December 2005

Abington Junior High School PTO meeting, 7:30 p.m. in the library

Abington School Board Reorganization Meeting 7:30 p.m. Administration Building, 970 Highland Avenue
Copper Beech PTA Meeting 7:30 p.m.

Bodhi Day--Usually observed December 8 or the Sunday immediately preceding, this is the date, according to Mahayana tradition, of Siddhartha Gautama’s realization and presentation to his fellow seekers of the four principles that constitute what is known today as Buddhism.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception This Roman Catholic holy day of obligation commemorates the Virgin Mary’s (mother of Jesus) freedom from original sin at the time that she was conceived. Original sin is considered a consequence of this first sin, the hereditary stain with which people are born because of their origin or descent from Adam.

Copper Beech PTA social, 7:30 p.m.

Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe This day is observed as a Feast day in the Roman Catholic Church throughout the Americas. It is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to Juan Diego, a poor Indian who had no influence or power. Our Lady of Guadalupe is dark-skinned and shares identity with the poor, the outcasts because she herself is poor and lowly and special to God.

Christmas Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ whom they believe is the Son of God and the promised Messiah to come through God's chosen people Israel. They believe that the one true God of Abraham sent the Holy Spirit who made a young Jewish virgin girl named Mary pregnant by its power. The baby she carried and gave birth to is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah whom Christians believe was both fully God and fully human during his life here on earth. They believe that Jesus came to pay the ultimate price for human sin by giving his life. While he lived on earth, he modeled and taught love of God and neighbor through servant hood. Christians celebrate Christmas by attending a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service, gathering with family and friends for special meals and exchanging gifts but acknowledge that God has given humanity the greatest gift of all by sending his Son to redeem the world.

Hanukkah begins at sunset

Hanukkah or Festival of Lights is the Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple at Jerusalem by the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. Almost two and a half millennia ago, Judah Maccabee and his brothers led the Jewish people in a three-year struggle to overthrow their Syrian oppressors. They reclaimed the Temple at Jerusalem. When the time came to light the N'er Tamid, the Eternal Light of the Temple, the Jews could find only one sanctified jar of oil-marked with the seal of the High Priest. It was only enough to last one evening but miraculously kept the lamp lit for eight days until more oil was found. Hanukkah is primarily a children's festival with fun, songs, games, and gift-giving. It starts on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev and lasts for eight days and nights (until January 2, 2006).

Kwanzaa This African-American seven-day spiritual festival is dedicated to seven principles with each day focused on Nguzo Saba, or one of those seven: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. This American celebration is related to the spirit and rituals of the harvest festivals of Africa. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits." Kwanzaa seeks to enforce a connectedness to African cultural identity, provide a focal point for the gathering of African peoples, and to reflect upon the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles that have sustained Africans and African-Americans of all religious faiths and backgrounds. The last day of Kwanzaa is January 1, 2006