Recess! Media

Today, our internet correspondent, Koren Stembridge, has some ideas for holiday surfing.

It’s December, 1999. You have only a few weeks left to teach your friends and family the words to Auld Lang Syne so that you won’t be the only ones faking it when the big clock turns! Where do you find the words to this elusive tune? Well on the web of course! And while you’re logged on, take yourself and kids in your life on virtual tour of the December holidays.

Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, begins at sundown on December 3rd. A fun place to begin learning about Chanukah at Torah Tots – with its great activities for kids – sing Chanuka songs, and play the dreidel game online! Next, stop by the Chanukah Resources Site to learn the history behind this holiday. Finally, don’t miss the Virtual Jerusalem page for a beautiful and thoughtful look at this celebration. Oh, and be sure to print out a recipe for potato latkes somewhere along the way!

Christmas on the web is nearly as commercial as Christmas at the mall – so you really have to wade through the product endorsements to get to the more interesting and meaningful pages. For starters stop by Holidays on the Net and read the story of the nativity. Next, try the World Wide Christmas Calendar. This page is set up like an Advent calendar – each day you open a window to a different country to see how children there celebrate the Christmas holiday. To get your creative juices flowing, the Christmas Clipart page at Kidsdomain is a guaranteed hit – or if music is your thing, Guess the Carols is the site for you – can you guess which Christmas carol is represented by each of the 24 cartoons? I couldn’t! And for all the techies in your family, you can send Santa your Christmas list via email at Homepage for the Holidays.

December 26th – January 1st, many African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa, a holiday of family, community and culture. The name Kwanzaa comes from a Swahili term for the “first fruits of the harvest.” You can learn about Kwanzaa by visiting the Smithsonian Institute’s page for a history of the holiday. Follow that with a visit to The Official Kwanzaa Web Site, which was developed by Dr. Karenga who established this holiday in 1966. At the official site, there is extensive information about how Kwanzaa is celebrated; its rituals and symbols.

On New Year’s Eve, log on one last time! First, check out a history of New Year’s Celebrations where you will learn that the act of celebrating the new year dates back 4000 years to ancient Babylon. And for a look at how new years day will be celebrated around the world, visit KidLink’s Multi-Cultural Calendar.

There, we’re done with the tour. Now turn off the computer and drink a toast to Auld Lang Syne!