Mental Muscles

Archive for the ‘holiday planning’ Category

Mother’s day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.  Mother’s Day is a time to honor our mothers and all of the sacrifices they have made for us.  In addition to the act of having given birth to us, our mothers generally have sacrificed many long nights when we were ill, and in many other ways in which we will likely never understand unless we become parents ourselves.

Here are the top ten gift ideas for Mother’s Day 2008:

Gift Idea #1 – One of the best Mother’s Day gifts you can give your mother is the gift of your time.  Take time out to show your mother that you value her, and all that she has done for you, by volunteering to complete tasks for her that you know she doesn’t like to do.  This could be cooking a meal, or even cleaning her home for her.

Gift Idea #2 – If your mother doesn’t take time out of her busy day to pamper herself, give her a gift of some luxury spa products which she can use at her leisure in the privacy of her own home.

Gift Idea #3 – Women generally do not buy perfume for themselves.  While some do, many wait to have their favorite scent gifted to them.  If you are unsure which your mom’s favorite scent is, a trip to her room can easily tell you.  The bottle which is nearly empty is the best choice for you to purchase for her.

Gift Idea #4 – A mother’s ring made with the birthstones of each of her children is an excellent gift choice for Mother’s Day; this ring shows all that see it that your mother has children who love her.  If your mother doesn’t wear rings, you can also get a mother’s pendant necklace which has the same effect.

Gift Idea #5 – Every woman loves to receive flowers.  If your mother works outside the home, have them sent to her office so that everyone knows she is special to you.  If your mother prefers plants to flowers, have the florist send a nice basket garden instead.

Gift Idea #6 – If your mother loves techie gadgets, and many these days do, a nice digital camera or cool new iPod could be just what she has been pining over.  Mention new items on the market to her to get a feel for what she might enjoy having, but probably won’t spend the money on to purchase for herself.

Gift Idea #7 – Buy a tree or star in her name.  Many charities today allow you to purchase things such as trees in a park, bricks for a new building, or even a star in the sky.  By doing this you give your mother something which will last a lifetime and beyond – without adding clutter to her home.

Gift Idea #8 – Many mothers today simply want the gift of some time home alone.  If you have younger siblings or a grandparent who your mother cares for, offer to take over for the day and allow her to spend the day off either hiding out somewhere at home or at a nearby location.

Gift #9 – Have your father and siblings gather together and take a nice photo for your mother.  On Mother’s Day present it to her in a nice frame so that she can hang it on her wall.  Mothers always enjoy looking at their family all together in one place.  Even if everyone is grown and out of the house, this can make a very special gift.

Gift #10 – While giving a typical household appliance won’t be terribly appreciated by your mother, trust me on this one, a gift of a Dyson vacuum or a Kitchenaid mixer will be coveted.  If the price is out of your range, you can ask your siblings to split the cost and then all deliver your mother an amazing gift come Mother’s Day.

Kwanzaa is an African heritage holiday which was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966.  Kwanzaa is celebrated through singing, speaking, dancing, and reciting just as is done in traditional African heritage celebrations on the continent of Africa.

Kwanzaa is build on seven principles which are collectively known as “Nguzo Saba.”  These seven principles are:

1. umoja – unity
2. kujichagulia – self-determination
3. ujima – collective work and responsibility
4. ujamaa – cooperative economics
5. nia – purpose
6. kuumba – creativity
7. mani – faith
Dr. Karenga developed Kwanzaa from elements of various African heritages.  The African version of the Kwanzaa ceremony was used to show appreciation for the “first fruits of harvest.”  The African Kwanzaa was made up of four basic elements which were; unity, awareness of ancestry and heritage, recommitment to traditional values, and reverence for creator and the creation.

The modern celebration of Kwanzaa lasts for seven days, beginning on December 26th and ending on January 1st of each year.  Each of the seven days of the celebration is dedicated to the seven principles listed above.  Each day has a colored candle which represents it.  They are all held in a candelabrum known as the kinara.

The seven days and their associated candles and principles are:

Day 1 – middle candle – Black – Umoja – Unity
Day 2 – innermost red candle – Kujichagulia – Self-determination
Day 3 – innermost green candle – Ujima – Collective Work and Responsibility
Day 4 – middle red candle – Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics
Day 5 – middle green candle – Nia – Purpose
Day 6 – outermost red candle – Kuumba – Creativity
Day 7 – outermost green candle – Imani – Faith
The candelabra is placed on a straw mat known as the mkeka.  Next to it are placed ears of corn, called vibunzi with one ear of corn to represent each child in the household.  Also placed on the straw mat is a fruit basket called mazao, and a unity cup called the kikonbe cha umoja.
On the evening of the last day of the Kwanzaa celebration, a feast called Karamu is held.  The evening generally starts with a welcome message, followed by a rememberance of ancestry, a seassessment of situations, a recommitment to values, a rejoicing, a farewell statement and a call for greater unity among all people.
Finally, the last day of Kwanzaa, Imani, the focus is shifted to honoring traditions and reaffirmation of self throug gift giving to others.  Kwanzaa gifts tend to be hand-made rather than store bought, and should reflect creativity because it is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
It is very important to understand that the purpose of Kwanzaa is not about giving gifts or a religious celebration.  Kwanzaa is simply a commermoration of African heritage and a celebration of togetherness.  Kwanzaa is a time for families and friends to come together and celebrate.  In addition, the guiding principles of Kwanzaa are meant to bring our more solidary society back together as a group.  Kwanzaa aims to bring people together and reunify families and friends in a way that no other African tradition can here in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

If you are not Jewish, you may have wondered about the holiday of Chanukah but have never had anyone to ask your questions of.  Thanks to the Internet you can not get the answers to all of your questions even if you do not have any Jewish friends.

The first question many people ask is about the word “Chanukah” versus the spelling “Hanukkah.”  The reason for the two spelling is because the letters in the Hebrew alphabet are different than those of the English alphabet.  Essentially, both can be used interchangeably and either spelling is fine.

Chanukah is the Hebrew term for rededication and the celebration of Chanukah is known as the festival of lights.  Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the month using the Jewish calendar.  This means that it falls somewhere during November or December each year.  The celebration lasts for eight days during which time Jewish people celebrate, light candles, and exchange small gifts.

Chanukah started over 2300 years ago in what is now known as Israel.  The Hebrew people, also known as Jewish people, were ordered to give up their God and worship only the Greek Gods as other people of the time did.  The Jewish temples were destroyed and any Jewish people who chose to worship in their own way were severely punished for it.

Some of the Jews chose to obey the mandate, while others refused.  One of the men who refused to worship the Greek Gods was a man by the name of Judah Maccabee.  Judah and his four brothers began an army of dissidents and asked as many other Jewish people to join them as they could.  This army fought it’s enemy the Syrians for about three years until one day they were victorious and reclaimed their Temple in the city of Jerusalem.

The first priority of the Jewish people was to clean and rededicate the temple to the service of the Jewish God.  They washed the temple, removed any Greek symbols and idols from it, and were ready to rededicate it to their own beliefs.  Blessed oil was required to rededicate the Temple yet none could be found by Judah.  They searched high and low and finally found a very little amount of oil in a Temple chamber.

They knew that there was only enough oil for one evening, but when they lit it a miracle occurred, the small amount of oil burned for eight nights!  This is why the Jewish people light a Menorah each of the eight nights of Chanukah, to represent the eight evenings the oil burned for.

A Menorah is a special candle holder which holds a total of nine candles.  Eight of the candles are for use each night of Chanukah, and the other candle is known as the “servant” and used to light the other candles.  The candles are lit each evening and on the final night each of the eight candles all burn together.  This is to signify the eight nights the oil burned in the Temple.  While oil used to be burned in a Menorah, today colorful candles have replaced the oil.

In additon to the nightly lighting of the Menorah, Jewish children play a game called Dreidel.  A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top which has Hebrew letters on each side standing for “A Great Miracle Happened There.”  Children play the dreidel game by spinning the top and wagering candy coins.

The foods of Chanukah tend to be very oily.  The reason for this is the fact that their holy oil burned for the eight days in the Temple.  One favorite Chanukah food is latkes.  Latkes are potato pancakes which are made from graded potatoes which have been mixed with eggs, onions, and flour and then fried in oil.

Hopefully, this will help you to better understand the Jewish celebration of Chanuakah a little bit better.