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I’ll keep this short and sweet so that you can enjoy U2. As a writer, sometimes pictures and pictures in motion say it all. That’s why we wordsmiths embrace tunes while we write, book trailers for our latest creations, beautiful covers to entice our readers and photo stills to inspire us.

May you find every image you need to challenge, motivate and reward you this new year, 2009! Happy New Year!

I loved this pic Matti Á. took and posted on Flickr. There lots of other pics to choose from but this one made me think of New Years Eve in Anytown, Anywhere–Especially in Mytown, USA.

As we line up at the golden gate of a new year, it reminds me of why New Years is one of my favorite holidays. It is a time that I reflect where I have been in the last year and where I hope to go. I always take a moment to respect all that went wrong and what I can learn from it and I take a moment to revel in all that went right and how to learn from that as well.

Yes I usually make resolutions each New Years and by the time December rolls around I have no memory of what they were or whether I’ve achieved them. I wish I could say this year 2008 was different was not. All the major changes I made happened along the way. In 2008, I definitely took some steps and some leaps to ensure that 2009 would be a very different year. The previous years have been a great mixture of good, bad and great. (Nothing is all good or all bad). But 2009 promises to resemble nothing that came before it.

I now have a blog with a growing community I love contributing to. I’m building a freelance reputation that is brewing much better than I could have expected. And hopefully, early 2009 will bless me with a permanent employment arrangement that compliments all that I am trying to do instead of being in conflict with it.

This time of year brings everyone to a point of reflection and that’s where I found myself last night. Where are we going and what would we like to do when we get there?

Reflect on it and if you’d like to share with a post to this blog entry, I would love to read your responses.

Cheers to a happy new year where work, determination, prayer, and a little pixie dust will bring us that much closer to all we desire!

Whether it’s Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Festivus! I hope you take the time to enjoy family and friends this holiday season!

Thanks so much for making Sable Lit Reviews a part of your holiday season with great participation in our holiday contests and the special comments you’ve contributed both online and off! I appreciate them all!

Oh, as a gal born during the holiday season (a few days after New Years to be exact)– HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL of the Holiday babies out there–no matter what your age!

It seems like the celebration of Kwanzaa has become more prevalent over the last twenty years, it actually originated over 40 years ago and is observed by some 18 million African and African Americans.
While I don’t specifically celebrate the holiday, this blog and this month’s holiday contest gives me an excellent opportunity to learn more.
Celebrated from December 26th to January 1st, Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, academic advisor and professor for the Department of Africana Studies at California State University Long Beach, in 1966 to establish an African American holiday emphasizing traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce and self improvement. Despite being one of several December holidays, it was not designed to replace Christmas for African Americans, nor represent a religious or political statement based on ethnicity. Kwanzaa, which stands for “first fruits of harvest” are based on seven principles represented with a menorah-like candleholder called a Kinara. The seven placeholders on the Kinara represent the seven principles which are:
• Umoja – representing unity that emphasizes togetherness for family and the community. It encourages thinking in terms of “I am We” or “I am because We are”
• Kujichagulia-represents self-determination which requires that we define our interests and actions based on the benefit for family and society.
• Ujima–represents our collective work as it relates to the past, present, and future for our community, the society and the world.
• Ujamaa—points to cooperative economic strength to meet collective needs through mutual support.
• Nia—enourages the setting of personal goals that benefit the community.
• Kuumba—Supports creativity that makes use of creative energies to build and maintain a strong and innovative community.
• Imani—Stresses faith in honoring traditions, drawing upon our best selves while striving for greatness for humankind, while reinforcing self-worth, confidence and success in the struggle for righteousness.
Elements for celebrating Kwanzaa:
• Kinara—candle holder
• Mkeka—placemat made preferably from straw
• Mazao—fruits and vegetables that represent crops also Vibunzi/Muhindi that are ears of corn representing the number of children in the house.
• Kikombe cha umoja—communal unity cup
• Mishumaa saba—one black candle, three red and three green candles
• Zawadi—gifts that are enriching

Christmas in Arizona is a culture all its own. In the metro-Phoenix area we make up for the lack of snow with lights reaching as far as the eyes can see. Fake snow abounds and electric bills skyrocket as homeowners attempt to be the brightest most original lit Christmas wonderland on the block.  The Arizona Christmas light season lasts well into the New Year with participation from the Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Garden and nearly half the homes on every block. Even entire cities, like Glendale with its Glendale Glitters, get in on the wonderment by offering events surrounding the numerous strands of lights.

Never a holiday goes by without a raging neighbor war or a Christmas light rebel taking on city hall because of the complaints filed due to the sheer wattage and noisy Christmas decorations used to tickle the ears as well as the eyes during the season. One year a Phoenix-local may national news for his light display. News stories abounded in wonder at the enormity of the display and the havoc it must create for the homeowner’s electric bill. Family-packed cars create traffic jams in neighborhoods valley-wide performing drive-bys as a form of cheap entertainment on a chilly December evening.  

Without snow, it doesn’t really feel like Christmas until the entire city is peppered with Christmas decorations and lights. Luckily, the East Valley has a tradition of bring some snow down from Northern Arizona for the kids to play in. Their faces glaze over at the touch of the mysterious cold powdery stuff and they play all day until it melts. Parents stand-by with pride while their children get the chance to experience something they took for granted during their young lives.

I’ve be going to my fair share of holiday parties and one thing that I’ve noticed is the main attraction appears to be the food. There usually aren’t any holiday specific games or anything to make it special besides the Christmas decorations. Everyone plays some version of the White Elephant gift swap or Secret Santa, but that’s about it. When I was asked to help write a holiday-themed short story, I took that opportunity to incorporate multicultural foods and Christmas party games into the story. When researching that story I wish I had known about Celebrations.com, they have some very interesting Christmas party games to keep the eggnog flowing and the chestnuts burning.

It is the natural order of things where the dominating culture’s rituals and beliefs are the norm. In a multicultural society, the exploration of minority rituals and beliefs allow for an opportunity for growth and further life enrichment.

I spent my first nine years of life living in New Jersey where a Jewish population was less scarce than it is in Arizona. I’m not sure if it was truly less scare or if my image of Jewish people is too narrow. My perception may not be far off since I recall learning the Dreidel song, coloring pictures of Menorahs and eating Halavah. All of that came to an end when I moved to Arizona. In either case, the December holiday contest which ends on December 20^th, (like the subtle hint? J) is the perfect opportunity to learn more about multicultural holidays.

The story of Hanukkah is left out of the Hebrew canon of the Bible but is told in the 1^st and 2^nd Maccabees, Bible books named after a band of Jewish fighters who freed Israel from the Syrian Greeks who occupied it at the time. Unable to observe autumn holiday of Sukkot due to battle, the band of fighters decided to celebrate after rededicating the Temple which took place on the 25^th of the month in 164 B.C.E. Since Sukkot lasts seven days, the timeframe was adopted for Hanukkah.  Formerly known as the Festival of Lights, a century after its origination, the name was changed to Hanukkah which is Hebrew for “Dedication”.

The development of the holiday took place over nearly a 600-year period across several religious texts since the originating event brought about by the Maccabees. During that time, several stories are associated with the meaning of the holiday which now involves the reverence of a miraculous jar that burned for eight days.

Regardless of which story is associated with the development of the Hannakuh story, the universal themes of religious freedom, oppression, identity, and expression.

We have just nine days till the end of our Spirit of Thanksgiving Book Giveaway Contest. If you haven’t posted your favorite Thanksgiving recipe, memory or family tradition, there’s still time to get in on this great book giveaway.

Thanks to Hachette Book Group and this contest, you have the chance to be the talk of holiday entertaining season while remembering all the reasons why this holiday is so special.

For those just finding out about it, here’s the scoop:

In a contest event that takes place from November 10th to November 30th, sponsored by Hachette Book Group, Sable Lit Reviews will be holding a drawing for 5 free books representing the best in holiday entertainment.

Up to five winners will be selected to receive a print copy of all five books after the contest concludes on November 30th. The books up for grabs are:

• The Flavor Bible By Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg ISBN: 0316118400 $35.00
• Karen Brown Celebrates By Karen Brown ISBN: 9780316118187 $30.00
• I Like You By Amy Sedaris ISBN 9780446696777 $15.99
• Festivus By Allen Salkan ISBN: 0446540668 $9.99
• Holidays on Ice By David Sedaris ISBN: 0316035904 $16.99

How to Enter:

To enter simply navigate to the following link and post your favorite Thanksgiving family tradition, memory or recipe. All those who post a tradition, memory or recipe will be entered into a drawing. Up to five names will be drawn after 11:59 PM PST on Novemeber 30th and contacted to make delivery arrangements.

Spirit of Thanksgiving Book Giveaway

For more information select the “Win Books” tab at the top of the page.

Thanks for supporting Sable Lit Reviews and Hachette Book Group.

Title: BET Black College Tour
Location: Houston, Texas
Description: Occuring at Texas Southern University, in its 7th year, BET hosts the back to school college tour. Support BET as it creates excitement and social activites while boosting community awareness regarding the longevity of US Historically Black Colleges. For more information about the tour locations see: www.bet.com/blackcollegetour
Date: 2008-11-14

Title: BET Black College Tour
Location: Prairie View, Texas
Description: Occuring at Prairie View A&M University, in its 7th year, BET hosts the back to school college tour. Support BET as it creates excitement and social activites while boosting community awareness regarding the longevity of US Historically Black Colleges. For more information about the tour locations see: www.bet.com/blackcollegetour
Date: 2008-11-12

Title: TVOne Special- The Black List: 100 Greatest Cultural Power Moves
Location: TV One, www.tvoneonline.com
Description: Join TVOne as they count down the 100 greatest cultural power moves. It’s a five hour tv series hosted by Arsenio Hall. For more info see http:www.tvoneonline.com.
Start Date: 2008-11-09
End Date: 2008-11-13