To Get Help

          In 2013 my family got involved with a charity that was designed to help youths deal with mental health problems, this organization is known as WesForYouthOnline, and since my family was dealing with the loss of my cousin: my aunt and uncle wanted to create their own organization, and thus GetInTouchForHutch was created to honor my cousin Steve, who took his own life in his university dorm room. Every year, around the 1st of July, GITFH hosts a one and five kilometer charity walk through the town of Arthur to raise money for the organizations, and other mental health outlets. They also have a charity auction that sells donated goods, the proceeds go to organizing the events. Other events are orchestrated: the first is a yearly hockey game between the two teens former teams; having people talk at sporting events and public events; and setting up information days at schools. To the date roughly $225,000 has been raised to help raise awareness and help "eliminate the stigma of mental health"(Hutch web). My family wanted to get involved with mental health because it is something that will affect everyone at some point in their life, also what happened to Steve was an impossible idea in our heads, he was one of the happiest most kind people that you could ever meet, the realization that Steve was suffering in silence is what made my Aunt and Uncle want to reach out and help people since they didn’t want another family to go through what they had. The rest of my family decided to get involved because we realized that if we could help people with their problems then it was our responsibility to do so.

Works Cited

#GetInTouchForHutch. getintouchforhutch.com/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.

Wes for Youth Online. www.wesforyouthonline.ca/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.

Why is Canadian Thanksgiving in October?

Thanksgiving is a annual holiday in Canada to celebrate the fall harvest and give thanks,held on the second Monday of October.   The first national Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1859 was intended as a recognition of God's mercies , Then the first Thanksgiving after confederation as a civic national holiday on April 5th 1872 once the Prince of Whales recovered from illness and was later moved to November 6th as an annual holiday in 1879. Finally then the holiday was moved to its current date in 1957.   Thanksgiving has been celebrated over the years, periodically,  for many different events including; when explorer and settlers with Samuel de Champlain came Canada,   after the seven year war ended there was a feast giving thanks and at the end of The War of 1812. This celebrations often  consisted of feasts and entertainment and more modernly, football. The purpose of Thanksgiving has changed throughout the years as the holiday evolved. Many times it was celebrated to show gratitude  towards family and community as well as health. Each generation now incorporate their own  tradition and customs that they carry on from year to year. Additionally, in the bible Thanksgiving is has the purpose of showing sacrifice, praise, and an offering to worship God. In my opinion Thanksgiving is a very important holiday that allows my family and friends to get together and celebrate with food and activities.

Works Cited

Meaning of Thanksgiving. www.allabouthistory.org/meaning-of-thanksgiving.htm. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Thanksgiving in Canada. 24 Nov. 2011, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Beeton Honey Festival

The Beeton Honey Festival is a celebration that brings families and towns together on the last weekend in May every year. The celebration started with a man named David Allanson Jones who was the “king of bees” and the first commercial honey producer in Canada, proving that it was an industry. His detection and spirit is brought into the festival of honey as we celebrate. The town known as Beeton was named after him and the honey he produced. The festival is thrown to emphasize the town's spirit of honey making dating back to the 1800s. The festival is celebrating old traditions, to have the town come together sharing talents and selling homemade gifts such as: honey, flowers, wood carvings and art. There are many vendors sharing a special talent coming from different towns and cities wanting to participate in Beeton's festival.The Beeton honey festival is a family activity that can be passed down to generations by attending this festival every year in their hometown. Parents taking their young children every year produces a love and tradition that will be passed on as they grow up. I know that my family has been going to this festival for over 14 years and I cherish this time and will be coming back for many years to come.

"Town History." New Tecumseth, 2017, newtecumseth.ca/visitors/town-history/.

Mason, Perry M. "Spring Tradition in Beeton in Beeton a Hive of Activity."

    Motoring, www.motoring.ca/

    spring-tradition-in-beeton-in-beeton-a-hive-of-activity/.

"David Allanson Jones." Beeton Honey and Garden Festival,

    www.beetonhoneyandgardenfestival.com/history.php.

Baby Tossing

Baby Tossing:

For babies in India, a 30 foot drop for good luck is actually practiced in some rural parts of India and is commonly practiced by Hindus and Muslims, willingly to allow their baby to be tossed from a shrine or structure and has been practiced for over 700 years. How this all began was when a saint told people whose babies were dying to go and build a shrine and to drop their sons and daughters from it to show trust in the all mighty and from there on every baby that is born into this tradition is tossed from a shrine to insure a long and prosperous life within 2 months of birth.

Shortly after a video surfaced of the babies being tossed off the shrine the “National Commission for Protection of Child Rights” intervened into the matter and said that it was abusive and should be stopped with the quote: “We do not support this superstitious practice,” and also claim that is against the will of the babies and against the interest of the children. Public Officials have come out and backed up the Nation Commission for Protection of Child Rights and they stated that it was illegal under the Indian child law. After all of these Allegations there has been no reports of baby tossing since 2010 but few people claim it still continues in small villages around India, and some people have come out and said that the practice still continues and it is a tradition no matter what. So yes, baby tossing is still a thing to this day, go and give it a shot with your newborn.

Venkataraman, Ayesha. "For Babies in India, a 30-Foot Plunge for Good Luck." The New York Times, 28 

     July 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/07/29/world/what-in-the-world/ 

     for-babies-in-india-a-30-foot-plunge-for-good-luck.html?_r=1. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017

Black Friday Origins

Black Friday is the day after American Thanksgiving, November 25. It Kicks off the official holiday shopping season in the United States (and in most other countries as well). Some statistics show how much of an impact Black Friday has in the US economy: In the US, 30% of annual retail sales (at stores like Wal-Mart) occur between Black Friday and Christmas. In the US, about 99 million people planned to shop on Black Friday in 2016. In contrast, only 19 million Canadians planned to shop in previous years. The name of this holiday was coined back in 1966 by the Philadelphia police department, after years of witnessing massive traffic jams, and violence within local malls between people trying to purchase massively discounted items for the Christmas holidays. Although the violence isn't as extreme, Canada has welcomed the tradition and the name although the violence is not as extreme.

In quite a contrast, the origin of the “Black Weekdays” such as Black Monday and Black Thursday label significant days in history when the Dow Jones stock market average fell by more than 10%. Nowadays, Black Friday is a more positive outlook on the event. Companies caught on to the term, and started facilitating the term in their ads, to give it a more positive ring. They used the term as a symbol for what an accountant would call “profitable Friday”. Black is when profit is gained, red is when profit is lost. Even today though, violence still lingers around the "super-savings" that the event brings, depending on the retailers. In 2008, A man was trampled to death in front of a Wal-Mart in New York. In 2011, A woman pepper-sprayed her way through a crowd in a Wal-Mart in Los Angeles. In 2012, two people were shot outside of a Wal-Mart in Florida.

Sources:

Kozicka, Patricia. “8 Facts about Black Friday in Canada.” Global News, Corus Entertainment, 25 Nov. 2015, globalnews.ca/news/2358512/8-facts-about-black-friday-in-canada/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Kozicka, Patricia. “8 Facts about Black Friday in Canada.” Global News, Corus Entertainment, 25 Nov. 2015, globalnews.ca/news/2358512/8-facts-about-black-friday-in-canada/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Amadeo, Kimberley. “What Is Black Friday’s Sales Trends?” The Balance, About.inc, 24 Nov. 2016, www.thebalance.com/what-is-black-friday-3305710. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Ein German Christmas

Every 6th of December my family celebrates St. Nicholas day by taking part in a European custom that is widely celebrated by the Germans. On the night of December 5th, me and my sister would put one of our shoes on a window sill. The next morning the shoe would be filled with treats such as candy and chocolate that was said to be from Santa. This dates back to the year 346, when a bishop, Nicholas of Myra (St. Nicholas), died on December 6th. The tradition started in his memory because he was a man born from wealth who was known to share with the poor. He would secretly give people presents and coins by throwing them down the chimney, through their window or by leaving it in their shoes. And so the custom was born and used to bribe children to be good all year. If a child had bad behavior, they would not receive candy but coal in its place. This tradition is a great way to remember St. Nick and fun for families to enjoy during the holiday season.Also it is passed down from generation to generation. When speaking to my mom, she said how her mother’s mother did it for her, my grandma did it for my mom, and she liked it, so she obviously wanted to do it with me and my sister. I’m glad the custom has lasted because it really connects me to my heritage. I also hope it continues.

Works Cited

“Germany.” St. Nicholas Center, www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/germany/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

Glowacki, Kerstin Von. “Celebrating Nikolaus Before Christmas.” The Local de, 6 Dec. 2013, www.thelocal.de/20131206/15915. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

McIllwraith, Tanja. Interview. 23 Mar. 2017.

Hockey Is More Than Just a Game

Ever since i was a 4 years old i have been playing hockey. Hockey has been around since the 1870s. Canada has created, embraced and continues to adore the sport of hockey. If you ask someone to explain what Canada is all about they will say hockey almost 9 times out of 10, and if you ask them what they think of hockey they will mention Canada. Hockey has been part of Canada’s culture since its creation. 6 million people watched the women's team Canada hockey team win gold and then just a few days later 10 million watched the men's team win gold at the 2002 winter Olympics. The significance of that statistic not only shows how many Canadians enjoy watching the game but also shows Canada's success at the sport. Every Canadian has had done something that was related to hockey in their lifetime, whether it was road hockey, pond hockey, mini sticks, a hockey video game or even watched team Canada in the Olympics. The sport brings together people of all cultures and backgrounds. People from all over the world come to Canada to play Hockey. I have played with players from Norway, Russia, Japan and even Taiwan, they may not be able to speak any English but all thy have to say is "I'm open"! I can tell you this from experience, whenever i step on that 200 feet x 80 feet ice surface every single worry and/or stress in my life seems to vanish. Hockey is definitely one of Canada's greatest pastime. On Canada's original $5 bill, it has a picture of kids playing pond hockey. The fact that its on a bank note that everyone must use, shows everyone that it's a part of Canada's heritage. Everyone in my family has played hockey and even my grandpa played. It's a sport that's passed down generation to generation.

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Love Baked to Perfection: Panettone

     There once was a man named Toni...

     Toni, who was raised in Milan, Italy in the early 1700s, fell in love with a beautiful girl named Adalgisa. However, her father, a baker, did not approve of Toni. In order to earn his approval, Toni spent countless days and nights crafting the perfect loaf of bread and presented it to him as a gift. Once Adalgisa's father tasted the deliciousness of his creation, he gave his blessing for Toni to take his daughter for the rest of his life through marriage, where they lived happily ever after. The father, recreated this bread and sold it in his bakery, calling in "Panettone", Italian for "Toni's bread" (Conte 2017).

     In tradition, Italians still, to this date, celebrate Christmas with Panettone. The bread, filled with dried fruits or chocolate, is sliced and passed around the table, where each piece symbolizes love and togetherness within a family. Just as the bread brought Toni and Adalgisa together in love, it serves as a reminder that in Italian culture, family comes first. Not only does Panettone bond families together, but the continuation of the tradition through generations of hardships endured by the Italians shows that through all, its people have managed to stay loyal to their beliefs, and stay in love with the culture of Italy, bonding with Paesanos (fellow Italians) through a traditional gesture as simple as a slice of bread.

Mangia!

Works Cited

Conte, Mark. Interview. 22 Mar. 2017.

“The Legend of Panettone.” iItaly, 10 Dec. 2007, www.iitaly.org/magazine/focus/life-people/article/legend-panettone. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

Where did the Fat Man in a Red Suit Come From?

The figure ‘Santa’ has been dated back to around 280 A.D. and is said to have passed away

on December 6th, somewhere between 326 and 341 A.D.. Yes, Santa is a real person,

however his real name is Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was known for his extreme kindness

and generosity; often going out at night and taking presents to the needy. Santa Claus is a

legendary figure of Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-

behaved children on Christmas Eve, for them to receive in the early morning hours of Christmas

Day.. Santa Claus is generally depicted as a jolly, joyous, white-bearded man, wearing a red

coat, red pants, a black leather belt, and boots.This image became popular in the United

States and Canada in the 19th century due to an 1823 poem entitled: "A Visit from St.

Nicholas".This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television,

children's books, films, and advertising. In North America, British and Dutch versions of the gift-

giver merged further. For example, in Washington Irving's History of New York, Saint Nicholas

was Americanized into "Santa Claus", however with the american-ization, also lost his

bishop's apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green

winter coat. Santa Claus is said to make lists of children throughout the world, categorizing

them according to their behavior. The “good” children get things like toys and candy whereas

the “bad” children get coal, and these items are delivered to all children on the night of

Christmas Eve. This practice is passed on from generation to generation through parents, as

well as stores and media portraying this man as real, forcing little innocent minds to believe that

this man visits your house once a year to deliver presents. The fact that songs tell about a man

that watches you when you sleep and when you're awake should be a clear indicator that this

tradition should be adjusted or stopped altogether, and children just receive presents from their

parents.

Works Cited

How Did Santa Begin? www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/how-did-santa-begin.

Santa Claus. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus.

Santa Claus. www.lnstar.com/mall/main-areas/xmas-santa-origin2.htm.

Tết - A New Beginning

I'm originally from Vietnam and came to Canada 3 years ago to find a better education. Although Vietnam is still a developing country and has a poor education compared to other places in the world, I'm still proud to be a Vietnamese because of its chastity with a rich, colorful culture we have.

 One of the most important thing that we all celebrate is Tết Holiday (a.k.a Lunar New Year). Tết calculated by the phases of the moon, which usually occur in the late January to early February. During Tết, winter concludes and spring enters, it is known to be the time when the cycle of the universe ends to give way for the beginning of a new one. Flowering peach trees is one of the fast-selling items during this season. As it symbolizes life and good fortune, people believe that bringing one home promises something positive as they celebrate the coming of spring. 

The reason why we celebrate this is because we believe that this is the time to start a new year with a renewed spirit and positive frame of mind. For the Vietnamese, honoring the coming of the New Year looks ahead towards good fortunes while centering on happiness and positive values. The numerous festivities aim on reinforcing Vietnamese culture, beliefs and family ties.

2017 is the year of Rooster 

Depends on the animal of the zodiac, we do different activities to bring the luck for that animal, along with get rid of the things that will impact the animal of the year. Not only that, we also believe that  the first day, as well as the first week of the New Year will determine one’s path for the next twelve months, so we do activities to refresh the year like: clean the house, buy new clothes, cook new foods, pay off the debt, give wishes to others, the most excited part is giving out the lucky money. 

 It is really important to pass this culture to other because these very traditions expresses our National identity, and reconnect out heritage every single year. Even for Vietnamese that stay in different countries like me, we still find a way to celebrate the holiday. For example, most of the Vietnamese will try to fly back home to reunion with their family during Tet or connect through internet during the ceremony, but since Tet Festival is becoming world wide to those areas contain many Vietnamese (i.e America, Australia, Canada, etc), we still come together as a community to practice our culture. Tết is a long and proud tradition of Vietnamese all over the world, this is one symbolic celebration of birth and renewal that will only strengthen over the years to come.

Works Cited

www.viettravelmagazine.com/2016/12/tet-customs-in-vietnam.html.

Vietnamonline. www.vietnamonline.com/tet.html.

What is St.Nicholas Day?

What is St.Nicholas Day?

A tradition my family does is celebrate St.Nicholas Day. St.Nicholas Day is a European Christian holiday celebrated on December 6th. On the 5th you would put out your shoe or slipper in the front foyer of your house, and in the morning you would have a small treat or gift in your shoe.

This tradition started in the 4th century in a place called Myra; now known as Turkey. St.Nicholas was a Bishop who was rich and very kind, he left small gifts and coins in the shoes of the poor, so they would have something. How he became St.Nicholas is he witnessed a father who could not pay for his daughter’s wedding, so he dropped a bag of coins down their chimney which landed in a stocking drying on the fireplace. He was soon recognized for doing these gestures, that each year St.Nicholas would go to each house on a horse and ask the kids if they had been good or bad, or just leave a gift in their shoes that they put out.

The purpose of this day is to honor St.Nick, have festivity early in December, and emphasize the giving of small gifts and your family members. For my family this is a German tradition, even though we are not Christian or religious we still celebrate it. It gets passed down to each generation because my dad is German and his whole family who lives in Germany and in Canada all celebrate it to show that small gifts and family are worth a lot.  

Works Cited

Cooper, James. “The Man behind the Story of Father Christmas/Santa Claus.” Why Christmas, 9 Nov. 2000, www.whychristmas.com/customs/fatherchristmas.shtml. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

Licht, Peggy. Interview. 21 Mar. 2017.

St.Nicholas Center. “Why Celebrate St. Nicholas Day?” Saint Nicholas Center: The Truth about Santa Claus, 7 Dec. 2002, www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/how-to-celebrate/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

Wikipedia. “Saint Nicholas Day.” Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia, 18 Mar. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.