BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Maha Montessori - ECPv6.15.13//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://mahamontessori.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Maha Montessori
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Los_Angeles
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20250309T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20251102T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20260308T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20261101T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20270314T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20271107T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20280312T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20281105T090000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261222
DTSTAMP:20260404T133653
CREATED:20260107T040628Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T040628Z
UID:6774-1797811200-1797897599@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:December Solstice
DESCRIPTION:December Solstice: Longest and Shortest Day of the Year\nThere are two solstices every year: one in December and one in June. The December solstice marks the shortest day north of the equator and the longest day in the south. \nSun Reaches Most Southerly Point\nThe December solstice is the moment the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. This is the southernmost latitude it reaches during the year. After the solstice\, it begins moving north again. \nShortest Day in the North\nSince the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun in December\, it receives less sunlight during the course of a day. At the solstice\, the North Pole’s tilt away from the Sun is greatest\, so this event marks the shortest day of the year north of the equator. \nThis effect is greatest in locations that are farther away from the equator. In tropical areas\, the shortest day is just a little shorter than 12 hours; in the temperate zone\, it is significantly shorter; and places within the Arctic Circle experience polar night\, when the Sun does not rise at all. \nLongest Day in the South\nConversely\, the day of the December solstice is the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. Here\, too\, the effect is greater the farther a location is away from the equator. \nPlaces within the Antarctic Circle experience Midnight Sun\, when the Sun does not set at night. \nWhat Does “Solstice” Mean?\nDuring the course of a year\, the subsolar point—the spot on the Earth’s surface directly beneath the Sun—slowly moves along a north-south axis. Having reached its northernmost point at the June solstice\, it starts moving southward until it crosses the equator on the day of the September equinox. At the December solstice\, which marks the southernmost point of its journey\, it stops again to start its journey back toward the north. \nThis is how the solstices got their name: the term comes from the Latin words sol and sistere\, meaning “Sun” and “to stand still”. \nInitially\, the naming arose from observations of how the Sun’s apparent path across the sky changes slightly from one day to the next\, which is caused by the same process as the subsolar point’s movement described above. \nIn the months leading up to the December solstice\, the position of sunrise and sunset creeps southward. On the day of the solstice\, it reaches its southernmost point. After that\, the daily path of the Sun across the sky begins to creep northward. \nWhy Does the Sun Move North and South?\nThe subsolar point moves north and south during the year because the Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.4° in relation to the ecliptic\, an imaginary plane created by Earth’s path around the Sun. In June\, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun\, and the subsolar point is north of the equator. As the Earth travels toward the opposite side of its orbit\, which it reaches in December\, the Southern Hemisphere gradually receives more sunlight\, and the subsolar point travels south. \nThe Solstices and the Seasons\nThe December solstice marks the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of summer in the Southern Hemisphere\, according to one definition. \nSunrise and Sunset Times Lag Behind\nThe shortest day of the year is commonly associated with the latest sunrise and earliest sunset of the year. However\, in most locations\, the earliest sunset happens a few days before the solstice\, while the latest sunrise occurs some days after it. Find out why \nThe December Solstice in the Calendar\nThe December solstice can be on December 20\, 21\, 22\, or 23. \nDecember 21 or 22 solstices happen more often than December 20 and 23 solstices. The last December 23 solstice was in 1903 and the next one is in 2303. A December 20 solstice is also rare\, with the next one in the year 2080. \nWhy Does the Date Vary?\nThe date of the equinoxes and solstices varies because a year in our calendar does not exactly match the length of the tropical year—the time it takes the Earth to complete an orbit around the Sun. \nToday’s Gregorian calendar has 365 days in a common year and 366 days in a leap year. However\, our planet takes about 365.242199 days to orbit the Sun. This means that the timing of the equinoxes and solstices slowly drifts apart from the Gregorian calendar\, and the solstice happens about 6 hours later each year. Eventually\, the accumulated lag becomes so large that it falls on the following date. \nTo realign the calendar with the tropical year\, a leap day is introduced (nearly) every four years. When this happens\, the equinox and solstice dates shift back to the earlier date again. \nOther factors influencing the timing of the equinoxes and solstices include variations in the length of a tropical year and in the orbital and daily rotational motion of the Earth\, such as the “wobble” in the Earth’s axis (precession). \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/december-solstice-2/
CATEGORIES:Season
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://mahamontessori.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/december-solstice-dark-6KLVHL.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261225
DTSTAMP:20260404T133653
CREATED:20260107T034722Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T034722Z
UID:6651-1798070400-1798156799@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:Christmas Eve
DESCRIPTION:Christmas Eve in the United States\, which is annually on December 24\, is the day before Christmas Day. It falls within the Christmas season\, which is a time for people to buy presents and visit friends or relatives. \nIs Christmas Eve a Public Holiday?\nChristmas Eve 2024 is a state holiday in 11 states and an observance\, christian in 40 states. \nCelebrate Christmas Eve\nSince Christmas Eve is not usually an official federal holiday\, most people have to work. However\, it is a partial day off or a full day off in some states. Many workplaces hold Christmas parties or celebrations\, so there is a celebratory air to the day. People who work in the retail or catering sectors often have to work very hard to meet consumer demands on December 24. \nMany people in the United States decorate their homes and driveways with seasonal decorations\, although some do this much earlier\, starting just after Thanksgiving Day in late November. The centerpiece of the decorations is often a Christmas tree decorated with fairy lights\, tinsel\, angels\, stars and other seasonal ornaments. Outdoor light sculptures are also becoming increasingly popular. These are many light bulbs or LEDs in the form of trees\, sleighs\, reindeer\, Santa Claus\, snowmen and other seasonal figures. Light sculptures may be placed on driveways\, roofs or in gardens. \nIn the evening\, often just before bedtime\, many families\, particularly those with children\, will hang up stockings on the fireplace or the end of their bed. These Christmas stockings are often red with a white fluffy trim\, although they may be of any design and are often much bigger than the socks that they represent. Children hope that Santa Claus\, a mythical figure thought to represent an ancient European saint\, will enter their home via the chimney and fill their stocking with gifts\, sweets and oranges. \nPublic Life\nChristmas Eve is not a federal holiday. However\, it is a partial day off in states like Kansas\, North Dakota\, and Virginia. It is a state holiday in Kentucky\, Michigan\, North Carolina\, Oklahoma\, South Carolina\, Texas\, and Wisconsin. Most schools and other educational institutions throughout the U.S. are usually closed on December 24. Many organizations will open as usual\, but some may close earlier or offer reduced services. Stores are normally open as usual\, but may shut earlier. Stores and malls are likely to be very busy\, as people look for last minute Christmas gifts and stock up on food for the festive season. \nPublic transit systems may run a normal or reduced service\, particularly in the evening. If you need to use public transit on Christmas Eve\, is it a good idea to check the services that the appropriate companies offer carefully. Many people travel to visit family members or friends on Christmas Eve. There may be some congestion on roads and highways\, particularly around major cities. Airports and long distance bus terminals may be especially busy. \nAbout Christmas Eve\nChristmas Eve marks the start of the holiday season at the end of the year. For many Christians\, it is a day to remember the events around the birth of Jesus. Some people\, especially Roman Catholics\, attend a midnight mass at church. Traditionally\, the midnight mass started at midnight\, just as Christmas Eve ended and Christmas Day started. However\, now may churches hold this church service in the late afternoon or early evening of Christmas Eve. \nMany Protestant churches also hold special services on Christmas Eve. These are often candle-lit and may be very solemn. Some include the presentation of a crib scene depicting the holy family\, with statues or actors representing Mary\, Joseph\, the baby Jesus\, the shepherds and various animals thought to be present in the stable where Jesus was born. \nOn Christmas Eve in 1914 and 1915\, unofficial Christmas truces began in the World War I fighting. German soldiers lit candles and sung Christmas carols. On the other side\, British troops responded by singing English carols. Soldiers from both sides shouted greeting and visited each other\, sometimes exchanging small gifts. On Christmas Eve in 1968\, the astronauts of Apollo 8 read from the creation story in the Book of Genesis. This was widely broadcast on television.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/christmas-eve-2/
CATEGORIES:Observance,School Closed
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mahamontessori.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/istock-493559502-hRZLxi.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261225
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261226
DTSTAMP:20260404T133653
CREATED:20260104T073850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T034834Z
UID:6636-1798156800-1798243199@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:Christmas Day
DESCRIPTION:Many people in the United States celebrate Christmas Day on December 25. The day celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth. \nIs Christmas Day a Public Holiday?\nThis is a state public holiday. State government offices are closed. Some schools and businesses may also be closed on this day. \nWhat Do People Do?\nPeople celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. It is often combined with customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations. Many people decorate their homes\, visit family or friends and exchange gifts. In the days or even weeks before Christmas Day\, many people decorate their homes and gardens with lights\, Christmas trees and much more. \nIt is common to organize a special meal\, often consisting of turkey and a lot of other festive foods\, for family or friends and exchange gifts with them. Children\, in particular\, often receive a lot of gifts from their parents and other relatives and the mythical figure Santa Claus. This has led to Christmas Day becoming an increasingly commercialized holiday\, with a lot of families spending a large part of their income on gifts and food. \nMany Sunday schools\, churches and communities organize special events. These can include decorating the neighborhood or a shopping mall\, putting up a Christmas tree and planning a Nativity display\, concert or performance. A lot of plays and songs have a aspect of Christmas as a theme. Some groups arrange meals\, shelter or charitable projects for people without a home or with very little money. \nPublic Life\nGovernment offices\, organizations\, businesses and schools are closed\, almost without exception. Many people visit relatives or friends and are out of town. This may cause congestion on highways and at airports. Public transit systems do not run on their regular schedules. In general\, public life closes down completely. \nBackground\nThe original meaning of Christmas is a special church service\, or mass\, to celebrate the birth of Christ. The story of the Nativity\, or the events surrounding the birth of Jesus\, are particularly important in religious celebrations of Christmas. However\, many traditions that are around today have their roots in pre-Christian winter festivals. These include the importance of candles and decorations made from evergreen bushes and tree\, symbolizing everlasting light and life. \nIn Roman times\, a mid-winter festival was held. This was a relaxing time with a lot of parties and merry making. It was also common to give other people small gifts\, such as dolls for children and candles for adults. This festival culminated with the celebration of the winter solstice\, which fell on December 25 in the Roman calendar. In Scandinavia\, a festival called Yule and lasting up to twelve days was held in late December and early January. In this time people burnt logs and held parties. These customs have influences how Christmas Day is celebrated today in the United States. \nThe Bible does not give a precise date for the birth of Jesus. It is also unclear when December 25 became associated with the birth of Jesus\, although it may have been around two hundred years after his birth. In the early centuries of Christianity\, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus was not a cause for celebrations. The idea of turning this day into a celebration started in the early Middle Ages in Europe. \nDuring Reformation and up until the middle of the 1800s\, Christmas was often not celebrated because partying and merry making was seen as unchristian. From about 1840\, celebrating Christmas became more widespread. December 25 was declared a federal holiday in the United States in 1870. Since then Christmas Day has become a steadily more important holiday. \nSymbols\nA wide range of people and objects represent Christmas. These include baby Jesus\, the Nativity and the Three Kings\, but also Santa Claus\, reindeer and elves. Common objects at this time of year are pine trees\, holly\, decorations\, fairy lights\, candles and presents. Christmas Day is now truly a mix of religious celebration and commercial interests.
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/__trashed/
CATEGORIES:Federal Holiday,School Closed
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://mahamontessori.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/christmas-day-fox-SY2Sb7.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261226
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261227
DTSTAMP:20260404T133653
CREATED:20260107T035128Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T035128Z
UID:6701-1798243200-1798329599@mahamontessori.com
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mahamontessori.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/kwanzaa-usa-bhCBk2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261228
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270102
DTSTAMP:20260404T133653
CREATED:20260107T043930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T043930Z
UID:6911-1798416000-1798847999@mahamontessori.com
SUMMARY:Winter Break
DESCRIPTION:HAPPY WINTER BREAK & HAPPY NEW YEAR\nSCHOOL IS CLOSED\nSEE YOU AFTER WINTER BREAK
URL:https://mahamontessori.com/event/winter-break-3/
CATEGORIES:School Break,School Closed
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mahamontessori.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/R-1-VjZqS0.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261231
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270101
DTSTAMP:20260404T133653
CREATED:20260107T035527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T035527Z
UID:6717-1798675200-1798761599@mahamontessori.com
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mahamontessori.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/istock-1072549056-lVI29m.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR