Friday, December 22, 2023
Coming back from holiday break, Stony Brook will be running a coat drive for the Lowell Transitional Living Center. All donations are greatly appreciated, especially coats in sizes medium to extra large. Help keep everyone safe and warm this winter by donating a coat!
Ski Club will have an informational meeting on Wednesday, January 3 during the morning advisory in the library. Ski badges will be passed out at this time.
Monday, December 25 is Christmas. Christmas is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. In most European countries, gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve, December 24, but the morning of December 25, has become the time for the exchange of gifts in North America. Since the early 20th century, Christmas has also been a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, without religious elements, and marked by an elaborate exchange of gifts. In this Christmas celebration, Santa Claus plays an important role. We wish all our families who celebrate Christmas a happy and healthy holiday.
The first day of Kwanzaa is December 26. Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday started in 1966 to celebrate universal African-American heritage. It affirms African family and social values and is celebrated primarily in the United States from December 26 to January 1. The concept of Kwanzaa draws on Southern African first-fruits celebrations. Each of the days of the celebration is dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. There also are seven symbols of the holiday including fruits and vegetables, a candleholder, and seven candles in the African colors of red, green, and black. On each day the family comes together to light one of the candles in the kinara, or candleholder, and to discuss the principle for the day. On December 31, families join in a community feast and some participants wear traditional African clothing during the celebration. We wish all our families who celebrate Kwanzaa a happy and healthy holiday.