It's the Season for Holiday Traditions, Auntie!

It's the Season for Holiday Traditions, Auntie!

by Veronica Spettmann

‘Tis the season for all kinds of holidays for all kinds of Aunties! To prepare all of our Aunties for the festivities of winter, we thought it might be nice to put together another holiday fact sheet for our Auntourage. Here we have some of the origins for traditions in four of the season’s holidays: Hanukkah, Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa.
Hanukkah
December *20-28, 2011

- “Hanukkah” means “dedication” in Hebrew.

- According to the Talmud, a central text in Judaism, Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration because of a miracle. When the Jews were rededicating the Second Temple (hence the “dedication” translation for Hanukkah), they only had enough oil to light the menorah for one day, but it remained lit for eight.

- Jews light an additional candle each night, from one to eight candles on the last night of the holiday.
- Because of the importance of oil in this story, a lot of traditional Jewish celebratory foods are fried in oil, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts.
- The four Hebrew letters on the four sides of the dreidel mean a "great miracle happened there.” - Children today play with dreidels during Hanukkah to commemorate children who would use them to mask the fact that they had actually been studying from the Torah, despite the fact that that was outlawed by their Greek oppressors.

*Holiday begins at sundown on December 20th.

Yule
December 22, 2011
- “Yule” is from the Old Norse and means “Feast” or “Wheel” and is a celebration of the Winter Solstice, or the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
- Yule celebrates the death and re-birth of the Sun-God, who will fertilize the Mother Goddess for a fruitful spring.
- Yule, like most of the other seasonal holidays, is a celebration of light because it is the shortest day of the year.  This is why it is often commemorated with the Yule Log.
- Because Yule is associated with the wheel, no wheel is to be turned on Yule  or else it would show impatience with the “wheel of the sky,” or the sun.
- Yule is a 12-day holiday beginning on “Mother’s Night” and ending on “Yule Night. It is also the origin for the Christian song, “12 Days of Christmas.”

Christmas
December 25, 2011
- “Christmas” is from the Old English “Cristes Maesse,” or “mass of Christ.”
- Because the early American Puritans were very strict in their beliefs about indulging in decadence, Christmas was not a holiday in early America and was not declared a federal holiday until 1870.
- Santa Claus became an integral Christmas figure after novelist Washington Irving wrote him into a novel in 1809.
- Mistletoe was an ancient Celtic remedy for infertility and was associated with the Scandinavian goddess of love, which is likely why people kiss beneath mistletoe around Christmas.
- It is said that the tradition of the Christmas tree was based on the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

Kwanzaa
December 26, 2011-January 1, 2012
- Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.”
- Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 and celebrates the first harvests in Africa.
- Kwanzaa is centered around Seven Principles: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.
- Those who practice Kwanzaa are encouraged to not mix the holiday or its symbols with those of any other culture, because it would go against the traditional Kwanzaa belief of staying true to one’s roots.
- Kwanzaa, unlike Hanukkah, Yule, and Christmas, is a cultural holiday rather than a religious one.


So, Aunties, you can share these fun facts with your nieces and nephews or in trivia games with your families at your various holiday celebrations. Whatever holiday you celebrate with your nieces and nephews, may your season be safe, happy, and full of promise for the coming year!


Published: November 30, 2011

15 Ways to Ward Off the Winter Blues

15 Ways to Ward Off the Winter Blues

by Veronica Spettmann


Savvy Aunties know all about the seasonal winter blues, and have probably noticed when their nieces and nephews are starting to feel them.  But winter doesn’t have to be like that.  Here are 25 wonderfully fun winter activities to do with your nieces and nephews to warm you up, inside and out:

1. Make hot cocoa with a twist (try stirring it with a cinnamon stick or candy cane)!

2. If you’re near snow, make a snow-man, build a snow fort, throw snowballs, or go sledding!

3. With the holiday break approaching, and your belts tightened due to holiday expenses,  take your nieces and nephews to a weekday movie, as many theaters offer great weekday discounts!

4. If you’re itching to see a movie, but weather won’t permit, plan a movie night with your nieces and nephews. Pop some popcorn, turn out the lights, and put on your favorite movies.

5. My aunts always had a Box ‘O Fun which held things like coloring books, modeling clay, googly eyes, glue, and pipe cleaners. Wintertime is a great time to break out something like this for a fun and crafty day.

6. Play board games: there’s no limit to the range of board games on the market for nieces and nephews of all ages.

7. Bake sugar cookies.  Kids love getting their hands dirty, so having them roll out, cut out, and decorate delicious sugar cookies is a fun way to make a mess together.

8. Visit museums in your area. They’re warm, inexpensive, educational, and fun.

9. Go to a football game. If you can’t make it to an NFL game, college games are a great alternative.

10. Go to an ice-skating or roller rink. This is a great way to stay physically active with your nieces and nephews in the colder months.

11. Let older kids use your smart phone or pocket video camera to take home movies.

12. Grow some plants. Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean the inside of your place needs to feel the same! Helping your nieces and nephews to plant indoor plants will bring back some sunshine to their lives this winter.

13. Go bowling!

14. Visit your local planetarium or observatory.

15. Go to the arcade.

These are just a few seasonal suggestions that family members of all ages can enjoy together. The winter blues won’t stand a chance with you, your nieces and your nephews this year!


Published: November 30, 2011

Considering IVF? You're Not Alone, Auntie

Considering IVF? You're Not Alone, Auntie

by Veronica Spettmann


In vitro fertilization (IVF) is on the rise, Aunties. The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority recently released figures that show an overall 5.9 percent increase in all types of IVF in 2010. Treatments with donated sperm increased from 1,615 cycles of IVF in 2009 to 1,963 cycles in 2010, a 21 percent increase. Women are increasingly aware of that pesky biological clock and single (straight) women aren’t about to let a lack of Mr. Right get in their way of having the family they desire. Gay women also turn to IVF to conceive.
In 2010, there were 45,264 women treated with either IVF or ICSI (intra cytoplasmic sperm injection, in which a single sperm is injected into an egg) in the UK. Seventy-four percent of these treatments involved women who were using their own fresh eggs. Seventeen percent of the treatments involved women using their own frozen eggs, which has become a popular option for women waiting until later in life to have children, though frozen eggs are overall less successful in IVF.
Of all of the women treated by IVF in 2010, the average age was around 35 years old, which is older than the average of women undergoing treatment in 1991. So if you’re worried that you may be getting too close to the end of your fertility age for treatment, think again. Women are waiting longer than ever to start families and seems like IVF is proving a choice for many.


Published: November 22, 2011

10 Things You Didn't Know About Thanksgiving

Back to Savvy Auntie articles!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Thanksgiving

by Veronica Spettmann


Congress approved Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday in 1941. Since then, it has been a time to reflect on all of the things we are grateful for and a time to focus on family. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November, as every Savvy Auntie knows.  But what are some things about Thanksgiving you may not know?
1. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. The Wampanoag tribe, who taught the original settlers (the Pilgrims) how to cultivate the land, gathered with the Pilgrims to give thanks for the year’s harvest.

2. The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621, but wasn’t an annual celebration until 1863, when President Lincoln listened to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale’s request for the national holiday.

3. The Pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts in December of 1620. They were attempting to escape religious persecution by the Church of England and went on to become the Puritans.

4. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the United States national bird.  Thomas Jefferson opposed him.  It is said that “Tom the Turkey,” was Franklin’s way of spiting Jefferson!

5. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade became a tradition in the Roaring 20’s.

6. Thanksgiving used to be celebrated on the last Thursday of every November, but Franklin D. Roosevelt changed that in order to make the holiday shopping season last longer.

7. Ducks were probably the main course of the first Thanksgiving meal. The Native Americans would have brought deer, or venison, with them.

8. Cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, staples at today’s Thanksgiving table, weren’t even invented until after the first Thanksgiving!

9. There were more Native Americans (90 strong) than Pilgrims (53 survivors) at the first  Thanksgiving.

10. Because the Pilgrims’ sugar supply would have dwindled during their journey, the first Thanksgiving was likely celebrated without any pies, cakes, or other desserts which we so enjoy during the season now.

So as we sit with our nieces, nephews, and other family members for our own Thanksgiving celebrations, let’s be thankful that we can enjoy the day off, the newer delicacies, the desserts, and the ease we have in organizing these delightful dinners together.


Published: November 16, 2011

Another Year of Events at Tilles Center

I had honestly forgotten that I had written this piece for the Post Pioneer, but I was going through bags of my things and found a folder with all of my physical copies of various writings I've done. So, transcribed here for your reading pleasure, is another article. Thank you for reading!

Another Year of Events at Tilles Center

by Veronica Spettmann

With every new school year comes a new and exciting lineup at C.W. Post's own Tilles Center. This year is no exception. With big names, like Idina Menzel and Marilyn Maye, and such renowned Broadway plays such as Fiddler on the Roof and In the Heights, the 2011-2012 season has something for everyone. 

What makes it even better is just how accessible these shows are to students. Not only is the theater right on campus, but students can also buy tickets for just $12 apiece when they present their student identifications at the box office.

This discounted price is not new to Post, however many students might overlook this opportunity. Emily Edwards, a senior theater major, feels that the Tilles Center is a great asset to the community at C.W. Post. She said, "The student discount inspires me to see more productions," which is certainly something students are encouraged to use to their advantage. The Tilles Center also provides students with a multitude of different performances and events to choose from. There are also certain performances that offer something called Performance Plus! This event is offered for several of the performances scheduled to take place this year. Performance Plus! events cost five dollars and are presented before the main performance happaening that night. They often include lectures or discussions by professors of C.W. Post or individuals directly connected to the performance. They give audience members insight into productions, artistic concepts, and what it is like to be a performer on the stage. 

Tilles Center box office hours are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., from MOnday through Saturday. For more information about tickets, seating, and upcoming performances, visit www.tillescenter.org. 

Here are the upcoming October performances worth looking into: 
10/2 - The Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra: Live from Las Vegas
10/8 - Thanos Petrelis and So Tiri
10/9 - Ariel Quartet
10/14 - Tedeschi Trucks Band Revelator Tour 2011
10/15 - The Flying Karamazov Brothers
10/16 - State Symphony Capella of Russia, Direct from Moscow
10/21 - Debby Boone in Reflections of Rosemary
10/22 - Tosca
10/28 - Brian Stokes Mitchell
10/29 - Ruben Blades
10/30 - In the Heights

Published: October 5, 2011

Sledding? Read This First.

Sledding? Read This First.

by Veronica Spettmann

After our unseasonably early snow in the North East this year, these new findings will definitely be of interest to Aunties who may already be sledding with their nieces and nephews. New research shows that 30 percent of children hospitalized for sledding accidents and injuries suffered significant head injuries,10 percent of which had permanent disabilities as a result.

The study was released on Saturday, October 15, at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Boston. 52 children were studied: 63.5 percent of sledding accidents happened when children crashed into a tree, and 37 percent of those children suffered head injuries. For this reason, researchers encourage the use of helmets and other protective gear when sledding.

As the weather gets colder, Auntie, consider wearing your own helmet too when you take your nieces and nephews out sledding, as they’ll want to be just like you and will then wear their own.  Try to take them to nice, open hills where they are less likely to crash into trees, and keep a close watch over them. Or just hop on the sled with them. And be safe!


Published: November 2, 2011

Ellen and Portia, Aunties Again!

Ellen and Portia, Aunties Again!

by Veronica Spettmann

Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia are Aunties again! Earlier this week, Ellen shared the news of their newest niece on Twitter along with a photo of the newborn Celeb-Niece. Ellen invites her audience to "meet her new niece" in this happy Tweet!

Ellen and Portia first became Aunties in 2009 when their niece, Eva, was born. On May 7 that year, Ellen welcomed Eva onto her show and shared this Tweet: "My niece Eva made her television debut on my Mother’s Day show!! Isn’t she the cutest?" Since then, Ellen has included her niece in other loving segments on the show. Earlier this year, Ellen and Portia took their niece Eva out for a day of pampering in Santa Monica, CA.

Will their new niece get the same treatment? We bet she will. As Ellen said in a monologue that included a mention of Eva: "I love being an aunt.”


Published: November 1, 2011

Seasonal Books to Be Thankful For

Seasonal Books to Be Thankful For

by Veronica Spettmann

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, every Auntie remembers how thankful she is for her nieces and nephews. Here we’ve compiled a list of seasonal books that would be great for helping nieces and nephews to think about what they are thankful for and how this holiday originated.
1. The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing
Most kids are already familiar with the classic tale, The Night Before Christmas, and so will be able to latch on to this new take on the story. The story follows the preparation of the feast and time with family.

2. Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

This book follows the story of a Cat, a Duck, and a Squirrel, and what happens when the Duck wants to switch his role in making the pumpkin soup. Now all the siblings can take a turn reading it back to Auntie!

3. This First Thanksgiving Day by Laura Krauss Melmed

Professor Auntie, this one's for you! This book combines the story of the first Thanksgiving with skills to help kids learn to count.

4. Happy Thanksgiving, Curios George by Cynthia Platt

Another classic Curious George story in which George manages to cause mischief... and still manages to enjoy the family and food of Thanksgiving season.  This book is great for Aunties who remember George from their own childhood and want to share it with their nieces and nephews.

5. I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

This book is twist on the story of the Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly but this Old Lady eats the entire Thanksgiving feast! Aunties will love this book if they are looking for a laugh with their nieces and nephews.

6.T is for Turkey by Gerald Kelley

This book makes learning the alphabet easy, and is full of Thanksgiving images and examples. Perfect for Aunties watching their nieces and nephews while mom and dad prepare Thanksgiving Dinner!


Published: November 2, 2011

A Final Farewell to Harry Potter

A Final Farewell to Harry Potter

by Veronica Spettmann

Aunties have noticed the Disney trend of removing DVDs from store shelves so they can take advantage of limited-time re-releases later in time. Well, just in time for the holidays, it appears that Warner Bros. will be using a similar tactic with the Harry Potter film franchise. Call it the final farewell to a series that has thrived in the hearts of Aunties, nieces, and nephews for over a decade.
As of December 29 of this year, Harry Potter films will no longer be shipped to stores. This means that the eighth film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2  and the eight-disc DVD boxed set will have a little over a month on store shelves. The boxed set and the eighth film will be released in stores on November 11.  With this most recent news, Aunties can expect a serious rush to snatch up all of the copies before they leave stores at the end of December.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 will be available for about $17 and the eight-disc box set will be available for about $60.  Both are available at internet retailers like Amazon for pre-order now, so reserve your copy while they are still available, Auntie.  Your nieces and nephews who love Harry Potter will definitely thank you for it.


Published: October 26, 2011

The Side of Soft Drinks You Didn't Know

The Side of Soft Drinks You Didn't Know

by Veronica Spettmann

Most Savvy Aunties know that regular soft drinks are high in sugar, causing health challenges for nieces and nephews who overindulge.  But research published on Monday revealed that soft drinks may have other side effects, especially for teenagers.
The study, published to Injury Prevention, showed that high consumption of carbonated, non-diet soft drinks correlated with a significant 9-15% greater likelihood that teens would engage in aggressive behavior, and had about the same effect as tobacco and alcohol use. The study controlled for age, sex, race, BMI (Body Mass Index), sleep patterns and having family dinners.
Teenagers studied that drank more than five 12-oz. cans of soft drinks each week were more likely to carry a weapon and commit violence against friends, dates, and siblings. In fact, nearly 50% of teens studied who drank 14 or more cans of soft drinks per week were violent to children in their families.
Dr. Hemenway, the study’s lead author, notes that the results are not conclusive, but that it does lead to some further interesting questions. The study was supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though not all doctors are impressed with the study design or results.
Conclusive or not, it will be easy for Aunties to take precautions with their teenaged nieces and nephews.  If your nieces and nephews spend a lot of time at your home, try to stock up on water bottles, teas, and fruit juices in order to prevent them from drinking soda. As teens are old enough to understand the results of the study, perhaps showing the numbers to them will convince your nieces and nephews to give up carbonated soft drinks altogether.


Published: October 26, 2011