Across eastern Asia on Feb 12, 2021, people will be celebrating Chinese New Year, ushering in the year of the Ox. For the growing Asian population of South Florida, this year’s celebration will be subdued compared to previous years.
Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year because it’s based on the lunar calendar and often called the Spring Festival. It’s the most important holiday in several Asian countries including China, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Philippines.
Spring Festival is when extended families come together and celebrate the beginning of the new year. Gifts are often exchanged and parents often give red envelopes filled with money to children. Lavish dinners with many dishes symbolizing unity and good luck are served. New Year’s rituals span two weeks, so you will often find businesses in east Asia taking a long vacation during this period.
In the US, you will find many of the traditional celebrations, such as dragon and lion dances and the hanging of red lanterns in many China towns across the country. But this year, this is expected to be more subdued, and many families will be celebrating at home.
The Ox from the Chinese Horoscope symbolizes someone who is honest and hardworking. As we all recover from a difficult 2020, I hope the spirit of the Ox imbues us with the strength to take on the recovery, and leads to a prosperous 2021.
On December 17, 2020, the Somerset Parkland Academy will host a fun and creative holiday celebration in its latest innovative solution to bring brick and mortar kids together with virtual students. From 4:30pm–8:30 pm, the school will host a drive-thru Winter Caravan to the North Pole–Covid Style.
Students and their families can attend the event from the comfort and safety of their vehicles. Each car will make their way around the school parking lot, while enjoying costumed characters and stilt-walkers parading around the caravan, a Christmas light show with celebrity DJ Cruz, games that can be played from afar, throwing pies at teacher’s faces, and food truck galore.
Somerset Parkland Academy is a first-year charter school that opened its doors during the craziest times in 2020. Right away the school was forced to start with all virtual classes from K-6th grade. Within 2 months, the school transitioned to a hybrid model with both brick and mortar students and remote-learning virtual students.
Somerset Parkland wanted to end the year with a flair as this Winter Caravan is another creative idea to allow the virtual students to experience the same holiday event as the in-person students.
Project Coordinator: Jennifer Knight
(305)-469-8854 or jenniferharrisknight@gmail.com
Principal: Geyler Castro
(954)-718-3391 or gcastro@somersetparklandacademy.com
“We are currently delivering smiles for all occasions and celebrations,” said co founder and president of Sign Greeters, Ivonne Simon, from Coral Springs “These days, people are looking for new and different reasons to celebrate!”
Sign Greeters, a popular national yard greeting sign company, has built a brand that helped contribute to an era of drive-by parties, small outdoor gatherings, and Zoom parties. As such, the yard sign business has boomed, delivering satisfaction for both the clients and the owners during the pandemic.
Sign Greeters was founded by Ohio State University sorority sisters Ivonne Simon and Stacie Francombe (from Atlanta, GA). In March 2020, the two successful businesswomen saw the demand for the Sign Greeters business. With Ivonne’s top recruiting skills and Stacie’s 20 plus years of marketing, they had the perfect team.
“Stacie and I saw an incredible vision for this company during a time of uncertainty,” says Ivonne. “We wanted to help families during the pandemic – both families who were looking for new ways to celebrate birthdays and special occasions, and those who were looking for a new source of income after losing jobs. This was a natural fit for so many, who are now becoming regional owners of a company that is both meaningful and profitable.”
The Sign Greeters brand now has 38 owners across 11 states, in less than four months, and it’s picking up speed.
From a birthday, graduation, or baby shower to bar/bat mitzvahs, Christmas/Hanukkah, or Welcome Home, Sign Greeters has the yard signs that have helped families across the country celebrate special occasions and bring joy to all those who see them.
To order your Sign in Parkland, Coral Springs or Boca, please contact Ivonne at 954-459-1859. To place your yard greeting order in other areas of South Florida, or to find out more about owning your own Sign Greeters Business, please visit our website www.signgreeters.com.
I guess we are all getting older, but occasionally, there is a situation that reinforces the fact that you have become part of the older generation. That situation happened to me this past spring when I was lecturing at Auburn Veterinary School. I was part of a group of speakers talking to the veterinary students about life post-graduation. Speakers from around the country were mentoring young minds, eager to hear about their profession. There is nothing more rewarding.
While I was waiting to speak, I decided to walk around the veterinary school. It was cold outside, so I stayed inside and walked by a man and woman. When I walked by, I could hear them talking about me, and I heard the woman tell the man that she knew me but could not remember where.
I continued to walk around the building when I heard her loudly say down the hall, “she knew it,” and before I knew it, she was walking briskly to catch up to me. She tugged at my jacket and apologized, but she wanted to say hi to me.
She introduced herself as Paulette and said that I might not remember her, but her mother, who recently passed away, was a client, and I would remember Rocko the Rottweiler.
Dr. Glenn Kalick
Rocko the Rottweiler was one of a kind. The owner used to call the dog stupid because I performed four exploratory surgeries to remove foreign bodies from his intestines. A little biology lesson here: Rottweilers have large diameter intestines, so a foreign body would have to be large to obstruct Rocko. Interestingly, each of the four foreign body surgeries was for either the husband’s athletic socks or the knot on the end of a large rawhide dog bone. Rocko was one of a kind. He got into the fishing tackle box and got a fishing hook stuck in his tongue, and the one time he went to the beach, he got stung by a jellyfish. Thank god the owner had pet insurance.
Paulette introduced her husband, who also said he recognized me. He told me I probably would not recognize him, but he spent a day shadowing me for a school project when he was in high school. He told me that he was the kid who fainted when watching me in surgery.
I told him that it happened all the time, and he should not be embarrassed. He said that experience changed his career aspirations from wanting to be a human surgeon to pursuing his love for numbers, and now he is an accountant.
It was great to see Paulette and her husband, but it was strange that it happened at a veterinary school in Alabama. I asked her if she was here because her pet was sick. She said she didn’t currently have a pet because she was too busy traveling. So, I had to ask her again, why is she there? My daughter is in Vet school at Auburn, and we are taking her out to dinner after the conference.
So, here is the circle of life. I took care of the grandmother’s dog, and I am lecturing to the granddaughter at veterinary school. Where did the time go? I ended up going to dinner with the happy family and hope to continue to mentor the young veterinary student throughout her career.
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, the Festival of Lights, Kwanzaa, or Festivus (for the Rest of Us) this holiday season — it’s safe to say that we could all use a little extra light in our lives this year. If you’re looking for family friendly activities that are also COVID-safe — consider taking the show on the road!
Holiday Fantasy of Lights
Holiday Fantasy of Lights is proud to announce its 26th year of spreading magical, luminescent cheer! A South Florida family tradition, Holiday Fantasy of Lights will return for the 2020 season displaying its drive-thru spectacular with thousands of lights to dazzle the whole family. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Gilda’s Club of South Florida, an organization dedicated to providing free services to men, women, and children impacted by cancer.
Lights 4 Hope, Inc will return once again for the 2020 season to showcase a delightfully illuminated drive-thru holiday light show with a purpose — to share the spirit of giving with those less fortunate, and inspire happiness and hope to those in need during the holiday season. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, proceeds from the light show will go toward gifting holiday decorations and presents to children in local hospitals and families in need.
Cost: $12 to $30 depending on vehicle size, number of occupants.
2020 Dates: Nov 20 – 22, Nov 27-29, Dec 4-6, Dec 11-13, Dec 18-20, Dec 25-27, 2020
Hours: Fridays & Saturdays 6-10 p.m.
Sundays 6-9 p.m. (weather permitting)
Neighborhoods
For decades, these neighborhoods in South Florida have made a tradition out of bringing festive joy to the hearts and sparkle to the eyes of both the young and old by illuminating their homes and communities.
Gabriel Lane “The Christmas Street” (West Palm Beach, FL)
I don’t think I’m losing it, at least I hope not, but as Mickey grows, I have the strangest feeling that something about him reminds me of my mother.
It isn’t that he looks like my mom but when he looks at me I immediately think of my mom. At first, I thought the obvious (lol), my mom was reincarnated into my life as my dog. Although I am open to forces beyond my comprehension, this is not my real belief, so I continued to think about this strange feeling.
My second idea was that I was missing my mother in this second year after her death. I was experiencing what psychologists call transference, substituting my absent love for her onto Mickey. That just didn’t seem like the answer either. I have had plenty of love from my husband, family, and friends, so I didn’t think this answered the feeling either.
After more thought and soul searching, I think I realized what it is. There is nothing in this world like a mother’s love for her child. This love is unconditional, boundless, and always, always there. And how does the child feel their mother’s love? Through touch and care, but most of all in the absolute love that shines in their mother’s eyes.
That look is often the way Mickey looks at me. The love between people and dogs is a popular theme of endless books and movies. Who else greets you each and every time you return home with love with unlimited joy. Who else kisses you endlessly with their licks just to show how important you are to them. And who else looks at you with unconditional love and joy simply because you are in their lives. The answer is, of course, your dog. That wonderful look that Mickey gives me reminds me of my Mom and brings me to joy and tears.
One of the benefits of getting Mickey was that I have met a whole host of people in my neighborhood that I never knew before. These are all the dog owners that I meet while out walking Mickey.
Among the dogs we have met, one of Mickey’s favorite is Bailey, a cavapoo owned by Jodi. Every time our walks coincide, both Mickey and Bailey are joyous, and Jodi and I have really good conversations. I think she is a kindred spirit.
Jill and Mickey
I had to share my thoughts about Mickey and my mom with Jodi, whose mom had passed away a number of years ago. I started by saying that I had something strange to share, that Mickey reminded me of someone. Before I had a chance to go further Jodi finished my thought. She said, ”He reminds you of your mother doesn’t he?
Well, I was completely amazed. “How did you know that?” I asked. She said that Baxter, her other dog, reminds her of her mother. She feels that Baxter has her mom’s spirit and was sent to watch over her. She said, “It is all in the eyes.” It couldn’t have been coincidence that we both felt the exact same feeling and I don’t think either of us are crazy. I explained my theory to Jodi, and while she sees my point, she believes it is spiritual not just the love I described. Who knows and it doesn’t really matter.
How lucky we are to have this feeling and enjoy the love of our dogs and wonderful memories of our mothers. We can’t be the only ones believing their dog reminds them of someone loved and lost, but I have not yet shared my thoughts with others. Now I am sharing my feelings with you. I wonder if you have experienced this as well?
One last thought, I am reminded about the importance of our eyes since we are now wearing masks. Without seeing another person’s smile or facial expression, without enjoying a hug or handshake, the eyes have to communicate all our emotions. From our dogs to our moms, it is all in the eyes.
South Florida is home to a large Hindu community, and every fall, various celebrations fill the local temples and community centers.
Navratri (nine nights) marks a vibrant and joyful Hindu celebration, and this year, it will begin on October 17th. The festival is a celebration of the divine feminine principle Shakti. One of the core beliefs of Hinduism, pluralism, exemplifies that the divine can manifest itself in different forms as is exemplified during Navratri.
The first three days are dedicated to GoddessDurga, the next three to Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth; and the last three days are for Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning and wisdom. The last day, the tenth, Dussehra, is for celebrating the triumphs of good over evil.
During the evenings, Hindus get together and dance. Garba, Gujarat’s traditional folk dance, is performed, and so is Dandiya-raas. In Garba, dancers move in a circle around a picture or representation of Durga (creative energy).
Garba involves vigorous movements such as jumping, fl ailing the arms, rhythmically clapping, twirling, and stepping in sync. Dandiya-raas involves two circles moving in opposite directions. The outer circle moves counterclockwise while the inner circle moves clockwise. Each woman strikes her dandiyas, wooden sticks, with those of the woman in the other circle, then they both move on.
Dancing helps express joyousness, togetherness, and reverence for womanhood. Many women fast and pray throughout the nine days to Goddess Shakti. Many also place books, instruments, and tools before Goddess Saraswati as they wish for her to bless them with talent, knowledge, and inspiration.
Although the celebrations this year will be different and may not be as community-centered as previous years, Hindus will still feel together and spread spiritually as they celebrate on their own to show persistence against the current challenges, like Durga’s victory over Mahishasura.
