Page 1 Dec 99

Internaf Newsletter December 1999 Issue

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Words from The Editor

-- By Marty Burke

This is my first issue as editor, so please be patient. It's also the last one of the 1990's. The next newsletter will be in February, so if you have something you'd like to submit, let me know at mrburke@netscape.net.

I don't know about you, but I, for one, will be glad to see this whiny, self-pitying, politically correct, touchy-feely decade come to an end. Maybe people will be better in the 2000's. Maybe "they" will find a cure for us, and "Ataxia" will become just another ugly memory. Maybe.

Seasonal Observations

By Sharon Anderson

Winter Blues ... and Reds ... and Greens
When it was suggested to me that I write a column about the month, my
reaction was dismay, followed quickly by horror. Dismay because why would
anyone come to the Internaf site looking for information about December? I
mean, really, you obviously have access to the web, or you wouldn't be here.
So why on earth would you come HERE looking for information about the month,
or season, or whatever? Horror because it's a topic that doesn't even
interest me, so what in the world am I going to write about it?
I decided to tackle that problem by doing a little investigation. December
is probably the single month of the year which has the most written about it,
because of Christmas. I don't celebrate Christmas. I long ago gave up any
belief that might allow Christians to claim me as their own. I have no
children, so ceasing to be victimized by the commercial claptrap was fairly
easy. More difficult has been avoiding all the media hype. And the news
stories. In the United States, the weather is usually bad. It's winter,
after all. It's snowing, or it's raining, or some combination, but it's
almost always bad. It causes traffic accidents. And power outages. Those of
us with mobility difficulties often are housebound if we are lucky,
hospitalized if we are not. The homeless population don't have the luxury of
being hospitalized. They suffer the ravages of the climate with little or no
protection. Some live; some don't. And even among the privileged, monied
set, the stresses of being (or not being) with biological and married
relatives are more than some can endure. Suicide rates go way up during the
holidays.
So, is there anything positive which can be said about the months of December
and January? I did a little research of my own.
Nearly every nation has some kind of midwinter and/or New Year celebration
around this time of year. Most of them have evolved from early attempts to
tell winter hello, goodbye, do your business and get out of here, and while
you're at it, bring back the sun, would ya?
The ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia in mid December. It was the
beginning of winter. Traditional gifts were lamps and lanterns. The Norse
and Teutonic people celebrated winter solstice or yule on the longest night of
the year.
With the early Christians came all the stories about no room at the inn, the
baby born in a stable, the three wise men, etc. The orthodox Greek celebration
encompasses all of these, and lasts from 12/25 to 1/6. The Mexican
traditional celebration is called Las Posadas, and consists of small
processions, traveling from house to house, begging shelter.
Some of the American Indian peoples celebrate midwinter. The Hopi kachinas
dance to bring back the sun.
Asian nations celebrate midwinter, too. I found information about Japanese,
Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese New Year. Japanese decorate their homes with
bamboo and greenery, and throw beans to drive away the winter spirits. But
most of these holidays occur in January, February, or sometimes even March.
Hopefully, I'll remember them in the next month or two, and write about them.
Usually, cultures celebrate midwinter by feasting. But not always. Ramadan
is held during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and fasting is
obligatory for nearly everyone. It is a sort of spiritual housecleaning.
Fasting teaches self-control, and the experience of hunger leads to compassion
for those less fortunate, and thankfulness for all one has. The Islamic
calendar is shorter than the Gregorian one, so Ramadan is not held at quite
the same time every year.
Chanukah is held on the 25th of the month of Kislev, generally before
Christmas. It is the Jewish remembrance of the Macabes' stand against Greek
persecution, and the traditional menorah, or candelabra, celebrates the
miracle of one day's worth of oil lasting for eight days.
Kwanzaa is a holiday with a much more modern, and deliberate origin. In
1966, a California university professor started this holiday. It has a
candelabra with seven candles, representing the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
During the celebration, from 12/26 to 1/1, African Americans are encouraged to
think about their roots in both continents, and to consider their place in
present U. S. society.
Boxing Day, St. Lucia's Day, the feast of St. Nicholas are other December
holidays in some countries.
For those of you in the more southern latitudes, unless your origins are
European, I was not able to find distinct national holidays. It is, after
all, not midwinter there. It isn't snowing. Your ancestors weren't fervently
praying for the return of the sun at this time of year. If you have
information to the contrary, send it to me.
I wonder if it might be possible to get together a feast with foods from all
these different holidays? We could start and end the meal with Kwanzaa
(peanut soup and sweet potato pie), Greek bread, with coins baked in it for
good luck, Chanukah potato pancakes, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves
(Japan), American cranberry sauce, with plenty of hot cider and mulled wine.
After all, I'm not driving. Who's the designated driver here, anyway?

-- From the editor

Of course, South of the Equator the Seasons are reversed, and many of us live where its too hot to have snow. So here are the words to an Australian Christmas song I used to do a lot. Imagine that sleigh-pulling is taken over by six huge old-man Kangaroos with names like "Bluey", "Two-Up", and "Desert-Head".

Six White Boomers

Early on one Christmas Day a joey kangaroo,
Was far from home and lost in a great big zoo.
'Mummy, where's my mummy? They've taken her away.'
We'll help you find your mummy, son. Hop up on the sleigh.'

Up beside the bag of toys little joey hopped,
But they hadn't gone far when Santa stopped.
Unharnessed all the reindeer and Joey wondered why,
Then he heard a far off booming in the sky.