El Día de los Reyes Magos (The Day of the Three Kings)

El Día de los Reyes Magos, or the Day of the Three Kings, is celebrated every year in Mexico on January 6.

The three kings were named Melchior, Kaspar, and Balthasar. When Jesus was born, they came to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus and arrived when he was twelve days old. They brought gifts.  Children in Mexico believe the “magi” or wise men bring them gifts on this day as well.

Mexican children leave their shoes on the outside step or balcony the night of January 5. They also remember to leave water and hay for the camels that have brought the kings on their journey. The next morning, the hay and water have disappeared, and the shoes are filled with small clay toys, candies, and fruit. Special cakes, called “Roscas de Reyes,” are baked in the shape of a crown. There are also usually little surprises baked inside, such as coins or little dolls. The lucky person who receives a gift inside the cake must prepare the party and cake for the following year.

Celebrated in Christian churches as the Epiphany, Mexican children may reenact the journey of the magi, usually with three boys depicting the kings.

Trust your Heart/ Confía en tu corazón

Confía en tu corazón.  Algunas personas y ciertas cosas son importante para ti por una razón.  Escucha tu corazón y sigue tus sueños. 

Trust your heart. Some people and certain things are important to you for a reason.  Listen to what your heart is telling you and follow your dreams!

Make 2013 a year of positive risk-taking!

Arriésgate en 2013 con posibilidades positivas.

¡Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas!

Jesús, nacido en pobreza cambió el mudo a través de sus palabras y su ser.  Disfruta este día con tu familia de origen y con tu familia de elección.  Y disfruta este video de esperanza.

Jesus, born into poverty, changed the world through his words and his being.  Enjoy this day with family you were born into and family you choose.  And enjoy this video about hope!

¡Feliz Navidad!  Merry Christmas!  Joyeux Noël

Birth of Jesus

24        Birth of Jesus According to St. Luke

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room at the inn.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

23        Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

22  Best Christmas Pageant Ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=d4KSXrz28uE

The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.

None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale — the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating — has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year’s pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.

Winter Begins! Winter solstice!

21        Winter Begins!  Winter solstice!

Did you ever wonder why the days are so long in the summer and so short in the winter? In the summer, around June 21 or 22, we experience the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. And in the winter, December 21 or 22 is the winter solstice, or shortest day.

But wait! If you live in Australia, you experience the opposite—the longest day is in December and the shortest is in June. Why?

Earth’s Angle

The answer all depends on Earth’s tilt. In the course of one year, Earth orbits around the sun. It does not complete this trip, however, with the North Pole at the top and the South Pole at the bottom because Earth is tilted. In fact, it’s tilted just about 23.5º. So at different times of the year, either the northern or the southern hemisphere is tilted toward and is therefore closer to the sun.

So if you live in the northern hemisphere (north of the equator), Earth is tilted toward the sun in the summer and away from the sun in the winter. The solstice marks the turning point, when the days begin to grow longer (in the winter) or when they begin to grow shorter (in the summer). At the solstice itself, however, the sun appears to stand still in the sky for a few days before and after. The word solstice, in fact, comes from the Latin for sun + to stand still.

Reasons for Seasons

But then why, if the solstice is the turning point, is June 21st considered the first day of summer and December 21st thefirst day of winter? This odd fact is because while the hours of daylight are changing, the oceans need to catch up. Oceans take a long time to heat up and cool down (something called thermal inertia). In June, they are still cool from the winter, so the warmest days happen in July and August. (Have you ever gone swimming off Cape Cod in June? Brrrr!) Similarly, the oceans hold onto the warmth of summer long after the barbeques have ended. So the coldest days usually happen in January and February. (Again, everything is reversed if you live below the equator.)

Even stranger, Earth is closest to the sun between January 3 and 5, but since the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, the nights are long and the weather is cold.