What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Feast

Do you know the real story behind Thanksgiving? Is it just about remembering the Pilgrims and Indians? Are we supposed to give thanks for what we have while remembering those who have less? Do we pray to God and reflect on our year? What about stuffing your face with Turkey, while watching football and planning out tomorrow's Black Friday shopping trip? There are so many ideas behind Thanksgiving; traditions from the past that have become the celebration of today, but where did it all start? What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving as we know it today came from three different types of celebrations. The first comes from a long ago time when people celebrated and rejoiced after a successful harvest. When colonist arrived to the New World from England they brought this tradition with them. The second celebration is another tradition from the Pilgrims who felt the importance of religious observance to thank God through prayer and feast. These celebrations would occur anytime of the year.  The last celebration is the commemoration of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and surviving a harsh winter with the help of the local Native Americans.

As a national holiday Thanksgiving was first celebrated on November 26, 1789 when President George Washington issued a proclamation declaring the day of thanks for the blessings God gave the new nation and its independence from Great Britain.

     "Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness"

After that first declaration various harvest and thanksgivings were celebrated but it wasn't until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Tuesday in November a national holiday that Thanksgiving was consistently celebrated as a nation.  In 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November. He did this to give people living during the Great Depression more time to make money before Christmas.

Squanto

 We all know the story of the Pilgrims and Indians but it has become more myth than truth. Yes there were Pilgrims who struggled though a harsh winter. Yes there where the Native Americans living near by who were known as the Wampanoag. One particular Native American man named Squanto helped the Pilgrims survive. But the true story isn't really happy and peaceful. It is sad truth that the Pilgrims stole from the Native Americans. They also treated them badly and thought the Native people weren't as good as the Pilgrims. They stole to survive and believed God was on their side. It is the way people thought back then. After the harsh winter they gave thanks to God. The spirit of Thanksgiving can be seen in the actions of the Wampanoag Indians. Instead of hating the Pilgrims for their bad deeds they helped them survive.

Thanksgiving should not only be a time to give thanks for all we have but a time to remember how far we have come. Perhaps the real first Thanksgiving wasn't born from good behavior but the spirit of Thanksgiving can be found in those first events.  The Pilgrims did overcome a harsh winter. While they may have abused the Native Americans they also learned from them. Truly, the Pilgrims would not have survived without the help of their new found neighbors. It was Squanto who helped establish a peace treaty between the various Native American tribes and the Pilgrims.

How fortunate for us to be able to learn from our past, good and bad. Thanksgiving is a celebration that requires each of us to reflect on our lives and give thanks for our blessings. Let us all remember our beginnings from that first harsh winter of desperation to becoming a country to today's blessings. Living in Pasadena may not make it easy to realize where our food comes from but take the spirit of those long ago celebrations of a good harvest and rejoice in the good things to eat. Remember the Native Americans and their willingness to try peace even though they were wronged. Will you thank God for your school, family, food, shelter, friends? What else can you give thanks for?

Happy Thanksgiving Falcons!



As always, I used library resourced to search for information about Thanksgiving. Here are my citations.

1. Newman, Jason. "The Real First Thanksgiving." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012
2. White, David. "The First Thanksgiving." Social Studies for Kids. 15 Nov 2010: n.p. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 20 Nov 2012.
3. "George Washington: Proclamation for a General Thanksgiving (1789)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012
4. "Squanto."  American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012
5. "Squanto." Image. AP/Wide World Photos. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.
6. "Thanksgiving feast." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.
7. "The American Thanksgiving: The Evolution of a Tradition."  Thanksgiving Primer. 1991: 4-7. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 20 Nov 2012.

Happy St. Valentines Day

Ah love is in the air and so many different kinds of love too. Years ago, somewhere in my life, high school perhaps, I learned that the English language is seriously lacking in regards to the word LOVE. Such a complex feeling should have more than one word to describe it. Greek, for example, has at least 4 different words for love. Here is how I understand them.

1. Agape means unconditional love. As Catholics we often hear this word as God's love for us. It can also mean true love or the highest form of love. Some people believe that most of us will never truly achieve this love because it really means to love someone more than yourself. 
2. Eros is the love your might feel when you first see someone you think is cute. Perhaps it is love at first sight or attraction. It is an appreciation of the beauty of a person both inside and out. 
3. Philia is the love we feel for friends and neighbors. It is the same love that we extend to many things. It can be the love we feel for our very close friend, the love that allows us to help others and even the love that we feel for animals. 
4. Storge means affection in Greek. This is the love of family. It is a natural love that is steadfast and strong. The love you feel for your mom and dad is a love you are born with. 

Each word, each form of love is very unique and each of us hopes to experience all forms in our lifetime. From the day we are born and experience Storge, to kindergarten when we learn Philia and the love for our friends, to 5th grade and our first crush when we might experience Eros, part of the human experience is LOVE. Each week we attend mass and participate in Agape. Perhaps one day you will fall in love and get married. Perhaps one day you will use Philia to care for others through volunteer work or even your job. I hope you all achieve Agape and learn to love at least one person more than yourself whether is thru God,  with marriage or when you first meet your children.

Here are some library books that describe love in all these ways.

There are three things that will endure - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love. -

1Corinthians 13

Who will be your valentine?

Your mama has enough kisses to last a lifetime.

Storge is the effortless love of family

Celebrate the day of LOVE

Love personified

M.L.

I have a dream that one day...

little black boys and black girls

will be able to join hands with 

little white boys and white girls

as sisters and brothers.

I have a dreams today!

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

August 28, 1963

I believe it is safe to say that we all know this powerful speech. We all understand what Dr. Martin Luther King stood for and how he changed the world. What we may not know is how he became such an extraordinary man who, in his own words, wanted to turn the world upside down. The book, My Brother, Martin by Christine King Farris shares childhood memories of the only surviving member of the King family. Nicknamed M.L. by his family, the book includes the antics of a boy who gradually learned that the world was not equal.

In the afterword of the book, Christine King Farris says she "wanted to reflect another side of Martin's life story. The days that I spent with him, watching him, as we grew older, were valuable and meaningful exercises for me. They set him on his ultimate course". From watching his dad refuse to accept prejudice to loosing a childhood friend due to the color of his skin, these events lead Martin on his ultimate path to becoming a leader for equality. According to Christine, it was the promise he made to his mother, just as a little boy, that set him down that road.

My favorite excerpt from the book is this...

"Why do white people treat colored people so mean?

 She answered simply, Because they just don't understand that everyone is the same, but someday, it will be better. And my brother M. L. looked up into our mother's face and said the words I remember to this day. He said, Mother Dear, one day I'm going to turn this world upside down"

Rechenka's Eggs

I hope everyone has a nice Easter break! I think we are all looking forward to spending time with our families. I just finished reading a sweet book by Patricia Polacco titled Rechenka's Eggs. It is the story of old Babushka who is known in her Russian village for painting the most beautiful Easter eggs. While preparing for Easter she saves a wounded Goose who she names Rechenka. Through the course of winter Babushka and Rechenka become fast friends. When spring arrives Babushka know's Rechenka must rejoin her flock. Their parting is not so sad because of a special gift that Rechenka leaves for Babushka. This is a heartwarming story about love and friendship.

A few days ago I was discussing with my friends different Easter traditions. My friend Lisa told us about her family's egg wars. They each have an egg that they tap on the other person's egg. The egg that cracks looses and the winner gets the egg. Sounds like a yummy game but I had never heard of it before and neither had our other friend. Lisa was quite surprised that we didn't know about egg wars. We got a good laugh over her family's "crazy" tradition.

Well, you may be saying, "Ok Mrs. Natalie what does this have to do with Rechenka's Eggs?".

Well I would say to you:

PLENTY!!!!! To tie in the Russian setting of Rechenka's Eggs and family traditions I also read the book Easter Around the World by Shannon Knudsen. There is a chapter on Easter in Russia. I read it to the children because it tells about the Russian Easter feast that includes food like pashka and kulich, the same foods mentioned in the Rechenka story. But to my surprise it also tells about a game that sounds a lot like my friends egg wars.

"Children play a game with their Easter eggs. Each player taps an egg against another player's egg. The person whose egg breaks first must give it to the other player."

How cool, my friend's family isn't completely crazy after all!!!! They are playing a traditional Russian Easter game.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter full of love and family just like Babushka and Rechenka's. Now Go have an egg war!

Love is . . .

This week in the library, in honor of Valentine's day, I read Love is a Handful of Honey by Giles Andreae to the Kindergartners.  It is a sweet and engaging book with charming illustrations. 
After the read aloud, the class and I worked together to create a circle map defining what love means to us.  The discussion was animated, lively, and incredibly touching.  I thought I'd share with you a few of their responses.   

LOVE IS . . . 

• remembering loved ones after they die (This was the first answer I got... aren't kids AMAZING!!)
• rainbows
• prayers
• baking cookies with my mom
• lullabies
• being cozy
• caring
• sharing
• bedtime stories (Music to a librarian's ears!)
• going on adventures with friends
• hugs
• saying "Thanks!"
• giving kisses
• snuggling
• sleeping in my mom's bed on special days
• flowers
• changing diapers (Someone must have a baby brother or sister in the house :-)
• bath time
• being listened to
• listening

Finally, perhaps the answer we can all relate to the most was from a little boy who said "Well, love is....um...love is LOVE!" 

It is an awfully hard feeling to put into words, but I think these 6 year olds did a pretty fantastic job! 

As we prepare for Christmas break and all the excitement that comes with the season I am reminded of the reason we Catholics celebrate Christmas. It isn't about gifts and Christmas trees. It is about the baby Jesus and his remarkable parents. Many of the traditional Christmas stories focus mostly on Jesus and Mary. But, what about Joseph, not Jesus' natural father but instead chosen by God to be his adoptive one. How uncertain he must have felt at the prospect of letting the little baby Jesus into his life and trusting Mary and God. The birth story of Jesus is filled with remarkable examples of how humans should behave when faced with fear.

Fear Not, Joseph by Julie Stiegemeyer beautifully illustrates the emotions of the third part of a very important trio of people. Much of the language is translated from bible passages that speak directly of Joseph during this time. The author fills in the blanks with true human emotions and reactions. While Joseph is scared he always ends up turning to God to renew his strength and calm his fears.

Cookie Time!

Did you know that the SP Library has children's cook books? They aren't checked out often but they don't collect dust either. I thought I would ask if anyone who has checked out the books have actually used them? I am curious if maybe you made dinner for your family one night or maybe baked some yummy treats to share with friends.

By far our most popular cookbook is Bake and Make Amazing Cookies by Elizabeth MacLeod. In fact the book is checked out right now. I hope whoever has it is going to make some supper yummy cookies for Thanksgiving!!!!








Some other fun cookbooks are:

The American Girl Cooking Studio Series. We have Samantha, Molly, Kit and Felicity. Perhaps Felicity would be a fun one to check out for Thanksgiving. You could make a dish that a colonial girls would make!

There are the ethnic food series: Cooking the Mexican Way, Cooking the Indian Way and Cooking the Thai Way. I have wanted to check those books out for myself and make an authentic Thai or Indian meal.



Princess Tea by Janeen Sarlin is another popular book that seems to be checked out quite a bit. I wonder if any of you have used to book to host a princess style tea. Did you make tea sandwiches or scones? What kind of tea did you drink?

Cooking With Herb by Jules Bass introduces children to vegetarian cooking. Kind of a fun read!

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

"Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los Muertos rise from their coffins to join the fun. Los Esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance though the door. And the scariest creatures of all? Wait until you see them!"

This book is a little bit Halloween and a little bit Day of the Dead but mostly it is a whole lot of fun! The narration  is poetic and the illustrations are haunting with a traditional Mexican flair. I enjoy reading this book to different classes for Halloween because of the mix of Spanish and English words. Perhaps the text is a bit redundant but it never seems to bother the children. I prefer having both the English and Spanish words because I am not very good with Spanish!

"At medianoche midnight strikes-
The witching hour the werewolf likes.
The bloodhounds bay, los perros howl.
Beware! The wolfman's on the prowl."

This book won the Pura Belpré Award for both illustration and text. The Pura Belpré award is given annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. I definitely agree Los Gatos Black on Halloween  has all that and more. The children love to see their favorite Halloween characters celebrating one of their favorite holidays.

Bats in the Library

Every year I look forward to Halloween. It is certainly my favorite holiday. I love decorating the library and reading the children Halloween stories. Usually I stretch cobwebs all over my desk. They extend from shelf to shelf giving the library a haunted look. This year is no exception. The first of October came around and I had out my cobwebs and spiders.

While walking into the library today one of the kindergarteners exclaimed, while flapping his jacket wings,  "WOW! I sure am glad there are webs in here cause I am a bat!"  I had to laugh because one, my spiders and cobwebs have never made me think of bats before and two, because I had planned to read a "batty" book. I love when little things in life manage to tie into each other unexpectedly.

Bats at the Library written and Illustrated by Brian Lies is a charming book depicting a group of bats who learn that the local librarian has left a window open. The bats love "Bat Night at the Library", often hoping the librarian will forget to shut her window. They fly in ready to explore and read their favorite books. The best part of their adventure is story time, when each bat becomes lost in the world of imagination.

Brian Lies' illustrations draw you in with a beautiful combination of texture and light. That bats seem to glow in the darkness. This book is perfect to read on a cozy rainy day by the fire. Young and old will be charmed by the bats adventure into the world of books and imagination.