Blog Archives

Do You Know About these 6 December Holidays?

12/14/2020

by Lexi, Day-Riverside Branch

December was always a magical time, growing up in Tokyo. On December 1st, seemingly overnight, every shop, restaurant and public space was decked out with tinsel, baubles, holly, fake snow; the works.

When I moved to the United States I noticed similar behavior every December 1st, with one key difference. While “クリスマス” (Christmas) in Japan featured Santa everywhere (in gel, wood, plastic and even frosting form), there were also several symbols of a vast variety of December holidays. I saw menorahs, mirror rice cakes and mkekas everywhere I went.

If any of these sound unfamiliar, there’s a reason for that! While 9 out of 10 Americans say they celebrate Christmas, 7% of the country doesn’t! That’s more than 23,000,000 people! Let’s spend some time investigating December holidays this season!

Hanukkah, חֲנֻכָּה.

December 10th- 18th in 2020.

With more than 7 million Jews living in America, you’ve likely heard about Hanukkah by this point! This eight-day holiday involves exchanging gifts each night, eating fried foods (such as latkes, jelly doughnuts and delicious bimuelos) and lighting the Menorah (מנורת). On each night of Hanukkah, a new branch is lit! The 9th candle, called the shamash, is used to light all the other candles! While it might seem like Hanukkah is already widely accepted across the country, it still faces some adversity! In 2015, a menorah was removed from the town square of Lakewood Township, New Jersey, (even though 59% of the community was Jewish)! Hanukkah deserves respect and the space to be celebrated.

Bodhi Day, 臘八

December 8th.

This holiday, observed by Mahayana Buddhists, celebrates the enlightenment of Gautama Buddha. The ways to celebrate Bodhi vary greatly, but most homes will decorate a ficus tree (the tree that Gautama sat under when he was enlightened) with beads, shiny ornaments and multi-colored lights, (sound familiar?). A meal of rice and milk is eaten to remember that this was the first meal offered to the now-enlightened Buddha to help him regain strength. More than 2 million people in the US identify as Buddhist! If you’d like to know more about our Buddhist community members, spend some time looking into Bodhi day this December!

Kwanzaa

December 26 - January 1

Maulana Karenga (an African-American professor of Africana studies and activist) developed the holiday in 1966, in the aftermath of the Watts riots. The plan was made to “give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.” The word comes from the Swahili phrase Mutanda ya Kwanza, which means ‘first fruits of the harvest’. When investigating Kwanzaa it is important to note that not all Black people celebrate Kwanzaa.

Omisoka, 大晦日

December 31

This holiday seems to outshine every other holiday Japan celebrates! Japanese families clean their houses, pay debts, purify their houses (to drive out evil spirits and bad luck) and take luxurious baths. On Japan’s NHK channel (Japanese Broadcasting Corporation) there is a four-hour singing battle! An hour before the day is done, celebrators gather together to have a bowl of 大晦蕎 (soba) or うどん (udon). The idea is that eating the long noodles while you cross over from one year to the next! At midnight, huge crowds visit Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples to celebrate the new year.

Las Posadas

Between December 16-21.

This holiday is chiefly celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Spain and by the Latinx community in America. The celebration involves a dramatization of Mary and Joseph’s journey to the stable. Two community members dress up as Mary and Joseph and lead a procession to one house after another for nine nights. Residents will welcome the group with a song and invite them inside to kneel around their own Nativity Scene. The parade carries paper shades with candles and sings songs to invite the couple in. Children often carry poinsettias and break open star-shaped piñatas, (traditionally made out of clay).

Pancha Ganapati

December 21 - 25.

Pancha Ganapati is a Hindu celebration. Traditionally, a shrine is constructed in the living room, where a statue of Lord Pancha Ganapati is placed. Each morning, Pancha Ganapati is redressed to match the symbolic color of the day, (21st yellow, 22nd blue, 23rd red, 24th green and 25th orange). Each day a new tray of sweets, fruits and incense is presented to the shrine by children. Durva grass, sugarcane and strings of modaka balls decorate the shrine, as well as flashing lights, tinsel and colorful hanging ornaments. This holiday is traditionally accompanied by family outings, picnics, feasts, and gift exchanges with relatives, friends and business associates.

Sources:
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
All I Want for Christmas is No Othering - an Alternative View of Celebrations
‘Happier’ Holidays: Making Space for Non-Normative Experiences During Holidays
Pew Research (Christmas and Religious data).
Jewish Population in the United States by State
Retaining Cultural Sensitivity During the Holiday Season
Lawsuit fears lead to menorah’s removal in Lakewood

0 Comments

Bullet Journaling for the New Year

12/7/2020

0 Comments

by McKelle, Day-Riverside Branch

As the new year approaches, it’s the perfect time to try bullet journaling. Perhaps you heard the words “bullet journal” and became intrigued. Perhaps your friend showed you theirs and it’s got you curious for more. Or perhaps you stumbled here and you have no idea what on earth this thing is and you’re starting from square one. Good news! You’re in the right place. I’m going to walk you through exactly what it is, where it came from, and what it can do for you.

First, let’s cover the most obvious question – what is it? The original idea of a “bullet journal” is a planner system devised by Ryder Carrol. However, nowadays, you don’t have to follow his system of organization and there’s plenty of freedom to create a journal how you like it. Basically, it’s a planner system that allows you to plan for the future, track the past, all while making the most of the present. Whether you think you lack skills, time, or patience for BuJo, Carroll has a reminder: “Forget about what you see online. It’s not about how it looks; it’s about how it feels, and, most importantly, how it works for you.”

Below, the basic building blocks of BuJo are explained so you can take advantage of its powerful benefits today.

TERMS TO KNOW

There are certain words that you’ll hear as you begin digging into the bullet journal system. Here are a few important terms and what they mean!

MIGRATION

One of the core principles of this system is the ability to move tasks forward to new pages. This is called migration. If you find that a task didn’t get accomplished and you still want to keep it on your to-do list, you migrate it to your current daily page to keep it relevant.

SPREADS

A spread is often said to describe the pages in a bullet journal. Most people tend to refer to two pages side by side as a spread. You often see monthlies and collections referred to as spreads because they sprawl across two pages.

TRACKERS

A tracker is a spread used to track certain information for a period of time. Trackers can span a week, a month, a year, or anything in between. There are unlimited types of trackers, but we’ll be covering some of the most popular ones below.

MONTHLIES

The word “monthlies” is just shorthand for monthly spreads.
“I love coming up with fun new themes for my monthlies!”

WEEKLIES

You might see weekly spreads nicknamed “weeklies”.
“I’ve decided to change up my weeklies format.”

DAILIES

In the same fashion as monthlies and weeklies, people often call daily logs “dailies”.
“I track several things in my dailies, like my meals and my steps for the day.”

STEP 1:
Get a notebook and writing utensils

Start with an inexpensive notebook — one you like but feel okay making mistakes in or throwing away if it doesn’t work out. Opt for a journal with blank pages (lined or unlined, your choice) instead of one with pre-existing sections so you can customize it. As for writing tools, I start with a pencil so I can erase easily. But if you’re a die-hard ballpoint pen person or gel pen lover, you do you.

STEP 2:
Start an index page

The index is the backbone of your BuJo system. Think of it like the table of contents in a book. This will be your reference key to find certain sections or pages in your bullet journal.

STEP 3:
Create logs

Logs are staples of the bullet journal system. Essentially, these are places where you can brain-dump tasks and projects you’re currently working on. It’s also your storehouse for future goals.

STEP 4:
Document with collections

Collections are essentially a catch-all for everything else you’d add that doesn’t fit into one of the previously mentioned categories. Collections can be lists, logs, trackers, maps, info dumps, and much more. Basically, if you have a specific project you want to work on, a brainstorming session you want to explore, or a list you want to purge from your mind, then you’ll want to put those in a collection.

Books you want to read
Movies you want to watch
Friends you want to reconnect with
Things you’re grateful for
Blog topics
Self-care ideas

STEP 5:
Get started and don’t worry!

Over time, you’ll home in on a bullet journaling process that fits your needs and preferences. You’ve read up on the basics of the bullet journal. You bought your supplies. Now you’re sitting in front of your new journal and you open to the first page only to hesitate. You think to yourself, “What if I mess it up?“ You might expect it to work overnight. It won’t. I actually used mine for over a year before I really felt like I hit my stride. You won’t see big changes right away, or even after a few weeks or months. This is where patience comes in. You need to give it time to work and integrate into your life. Give yourself time to adapt and develop new habits.

The only way you are going to find the best bullet journal for you is to practice, practice, practice. I know that probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s true! You aren’t going to get any better by imagining all the cool things you can write in your pages – you’ll get better by trying.

Now it’s time for you to grab your journal, pick up a pen, and dive in. What are you waiting for?

0 Comments

100 Books Before Graduation - Coming January 2021!

12/7/2020

0 Comments

by Claire, Anderson-Foothill Branch

When you read a book, you can see your world reflected in the pages, or visit a whole new world. You can find characters that are just like you, or walk in the shoes of someone completely different from yourself. Reading helps you learn, grow, escape, and feel, but we know that as we grow older, we tend to read less frequently. That's why we've developed a new reading incentive program called 100 Books Before Graduation.

100 Books Before Graduation encourages students to read for their own enjoyment throughout middle school and high school. With The City Library’s customizable 100 Books journal, teens can track their reading, find inspiration, and have a keepsake to look back on after graduation. Starting in January you can pick up your free 100 Books journal at your favorite City Library location.

Every time you read 10 books and write a short review you can come back to any City Library Branch and pick up a prize! Audiobooks, graphic novels, and nonfiction totally count!

Here's a sneak peek at the review page:

Prizes include things like...
Stickers to Decorate the cover of your reading log!

And...very cool bookmarks!

You can do this program as many times as you want, and start as early as 4th Grade!

You Can Participate Online With Beanstack!
Tracking for 100 Books Before Graduation can also be done online with Beanstack! Beanstack is the digital reading log tool we also use for the Super Summer Challenge program. It will have English and Spanish instructions. You can choose whether to use the physical or online tracker.

The Story Behind The Program
100 Books before graduation is an idea from a teen that we, at the city library, are lucky enough to help support. Much of the work on this project was done by the City Library's League of Extraordinary Teens. We are so excited to see this project started in January 2021, So many people in the library system, and teens worked hard to make it happen.

How To Pick up your Tracker and Prizes
Starting in January you can pick up your 100 Books Before Graduation Tracker and Prizes at any City Library Locations though Holds-To-Go hours, Monday- Saturday 12-6 pm!

Use our contact form here on the blog if you have any questions and stay tuned for more information on our library website soon.

Happy Reading!

0 Comments

Connect Through Books Virtually

12/1/2020

0 Comments

by McKelle, Day-Riverside Branch

Reading seems at first glance to be the perfect socially-distant activity. We use reading not just as a means to educate ourselves, or to “explore other worlds” and suchlike, but to literally keep our distance from others. And though curling up in a corner with a book seems like an obvious, natural act, reading alone and in silence is a relatively recent phenomenon. Back in the day, reading was more commonly done aloud and in groups.

Sometimes the best way to enjoy books is with other people, especially if it’s something you’re passionate about. If you’re a person who likes to share your love of reading with others, here are some resources to help you connect with the book community online!

Goodreads (both an app and a website) is the world’s largest community for reviewing and recommending books. 90 million people around the world use Goodreads to find new books, track their reading, and attempt to meet people with similar tastes. For almost 15 years, it has been the dominant platform for readers to rate books and find recommendations. You can chat with people on forums, comment on reviews, and even join book challenges and book clubs, all from the comfort of your own reading nook.

Social media is a great way to connect to the book community and share your love of reading. The three most commonly used platforms are YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok: BookTube, Bookstagram, and BookTok, respectively. If you love talking about books more than writing about them, maybe starting a BookTube channel is for you. If you have a great eye for aesthetics and great covers, maybe you can connect with readers through Bookstagram posts. Or maybe you’re good at relating books to trends and BookTok would be a source of laughs and fun for you and other readers. Check out these review videos that our SLCPL Teen Librarians have made!

Online book events are often free (if you don’t want to purchase the book) and let you hang out with some of your favorite authors virtually. Many book festivals, like YALLWEST/YALLFEST, post their panels on YouTube for free to watch.

Additionally, your favorite local bookstore might have events for you to attend as well. Check out these happenings going on in SLC!

But the best thing about virtual book events, is that you can attend any of them around the world. The best way is to look up your favorite authors online and see if they’ve listed any events you can tune in for.

Finally, if talking books with strangers doesn’t sound like fun to you, why not start a virtual book club with you and your friends? Platforms like Google Meet, Discord, Zoom, and Skype make it easy to have online discussions with friends from the comfort of your own home. You can tailor your book club to be exactly what you want and cheer each other on as you read.

You can also join one of our existing tween and teen book clubs. To find them, check out our events page.

Whether you are part of a book community or reading alone, books are a great way to let you escape from the stress of the year and find joy.

0 Comments

Forward>>

Do You Know About these 6 December Holidays?

Hanukkah, חֲנֻכָּה.

Bodhi Day, 臘八

Kwanzaa

Omisoka, 大晦日

Las Posadas

Pancha Ganapati

Bullet Journaling for the New Year

TERMS TO KNOW

MIGRATION

SPREADS

TRACKERS

MONTHLIES

WEEKLIES

DAILIES

STEP 1:
Get a notebook and writing utensils

STEP 2:
Start an index page

STEP 3:
Create logs

STEP 4:
Document with collections

STEP 5:
Get started and don’t worry!

100 Books Before Graduation - Coming January 2021!

Connect Through Books Virtually

Authors

Archives

Categories

Services

Your City Library

Support

Do You Know About these 6 December Holidays?

Hanukkah, חֲנֻכָּה.

Bodhi Day, 臘八

Kwanzaa

Omisoka, 大晦日 ​

Las Posadas

Pancha Ganapati

Bullet Journaling for the New Year

​TERMS TO KNOW

​MIGRATION

​SPREADS

​TRACKERS

MONTHLIES

WEEKLIES

DAILIES

STEP 1: Get a notebook and writing utensils

STEP 2: Start an index page

STEP 3: ​Create logs

STEP 4: Document with collections

STEP 5: Get started and don’t worry!

100 Books Before Graduation - Coming January 2021!

Connect Through Books Virtually

Authors

Archives

Categories

Services

Your City Library

Support

Omisoka, 大晦日

TERMS TO KNOW

MIGRATION

SPREADS

TRACKERS

STEP 1:
Get a notebook and writing utensils

STEP 2:
Start an index page

STEP 3:
Create logs

STEP 4:
Document with collections

STEP 5:
Get started and don’t worry!