A Wealth of Winter Holidays

Author: Doug Morrow, Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer

Читати українською

While the celebration of Christmas takes up most of the newsprint and holiday sales advertisements in the United States in December, Americans of many different creeds celebrate a wide variety of winter holidays in the run up to the New Year. The other winter holiday most Americans are familiar with is Hanukkah  a Jewish eight-day festival. Hanukkah may fall anytime from November to December, depending on the Jewish calendar, and is celebrated by lighting one additional light on a nine-branched candelabra on each successive night (the central light burns every night). Many Jewish-American families have adopted Hanukkah as a kind of Jewish equivalent of Christmas and exchange holiday gifts with friends and loved ones on each of the days. Hanukkah celebrates a story in Jewish tradition when the Jewish Maccabean revolt ended in the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Inside, they found a container of ritual olive oil which should only have been enough to light the Temple lamp for one night. Miraculously, the lamp kept burning for eight nights, the time it took to press and prepare more oil.

Celebrating Hanukkah at the White House

In 1979, Jimmy Carter became the first U.S. President to take part in a public Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony on the National Mall. Bill Clinton was the first U.S. President to host a Hanukkah lighting ceremony inside the White House. Since then, Hanukkah has been celebrated annually in the White House.

Another popular U.S. winter holiday is Kwanzaa, a week-long celebration of African heritage and African-American culture, which is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. Created by civil rights activist Maulana Karenga in 1966, it celebrates unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with colorful African cloth, fresh fruit, and kinaras – a traditional candle holder with African-American roots. According to surveys, several million Americans celebrate Kwanzaa each year.

Kwanzaa celebration

For the approximately 1.2 million Buddhists in the United States (40% of whom live in Southern California), December 8 is an important holiday known as Bodhi Day. This date commemorates the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. According to tradition, Siddhartha had resolved to sit beneath a tree and meditate until he understood the root of all suffering and how to liberate himself from it. Buddhists believe that one early morning, as the morning star rose in the sky, Siddhartha found the answers that he was seeking, became enlightened, and experienced Nirvana.

Finally, the Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year (usually December 21) – is celebrated by people of many faiths, including Native Americans, animists and Wiccans. Wiccans celebrate this date – the sun’s “rebirth,” – with bonfires, fruits, and other symbols of harvest, as well as a “Yule log,” which holds three candles. The Zuni and the Hopi people, for their part, celebrate “Soyal” on the winter solstice, with a ritual designed to encourage the sun to return from its winter slumber. The Hopi celebrate for 16 days with “Pahos,” or prayer sticks, designed to purify the community for the coming year.

In short, the over 300 million Americans, with hundreds of different ethnic, cultural and religious traditions have always found creative and meaningful ways to celebrate the darkest days of winter, with some holidays evoking thousands of years of heritage, while others have been invented recently to meet the needs of various communities. Whatever holiday you should chose to celebrate, we wish you all a very happy winter holiday season!

 

Winter Solstice

Posted by: Llywelyn Graeme, Executive Assistant

Читати українською

Yule Tree

Of all the holidays in the Wiccan or Pagan calendar, the Winter Solstice is my favorite. Well, after Halloween of course. Everyone loves Halloween. But the Winter Solstice marks the end of the suns retreat from the sky. It renews the Goddess’s promise that the sun will return and that summer is at last on its way. The Dark King passes the veil and the young child of the sun is born this night.

Holly with red berries

I mark the day by eating (of course) cookies in the shape of the sun, spending time with family and close friends and a small ceremony. I always try to have a gaudily wreathed tree covered in stars and tinsel and (when it is safe to do so) candles in the living room. My family (on my Father’s side) came from Denmark in the 19^th century and there the tradition of the Solstice tree dates back three or four millennia, our Christmas tree growing up was always very Pagan! One of the good things about living in Ukraine is that mistletoe is everywhere. When I want to decorate with it in the United States I have to have it imported at great cost from Europe. Here it is everywhere! I also usually have holly branches, thick with blood red berries, about.

In Seattle, where I have lived most of my life, we rarely have snow in the winter. That is another great thing about living in Ukraine. While it is still hard to get about in the ice and snow, it is wonderful to look out the window and see a lustrous deep blanket of snow turning the city into a fairyland on the longest night of the year.

The other good thing about the Winter Solstice is that my wife also celebrates Christmas, and in fact the Solstice is also our wedding anniversary! So this is a time of many great celebrations for me, and that is the best way to mark having a wonderful life, reflecting on the past year, sharing gifts and good times with friends and looking forward to the coming days. I hope you all have a safe and divine Solstice, Blessed Be!

 

Memorial Day – The U.S. Kick-off to Summer

Posted by: Larry Socha, Consular Officer

Memorial Day remains an occasion to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice

To a child growing up in Chicago, Memorial Day meant one thing – the swimming pools were finally open.  Chicago can have a nasty winter bite like many cities in Ukraine, but the appearance of Memorial Day on the calendar meant that those cold winter days were long gone.  Summer could officially begin.

However, the holiday that falls on the last Monday in May, one of the anchors of the summer triangle with Independence Day in July and Labor Day in September, represents more than just the opening of park district pools.  I talked to many of my colleagues in the U.S. Embassy about the holiday on Monday and these three images kept recurring.

Flags:  Memorial Day was first known as Decoration Day and its first observance occurred on May 1, 1865, the last year of the U.S. Civil War.  Since that first Memorial Day, Americans remember all veterans who have died in military service.  Here at the U.S. Embassy, as at buildings across the United States, the American flag will fly at the half-staff position, to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to their country.  At noon, the flag will be raised to the top of the pole to commemorate the living, those veterans of past wars and those brave soldiers who still fight to protect freedom today.

Flag cake

Barbecues:  Like most American holidays, many people celebrate the day with family and friends around a table full of delicious food.  In many U.S. states, the warm weather encourages families to gather in their backyards or parks where the smell of hamburgers, hot dogs, and other food fills the air.  One common dessert for these patriotic summer holidays is the “flag cake.”  A rectangular cake is decorated as an American flag with red strawberries for the stripes and blueberries for the stars.  It would have to be a pretty big cake to fit all 7 red stripes and 50 blueberries for the stars, but a smaller version looks just as good and tastes even better.

Vacations:  This weekend alone, almost 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more as they visit family, explore national parks, and enjoy street festivals.  This week in America’s top tourism destination, New York City, “Fleet Week” begins with parades of ships, music, and movies along the piers of the city.  Further west, in Yellowstone National Park, America’s oldest national park, all park entrances are open to welcome thousands of seasonal visitors to the park’s dramatic landscapes and famous geyser, Old Faithful.

So while the pools do open this weekend, Memorial Day represents much more for millions of Americans.  It is truly a holiday to be celebrated with both solemn remembrance and summer excitement.

 

Celebrating International Water Day

Posted by: Doug Morrow, Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer

A recent article in the New York Times made me think about the importance of water, not just to our day to day lives, but to the fates of nations and industries. The article described a huge swath of the central United States, from South Dakota to Texas, underneath which is one of the world’s largest aquifers, the Ogalalla. Prior to the 1930s, this region was known as the Great American Desert, and farmers who attempted to ply their trade there were frequently brought to ruin – particularly in the famous “Dust Bowl” of the early 1930s, when huge clouds of topsoil, loosened by plows, swept across parts of the United States in terrifying mile-high dust clouds.

The Seljalandsfoss Waterfall in Iceland, by Amnon Eichelberg. (Photos of National Georgraphic)

In the 1930s, a massive campaign began to tap the Ogalalla for irrigation, and the region became one of the most stable and productive agricultural success stories in the world. This part of the United States now produces a large portion of our livestock, corn, soybeans, and especially wheat. But the bounty won’t last. This desert requires huge volumes of water to maintain its productivity. In total, farmers are draining the Ogalalla aquifer by 23cm per year, but the natural recharge rate of the aquifer (how much the aquifer is replenished by rainwater each year) varies from only 0.61mm to 150mm per year, depending on the region. As a result, some experts estimate that within 20 years, the entire aquifer will be gone!

 

It’s a Long Road from Seneca Falls

Posted by: Jason Gilpin, USAID

When I moved to Ukraine in 2007, I was pleasantly surprised that Women’s Day is a national holiday. Given all the inequality and injustice that women all over the world have faced and continue to face, I wondered why we in the United States hadn’t thought to celebrate a day outside Mother’s Day to honor the more than half of the world who get less than a quarter of the credit.

The origin of women’s rights in the United States is the Declaration of Independence of 1776, which declared that “all men are created equal.” As the English Dictionary, Merriam Webster points out, a definition of “man” is “the human race: mankind.” Unfortunately, it took my countrymen about a century and a half after 1776 to establish that “men” in the Declaration of Independence didn’t refer to the “male human,” it meant “the human race: mankind.” American women were denied the right to vote until 1920, but even at the time of America’s founding, the nation’s strength was dependent on the wisdom, prudence and perseverance of its women.

Even though women in revolutionary America were prohibited from voting, serving on juries, or even signing contracts, I wonder today how the

Martha Washington (June 2, 1731 – May 22, 1802)

young USA could have succeeded without the wisdom, foresight, and courage of its founding mothers, such as Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Margaret Catharine Moore Barry, and Dolley Madison (that’s not a typo – she spelled her name Dolley, although most people think it’s Dolly!).

Martha Washington is honored for having set the standard for intelligence, sensibility, and indefatigable patriotism in American women. She also continually encouraged her husband onward in the Revolution, despite the threat that she might very well lose everything she had, which was not at all insignificant, considering the fact that George Washington owed most of his wealth and economic status to her inheritance.

 

The Secret History of Women’s Day: Or, How an American Strike Became a Soviet Tradition

Posted by: Eric A. Johnson, Public Affairs Officer

As March 8 approaches, Ukrainian women often ask me what Americans do to celebrate International Women’s Day. My short answer is: nothing. But before anyone can get offended, I rush to explain that we honor the important women in our lives on two other days. On St. Valentine’s Day (February 14), every right-minded American man celebrates the main woman in his life (be she wife, lover, girlfriend) by taking her out to dinner (or cooking it for her) in addition to buying a card, chocolates (often in the shape of hearts), and flowers (usually red roses to signify true love). And then on Mother’s Day (the second Sunday in May), Americans honor their mothers by taking them out to lunch or dinner – or, better yet, cooking it for them. But given that so many men can’t cook, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day tend to be the two days of the year when it’s almost impossible to find a free table in a good restaurant.

Starting in New York City in 1857, women workers made a tradition of labor actions and protests on March 8. In 1910, the first International Women's Day was celebrated on the same day. This photo shows an early Women's Day protest.

All holidays begin somewhere. Mother’s Day is the relatively recent invention of American Anne Jarvis who suggested a holiday honoring mothers after the death of her own activist mother in 1905. Jarvis – who never had any children of her own – first proposed the holiday in 1912 and by 1914 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson had turned it into a nationally recognized day. By the 1920s, Mother’s Day was celebrated across the country.

St. Valentine’s Day has much older roots dating back to pagan celebrations in Greece and Rome which revolved around Hera (Juno), fertility, and her marriage to Zeus (Jupiter). With the death of the Christian martyr Valentine of Rome (killed AD 269 and buried on February 14), the holiday evolved into a Christian feast day. However, it wasn’t until English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was inspired by the Italian Renaissance to write his Parliament of Birds (1382) that St. Valentine’s Day became associated with romantic love – and love letters – in the popular imagination. The holiday, however, did not come to resemble something that we might recognize today until 1847 when another American woman – Esther Howland – began producing St. Valentine’s Day cards for her father’s store in Worcester, Massachusetts. The rest, as we say, is history.

 

Snow has landed!

Posted by: Llywelyn Graeme, Ambassador’s Executive Assistant

Shevchenko Park covered in snow

We had the first snowfall of the year this week and it reminded me how lovely Kyiv is in the winter. The first winter I was here we had a major wet snowfall that caught everyone off guard. It was my favorite kind of snow, very packable to make snowmen and easily to shovel. One of the things I like best about Ukraine is we always seem to have a white Christmas. In my home town (outside Seattle, Washington in the Pacific Northwest) it snows only three or four times a year outside the mountains, and it usually melts in two or three days. When it does snow it is always wet and thick. Every few years a storm will appear seemingly out of nowhere to drop anywhere from 5 to 15 centimeters of dense “accumulation.” Cars will be stuck on bridges and freeways overnight and run out of gas.

Different parts of the United States react very differently to snow. One of the first things I noticed when I was hired by the State Department and sent to Washington, D.C. for training was that all of the cars were fairly new. On the West Coast (California, Oregon and Washington) you will often see cars on the road dating back to the 1960’s. Volkswagen beetles, Oldsmobile 88s, Chevy pickup trucks and convertibles of all kinds.

Snow chains

East of the Rocky Mountains you just don’t see that variety and age and I wondered why for some time until my first East Coast snow storm. Then I saw dump trucks everywhere covering the roads with a salt and chemical mixture. Cities there spray thousands of tons of salt on the roads every year and this causes the bottoms of the cars to, over many years, rust away. Since the snow so rarely sticks for more than a few days on the West coast, people just normally stay home and roads are covered with sand, if anything. Seattle and the surrounding areas are also extremely hilly, so any snowfall of more than 2 centimeters and many parts of the city are impassable for anyone without chains on their car (and sometimes even with chains they are treacherous!) In fact, schools and most businesses close when there is that much snow. It happens so infrequently, we just don’t remember how to drive in it.

 

It’s Thanksgiving Everywhere

Posted By Jason Gilpin, Contracting and Agreement Officer, USAID Regional Mission for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova

For many people around the world, Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American Holiday. This holiday combines an assortment; a plate of folklore, a great bounty of food, a side of sports and a generous helping of commercial mass media, all set out on a board of essential purpose – of giving thanks for who and what we have, and appreciating all the goodness of this world for all its worth.

The story of destitute Europeans arriving on a strange shore, being helped by erudite Native Americans and breaking bread together in thanks is legendary. Like any folk story, historically speaking, it is partly true and partly false. But also like any folk story, its intent and meaning are crucial, and its historical veracity, less so. For me, the folklore of the Indians and the Pilgrims brings to mind a cornucopia of important themes: America’s diversity; the ancient wisdom, respect and resourcefulness of the Native Peoples; the courage and conviction of the Pilgrim adventurers in crossing the unknown; and last but not least the appreciation, which is universal among all peoples, for our lives, liberty, land and bounty.

 

A Brief History of Thanksgiving

Posted by: Oksana Kluchko, Journalist/Embassy Community Member

"The First Thanksgiving" (1915), by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris (American painter, 1863-1930)

Thanksgiving Day is a truly great American holiday. It commemorates a series of events which took place in the 17th Century. It was on December 11, 1620 that the Pilgrims set ground on Plymouth Rock. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast — including 91 Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. The feast was celebrated as a traditional English harvest festival that lasted three days.

Their supply of flour had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind. However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried bread from their corn crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or butter. There were no domestic cattle for dairy products, and the newly-discovered potato was still considered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include turkey, fish, berries, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.

 

Veterans Day and American Indian Heritage Month

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché

November 11 is Veterans Day and November is American Indian Heritage Month. To mark both occasions, we are posting an article that originally appeared on the website of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.

Veterans Day and the Navajo Code Talkers

Navajo Code Talkers, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, June 1944

American Indians have a long history of participating with distinction in United States military actions — an important point to remember on Veterans Day, November 11, and during American Indian Heritage Month. As scouts and auxiliary troops, Native Americans assisted U.S. troops in the War of 1812 and the Civil War and on the American frontier. More than 12,000 served in the U.S. military in World War I and 44,000 served in World War II, according to the Naval Historical Center.

 

Columbus Day Observance

Posted by: Oksana Kluchko, Journalist/Embassy Community Member

Portrait of Christopher Columbus by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio

One can argue that Columbus Day has come to symbolize the power of thinking “outside the box.” In Christopher Columbus’ day and age, “outside the box” meant thinking the world was round. In the fifteenth century, despite all the advances in learning, science, and contact with other world cultures, most people still believed the world was flat.

The Italian adventurer Christopher Columbus was bold enough to argue otherwise. Failing to convince his Italian sovereign, as well as the kings of Portugal and England, Christopher Columbus was persistent. He finally convinced the Queen of Spain to finance an expedition of great importance. At that time, spice merchants were in search of an easier route to Asia. The most common route was sailing completely around Africa, past the Cape of Good Hope, before continuing eastward.

Columbus’ argument was simple – if the world is indeed round, then logic dictated that sailing directly west would lead to the rich treasures of India and Asia. Such a discovery would bring new opportunities of wealth to Spain. The Queen of Spain was so impressed with his argument that she promised him a 10% share of the wealth he brought to Spain as a result of his discoveries.

 

Ukraine: 20 Years of Independence

Posted by: U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John F. Tefft

 “Only in your own house can you have your truth, your strength, and freedom.”

-Taras Shevchenko

“In view of the mortal danger surrounding Ukraine in connection with the state coup in the USSR on August 19, 1991,

Continuing the thousand-year tradition of state development in Ukraine,

Proceeding from the right of a nation to self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other international legal documents, and

Implementing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine,

The Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic solemnly declares the Independence of Ukraine and the creation of an independent Ukrainian state – UKRAINE.”

- Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, August 24, 1991

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

-American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

This year marks 20 years of independence for Ukraine. I’m proud to be here representing the United States during this important anniversary. Ukraine has gone through a long and difficult historical journey to achieve independence as a modern nation. It’s easy to be distracted by the immediate problems and daily challenges that Ukrainians face, but we should always remember that Ukraine’s existence as an independent nation is a triumph of the human spirit.

Americans proudly remember the events that led to our own independence, including a revolutionary rallying cry for human freedom, the Declaration of Independence. Although independence is sometimes ultimately achieved by force of arms, as in the American Revolution, it’s the power of ideas that truly spurs people into action. Thomas Jefferson’s immortal words in the Declaration of Independence gave voice to the nascent desire of a people to be free and equal on their own terms with the other nations of the world.

 

Independence Day, Hawaiian Style!

Posted by: U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John F. Tefft

Ambassador Tefft and Mrs. Tefft greet former President of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk

Last Wednesday, Mariella and I had the honor to welcome over 600 Ukrainian guests to our residence for our annual Independence Day celebration. By the way, please click here to see our newly-produced brochure about the historic residence.

U.S. Marines ceremony “Post the Colors”

Keeping with our Hawaiian theme, we had a brief rain shower but the extended sun and the warmth of our guests helped maintain the good cheer throughout the celebration. We were grateful to have talented students from the Glier Kyiv Institute of Music sing the Ukrainian and American national anthems before the U.S. Marines posted the colors.

I then spoke to the audience. Here is an excerpt from my remarks:

Ambassador Tefft speaks to the audience

“Today we celebrate our independence and freedom. Today Americans pause and remember all those who have given so much to make the United States the nation that it is today. And we especially remember today all those Americans — military and civilian — who are protecting our freedom, often in dangerous places.

 

Memorial Day

 Posted by: Anna Koshelokhova, Public Liaison Unit Assistant 

This year, May 9, Ukraine celebrated the 66^th anniversary of the holiday of both joy and sorrow – Victory Day.  This day is devoted to the victory of the Allied Forces against Nazi Germany and the end of the World War II.  Veterans gather together remembering those who perished.  Every city has a special area called “The Eternal Flame,” where people gather to pay tribute to those who gave their lives during the WWII.  In Kyiv this area is located near the famous WWII museum and the Motherland Monument. 

Citizens of the United States have a similar federal holiday.  The last Monday of May is devoted to Memorial Day.  Originally established as Decoration Day and intended to honor soldiers who perished in the U.S. Civil War, it now commemorates all U.S. soldiers who died during military service.  This year Memorial Day is observed on May 30.  

Typical observance of Memorial Day is not limited to honoring only those Americans who served in the armed forces.  It is also a day for personal remembrance.  Families and individuals honor the memories of their loved ones who have died.  Church services, visits to the cemetery, flowers on graves or even silent tribute mark the day with dignity and solemnity.  It is a day of reflection.

We at the Embassy encourage Americans and Ukrainians alike to observe this day in a way that is meaningful to them and honors the sacrifices of those who have secured the freedoms we enjoy.  Take time on Memorial Day to give thanks and gratitude to those who died for your freedom and ability to live life as you see fit.  If you have relatives or friends who have given their lives in the service of their country, remember them and show your respect.   Something as simple as placing some flowers on a soldier’s grave will ensure that you don’t forget what the day is all about.

 

Women’s History Month: Our History is Our Strength

Posted by: Leah Antil, Public Affairs Section Intern

March is Women’s History Month, which honors the achievements of women throughout history. It is a chance for people all over the world to recognize female role models by drawing on their tenacity, courage, and creativity as sources of strength in the extraordinary challenges that face the world today.

In the United States, Women’s History Month began with the official recognition of March 8th as International Women’s Day in the mid 1970s. In 1981, groups united by the National Women’s History Project lobbied U.S. Congress to declare a ‘National Women’s History Week’ that included March 8^th. By 1987, through presidential decree, the week became Women’s History Month, and Congress has issued a resolution for the month every year. This year, the Obama Administration released a report highlighting 50 years of progress.

International Women’s Day has a 100-year history of celebrating women throughout the world. It was originally established in 1911 and celebrated Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, and Germany, when over a million people rallied for women’s rights to vocational training and work, as well as to end job discrimination based on gender. Now, a century later, March 8^th is a day to advocate for political and social awareness of women’s struggles worldwide. 

 

Black History Month Highlights Accomplishments and Struggles of African Americans Part Two: From Martin Luther King Jr. to the Election of President Barack Obama

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché

Martin Luther King

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, espousing non-violent resistance to social injustice caught the attention of the nation with the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” In 1964 and 1965, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, which finally gave full legal equality to African Americans throughout the United States. Tragically, King was murdered in 1968 in Memphis by a white man who opposed his efforts to bring equality to African-Americans.

Legal equality didn’t bring full social or economic equality. Since the 1960s, there has

Barak Obama

been slow progress as more African-Americans enter the middle class, become better educated, and achieve prominent careers in all areas of society. In recent years, more young Americans have identified themselves as multiracial or mixed-race on census forms, indicating a softening of the rigid categories of black and white that had long defined American society. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 as the first African-American president was a major milestone, demonstrating that the country’s mindset had profoundly changed. However, major struggles remain for many in the African-American community, who suffer from significantly higher rates of unemployment and poverty compared to whites. Moreover, some urban communities face entrenched cycles of poverty, drug use, and violence.

Black History month is a time to examine this long and mixed story in all of its complexity. It’s the tale of a resourceful and spiritually strong people who have been striving for hundreds of years for equality, and to realize the goal set forth by Abraham Lincoln, “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”

 

Black History Month Highlights Accomplishments and Struggles of African Americans Part One: From slavery to the first victory of the Civil Rights Movement in 1954

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché

Carter Woodson

With February drawing to a close, I would like to reflect on its significance for Americans as Black History Month, a time when we highlight the accomplishments and struggles of African-Americans, who make up 13% of the U.S. population.  African-American history began with a long period of involuntary servitude, followed by struggle, progress, and – two years ago – the historic election of the first African-American President Barack Obama in 2008.

Carter G. Woodson, a noted historian and son of former slaves, conceived of the idea of a Black History Week in 1926, choosing February to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. This commemoration was later expanded to the whole month.

 

Presidents’ Day Celebrates George Washington

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attache

George Washington, the 1st U.S. President

The third Monday in February is a national holiday in the United States. Although commonly known as Presidents’ Day, the official name of it is Washington’s Birthday. The day honors our first president, George Washington, who was born on February 22. The holiday became connected with another important president, Abraham Lincoln, who was born on February 12.  Lincoln’s birthday had been celebrated as a separate holiday in many states (and still is in a few), but was merged with Washington’s into a “Presidents’ Day” in many after the introduction of Martin Luther King Day in mid-January in order to keep the number of official days of work the same. This year the holiday falls on February 21.

It’s commonly said that George Washington was “first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Americans know and revere him for two major accomplishments: successfully commanding the United States army in the Revolutionary War, and establishing the limits on executive power as the first president of the United States.

 

Prelude to Black History Month, Part Two: Mary Wilson of the Supremes

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché, and Heather Fabrikant, Deputy Cultural Attaché

As part of our commemoration of Black History Month, the U.S. Embassy is thrilled to be hosting Mary Wilson in Kyiv. She will perform a concert on February 4 at 7pm at The Concert Hall of the Tchaikovsky Music Academy (tickets can be bought at the box office) and The Story of the Supremes exhibit featuring the Supremes’ renowned fashion-defining dresses and a photographic tour of The Supremes and the civil rights movement will appear at Ukrainsky Dim (open daily from 11AM – 7PM from February 4 – 14).

One of the most successful musical groups of all time, The Supremes (Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson) skyrocketed to fame in the 1960s with a string of number one hit songs. Their glamorous style and broad appeal made them the most popular female group in America at the time, rivaling even The Beatles.

 

Prelude to Black History Month, Part One: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché, and Heather Fabrikant, Deputy Cultural Attaché

During this week, we mark the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, one of the most important figures in American history. We’re also looking forward to February, which is Black History Month in the United States, a time to highlight the many contributions that African-Americans have made to our country. We will also be welcoming Mary Wilson to Kyiv in February. An original member of the legendary Motown group The Supremes, Mary Wilson’s life and music during the 1960s were connected to the struggle for civil rights led by Martin Luther King.

Martin Luther King (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister who led the struggle for equal rights for African Americans until his assassination in 1968. He espoused the principle of nonviolent resistance to injustice and oppression, in keeping with his Christian beliefs. He led the March on Washington in 1963, when he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. During the speech he spoke perhaps his best-known words: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

 

Epiphany Marks the End of the New Year Season with a Splash

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché 

In northern states in the U.S., members of “Polar Bear Clubs” jump into icy-cold lakes and rivers each winter to celebrate the cold, have fun, and raise money for charities. The largest annual event takes place in Maryland to raise funds for the Special Olympics. I’ve never participated myself, but I’ve always been fascinated by the site of burly men (and a few brave women) in swimming suits plunging into the water in the middle of January.

Imagine my surprise to learn that similar events take place in Ukraine, but for a very different reason.  Every year on January 19th, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of their most significant holidays – the baptism of Jesus Christ, or Epiphany. This holiday is a reminder of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the river of Jordan on his 30th birthday. In the Orthodox Church, Epiphany has been lavishly celebrated from the time of “Ancient Rus.”

 On this day, the Church performs water blessings, freeing the water of all sins, as they believe Jesus did by plunging into the waters of the river Jordan. The priest blesses the water by submerging the cross three times. Those who seek individual cleansing and blessing then enter the water through a cross-shaped opening in the ice. They are supposed to submerge their bodies completely three times, while crossing themselves and saying a prayer.

 Not even the freezing temperatures of winter can deter those who believe in the ritual. It is believed that they shouldn’t fear the ice-cold water, as it will heal them and revive their bodies, but only if they have said a prayer and truly believe in the powers of the Epiphany.

 In Kyiv and all over Ukraine, the tradition has been gaining popularity in the last few years. The main ceremony in the capital takes place in Hydropark, on the banks of the Dnieper River. The event is fascinating to watch, so the embassy filmed it last year – you can watch the video here.

 According to tradition, January 19th is one of the coldest days of the year. Believers also rely on the day’s weather to predict the summer and the results of the year’s harvest. For example, a cold and sunny day means a dry summer ahead, while a snowy or foggy day is a sure sign of a rich harvest. As a rule, the bigger the snowflakes, the better the harvest. (This is reminiscent of Groundhog Day in the United States – on February 2 if it’s a sunny day and a groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter, but if it is cloudy, spring will come early. Groundhog Day is also the name of a funny movie starring Bill Murray about a reporter who keeps waking up to relive the same day, Groundhog Day at the official festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.)

Perhaps the saddest part of the day for children and adults alike is the fact that Epiphany represents the official end of the Christmas and New-Year holidays in this part of the world.  It’s an unusual way to mark the end of the season, but for some, a very important occasion. I like to watch, but for now I’ll stay on the sidelines and let other people take the plunge.

 

Holiday Cheer All Year Round

Posted by: Joye Davis-Kirchner, Consular Officer

As the year ends and we find ourselves between Western and Eastern Christmas, it is only normal to look back at the past twelve months and take stock.  In the past year, I had the honor to work with an incredible staff of Americans and Ukrainians as the Immigrant Visa Unit Chief in the Embassy’s Consular Section.  In the job, probably the most important single thing I did was to help Ukrainian orphan children to realize their dream of having a family and to help American families in their dream of having children.  It was like Christmas all year round.

While people may disagree about many things, it’s clear that the best thing for kids without parents is to become part of a family.  It’s best if this is through domestic adoption or foster care — Ukraine has done a great job of this — but that is not always possible.  Then international adoption, especially for special needs children who would otherwise remain in orphanages, can play an important role.  We Americans highlight this by celebrating adoption as a positive way to build families each November, which is marked every year as Adoption Month in the U.S. 

During this year’s Adoption Month, Liliya Khlebnikova (our Ukrainian adoption expert) and I had the rare opportunity to represent the Embassy at the international conference “Ukraine Without Orphans” in Kyiv.  This conference brought together over 500 participants from Ukraine, the United States, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Belarus.  The theme of the very useful conference was “Touch a Child – Change the Future.”  Especially significant for me, besides having the opportunity to explain the Embassy’s role in supporting adoptions in a presentation for the participants, was to learn more about partnerships and networks serving children at risk both on the national and international levels.  I was deeply moved by the stories of older children and the children with special needs (Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc.), who had successfully found families through adoption.   

The Cornish Family

I was particularly impressed by Reece’s Rainbow.  This organization specializes in finding families for children with special needs.   Meredith and Michael Cornish, who are associated with Reece’s Rainbow, are some of the most remarkable people that I have met since arriving in Ukraine.  Meredith and Michael have six children, three – biological and three – adopted, with Down syndrome.  They are now adopting two more Ukrainian kids with Down syndrome.   In a meeting with Consular Section staff, they explained to us why families adopt children with HIV, blindness, arthrogryposis, spina bifida, fetal alcohol syndrome, or Down Syndrome.  Meredith and Michael also told us how these disabilities influence the adopted children and their new families.  

In addition to her duties at home and her work with the Reece’s Rainbow, Meredith Cornish has her own blog at http://www.mcornish.org, where she gives online advice to families who have adopted kids or have their own kids with Down syndrome.  If you want a first-hand view of special needs adoption, look no further.

Thanks to Meredith and Michael, and many other wonderful Ukrainians and Americans who work to find families for special needs orphans through international adoption, and the opportunity to facilitate their work, I felt a little bit like Santa Claus all year long.

 

One Season, Many Holidays – Religious Pluralism in the US

Posted by: Heather Fabrikant, Deputy Cultural Attaché

“We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions – bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality.” – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“For the past four decades, new immigrants have brought to the U.S. not only their dreams of freedom or economic prosperity, but their Bhagavad Gitas and Qur’ans, their images of the Bodhisattva Guan Yin and the Virgin of Guadalupe. We the people wear yarmulkes, headscarves, and turbans now. We build temples, mosques, and gurdwaras.” Diana Eck, Harvard professor, Director of The Pluralism Project

Hanukkah at White House

Growing up a child of parents of two religious backgrounds, I celebrated not one but two holidays. Being raised worshipping and learning about two separate but linked traditions may seem strange to most, but it is an increasingly frequent phenomenon in America.  A recent survey indicates that among America’s married adults, 37 percent are married to someone from a different religious affiliation. A recent example is Chelsea Clinton’s marriage to Mark Mezvisnsky in July 2010, which was officiated by both a Rabbi and Reverend. While common, there are still mixed feelings in America about interfaith marriages, like that of my parents.

Kwanzaa

As a child, my Jewish father and I would go buy a fresh pine tree at the local church bazaar. Usually before Christmas, since Jewish holidays follow the lunar Hebrew calendar, my family lit a menorah for the first of the eight nights of Hanukkah. In my predominately African American junior high school, several classmates taught me about the Kwanzaa holiday, a week-long celebration founded in 1966 to honor African-American heritage.

According to an extensive study on the religious landscape of the US, America is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world.  The First Amendment of our Constitution prohibits the establishment of a state religion and protects each individual’s freedom to worship as he or she chooses.  Every day, Americans of a wide spectrum of religions, ethnicities and creeds interact and worship in myriad ways. 

For more information about the religious freedom in the US check out the Freedom of Faith ejournal in English and Russian. I’d love to hear what you think!

 

Favorite Christmas Movies Enrich the Holiday Season

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché

Americans like to watch their favorite Christmas movies year after year.  My own memories of Christmas include television shows and movies that really put me in the holiday mood.  Some are classics, others are more recent arrivals, but all of them create that special Christmas feeling.

As a child, I remember watching classic Christmas tv shows.  One of the best was A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965).  This beloved program still runs every year on American tv, and tells the story of a young boy’s attempt to rediscover the true spirit of Christmas, despite being laughed at by his friends and classmates, who only care about the gifts they’ll be getting.  The show’s music, composed by jazz musician Vince Guaraldi, is also an enduring classic.  I was listening to the soundtrack with my own family just this weekend as we hosted a holiday party.

Other great Christmas tv shows include Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), a stop-action film created with clay figures; Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), which I greatly prefer to the recent re-make; and Frosty the Snowman (1969), the tale of a snowy fellow who comes to life one day, to the great joy of the children who made him.

It's a Wonderful Life

My favorite Christmas movie is It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), about a talented small-town boy who dreams of seeing the world, but is forced to stay in his hometown because of his sense of duty to his family and community.  In the end, after jealously watching his friend make a fortune in New York City, and after facing a severe personal crisis, he realizes he’s “the richest man in town” when everyone comes together to help him when he needs it the most.  The final scene where his family and friends sing the traditional New Year’s song “Auld Lang Syne” is one of the great moments in American film.

My other favorite Christmas movies include A Christmas Carol (1951), the best film version of the classic Charles Dickens story; Miracle on 34^th Street (1947), about a young girl’s belief that she’s found the real Santa Claus; and more recent films, like the quirky and fun A Christmas Story (1983), about a young boy and his quest for a genuine Red Ryder BB gun; Home Alone (1990), a slapstick comedy about a young boy whose parents mistakenly leave him at home during Christmas, where he must do battle with two inept burglars; and last but certainly not least, Elf (2003), a sweet and funny story about a man who thinks he’s one of Santa’s little helpers.

I’d love to hear what you think about the movies on my list, and to know what your favorite Christmas or holiday movies are – please leave a comment!

 

Thursday Nov. 25 is Thanksgiving Day

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché

President Obama Official Proclamation of Thanksgiving Day 2010

President Obama Pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey (video)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and many Americans would probably say the same. I love the fact that the day is focused on family and being thankful for our blessings in life, and that it hasn’t become commercialized like some other holidays.

There are different stories about the origins of the day and what occurred at the “first” Thanksgiving. It’s generally agreed that Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag Indians. President Abraham Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863, during the American Civil War. The day became firmly fixed on the fourth Thursday in November in 1942, during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt.