public transit on December 31\, it is wise to check the appropriate timetables carefully before you travel. \nThere may be some congestion to traffic or diversions around large scale events. Diversions may be in effect in the days before New Year’s Eve so that stands can be built. It is wise to check the local media if you wish to drive to or near large scale events. \nAbout New Year’s Eve\nIn both the Gregorian calendar\, currently used in the United States\, and the Julian calendar\, which was used until 1752 in the British colonies\, the last day of the year is December 31. In Europe\, the mid-winter period was traditionally associated with feasting and parties. In the early years of the American colonies and within the United States\, this type of celebration was often frowned upon\, particularly by religious communities. \nAround the start of the 1900s\, New Year’s Eve celebrations in America started to appear. The first Ball drop in Times Square was held in 1907. Around the same time\, special events to welcome the New Year started to be organized on January 1.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/new-years-eve-2/
CATEGORIES:Observance
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