IT'S KWANZAA!!

Kwanzaa Dates (2011 of the following dates)
Dec. 26-Jan. 1

This year, the African American holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1. It is estimated that some 18 million African Americans take part in Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, nor is it meant to replace Christmas. It was created by a professor of Black Studies, in 1966 who sought to design a celebration that would honor the values of ancient African cultures and inspire African Americans who were working for progress.

The Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba)
Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa honors a different principle. These principles are believed to have been key to building strong, productive families and communities in Africa. During Kwanzaa, celebrants greet each other with "Habari gani," or "What's the news?" The principles of Kwanzaa form the answers.

The Principles of Kwanzaa
umoja (oo-MOH-ja)
Meaning: unity
Action: building a community that holds together
kujichagulia (koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-yah)
Meaning: self-determination
Action: speaking for yourself and making choices that benefit the community
ujima (oo-JEE-mah)
Meaning: collective work and responsibility
Action: helping others within the community
ujamaa (oo-JAH-ma)
Meaning: cooperative economics
Action: supporting businesses that care about the community
nia (nee-AH)
Meaning: a sense of purpose
Action: setting goals that benefit the community
kuumba (koo-OOM-bah)
Meaning: creativity
Action: making the community better and more beautiful
imani (ee-MAH-nee)
Meaning: faith
Action: believing that a better world can be created for communities now and in the future

Families gather for the great feast of karamu on December 31. Karamu may be held at a home, community center, or church. Celebrants enjoy traditional African dishes as well as those featuring ingredients Africans brought to the United States, such as sesame seeds (benne), peanuts (groundnuts), sweet potatoes, collard greens, and spicy sauces.

Colorful Celebrations
Celebrants decorate with red~for the blood that is shed in the struggle for freedom, black~for the color of the people, and green~for the fertile land of Africa, as well as African-style textiles and art. At the heart of Kwanzaa imagery, however, are the seven symbols.

The Seven Symbols of Kwanzaa
kikombe cha umoja
Meaning: the unity cup
Action: Celebrants drink from this cup in honor of their African ancestors. Before drinking, each person says "harambee," or "let's pull together."
kinara
Meaning: the candleholder, which holds seven candles
Action: It said to symbolize stalks of corn that branch off to form new stalks, much as the human family is created.
mazao
Meaning: fruits, nuts, and vegetables
Action: These remind celebrants of the harvest fruits that nourished the people of Africa.
mishumaa saba
Meaning: the seven candles that represent the seven principles
Action: A different candle is lit each day. Three candles on the left are green; three on the right are red; and in the middle is a black candle.
mkeka
Meaning: mat
Action: The symbols of Kwanzaa are arranged on the mkeka, which may be made of straw or African cloth. It symbolizes the foundation upon which communities are built.
vibunzi (plural, muhindi)
Meaning: ear of corn
Action: Traditionally, one ear of corn is placed on the mkeka for each child present.
zawadi
Meaning: gifts
Action: Traditionally, educational and cultural gifts are given to children on January 1, the last day of Kwanzaa.

SEASONS GREETINGS

"To a joyful present and a well remembered past. Best wishes for Happy Holidays and a spectacular New Year!"

from the Design Team at Affairs Remembered Event Management & Design

In observance of the Winter Holiday Season, Affairs Remembered's administrative office will close at 3:00pm on Friday, December 23, 2011 and remain closed until Monday, January 2, 2012. All correspondences will be returned promptly on Monday, January 2, 2012.

HAPPY HANUKKAH

"As you light the Hanukkah candles, may your faith be renewed and tradition preserved. May the season bring peace to your heart."

Happy Hanukkah, from the Design Team at Affairs Remembered Event Management

Hanukkah Dates (from sundown to sundown of the following dates)
2011 Dec. 20-Dec. 28

Hanukkah, the "Festival of Lights," starts on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev and lasts for eight days and nights. This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 20th. With blessings, games, and festive foods, Hanukkah celebrates the triumphs--both religious and military--of ancient Jewish heroes.

Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish year. In the United States, however, its closeness to Christmas has brought greater attention to Hanukkah and its gift-giving tradition. Amid the ever-growing flood of Christmas advertising, it may seem especially fitting that the Hanukkah story tells of Jewish culture surviving in a non-Jewish world.


The Menorah:
The menorah symbolizes the burning light in the temple, as well as marking the eight days of the Hanukkah festival. The lighting of the menorah, known in Hebrew as the hanukiya, is the most important Hanukkah tradition. A menorah is a candlestand with nine branches. Usually eight candles - one for each day of Hanukka - are of the same height, with a taller one in the middle, the shamash ("servant"), which is used to light the others. Each evening of Hanukkah, one more candle is lit, with a special blessing.

The Dreidel:
Long a favorite Hanukkah toy, the dreidel once had a serious purpose. When the Syrians forbid study of the Torah, Jews who studied in secret kept spinning tops "sivivons, or dreidels"on hand. This way, if they were found studying, they could quickly pretend that they had only been playing. The Hebrew letters also represent Yiddish words that tell how to play the dreidel game. Each player starts with the same amount of candies, chocolate coins (gelt), or other tokens, and puts one in a pot. Players take turns spinning the dreidel, waiting to see which letter lands face up. Nun is for "nisht," do nothing. Gimel is for "gants," take the whole pot. Hay is for "halb," take half. Shin is for "shtel," add to the pot. The game ends when a single player wins all the tokens.

Hanukkah Foods:
Many traditional Hanukkah foods are cooked in oil, in remembrance of the oil that burned in the temple. In the United States, the most widespread Hanukkah food is latkes, or potato pancakes, a custom that may have developed in Eastern Europe. In Israel, the favorite Hanukkah food is sufganiya, a kind of jelly donut cooked in oil. Israelis eat sufganiyot for more than a month before the start of Hanukkah. Eating dairy products, especially cheese, is another Hanukkah tradition. This is done in memory of the Jewish heroine Judith, who according to legend saved her village from Syrian attackers. Judith fed wine and cheese to the Syrian general Holofernes until he became so drunk that he fell to the ground. She then seized his sword and cut off his head, which she brought back to her village in a basket. The next morning, Syrian troops found the headless body of their leader and fled in terror.

WHY NOT A CHRISTMAS WEDDING?

It's the most wonderful time of the year, your family is gathered around you, and the church is already decorated. Here are a few design tips to have a fantastic Christmas wedding with all the trimmings.

Red and green are natural colors for a Christmas wedding – It is likely that your church or reception site will already be decorated in red and green for other events and holiday parties. But don't feel limited to this palate. Other possibilities, which will work with existing decorations, include:
•silver and white
•silver and variations of blue
•burgundy, forest green, and gold
•cream and gold

You're Invited:

For Christmas wedding invitations you'll want to reflect the season and your theme, but you won't want it to look like a holiday card. Forgo a folded card, opting for the traditional thick white card, with a border and engraved or graphed text. You can highlight the Christmas wedding theme in the border with white snowflakes, an elegant holly trim, or a drawing of a poinsettia.
Since people make plans for the holidays early, and often have many parties and events to attend at this time of year, you'll want to send your invitations a little bit early – about 12 weeks before the event. You'll definitely want to consider "save the date" cards in addition to the invitations, which will ensure that those most important to you will be able to attend.

And The Bride Wore...

A Christmas wedding dress needn't be that different from any other kind. Wear the one that flatters you most, and top it off with a long red velvet cape. Or embrace the trend of color in wedding dresses by adding a beautiful red silk sash to the waist of your gown. You could also seek a dress with lots of sparkly beads and sequins to evoke the snowiness of the season. And of course, a faux-fur wrap and muff are always fun.

Bridesmaids Attire

VERY popular bridesmaid look for a Christmas wedding is long dresses with shrugs or capelets and a big faux-fur muff. But you can dress them in your wedding colors, give them long wraps or sparkly accessories, all of which will help evoke your theme

DesignScape

Since flowers can be more expensive at this time of year, think creatively. A mirrored platter with pillar candles and sprigs of holly is both elegant and romantic. Buy ornaments in bulk on-line, and create centerpieces of bowls or vases of ornaments. For a simple but elegant look, put pots of poinsettia with a ribbon trim in the center of each table.

Fake snow used to be tacky, but there are now very good products available. Set candles or small flower arrangements in the middle of snow. And for my favorite touch, use fake snow instead of an aisle runner. Or, you can always hire a snow-making machine to really make your Christmas wedding a winter wonderland.

Have Your Cake
Having each tier look like an individually wrapped package is a popular look that is perfect for a Christmas wedding. You might also do a take on a buche noel or yule log, with a tiered chocolate cake that has holly – either real or made of gum paste – cascading down the side. Use marzipan, an almond paste used in many holiday desserts, as a filling.

WILL YOU GET AN ENGAGEMENT RING FOR THE HOLIDAY?

It's not even December, but the holiday commercial rotation is already filling itself out quite nicely, and right behind the chart-topping scourge of electronics and toys are the ads for diamond merchants like Kay, Jared and Zales, to name a few, all of which have decided that the best way for a man to celebrate the season is to put a sparkly ring on his intended's finger.

Christmas is the second most popular day of the year to get engaged, second only to Valentine’s Day on the number of people who get engaged on that date every year. Marriage proposals are special anytime of the year and whenever they occur. Receiving a diamond engagement ring from the love of her life is a very exciting and wonderful experience for a woman.

........So, what will YOU un-wrap this year?!

SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR!

"Wishing this Thanksgiving holiday finds you with plenty of reasons to give thanks!"

From the Design Team at Affairs Remembered Event Management & Design.

In observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday, Affairs Remembered's administrative office will close at 3:00pm on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 and will re-open on Monday, November 28, 2011.

HARLEM RENAISSANCE MEETS PEACOCK FEATHERS

Congratulations to Tuverla & Michael Livingston, who were married on 5/15/2011.

The 1840's Ballroom, located in the iron-fronted Fava Building in historic Jonestown’s 1840's provided a stunning backdrop for this historically themed nuptial celebration.

A beautiful ceremony, with sweeping panoramic views of the Baltimore Inner Harbor and surrounding areas; filled with fabulous florals & eye catching crystals, accompanied by a silk draped canopy, a soloist and 115 guests sharing in this nuptial celebration.

A cocktail hour, on the 2nd floor, City Lites boasted a fun lounge-like atmosphere complete with overstuffed couches and a centerpiece attraction when the building housed the
Baltimore City Life Museums.

The reception, on the spacious fourth floor, overlooked a landscaped garden courtyard and guest tables were named for various contributors of the cultural era. With the backdrop of elegant chandeliers, custom draperies, a mahogany and stained glass bar and hand-painted murals of historic Baltimore, the guest sipped and danced the night away.