FUN FACTS!!
Approximately two billion candy canes are made each year, so many are sold fast for people to have them on Christmas and other holidays, or just to eat them for entertainment.
Some of the weirdest flavors of candy canes are clam and pickle-flavored candy canes.
Candy canes are even used during thanksgiving, it's quite rare compared to when it's used on Christmas.
The candy cane shape represents a shepherd's staff.
The first and original candy cane was first made about 350 years ago.
Candy canes can also be referred to as peppermint sticks.
Did you know that candy canes are vegan, technically.
by: Sam Cheung 803
What are candy canes? They are popular treats people like to eat and give out during Christmas time. Candy canes are patterned with the colors red and white and shaped like a cane with a minty flavor. The past candy canes used to be just a white cane, no one really knows when the red stripes came in. The shape of the candy cane shaped like a cane originally came from a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Candy canes are heard in legend to be invented really long ago before it was fully introduced, in 1670! These candy canes were used as a method to keep children quiet when the adults are out for duty. Some inventors were Brasher O. Westerfield who made a machine to make candy canes at a more efficient speed and someone that made a more effective way of making them by hand named Robert I. Strongin. Even today we still have these candy canes but not just peppermint flavored, many candy canes are in various and even mysterious ways for people to be satisfied with, at least the good flavors…
The Origins of the Christmas Holiday
Christmas came about when Jesus Christ was born, although many people believe that December 25th was the exact date of Jesus' birth, it was not stated in the Bible. Early Christians connected the birth of Jesus with the sun through the usage of phrases. The Romans marked the Winter Solstice on 12/25 and the first Christmas celebration was in Rome in 336 A.D. Before Christmas, The Romans had celebrated another holiday called Saturnalia which was a 2 weeks holiday celebrating their agricultural god. With Christianity spreading all over Europe, The Clergy couldn't be able to curb all of the pagan customs and celebrations. Since the birth of Christ was unknown, The Clergy decided to make 12/25 the day of Jesus' birth and adapt the pagan traditions into their new holiday. Many factors contributed to 12/25 being the day of Christmas such as it was the Winter Solstice and nine months after the Vernal Equinox.
However, Christmas was a contributing factor in the Aryan Controversy and it was in decline until King Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on Christmas Day in 800. However, in Puritan England, Christmas was banned because Puritans thought it was ¨Catholic Intervention¨ and associated it with drinking and causing ruckus until 1660 when it was no longer outlawed after the restoration of the King.
During the times of Colonialism, New England was very Puritan so of course, Christmas was banned. While Christmas was banned in New England, other American colonies were celebrating Christmas freely and proudly. The holiday was banned way longer back in England.
During the 20th Century, Christmas was a hot topic among soldiers during the 1st World War, informal truces were made just to celebrate the holiday, promising that they wouldn’t fight, they would start feasting, gift giving, socializing among each other, and even played sports with each other. It was surprising to see two opposing sides begin to start socializing, eating food, and having fun together.
Christmas now is a holiday celebrated by being with the family and having a good time with gifts, food, and decorations.
Bored on Christmas?
Here are some places and activities you can visit and do!
Places to Visit:
HOURS OF OPERATION:
ICE SEASON PUBLIC SESSION HOURS
Monday-Tuesday 10:00am-2:30pm
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY & SUNDAY 10:00am-9:00pm
FRIDAY-SATURDAY 10:00am-10:00pm
ZAMBONI ICE CUT SCHEDULE
MONDAY-TUESDAY
11:30am, 2:30pm, 5:30pm
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY 11:30am, 2:30pm, 6:00pm
FRIDAY
11:30am, 2:30pm, 6:00pm, 8:00pm
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm
Wollman Rink is a public ice rink in the southern part of Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, on 5 Avenue. The closest entrance is 59th Street and 6 Avenue. Pricing of the rink for adults varies from $15, $25 or $35. Children ages 2-12, including 1 non-skating adult chaperone, cost $10, seniors of age 65+ price at $10. Skate rental is $10. The area also provides a cafe with a wide variety of delicious food and drinks.
------------------------------------------------
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19th:
10:00am-4:00pm
DECEMBER 20th-DECEMBER 30th:
10:00am-10:00pm
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31st:
10:00am-7:00pm
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1st:
10:00am-9:00pm
FIGURE SKATING & ICE DANCE SESSION HOURS
MONDAY-FRIDAY 6:00am-10:00am
Dyker Heights Holiday Lights :
Dyker Heights Holiday Lights are located at 11th-13th avenues from 83rd to 86 St in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. In order to get there by subway, take the D train to 79th St and New Utrecht avenue. The famous robot is on the balcony! It only happens in winter at Dyker Heights. The Dyker Heights Holiday Lights starts on November 3rd on Thursday and ends at New Year Eve, January 1st.
NYBG GLOW Schedule :
November 18–19, 23, 25–26; December 2–3, 9–11, 15–17, 22–23, 26–30, 2022; January 1, 7, 14, 2023
5–10 p.m !
If you're interested in participating, admission pricing can be found below !
https://www.nybg.org/visit/admission/
NYBG Glow & Holiday Train Show :
NYBG’s Holiday Train Show is available from November 19, 2022–January 16, 2023 from 10am to 6pm at New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, The Bronx, NY 10458. With its assortment of 25 G-scale model trains and 190 miniature replicas of famous New York City landmarks like the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and Rockefeller Center made of natural materials like leaves, cinnamon sticks, twigs, bark, and berries, the garden will be transformed into a miniature train depot.
In addition to this, Visit NYBG GLOW, back for a third year with even more lighted installations, to see NYC's largest outdoor Christmas light display. A sight not to be missed is created by thousands of sparkling, eco-friendly lights and eccentric, picture-perfect displays that mirror the nearby gardens and collections. These unique evenings include entertainment, activities, cuisine, and more, making them the best nights out this season.
Schedule:
After November 30th the tree will be lit from 6 am - 12 am. However on Christmas it’ll be lit for 24 hours. For Christmas eve it’ll be lit 6 am - 9 pm 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NYC 1101
The Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a Christmas tree that lights up every year on November 30th. It’s at Rockefeller center and better known as the heart of NYC. It’s a perfect area for tourists (otherwise for a place to visit for the break). There’s also an amazing ice rink in front of it. (It’s $11-73 per person depending on the age and time of day.)Come here before it’s too late as it ends in the first week of January.
Opening hours are:
Sunday 11AM - 8PM !
Monday - Thursday 11AM - 9PM !
Friday - Saturday 11AM - 10PM !
American Dream Mall is a huge mall located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. It has many activities including snowboarding and ice skating. You would have to pay in order to participate in various activities you choose! If you aren't interested in participating in any activities, don't worry because there are many other stores you can check out, including clothing stores, toy stores, etc. If you get hungry, no need to worry because there are also many areas where you are able to get food! Consider going to the American Dream Mall!
Activities to Do :
Gingerbread House
Most Gingerbread houses have instructions on the box but if you want to get creative…
You can make your own GingerBread house following this recipe:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gingerbread-house-recipe-1963254
Make Cute Ornaments:
You can make your own cute ornaments with stickers, painting, and do it with your family!
Some templates from amazon that I would recommend are:
You can add many things including snowflake confetti, foam beads, and you can even add artificial snow! You can also use paper cutouts and stickers to decorate the exterior, or to make it sparkly you can use glue and glitter too!
Movie Night:
Bored? Why not watch some movies! Some Christmas movies you can watch are:
The Christmas Chronicles
Klaus
Holiday Rush
The Holiday Calendar
A California Christmas
Alien Xmas
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Angela's Christmas 2
Pillow/blanket Fort:
List of things you need:
Sheets and blankets
Pillows
Heavy books
To learn how to build a pillow/blanket fort click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HPnf15i-Ls
Sleepover with Friends
Bored on Christmas night? Why not spend some time with your friends! Invite your friends over for a friendly sleepover! Watch movies, decorate ornaments, and make cookies!
Secret Santa
Have nothing to do during Christmas? How about playing Secret Santa with your friends and family!
Here’s instructions on how the game:
Write each person’s name on a separate piece of paper, fold it
And put it in a bowl.
Each person would get a piece of paper with someone’s name
If someone gets their own name, you must restart!
Keep the names you got a secret! Don't tell anyone who you get.
After getting presents, everyone should gather around and look for their name on the gift bags!
Finally, take a guess who your Secret Santa is!
POV: Only Textbook? (Christmas Present) BY: Jaden Wu 814
Saint Nicholas
In 270 AD, a boy named Nicholas would be born in Patara, a Greek settlement in the Anatolian peninsula. Nicholas' parents were wealthy Greek Christians, and despite Christians being discriminated against at the time, he would still attempt to spend a life in service to Christianity. Getting recruited by his uncle, who was the Bishop of the nearby city of Myra, he would begin his career as a priest. While this was going on, his parents, unfortunately, died, leaving their vast fortune to Nicholas.
This tragedy allowed one of his most famous stories during this era to come to life: this being when he provided gold coins to a family that was in desperate need of them. The father of the family needed this money to provide gifts for his daughters' weddings; if he didn't get it, he would have no other option but to sell them into slavery (as the Roman Empire was in a critical situation). Nicholas would throw bags of gold coins into the household where the man and his daughters lived at night. He would continue this practice until the man's last daughter got married. When he threw these bags into the man's house for the last time, the father would catch Nicholas in the act. Nicholas would then command the man to forget everything he had just witnessed as Nicholas disappeared into the night.
This story, as you can probably tell, is where the origins of his jumping down chimneys to give gifts derive from – as this story of him would be retold for generations to come within Christendom. Although this is the most famous part of his legacy, Nicholas would also have profound impacts on history itself. He became the Bishop of Myra when his uncle died, thanks to the nomination of many other church officials in Myra, securing him to the position...
However, before we get on to his time as Bishop, it is important to discuss the context of the events about to come. When Nicholas was born, he would be born into the greatest chaos that the Roman Empire had ever experienced: the Crisis of the 3rd Century (235 - 284). However, thanks to a series of soldier emperors, the Empire would be saved. Under the last of these emperors, Emperor Diolection, the Empire was better managed. Eventually, it was divided into 4 parts, becoming known as a Tetrarchy system. This is because Diolection knew that the Empire was way too big for one single Emperor to rule over, a thing proven multiple times during the 3rd Century Crisis.
As the head Emperor of the Tetrarchy, Diolection could basically do whatever he wanted. So, when one random Christian insulted Diolection’s pagan practices randomly one day, he erupted in fury and started the Great Persecutions in 303. Seeing as Nicholas was next door to Diolection's direct territory and the Bishop of Myra, he would be one of the victims of these persecutions. Dragged away from his home, he would be brutally tortured. But Diolection would retire soon after in 305, leaving an Empire without its leader, and the Tetrarchy fell into civil war. This civil war would drag on for almost an entire decade, however, the victor of the war would be the son of one of the original Tetrarchs, Constantine I. Constantine, seeing the ghastly horrors of the Great Persecutions, decided to legalize Christendom and convert to it himself. With Christianity on top, Nicholas would be freed around the same time Constantine came to power (324).
As a freeman, Nicholas would go on to do more good for this world. From freeing innocent people from execution to guiding Emperor Constantine on how to handle corrupt generals in military operations afar. Along the way, he would even survive sailing through a storm en route (literally impossible back then) to Jerusalem to check out the new churches built there; these many achievements gained him notoriety. Being nominated as the patron saint of sailors, merchants, children, archers, students, and so much more.
However, the biggest historical influence Nicholas would ever have was when he attended the Council of Nicaea in 325, a council that would attempt to unify the Christian world. Of course, this meetup wouldn't do so in the historical sense; as fellow Christians fought with each other over what was true and false about the divinity of Jesus Christ, leading to the event of Nicholas Will-Smithing someone in the face.
Throughout the rest of his life (until December 6th, 343) he would do many great things, such as becoming a saint within four centuries of his death and getting an entire holiday dedicated to him from Catholics in France in the 1200s. However, his legacy and his name wouldn't be known until a millennia later.
How He Got Famous
As mentioned previously, in the 1200s, Catholics in France had added Nicholas into one of their holidays, called Feast Day (Dec 6th). Saint Nicholas would then be adopted by many other European cultures as Christianity washed over the continent after the fall of the Roman Empire. Father Christmas was created in England during the reign of Henry VII (the King of England at the time) and the schism between the Churches of England and the Catholic Church. As England no longer kept the feast day of December 6th, to break away from the customs of all of the other Europeans on the mainland, Father Christmas' celebration was moved to the 25th of December to coincide with Christmas Day. However, this holiday and Father Christmas itself would fall into obscurity in the coming centuries.
But, thanks to a Victorian revival of Christmas which included Father Christmas as an emblem of joyful cheer, Santa Claus came back to the public spotlight. John Leech's illustration of the "Ghost of Christmas Present" in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843) leads us to a Santa Claus we could sorta recognize today.
This version of Santa Claus would also be adopted by the American poet Thomas Nast in his poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” in 1863, a time of much gloom in America because of the ongoing Civil War. However, Saint Nicholas would help out during this time of gloom by officially appearing in the form most recognized today: the jolly, red-coated, gift-giving, and very patriotic man that is Santa Claus. This version built up to the actual modern-day Santa Claus himself, the one that most see in malls.
And that is the origins of Santa Claus, the person himself, and how he became a Christmas symbol.
By Chuheng Wen from 804 and his anonymous partner
December is the last month of the year. Christmas is on December 25th. Mostly, Christians celebrate Christmas. They believe in the son of God. Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas began in 1534 in London when it was written in a letter sent to Thomas Crowell. Saying “Merry Christmas” means to wish someone an enjoyable Christmas holiday. When it is Christmas, people will exchange gifts with each other and gather with their friends and families. People will also decorate their houses and Christmas trees. People will go to church on Christmas. They will also wait until Santa Claus arrives. Santa Claus can be known as the Father of Christmas and is said to bring gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Santa is 1,751 years old! Winter break is coming! It begins on December 24, 2022 and will last till January 2, 2023. Schools will be closed during this time. I wish everyone a happy week. When we come back from the break, it’s next year. Merry Christmas!
Boxing Day is a public holiday celebrated the day after Christmas, December 26th, when a lot of people were presented with gifts. By the 21st century, it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events to help support them. There are also many ways to celebrate boxing day around the world, like in Belize, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos. The origins of Boxing Day are believed that people got gifts for the servants and many donations were made in the church since many people have to work on Christmas Day so they don’t really have the opportunity to support their family on the special holiday.