Recognizing and learning some things about each holiday help to understand and appreciate the different cultures and groups that celebrate them.

HANUKKAH/CHANUKAH,  FINAL DAY DEC. 6, 2021

This year, Hanukkah is observed from Nov. 28 to December 6.  It is a time to celebrate the festival of lights, for 8 days, with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.

Historically, Hanukkah or Chanukah means dedication or re-dedication, when in 164 BCD, Judah Maccabee and his band  successfully led a guerilla war against the Syrians that earlier occupied Jerusalem, and outlawed the Jewish faith, seized and tortured the people.  The Maccabees liberated the city and rededicated the temple, by relighting the candelabra. They only found enough sacred oil to keep the menorah lit for one day.  Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for 8 days. Hence, that is why Hanukkah is celebrated for 8 full days, and the celebration includes a nightly menorah lighting, special blessings are recited, and traditional songs and games are played.

WINTER SOLSTICE, DEC. 21, 2021

Winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, when the earth鈥檚 tilt is extremely inclined away from the sun.  For the northern hemisphere, the shortest day this year is December 21. The main symbols and rituals include fire and light, in recognition of the shortest, darkest day of the year.

WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD鹿,虏

• Iran鈥檚 Yalda festival marks the day when Mithra, an angel of light, was thought to have been born.
• China鈥檚 D艒ngzh矛 festival celebrates when winter鈥檚 darkness begins to give way to light. Families observe this time with special foods, such as rice balls known as tang yuan.
• Scandinavians (people who live in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) gather for Juul, or Yule, a multi-day feast when ancient people would welcome the return of the sun god.
• In Britain, some people still observe the ancient tradition of cutting mistletoe, which is considered a sacred plant with healing properties.
• Shalako is a ceremonial dance, celebrated by the Zuni, one of the Native American tribes in New Mexico, which marks the beginning of the year.
• Soyal, with the Hopi of northern Arizona, is announcing the setting of the sun on the solstice. It involves an all-night ceremony with kindling fires, dancing and gift giving.
• Toji in Japan is the traditional practice of starting the new year with health and good luck. During the winter solstice, the practice involves taking warm baths scented with yuzu, a citrus fruit, said to ward off colds and foster good health.

CHRISTMAS,  DECEMBER 25, 2021,  FEDERAL HOLIDAY

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, which to Christians is the son of God. The day commemorating Christmas, December 25, was chosen by Pope Julius I, former head of the Roman Catholic Church, year 337-352, but no one really knows when Jesus was born.  This date was chosen in order to Christianize the popular ancient pagan festival celebrating the rebirth of the sun during the winter solstice.

Christmas celebrations may involve both religious and/or secular practices; from attending a mass or prayer services, to decorating the home with a Christmas tree and lights, or having festive gatherings that include traditional meals and gift exchanges, and waiting for Santa Claus to deliver gifts on December 24.  

KWANZAA DEC. 26  OBSERVANCE, THROUGH JAN 1, 2021

Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, community and culture.  It is an annual holiday affirming the African family and social values. Kwanzaa was initially introduced in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University in Long Beach, as primarily an African American holiday.  The concept of Kwanzaa is based on the South African first-fruits festivals.

Each of the days of the celebration is dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani).鲁

There also are seven symbols of the holiday: fruits, vegetables, and nuts; a straw mat; a candleholder; ears of corn (maize); gifts; a communal cup signifying unity; and seven candles in the African colours of red, green, and black, symbolizing the seven principles. 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 called the karamu. Some participants wear traditional African clothing during the celebration.鲁

Resources

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Most of us know the incredible story of Malala Yousafzai who, after being shot while trying to attend school, became a world-renowned activist for girls鈥� right to an education. Fortunately, there are several children like Yousafzai who do not let their young age get in the way of fighting for what they believe in. Here are ten stories of inspirational child activists from around the world.

Being diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at age five hasn鈥檛 slowed Foster down. While attending a fundraiser for MD treatments at age nine, he asked to address the crowd and shared about his journey with the disease. This led to him being named an MDA Goodwill Ambassador two years in a row. Now a young adult, Foster is still active in the cause, having raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Cruz came to prominence at age five when, after slipping through security barriers, she was lifted up to Pope Francis鈥� motorcade and handed him a handwritten letter urging for immigration reform. As a United States citizen and the daughter of undocumented immigrants, she was invited to the White House by President Obama to share her story. Cruz continues to advocate for immigration reform in the United States.

Abele became involved in political advocacy following the beating death of a 16-year-old on the streets of Stockholm, in his native Sweden. An active campaigner against violence in the country, Abele received commendation from Sweden鈥檚 king for his efforts, in addition to being named Stockholmer of the Year by two Swedish newspapers, all at the age of 15. Abele went on to become the youngest member of Swedish Parliament at age 18 and still campaigns against violence.

Masih, who was born in Pakistan, was sold into bondage by his family at the age of four to repay a debt. He worked long hours as a carpet weaver until age 10 when he escaped, was captured and then escaped again for good. He went on to help over 3,000 Pakistani child slaves escape from hard labor and received international recognition for his efforts. His story ended tragically when, at the age of 12, he was fatally shot in his native Pakistan.

In 1899, several New York newspapers raised the price newsboys (or newsies) had to pay for a stack of newspapers to 60-cents-a-bundle, meaning the newsboys often had to work late in the night to make a profit. This led to a two-week strike that drastically reduced newspaper circulation in the city. The strike was successful and papers agreed to buy back unsold copies or reduce their prices.

When Hurricane Charley hit his native Florida, then seven-year-old Bonner started delivering water to kids in his red wagon. Shortly after, he founded the Little Red Wagon Foundation, which helps advocate and provide resources for homeless children. In the years since, Bonner has walked across the United States to raise tens of thousands of dollars for his cause and was recognized with the President鈥檚 Volunteer Service Award.

Nine months before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin. The then high school student was riding a bus in her native Montgomery, Alabama when she and two other women were asked to move from their seats in order for some white passengers to sit down. Colvin continually refused, even after police arrived, and was subsequently arrested. She then went on to become one of the original plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the Supreme Court case that ended bus segregation once and for all.

After learning there are nearly 27 million slaves in the world, twelve-year-old Hunter decided to do something about it. He started Loose Change to Loosen Chains, a student-led movement where participants share the stories of modern day slaves and collect change in yellow cups to donate to anti-slavery organizations, such as the International Justice Mission. Now an adult, Hunter is still active in the anti-slavery movements, having written several books on the topic and frequently contributing articles to major websites.

A child during the cold war, Smith wrote a letter to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov urging him not to go to war and instead make peace with the United States. Surprisingly, Smith received a personal reply from Andropov and was invited to visit the Soviet Union, which she accepted. She became an international symbol for peace and participated in peace-making activities in countries such as Japan, as well as writing a book about her visit to the Soviet Union. Smith died tragically at the age of 13 in a plane crash and was mourned throughout both America and the Soviet Union.

A hemophiliac, White had to receive regular blood transfusions, one of which transmitted HIV, causing him to be diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 13. When he tried to return to school after his diagnosis, he was initially denied, despite the fact that his doctor said he posed no threat to other students. (In 1985, when this incident took place, AIDS was still largely misunderstood in the United States.) White fought the decision and spent the rest of his life fighting against the societal stigmas attached to AIDS patients until he died from complications of the disease at the age of 18.

Which child activists inspire you?

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2011听 and then high school freshman Anirudh was selected as the winner of the United States , 鈥渢he world鈥檚 most prestigious award for water-related science and technology projects.鈥� Anirudh recently traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to represent the U.S. at the International SJWP competition with his project, 鈥淯se of Sulfidation as a Novel Method for Reducing the Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticle Pollution.鈥�

As the winner of U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) competition, I had the honor of representing the United States at the international SJWP competition held in Stockholm, Sweden in the first week of September. I am immensely grateful to Water Environment Federation (WEF) for giving me this fantastic opportunity. The overall experience, both inside and outside the competition, was incredibly enriching and somewhat hard to encapsulate in words, but I will try.

The days leading up to the competition were somewhat frenzied. Ms. Stevi Hunt-Cottrell of WEF took care of all the logistics and also supported me tirelessly with the minutest details on requirements for SJWP poster, dress codes and many other important things I would possibly not have thought of. As I sat on the long flight, I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. I had the tremendous responsibility of doing a good job of representing the U.S. in a global competition in a sea of worthy competitors from exotic places all over the world! I was unsure if I could relate to them, or communicate with them effectively, given the cultural and language barriers.

Soon after I landed in the Stockholm airport, I happened to meet the students from Netherlands and France. Almost immediately my initial fears were proven to be unfounded. All of them spoke fluent English and were so easy to talk to. Not only did we have similar interests in science and water research, we connected on other things such as soccer. This became a recurring theme as I met the rest of the group later. I made many good friends during that short week – people I would always stay in touch with. I still remember how seven of my closest friends stayed up until 4:00 AM on the last day to see me off to the airport. I was extremely touched that they all sacrificed their sleep to say good-bye to me.

It was enlightening to learn about the diverse and unique cultures that everyone came from. I have come away with a heightened awareness of the world. All of us were constantly asking questions about each other鈥檚 country and lifestyle. People were especially curious about the U.S., and it was fun in equal measure to confirm or dispel the preconceived notions they had.

The actual competition was truly a humbling experience. The diverse research topics spanned a broad range of water-related research from scientific exploration like 鈥渘ew Antarctic water bacterial strains capable of purifying water鈥� to engineering solutions such as a 鈥渞emote-controlled helicopter capable of sensing soil moisture.鈥� I learnt a lot about scientific techniques and innovative approaches as fellow competitors patiently explained their projects to me. Since the competition is held during the 鈥淲orld Water Week鈥� conference, I had the wonderful opportunity to learn about the latest water-related research being conducted all around the world. Sometimes, people from the conference would even walk into our section of the fair and ask us about our projects simply because they were curious. It was my first experience of a professional conference, and it was fascinating to see the confluence of scientific research and industry.

As for the judging, the international jury was very knowledgeable and came from a wide variety of backgrounds. Though they did ask some challenging questions, they were not intimidating. The interview felt more like a scientific dialogue than an inquisition.

There were other incredibly unique experiences which added a special luster to the trip. I had the privilege of shaking hands with the Crown Princess of Sweden, who is the patron of the international SJWP. I also attended the Royal Stockholm Water Prize Ceremony and Banquet and ate in the same dining hall where the Nobel Award Ceremony dinner is held. I had never imagined I would get to meet a person of royalty and that I would get to dine in such distinguished surroundings and company. We were also given time to explore the beautiful city of Stockholm. I particularly enjoyed the old town and the farmers鈥� market and exploring the city of Stockholm, from parks to monuments. This was a great time to unwind and get to know everyone even better.

I did not ultimately win a prize. I would be lying if I said that this did not cause a tinge of disappointment since I thought I had done well at the judging. However, that鈥檚 all it was – a tinge – because it was trivial in comparison to the sum of the positive experiences. I know how worthy my competition was, and the trip was an amazing prize in itself. I simply wish it had lasted longer. I am very glad that I entered the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and would encourage anyone with water-related research to actively consider participating. There is a good chance that you will literally shake a Princess鈥� hand!

Dr. Veronica Eliasson
Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern California
Education:
Ph.D., Mechanics, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Research Interests:
Shock wave behavior in gases and liquids, shock wave focusing, fluid-solid interactions

For the last two summers, Dr. Veronica Eliasson has introduced high school students to shock wave research through . This program links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors like Dr. Eliasson who advance each participant鈥檚 skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences. Dr. Eliasson, who will be joining us as an Apprenticeship Mentor again this summer, took some time to talk to us about herself and her experiences.

Describe your educational journey.

My dad always told me I should get a Master鈥檚 degree in some kind of engineering area. I kept saying no 鈥� but somehow I still ended up with a Master’s degree in Engineering. My dad was right, he knew I had the interest and background to do well in such a program and that there are plenty of opportunities to shape your career any way you like afterwards.

So, when I was 19 I moved to Stockholm to attend KTH (Royal Institute of Technology). I applied to a program in Vehicle Engineering only because of the way their brochure looked (perhaps not the best way to pick your undergraduate/Master program). It had pictures of trains, boats and cars, and I thought it would be very interesting to understand the physics behind how they work. The last year I went in a different direction and specialized in nuclear safety. I thought it was very fascinating to learn more about nuclear fuel plants, how they operate and how to keep them safe. My Master鈥檚 thesis was conducted in collaboration with a nuclear fuel company, and when I was done I knew I wanted to attend a PhD program to learn more, not necessarily about nuclear fuel, but something with fluid mechanics. I applied for a PhD position at the Mechanics Department at KTH with a Professor working on shock waves (something I knew very little about). I got the position, and it was the beginning of a very fascinating journey, learning about shock waves through experiments and numerical simulations. It was scary in the beginning not knowing there was a 鈥渞ight鈥� answer at the end, that no one knew ahead of time what the results of the experiments would be. It was very different, and certainly more fun, than taking a course where the correct answers to all questions are displayed at the end of the book.

What are your hobbies? What do you do to re-energize yourself?

I really like sports. Since I became an Assistant Professor at USC, I have started practicing Muay Thai kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu, and boxing. They are great sports to relieve stress, and you have to stay in the moment鈥攜ou cannot worry about the past or the future. I also like bicycling, and we have about nine bikes at home at the moment. Southern California is great for road biking, mountain biking or just taking a chill ride on your fixie. Apart from sports, I like to explore new vegan restaurants and try new types of food. I also have a large collection of sneakers, and the nicest ones are displayed on shelves in my house.

Exercising is the best method for me to feel re-energized. Even a short run in the morning works if I have little time. If I鈥檓 at work and need to re-energize, I sometimes go buy a tea and then go to my lab to see how my students are doing. My students are so full of positive energy, and their new results, their new questions and their personalities make me believe I have the best job in the world.

What aspects of mentoring do you feel are most rewarding?

When students come back to me and tell me about them getting, for example, an internship they really wanted, or the job of their dreams, that makes me very happy. It is nice to see that what we teach students actually helps them to advance their careers, and it is always fun to hear about their next step in life. It is also rewarding to see students who have struggled with certain things move forward, overcome their struggles and become successful.

Thank you to Dr. Eliasson for taking the time to talk to us, and thank you so much for your commitment and contributions to 优蜜视频鈥檚 Apprenticeship Program!

优蜜视频 is currently looking for Mentors and accepting applications for Apprenticeship 2014 in Los Angeles. If you are a high school student interested in applying for Apprenticeship, visit the . If you are interested in becoming a Mentor, please contact us at Apprenticeship@educationaladvancement.org.