The Last Week Of The Year.

Chirstmas is in the rear view mirror (except for those enjoying a day off because Christmas occurred on a weekend), Chanukah is down to the last candles and the Winter Solstice has left us all with a little more daylight each day. It's time to write down the game plan for 2012. But wait, what about Kwanzaa?

source: The Official Kwanzaa Website

Kwanzaa begins today and runs through New Years Day. Anything I know about Kwanzaa, I learned from Wikipedia, so please see the link for a brief summary of Kwanzaa. As I read about Kwanzaa, I realized that Kwanzaa is the perfect holiday for the last week of the year.

The foundation of Kwanzaa are the Seven Principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, collective economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Kwanzaa was designed as a unique African-American holiday. For those of us that don't celebrate Kwanzaa, the Seven Principles are a perfect "check list" for meaningful New Year resolutions.

I'm an annual member of the eat less, eat better, exercise more resolutions club. The better fitness resolutions are great, but since I make them annually my success (lack of) at better fitness is obvious. This year, I'm going to look to Kwanzaa and try and make changes that will make 2012 a true watershed year.

Best wishes to all for a Joyous Kwanzaa.

Happy Holidays. Nominations Are Now Being Taken.

Lest anyone think I might be secularizing a sacred holiday commemorating the birth of their Lord celebrated on December 25, Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays to the rest of us.

Something For Everyone.

source: morgueFile

Halloween is the de facto end of the fall season and with it's passing, the end of year holiday cycle begins. Think about it, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all within 40 days. There is also Hannukah and Kwanzaa. For the pagan community there is the celebration of the winter solstice and Bodhi Day for the Buddhists.  The seasonal fluctuation of the Islamic lunar calendar doesn't leave a Muslim holiday specific to winter. Still, for the Muslims that live and work in the US, at least there are some days off of work. Ditto for the atheists and agnostics. This time of year holds something for everyone, although for Native Americans the season doesn't begin until December (Think about it. Have you ever seen the TV special, "Thanksgiving at the Reservation"?)

Lesser Holidays, At Least In The U.S.

The winter season also includes some recent and/or additional holidays:

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday are retail invented holidays. Hallmark should have the cards out soon.
• There's Boxing Day if you can sell it to your supervisor.
• College Football offers the week long build up to the National Football Championship, with the two highest selected football teams playing each other. I still remember when college football concluded on Jan1. and only four (Cotton, Orange, Sugar and Rose) bowl games were played.
• "Seinfeld" offered Festivus to celebrate...frankly I'm unsure as to what there is to celebrate when the holiday has it's origin in a sitcom about nothing.

Despite the plethora of holidays, and let's face it any day is a good day to skip work and spend with family, I want to add one more.

And One More.

Within a week of Halloween, there is a very special day. It's a day that offers something for almost everyone, yet asks nothing in return. Snooz-a-pa-gain-a is celebrated in the US on the 1st Sunday in November. Precisely at 2:00 AM on the 1st Sunday in November almost everyone in the USA is to set their clocks back one hour. This gives everyone an extra hour of sleep, provided they don't actually get up at 2AM to change their clocks. The technical name of the ceremony of changing the time is called "falling back" (festive, don't you think?). Of course, there is Snooz-a-pa-looz-a in the early spring, but that's months away.

So very early this coming Sunday Morning, don't forget to fall back. Happy Snooz-a-pa-gain-a.

Are there any other should-be holidays you would like to add?