Special Treat ??“ New writer Hartson Dowd

Jan 10, 2006

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I want to wish a warm welcome to Hartson Dowd as writer #281 for Storytime Tapestry.?  I got to hear about Hartson through an email of his story that was sent to me by Kay Seefeldt. Kay knows how I love to promote my fellow Canadian writers.?  Please send him an email and tell him how much you appreciate his work too.

JANUARY 1, 2006

? ? ? ?  The year is always portrayed as an old man or a baby.?  Like most
people, it never gets any attention when it??™s middle-aged.

? ? ?  As the chimes strike midnight, we welcome the beginning of a new
year.?  Our celebrations on this day take many forms.?  All over the
world the New Year is celebrated with ceremonies of one kind and
another --- feasts, the ringing of bells, the wearing of new clothes,
and the giving of presents, and so on.

? ? ? ?  In French Canada, New Years Day is very much a family celebration.? 
After the early morning New Year??™s Mass at a nearby Roman Catholic
Church, the family will gather for a special dinner, where all the
members of the family will gather bringing many tourtiere meat pies and
dried apple pies, traditional specialties.?  It is a loud and joyous day
that is enjoyed by young and old.

? ? ? ?  For the Greek-Canadians, New Years Day is called St. Basil??™s Day.? 
It is a traditional family celebration where gifts are exchanged with
family members and friends.?  As well, each family bakes a basilopita,
an orange flavoured sponge cake baked with a coin hidden inside.?  The
person who gets the slice of cake with the hidden coin will have good
lick all year.?  As well, a deep fried bread called a lalangita used by
Greek-Canadians to predict luck in the New Year.?  Made from simple
dough with raisins, it is much like a donut.?  The first lalangita is
made in a cross shape, and if it spins and turns over to the right when
dropped into the hot fat, things will go well for the family in the
year to come.

? ? ? ?  For those of the Buddhist faith, this is Temple Day in Canada.?  At
midnight, the Buddhist community tolls a bell 108 times to end the old
and ring in the new.

? ? ? ?  Japanese-Canadians of the Shinto faith welcome the New Year today.? 
Wearing their best clothes, they will visit shrines where they will
pray for the renewal of hearts, good health and prosperity.?  For the
Japanese, the first meal on New Year??™s Day is ozoni.?  This soup is made
with chicken pieces, dashi, daikon and other vegetables, and each of
the vegetables brings a different form of luck to the New Year.?  Ozoni
is served in deep bowls over pounded sweet rice cakes.

? ? ? ?  Macedonian-Canadians will eat a special pastry called a maznik.? 
This cake, as with the Greek basilopita, contains a coin for good luck.
?  Before serving, the cake is turned three times and then cut into the
exact number of pieces to serve the whole family, including pets.

? ? ? ?  Our friends who are of Korean origin celebrate their New Year,
called Solnal It is a time for the children and the adults to wear the
traditional han pok costumes, which are brightly coloured and
beautifully decorated.?  Children are treated with fruit, gifts and
money and the family eats a traditional soup called ttukgook.?  The New
Year period ends on the day of the first full moon, usually fifteen
days after Solnal.

? ? ? ?  In China, the making of special dumplings called Jiaozi is a very
popular New Year custom, particularly among children.?  The dumplings
are arranged in large, flat baskets, but the exciting thing for the
children is that hidden in the dumplings are coins.

? ? ? ?  This is really a very appropriate New Year symbol.?  Sometimes there
is a certain amount of foreboding as we wonder what the year will
bring.?  How much better if we could greet it eagerly as the Chinese
children do with their New Year dumpling, looking for the goodit holds.

? ? ? ?  Over the years it has been a common practice for many of us to make
New Year??™s resolutions to better our lives in the year to come.?  ???I
will lose ten pounds.????  ???I will be better organized.????  ???I will spend
more time with my family,??? are often promises made and then broken.
Maybe some people think it a bit old-fashioned, however, I think many
resolutions consist of resolving not to do in the future something we
have been guilty of doing in the past.?  It is possible that this
tradition may have its origins in several cultures.

? ? ? ?  Before a Scottish family celebrated Hogmanay (the welcoming of the
New Year), it was the custom to clean the home, return to the rightful
owner anything that was borrowed, pay all debts, mend all clothing and
tune all instruments.

? ? ? ?  Before the Chinese New Year, houses are swept clean, new clothes
are worn and debts are paid.?  As well, quarrels must be settled so that
every one may have a new beginning.

? ? ? ?  For the people of the Iroquois nation, the New Year begins five
days after the visit of the first new moon in January.
? From our friends Yona, Owl, Deer & Walking-Proud who want to share
another Native American teaching with you:

January 2nd marks Unolvtani (oo-NOH-luh-tan-uh), the month of the Cold
Moon. This time of the season is a time for personal and ritual
observance, fasting and personal purification. These cold winter months
teach us to appreciate our loved ones and our blessings (secure homes,
warm fires, friends and family, good food, etc.)

During this season, families prepare for the coming of the new seasons,
starting in Windy Moon, Anuyi, or March. Personal items and tools for
planting are repaired, and new ones made. Stories about ancestors and
the family are imparted to the younger ones by the elders. A mid-Winter
or "Cold Moon Dance" was usually held in the community as well, marking
the passing or ending of one cycle of seasons and welcoming the
beginning of the new cycle. Hearth fires are put out and new ones made.
The putting out of fires and lighting of new ones was said to be the
duty of certain priests, and everyone would light their family fires
from this one New Fire of the season, coinciding with the first
new-arrival of the morning star in the east.

For the new ones in our family, our New Moon is celebrated when the
first thin crescent is visible with the naked eye after the Dark Moon.? 
Every New Moon is a sacred time for our people, AniTsalagi, and we
celebrate by going to water with prayer and fasting until sundown.

Amagayvhi (running water) has the power to cleanse the body and the
spirit. There are two forms of "Going To Water." One form is called
Amayi Ditatiyi, in which the water was simply dipped up with the hands
and spread over the person's head and body seven times.?  The second
form is called Atawastiyi, in which the person plunged or went entirely
under the surface of the water. The person "going to water" faced east
and dipped himself under seven times.

Fasting, and greeting Grandmother Sun as she rises in the East, praying
as you dip 7 times in running water, even if it is under a showerhead
or running faucet, it is something we *all* can do. It cleanses us
spiritually and gives us a chance to celebrate each new beginning of
Grandfather Moon.

If YOU are afraid of what the New Year may bring, remember that God
always sends us a light to see our way.?  May you and your loved ones
have a happy, prosperous and loving New Year.
?  In Jesus name....Amen.
? ? ?  Hartson Dowd

? thedowds@telus.net