The Leaflet 11.23.15 | Vol. 2 Issue 4
Holiday issue The winter season brings more than just cold weather and snow. There are several events that occur, making this time of year extremely lively and busy. Not only are families and friends occupied with holiday preparations, but many people hope to find the time to take advantage of all the activities that are offered during the holidays.
This issue is dedicated to spreading not only holiday cheer but also educating individuals on different holiday and winter activities. Whether it is ice skating on Fountain Square, making a favorite holiday recipe, or strolling through the Cincinnati Zoo and viewing their annual Festival of Lights there is much to do this winter.
staff members
Sarah Abraham Jordan Baker Allyson Bonhaus Natalie Brinkman Caroline Bruns Emily Chien Adhiti Chundur Taylor Close William Coleman Amy Deng Meghan DiGiovanna Jake Englander Lilah Foley Hannah Frey
Max Fritzhand Yasmine Guedira Rujula Kapoor Alex Karev Stephanie Kidd Eshika Kohi Claire Lefton Hannah Loftspring Christine Macke Anne Marsh Maddie Marsh Zachary Max Hannah May
Leaflet Editors-in-Chief Zoe and Orion Schlosser Executive Editor in Chief Caroline Gao Executive Managing Editor Anna Zhou Print Co-Editors Brooke Landrum, Elizabeth Rickert, Elijah Zawatsky Web Co-Editors-in-Chief Caroline Bruns, Harsimran Makkad
Zachary Milliken Hajime Minoguchi Calliope Osborn Joshua Patterson Sam Ruskin Madeline Schramm Lauren Shassere Max Torem Caroline Veraldo Kamaria Walton Sydney Weiss Abhilash Yarlagadda Nathan Zhang
Associate Editors Jenna Bao, Lauren Kurtzer Managing Editor Sydney Evans Business Manager David Wertheim Social Media Director Ben Ruskin Broadcast Editor-in-Chief Sarah Horne
Orion and Zoe schlosser
This issue p3: Things to do in the snow p5: snow day activities p8: Cincinnati holiday events p11: holiday bucket list p13: new year’s eve traditions p14: holiday traveling p18: family traditions p22: holiday recipes The Leaflet, the official web newsmagazine of Sycamore High School, serves as an educational tool in the training of student journalists. We provide information and editorial leadership concerning school, national and world issues. We also provide a public forum for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints and give coverage to newsworthy events directly related to our diverse school population. These viewpoints are purely from the staff of The Leaflet, and not the administration.
Sycamore High School 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, OH 45242
1
Rituals for Predicting Snow Days
1
2
Put your pajamas on inside out (bonus points if your pajamas have feet!)
4
Brush you teeth with the opposite hand. It is harder than you think!
3 Flush a minimum of 6 ice cubes down the toilet (cubes‌ not crushed ice‌ another common mistake).
5 Overturn a snow globe the night before. Sleep with a spoon under your pillow. 2 Information by Alex Karev Design by Zoe Schlosser
Snow Masterpieces Residents of Bethel, Maine, USA, and surrounding towns, built a snow woman measuring 37.21 m (122 ft 1 in) tall, over a period of one month, completing her on 26 February 2008.
122 ft 1 in
The Snow Castle of Kemi in Finland has been built annually since 1996 and is considered to be the biggest snow fort in the world, covering over 150,000 square feet. The building takes five weeks to assemble using snow made from the area's seawater (natural snow is too soft). Past castles have included a hotel, restaurant, and chapel.
On February 3, 2015, residents in Ottawa, Canada set the new world record for the most snowmen built in an hour. To set the record, the snowmen had to be built in one hour at the Winterlude event at Lansdowne. Teams built 1,299 snowmen, which is 20 more than the old Guinness World Records' record set in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2011.
Design by Zoe Schlosser Information by Annie Marsh and Megan DiGiovanna
3
Make Use of the Snow Take advantage of the winter wonderland outside by having a snowball fight, building a snowman, or just being outside in the snow.
Bake While it’s snowing outside, get busy cooking inside. Look up some good winter desserts and enjoy feasting on them.
Cuddle Up and Watch Movies If it’s too cold outside and you’ve had enough of the snow, stay inside and have a movie marathon while wrapping yourself in warm blankets.
SNOW
4
DA
Get Crafty
Sleep
Instead of staying bored If you have the during your snow day, chance to, go back to look up some cool art bed. Use the day off projects you can easily to catch up on some create with materials much needed sleep. Z from around the house. Z Z
AY
Play Games Whip out some classic board games or video games and play with your friends or family.
S E I T I V I T AC Design by Orion Schlosser Information by Yasmine Guedira
5
Holiday Activities in
CINCIN 6
NNATI Design by Orion Schlosser
7
Perfect North Rentals All daily equipment rental allows use of skis and/or snowboard. Ski rental includes boots and poles. Snowboard rental includes boots. Ski/Snowboard Rental - $25 Bib Rental - $10 Helmet Rental - $5
Hours Skiing/Snowboarding Hours of Operation Sunday-Thursday: 9:30am - 9:30pm Friday & Saturday: 9:30am-1:00am Snow Tubing Hours of Operation Monday-Thursday: 1:00pm - 9:30 pm (non-holiday) Friday & Saturday: 9:30am - 1:00am Sunday & Holidays: 9:30am - 9:30pm
10
Design by Orion Schlosser Information by Elizabeth Rickert
Pricing Lift Ticket General Admission : $47 (for up to 8 hours) Closing/Late Night Ticket Sunday-Thursday Nights 5:30pm - 9:30pm - $35 Friday & Saturday Nights 9pm - 1am - $35 Special Holiday Late Night Hours 12/26-12/31 - $35
THE
holiday bucket list Go sledding Make a gingerbread house Go ice skating drink hot cocoa Look at light displays host a white elephant party Have a holiday movie Marathon Attend an ugly sweater party Bake holiday desserts Donate old toys Make a snowman Go caroling buy gifts for friends and family volunteer Decorate the house Listen to holiday music Attend a play or production Make paper snowflakes Hang mistletoe Be with friends and loved ones
Design by Orion Schlosser
11
RUSSIA SPAIN One New Year’s tradition in Russia is to write a wish for the upcoming year on a piece of paper, then to burn the paper and places the ashes in a glass of champagne, which needs to be consumed right before the New Year is rung for the wish to come true.
Spanish tradition holds that eating 12 grapes just before the clock chimes midnight will bring good fortune for all 12 months of the upcoming year. The custom often sparks a contest of who can cram the grapes into their mouth the fastest.
PERU SOUTH Peruvian New Year’s tradition includes foretelling the next year’s fortunes with the use of potatoes. According to the tradition, three potatoes are placed under a chair or sofa. One is peeled, one is half peeled, and one is unpeeled. At midnight, one potato is chosen at random, which forecasts the state of next year’s finances. The peeled potato signifies no money, the half peeled a regular year, and the unpeeled a great financial bounty in the year ahead.
AFRICA
Throwing furniture out of windows has become a tradition in the South African city of Johannesburg. A police crackdown on the practice was nearly successful in eliminating it last New Year’s, though rising rents in the city may have also had something to do with curbing the expensive tradition. Church bells ring at the stroke of midnight to officially announce the arrival of the new year.
PHILIPPINES
The Philippines has a number of rituals designed to bring good luck in the year ahead. One of these is to open all doors and windows in your house on New Year’s Eve in order to allow negative energy to leave and good energy to enter.
12
NEW YEA AROUND TH
AR’S EVE HE WORLD
BRAZIL WALES Brazilians are known for ringing in the New Year on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach, but another major component of the celebration in the country is the practice of wearing white. The tradition of wearing white clothing is meant to bring good luck.
EGYPT
Egyptians believe that the New Year begins only when the new crescent moon is visible in the sky. They create an extremely festive atmosphere all around and celebrate the new year with happiness and joy. The official announcement is made in the city of Cairo in a holy mosque
In Wales, most families and groups open the back door of the house first and then immediately shut it. This symbolizes releasing the old year and locking out all the bad luck it brought. At the twelfth toll of the clock, the door is re-opened to welcome the new year with all its goodness and prosperity.
ITALY
The celebrations last for three days where the Romans decorate their houses with greenery and colorful lights. They also choose gifts for their loved ones very carefully like gold and silver for prosperity and honey for sweetness.
IRELAND New Year’s Day, which is known as the Day of Buttered Bread in Gaelic, is traditionally marked in Ireland by banging loaves of bread on doors and walls to chase the bad luck out of a house to invite good spirits in.
NETHERLANDS
In the Netherlands, bonfires are burnt from the Christmas trees leftover from Christmas on New Year’s Eve. The belief behind this tradition is that it will bring good luck and happiness for the next twelve months to come.
Design by Orion Schlosser
13
Family
TRADI 16
ITIONS During the holidays
Design by Orion Schlosser
17
“In my family, for Chinese New Year...” Freshman Christine Zou said, “My mom and dad make us recite this thing, but in the end we just repeat after them because my brothers and I can never remember it. Sometimes I just say Bai nian but it means pretty much happy new year (there's another way to say it but it's how you say it when asking for money) and so my parents prepare the night before with usually $100 but it differs family to family. Also, usually the Saturday near the Chinese New Year, I have a Chinese dance festival in Columbus so we drive to that and I usually perform. We basically spend the whole day there and in the car. Since we're in Columbus there's an asian market near there and we also like to go buy duck and roasted pork for dinner at home. And it's really good.”
Freshman Samantha Fernandez said, “For Christmas, one thing we have to do every year is we count down from 10 every time we open a present. We all make sure everyone has one in hand, and then start counting down. Honestly, I think the tradition started as a way to make sure none of my crazy little cousins would rip open presents without someone. It probably used to be a way to keep us under control, but now it's something fun we do every year.”
Freshman Mallory Hall said, “Each year we hide a shoe ornament in our tree and somebody has to find it on Christmas day.”
SYCAMORE FAMILY TR
“We do all the Polish stuff.” Sophomore Adam Meller said, “We leave out an empty plate, because in Poland they used to welcome wandering people in for a meal. Also, we have Name Days. In Poland, they didn’t used to celebrate birthdays, and every day of the year had about three names assigned to it, so if it was your Name Day it was basically your birthday. Adam is on Christmas, and Eve is on Christmas Eve. Also, we have two Santas. There is a Little Santa that comes earlier and stuffs your shoes with small stuff. Then, Big Santa comes on Christmas, and he actually knocks on your door and comes inside.”
18
Freshman Samruddhi Ubey said, we always make a lot of sweets and snacks, and always have a party, and my grandparents in India pray to the cow on the Saturday before Diwali. Ganesh Chaturti is celebrated in honor of the elephantheaded god, Ganesha. My grandparents and cousins put up a ganapati and his sister, Laxmi.”
Junior Emma Traylor said “We get together for Christmas Eve and play board games and do a gift exchange. On New Year’s Eve we watch the ball drop, and when it gets to midnight we go outside and clang pots and pans together really loudly. It’s kind of obnoxious, but fun. For Christmas we have extended family over like aunts and uncles and cousins and such, but for New Years it’s just my mother and I.”
“Most Christmas breaks...” Junior Helen Sotropa said, “My grandparents, parents, and siblings drive to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. There, we enjoy Epcot a lot and plan to go there more than the other parks each year.”
E RADITIONS Sophomore Stephanie Hong said, “Our family kind of fused New Years with the Korean/ Asian tradition of Lunar New Years. Basically, we keep the ‘celebration’ part of New Years but we bring in aspects like money giving,. respecting elders, and (I’m not sure what you call this in English) bowing, except that it is not just bowing, it is fancy and only used certain occasions.”
Sophomore Rishav Dasgupta said, “We celebrate like white people because we are totally into Christmas. We’re not religious, but we are obsessed with Christmas stuff. For Indian holidays, there is a festival in October called Durga Puja. It is more cultural than religious, but that is that. There are lots of festivities, we eat, perform music, plays, traditional dancing, and some ceremonial stuff.” Freshman Neha Sunil said, “In the morning [of Chistmas] after opening the presents under the tree, my family and I call our relatives and talk about what we are doing for Christmas. In addition, we eat appam, drink lots of hot chocolate and eat a fancy dinner.”
Freshman Megan Soellner said, “Since my dad is a firefighter, my family opens Christmas presents on the 24th because my dad works on Christmas.” Design by Orion Schlosser Information by Eshika Kohli
19
Winter Holidays
around the world
Chinese New Year
This holiday is the one of the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It falls on different dates each year, between January 21 and February 20. During this celebration, visits to friends and family are usual. The color gold is said to bring wealth and the color red is considered especially lucky. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large and includes an assortment of fish, noodles, and dumplings. This Chinese New Year begins on February 8.
Hanukkah
During the winter, the people of the Jewish religion celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday honoring the Maccabees victory over King Antiochus, who forbid Jews to practice their religion. For right nights, Hanukkah is celebrated with prayer, the light of the menorah, and food. A Hanukkah menorah has nine candles, a candle for every night, plus a helper candle. Children play games, sing songs, and exchange gifts. Potato pancakes, known as latkes, are traditionally associated with Hanukkah and are served with applesauce and sour cream. This year Hanukkah starts the evening of Sunday, December 6 and lasts until Monday, December 14. The dates of Hanukkah change because this holiday follows the lunar cycle.
Hanukkah also goes by the names of the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication
Kwanzaa Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26 through January 1. It is a holiday to commemorate African heritage and it lasts a week during which participants gather with family and friends to exchange gifts and to light a series of black, red, and green candles. These candles symbolize the seven basic values of African family life that are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. 20
Three Kings Day
At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. On this day in Spain, many children get their Christmas presents. In Puerto Rico, before children go to sleep on January 5, they leave a box with hay under their beds so the kings will leave good presents. In France, a delicious “Kings’ Cake” known as La galette des rois is baked. Bakers hide a coin, jewel or little toy inside of it.
Winter Solstice The Winter Solstice occurs on either December 20, 21, 22, or 23 in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year. People all over the world participate with festivals and celebrations. Long ago, people celebrated by lighting bonfires and candles to coax back the sun.
The winter solstice is also referred to as Midwinter, the Longest Night, and Yule
New Year’s Day
This holiday is the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, beginning on January 1. There are often fireworks at midnight to celebrate the new year. Commonly served in the southern part of the United States, black-eyed peas are thought to bring luck and prosperity for the new year. Greens, usually collards, bring wealth, and pork because pigs root forward.
Christmas Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas in the United States brings together many customs from other countries and cultures. Around the world, family members help decorate a tree and their home with bright lights, wreaths, candles, holly, mistletoe, and ornaments. On Christmas Eve, many people go to church. Also on Christmas Eve, Santa comes from the North Pole in a sleigh to deliver gifts; in Hawaii, it is said he arrives by boat; in Australia, the jolly man arrives on water skis; and in Ghana he comes out of the jungle.
In June of 1970 Christmas became a federal holiday in the United States Design by Orion Schlosser
21
Recipes
TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY
Pumpkin Pie INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell Whipped cream (optional)
Gingerbread Cookies
INSTRUCTIONS MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. POUR into pie shell. BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses and egg. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients; mix just until a dough forms. Place dough on floured plastic wrap; pat into an INGREDIENTS 8-inch square. Wrap well; chill until firm, 1 to 2 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in leveled), plus more for rolling half. Working with one half at a time (rewrap and 2 teaspoons ground ginger refrigerate other half), place dough on floured 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon parchment or waxed paper; roll out 1/8 inch 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg thick, turning, lifting, and flouring dough (and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves rolling pin) as needed. Freeze dough (on paper) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda until firm, about 20 minutes. 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room Loosen dough from paper. Cut out shapes, and transfer to baking sheets. Decorate with sugar or temperature sprinkles, as desired. 1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar Bake until firm and edges just begin to darken, 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses 10 to 18 minutes, depending on size. Cool 1 large egg Decorating sugar or sprinkles (optional) completely on baking sheets.
Potato Latkes INGREDIENTS 1 (30 ounce) bag frozen potatoes (shredded) 1 cup sweet onion, finely diced 2 eggs, beaten salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons flour vegetable oil (for frying)
Sweet Potato Casserole INGREDIENTS 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 8), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks Coarse salt and ground pepper 1/2 cup whole milk 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 cups mini marshmallows or chopped regular marshmallows
INSTRUCTIONS Defrost grated potatoes in a medium-size colander. Press with paper towels to remove excess moisture. There won't be much. Add onion, eggs, salt, pepper and flour. Mixture should be thick and cohesive. Pour about 1/4 inch of oil into a heavy-bottomed frying pan. I use an electric frying pan at 375 so it doesn't get too hot and burn the latkes. Use about 2 Tablespoons potato mixture and place in the oil and press into a patty. Fry for about 3 minutes. Flip and fry for another 3 or so minutes. If pancake cooks too fast, reduce oil's temperature. If it takes longer, turn the oil up so they don't get soggy. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, or keep in a 250 oven on a baking sheet.
INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water by 1 inch; salt generously. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, and return to pan. Heat over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; add milk, butter, and nutmeg. Mash until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer sweet-potato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. (To make ahead, refrigerate, up to 1 day.) Top casserole with marshmallows; bake until center is warmed through and marshmallows are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
Design by Orion Schlosser
23
The Leaflet