2 - QVI Club
2 - QVI Club
2 - QVI Club
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
America<br />
African Americans celebrate the week-long Kwanzaa from 26 December to 1<br />
January. This festival that celebrates ideals such as family life and unity was<br />
first created by Maulana Karenga in 1966 to help African Americans reconnect<br />
with their cultural and historical roots. The word Kwanzaa derives from the<br />
Swahili phrase ‘matunda ya kwanza’, meaning ‘first fruits of the harvest’, and<br />
is based on ancient African harvest festivals. During this spiritual holiday,<br />
millions of African Americans dress in special clothes, decorate their homes<br />
with colourful African fabrics, fruits and vegetables, and light a candleholder<br />
called a ‘kinara’. The festival culminates in a feast and gift-giving.<br />
to be jolly!<br />
Central and South America<br />
Holiday customs in this part of the world still reflect the historical<br />
and deeply Catholic traditions inherited from Spain. The birth of<br />
Jesus Christ is celebrated widely, with the manger or presepio -<br />
the lowly makeshift bed that Jesus was born in - being the primary<br />
focus of the holiday. Sometimes an entire room in a household is<br />
elaborately decorated with shepherds, angels, and the Wise Men<br />
surrounding the manger to pay homage to Jesus. On 6 January, the<br />
three Wise Men bring gifts to children.<br />
China<br />
The Chinese New Year is usually celebrated sometime in January or February by millions of<br />
Chinese around the world, from Taiwan to Singapore, from Toronto to Sydney. The Chinese follow<br />
a lunar calendar, and the exact date of the New Year depends on the phases of the moon. To<br />
usher in the New Year, households will embark on a thorough spring-cleaning to signify a fresh,<br />
positive start. Old furniture, clothes and possessions are replaced with new ones, and lights are<br />
left on throughout the eve to brighten the home. Families and friends visit each other, bringing<br />
with them pairs of mandarin oranges to represent good fortune, and small red envelopes of<br />
cash to give to children.