101 Issue | Worldwide Events e-Newspaper | 09 - 15 Dec

Independence Day Tanzania - D e c 0 9

The United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania) is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda,Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.

Tanzania is a state composed of 26 regions (mikoa), including those of the autonomous region of Zanzibar. The head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, elected in 2005. Since 1996, the official capital of Tanzania has been Dodoma, where Parliament and some government offices are located.

Between independence and 1996, the main coastal city of Dar es Salaam served as the country's political capital. Today, Dar es Salaam remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the de facto seat of most government institutions. It is the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours.

The name Tanzania derives from the names of the two states Tanganyika and Zanzibar that united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.

History

Tanzania is probably one of the oldest known inhabited areas on Earth; fossil remains of humans and pre-human hominids have been found dating back over two million years. More recently, Tanzania is believed to have been populated by hunter-gatherer communities, probably Cushitic and Khoisan speaking people. About 2,000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people began to arrive from western Africa in a series of migrations. Later, Nilotic pastoralists arrived, and continued to immigrate into the area through to the 18th century.

The people of Tanzania are associated with one of the most important technological achievements in human history: the production of steel. The Haya people of East Africa invented a type of high-heat blast furnace which allowed them to forge carbon steel at 1,802 °C (3,276 °F) nearly 2,000 years ago. This ability was not duplicated until centuries later in Europe during the Industrial Revolution.

Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and western India have visited the East African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practised on the Swahili Coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD. Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the Arab slave trade. Between 65% to 90% of the population of Arab-Swahili Zanzibar was enslaved. One of the most famous slave traders on the East African coast was Tippu Tip, who was himself the grandson of an enslaved African. The Nyamwezi slave traders operated under the leadership of Msiri and Mirambo.

According to Timothy Insoll, "Figures record the exporting of 718,000 slaves from the Swahili coast during the 19th century, and the retention of 769,000 on the coast."

In the late 19th century, Imperial Germany conquered the regions that are now Tanzania (minus Zanzibar), Rwanda, and Burundi, and incorporated them into German East Africa. During World War I, an invasion attempt by the British was thwarted by German General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who then mounted a drawn out guerrilla campaign against the British. The post–World War I accords and theLeague of Nations charter designated the area aBritish Mandate, except for a small area in the northwest, which was ceded to Belgium and later became Rwanda and Burundi, as well as a small area in the southeast (Kionga Triangle), incorporated to Portuguese East Africa (later Mozambique).

British rule came to an end in 1961 after a relatively peaceful (compared with neighbouring Kenya, for instance) transition to independence. In 1954, Julius Nyerere transformed an organization into the politically oriented Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). TANU's main objective was to achieve national sovereignty for Tanganyika. A campaign to register new members was launched, and within a year TANU had become the leading political organization in the country.

Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960 and continued as Prime Minister when Tanganyika became officially independent in 1961.

Soon after independence, Nyerere's first presidency took a turn to the Left after the Arusha Declaration, which codified a commitment to socialism in PanAfrican fashion. After the Declaration, banks were nationalized as were many large industries.

After the Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab dynasty in neighbouring Zanzibar, which had become independent in 1963, the island merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the nation of Tanzania on 26 April 1964. The union of the two, hitherto separate, regions was controversial among many Zanzibaris (even those sympathetic to the revolution) but was accepted by both General von Lettow-Vorbeck in Dar es the Nyerere government and the Revolutionary Gov- Salaam with a British Officer (left) and Gerernment of Zanzibar owing to shared political values man Officer (right), March 1918 and goals.

From the late 1970s, Tanzania's economy took a turn for the worse. Tanzania also aligned with China, seeking Chinese aid. The Chinese were quick to comply, but with the condition that all projects be completed by imported Chinese labour. From the mid 1980s, the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. From the mid 1980s Tanzania's GDP per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced.

Constitution Day Thailand - D e c 1 0

The People's Party, facing an internal power struggle and opposition from the King, promulgated a permanent constitution in 10 December 1932 that gave the monarchy a significant increase in authority compared to the temporary charter. The day is currently celebrated as Constitution Day. The constitution continued to state that sovereign power belonged to the people of Siam. However, unlike the temporary charter, the monarchy would now be the direct exerciser of that power, rather than the branches of government. This royal power would be exercised by and with the advise and consent of the People's Assembly, the State Council (the cabinet), and the Courts. However, the monarchy lacked any say in the composition of any of the branches of government and the royal veto could still be overruled. The monarchy was also made "sacred and inviolable", in contrast to the temporary charter.

After the new Constitution was promulgated, a new 20member Cabinet was formed; 10 of whom came from the People's Party. On 7 January 1933, the Nationalist Party (Thai:คณะชาติ) was officially registered, with Luang Vichitvadakan, Phraya Thonawanikmontri, and Phraya Senasongkhram as leaders; the People's Party had been officially registered in August 1932. The Assembly was expanded to 156 members, 76 elected and 76 appointed.

Human Rights Day Worldwide - Dec 10

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December.

The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950, when the General Assembly declared resolution 423(V), inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit.

The day is a high point in the calendar of UN headquarters in New York City, United States, and is normally marked by both high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. In addition, it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and nongovernmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organisations.

The theme for 2006 was the struggle against poverty, taking it as a human rights issue. Several statements were released on that occasion, including the one issued by 37 United Nations Special Procedures mandate holders Today, poverty prevails as the gravest human rights challenge in the world. Combating poverty, deprivation and exclusion is not a matter of charity, and it does not depend on how rich a country is. By tackling poverty as a matter of human rights obligation, the world will have a better chance of abolishing this scourge in our lifetime....Poverty eradication is an achievable goal.

—UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, 10 December 2006 The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights occurred on 10 December 2008, and the UN Secretary-General launched a year-long campaign leading up to this anniversary. Because the UDHR holds the world record as the most translated document (with more than 360 language versions available), organizations around the globe used the year to focus on helping people everywhere learn about their rights.

Proclamation of the Republic Burkina Faso D e c 11

Proclamation of the Republic is celebrated on December 11th of every year in Burkina Faso. It is the Republic of Upper Volta was established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their ideology and composition. The most common definition of a republic is a state without a monarch. Most often a republic is a sovereign country, but there are also sub-national entities that are referred to as republics. Before attaining autonomy it had been French Upper Volta and part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960 it attained full independence from France.

Independence Day Kenya - D e c 1 2

Kenya officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east.

It is bordered by Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east.

Kenya has a land area of 580,000 km2 and a population of nearly 41 million, representing 42 different peoples and cultures. The country is named after Mount Kenya, a significant landmark and second among Africa's highest mountain peaks.

Following a referendum and adoption of a new constitution in August 2010, Kenya is now divided into 47 counties that are semi-autonomous units of governance. These units are expected to be fully implemented by August 2012 – in time for the first general election under the new constitution. The counties will be governed by elected governors and will operate independent of the central government in Nairobi.

The country's geography is as diverse as its multi-ethnic population. It has a warm and humid climate along its coastline on the Indian Ocean which changes to wildlife-rich savannah grasslands as you move inland towards the capital Nairobi. Nairobi has a cool climate that gets colder as you move towards Mount Kenya which has three permanently snow-capped peaks. The warm and humid tropical climate reappears further inland towards lake Victoria, before giving way to temperate forested and hilly areas in the western region. The North Eastern regions along the border with Somalia and Ethiopia are arid and semi-arid areas with near-desert landscapes. The country also has significant geothermal activity that puts a lot of electricity in the national grid.

Kenya's capital city, Nairobi, is situated next to a national park. The country is famous for itssafaris and diverse world-famous wildlife reserves such as Tsavo National Park, the Maasai Mara, Nakuru National Park, and Aberdares National Park that attract tourists from all over the world.

Lake Victoria, the world's second largest fresh-water lake (after Lake Superior in the US and Canada) and the world's largest tropical lake, is situated to the southwest and is shared with Uganda and Tanzania.

As part of East Africa, Kenya has seen human habitation since the Lower Paleolithic period. The Bantu expansion reached the area by the first millennium AD, and the borders of the modern state comprise the crossroads of the Bantu, the Nilo-Saharan, and the Afro-Asiaticlinguistic areas of Africa, making Kenya a truly multi-ethnic state. European and Arab presence in Mombasa dates to the Early Modern period, but European exploration of the interior began only in the 19th century. The British Empire established the East Africa Protectorate in 1895, known from 1920 as the Kenya Colony. The independent Republic of Kenya was founded in December 1963.

The capital, Nairobi, is a regional commercial hub. The economy of Kenya is the largest by GDP in East and Central Africa. Agriculture is a major employer and the country traditionally exports tea and coffee, and more recently fresh flowers to Europe. The service industry is a major economic driver, mostly the telecommunications sector, and contributes 62 percent of GDP. Kenya is a member of the East African Community and produces world-class athletes such as world champions Paul Tergat and David Rudisha.

Etymology The word Kenya', /ˈkɛnjə/, originates from the Kikuyu, Embu and Kamba names for Mount Kenya, "Kirinyaga",

"Kirinyaa" and "Kiinyaa".[] Prehistoric volcanic eruptions of Mount Kenya (now extinct) may have resulted in its association with divinity and creation among the indigenous Kikuyu-related ethnic groups who are the native inhabitants of the agricultural land surrounding Mount Kenya.

In the 19th century, the German explorer Ludwig Krapf recorded the name as both Kenia and Kegnia believed by some to be a corruption of the Kamba version. Others say that this was—on the contrary—a very precise notation of a correct African pronunciation /ˈkɛnjə/.

History

Prehistory:

Giant crocodile fossils have been discovered in Kenya, dating from the Mesozoic Era, over 200 million years ago.

The fossils were found in an excavation conducted by a team from the University of Utah and the National Museums of Kenya in July–August 2004 at Lokitaung Gorge, near Lake Turkana.

Fossils found in East Africa suggest that primates roamed the area more than 20 million years ago. Recent finds near Kenya's Lake Turkana indicate that hominids such as Homo habilis (1.8 and 2.5 million years ago) and Homo erectus (1.8 million to 350 000 years ago) are possible direct ancestors of modern Homo sapiens and lived in Kenya during the Pleistocene epoch. In 1984 one partic- The African theropod Spinosaurus was the ular discovery made at Lake Turkana by famous largest known carnivorous dinosaur. palaeoanthropologist Richard Leakey andKamoya Kimeu was the skeleton of a Turkana boy belonging to Homo erectus from 1.6 million years ago. Previous research on early hominids is particularly identified with Mary Leakey and Louis Leakey, who were responsible for the preliminary archaeological research at Olorgesailie and Hyrax Hill. Later work at the former was undertaken by Glynn Isaac.

Kenya has been inhabited by people for as long as human history has existed.

Pre-colonial history:

The first inhabitants of present-day Kenya were hunter-gatherer groups, akin to the modern Khoisan speakers.

These people were later replaced by agropastoralist Cushitic speakers from the Horn of Africa. During the early Holocene the regional climate shifted from dry to wetter climatic conditions, this provided an opportunity for the development of cultural traditions, such as agriculture and herding, in a more favorable environment.

Around 500 BC Nilotic speaking pastoralists (ancestral to Kenya's Nilotic speakers) started migrating from presentday Southern Sudan into Kenya. Nilotic groups in Kenya include the Samburu, Luo, Turkana, Maasai.

By the first millennium AD, Bantu speaking farmers moved into the region. The Bantus originated in West Africa along the Benue River in what is now eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. The Bantu migration brought new developments in agriculture and iron working to the region. Bantu groups in Kenya include the Kikuyu, Luhya, Kamba, Kisii, and Mijikenda among others.

Arab traders began frequenting the Kenya coast around the 1st century AD. Kenya's proximity to the Arabian Peninsula invited colonization, and Arab and Persian settlements sprouted along the coast by the 8th century.

The Kenyan coast had served host to communities of ironworkers and communities of subsistence farmers, hunters and fishers who supported the economy with agriculture, fishing, metal production and trade with foreign countries.

The Kilwa Sultanate was a medieval sultanate, centered at Kilwa in modern-day Tanzania. At its height, its authority stretched over the entire length of the Swahili Coast, including Kenya. It was founded in the 10th century by Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi, a Persian Prince of Shiraz. The Persian rulers would go on to build elaborate coral mosques and introduced copper coinage.

During this period, Arabs from southern Arabia settled on the coast. They established many new autonomous citystates, including Mombasa, Malindi and Zanzibar. The Arab migrants also introduced Islam and the Omani dialect of Arabic to the area. This blending of cultures left a notable Arabian influence on the local BantuSwahili culture and language of the coast. The Arabs built Mombasa into a major port city and established trade links with other nearby city-states, as well as commercial centers in Persia, Arabia, and even India.By the fifteenth-century, Portuguese voyager Duarte Barbosa claimed that "Mombasa is a place of great traffic and has a good harbour in which there are always moored small craft of many kinds and also great ships, both of which are bound from Sofala and others which come from Cambay and Melinde and others which sail to the island of Zanzibar."

In the centuries preceding colonization, the Swahili coast of Kenya was part of the east African region which traded with the Arab world and India especially for ivory and slaves (the Ameru tribe is said to have originated from slaves escaping from Arab lands some time around the year 1700). Initially these traders came mainly from Arab states, but later many came from Zanzibar (such as Tippu Tip). Close to 90% of the population on the Kenya coast was enslaved.

Swahili, a Bantu language with Arabic, Persian, and other Middle Eastern and South Asian loanwords, later developed as a lingua franca for trade between the different peoples.

Throughout the centuries the Kenyan Coast has played host to many merchants and explorers. Among the cities that line the Kenyan coast is the City of Malindi. It has remained an important Swahili settlement since the 14th century and once rivaled Mombasa for dominance in this part of East Africa. Malindi has traditionally been a friendly port city for foreign powers. In 1414, the Arab Sultan of Malindi initiated diplomatic relations with Ming Dynasty China during the voyages of the explorer Zheng He. Malindi authorities welcomed Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, in 1498.

Colonial history:

The colonial history of Kenya dates from the establishment of a German protectorate over the Sultan of Zanzibar's coastal possessions in 1885, followed by the arrival of the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1888. Incipient imperial rivalry was forestalled when Germany handed its coastal holdings to Britain in 1890. This was followed by the building of the Kenya–Uganda railway passing through the country. This was resisted by some tribes — notably the Nandi led by Orkoiyot Koitalel Arap Samoei for ten years from 1895 to 1905 — still the British eventually built the railway. The Nandi were the first tribe to be put in a native reserve to stop them from disrupting the building of the railway. During the railway construction era, there was a significant inflow of Indian peoples, who provided the bulk of the skilled manpower required for construction.

While building the railroad through Tsavo, a number of the Indian railway workers and local African labourers were attacked by two lions known as the Tsavo maneaters. They and most of their descendants later remained in Kenya and formed the core of several distinct Indian communities such as the Ismaili Muslim and Sikh communities.

At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the governors of British East Africa (as the Protectorate was generally known) and German East Africa agreed a truce in an attempt to keep the young colonies out of direct hostilities. Lt Col Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck took command of the German military forces, determined to tie down as many British resources as possible. Completely cut off from Germany, von Lettow conducted an effective guerilla warfare campaign, living off the land, capturing British supplies, and remaining undefeated. He eventually surrendered in Zambia eleven days after the Armistice was signed in 1918. To chase von Lettow the British deployed the British Indian Armytroops from India and then needed large numbers of porters to overcome the formidable logistics of transporting supplies far into the interior on foot. The Carrier Corps was formed and ultimately mobilised over 400,000 Africans, contributing to their long-term politicisation.

During the early part of the 20th century, the interior central highlands were settled by British and other European farmers, who became wealthy farming coffee and tea. (One depiction of this period of change from one colonist's perspective is found in the memoir "Out of Africa" by Danish author Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, published in 1937.) By the 1930s, approximately 30,000 white settlers lived in the area and gained a political voice because of their contribution The Great Mosque of Kilwa to the market economy. The area was already home to over a million members of the Kikuyu people, most of whom had no land claims in European terms, and Kisiwani, one of the many lived as itinerant farmers. To protect their interests, the settlers banned the grow- mosques built by the Persian ing of coffee, introduced a hut tax, and the landless were granted less and less founders of the Kilwa Sulland in exchange for their labour. A massive exodus to the cities ensued as their ability to provide a living from the land dwindled. By the 1950s, the white popu- tanate. lation numbered 80,000.

From October 1952 to December 1959, Kenya was under a state of emergency arising from the Mau Mau rebellion against British rule. The governor requested and obtained British and African troops, including the King's African Rifles. The British began counter-insurgency operations; in May 1953 General Sir George Erskine took charge as commander-in-chief of the colony's armed forces, with the personal backing of Winston Churchill.

The capture of Warũhiũ Itote (aka General China) on 15 January 1954, and the subsequent interrogation led to a better understanding of the Mau Mau command structure. Operation Anvilopened on 24 April 1954, after weeks of planning by the army with the approval of the War Council. The operation effectively placed Nairobi under military siege, and the occupants were screened and the Mau Mau supporters moved to detention camps. The Home Guard formed the core of the government's strategy as it was composed of loyalist Africans, not foreign forces like the British Army and King's African Rifles. By the end of the emergency, the Home Guard had killed 4686 Mau Mau, amounting to 42% of the total insurgents. The capture of Dedan Kimathi on 21 October 1956, in Nyeri signified the ultimate defeat of the Mau Mau and essentially ended the military offensive. During this period, substantial governmental changes to land tenure occurred, the most important of which was the Swynnerton Plan, which was used to both reward loyalists and punish Mau Mau.

Post-colonial history:

The first direct elections for Africans to the Legislative Council took place in 1957. Despite British hopes of handing power to "moderate" African rivals, it was the Kenya African National Union (KANU) of Jomo Kenyatta that formed a government shortly before Kenya became independent on 12 December 1963, on the same day forming the first Constitution of Kenya. During the same year, the Kenyan army fought the Shifta War against ethnic Somalis who wanted Kenya's Northern Frontier District joined with the Republic of Somalia. The Shifta War officially ended with the signature of the Arusha Memorandum in October, 1967, but relative insecurity prevailed through 1969. To discourage further invasions, Kenya signed a defence pact with Ethiopia in 1969, which is still in effect.

On 12 December 1964 the Republic of Kenya was proclaimed, and Jomo Kenyatta became Kenya's first president. At Kenyatta's death in 1978, Daniel arap Moi became President. Daniel arap Moi retained the Presidency, being unopposed in elections held in 1979, 1983 (snap elections) and 1988, all of which were held under the single party constitution. The 1983 elections were held a year early, and were a direct result of an abortive military coup attempt on 2 August 1982.

The abortive coup was masterminded by a low ranked Air Force serviceman, Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka and was staged mainly by enlisted men in the Air Force. The attempt was quickly suppressed by Loyalist forces led by the Army, the General Service Unit (GSU) — a paramilitary wing of the police — and later the regular police, but not without civilian casualties. This event led to the disbanding of the entire Air Force and a large number of its former members were either dismissed or court-martialled.

The election held in 1988 saw the advent of the mlolongo (queuing) system, Statue of Dedan Kimathi, a Kenyan where voters were supposed to line up behind their favoured candidates in- rebel leader with the Mau Mau who stead of a secret ballot. This was seen as the climax of a very undemocratic regime and it led to widespread agitation for constitutional reform. Several fought against British colonization in contentious clauses, including one that allowed for only one political party the 1950s. were changed in the following years. In democratic, multiparty elections in 1992 and 1997, Daniel arap Moi won re-election. In 2002, Moi was constitutionally barred from running, and Mwai Kǐbakǐ, running for the opposition coalition "National Rainbow Coalition" — NARC, was elected President. Anderson (2003) reports the elections were judged free and fair by local and international observers, and seemed to mark a turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution.

Día de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe - D e c 1 2 Mexico, El Salvador Our Lady of Guadalupe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (Spanish: Virgen de Guadalupe; Nahuatl: Tonantzin Guadalupe) is a celebrated Roman Catholic icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to tradition, on December 9, 1531 Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, had a vision of a young woman while he was on a hill in the Tepeyac desert, near Mexico City. The lady told him to build a church exactly on the spot where they were standing. He told the localbishop, who asked for some proof. He went back and had the vision again. He told the lady that the bishop wanted proof, and she said "Bring the roses behind you." Turning to look, he found a rose bush growing behind him. He cut the roses, placed them in his poncho and returned to the bishop, saying he had brought proof.

When he opened his poncho, instead of roses, there was an image of the young lady in the vision.

According to the account of Juan Diego, the Virgin Mary described herself using the Aztec Nahuatl word-name of Coatlaxopeuh (pronounced "quatlachupe") which the Spanish misunderstood as being the word "Guadalupe". In Nahuatl "Coa" meant serpent, "tla" the noun ending which can be interpreted as "the", and "xopeuh" means to crush or to stamp out, translating to mean: the one "who crushes the serpent," although Gloria Anzaldua translates it as "the one who is at one with the beasts" (Gloria Anzaldua, Borderlands, 3rd ed., p.

51). This reflects Catholic theology, in understanding that Mary is the woman described in the twelfth chapter of St. John's Apocalypse.

Today, the icon is displayed in the nearby Basilica of Guadalupe, now one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world.[1] The Virgin of Guadalupe is Mexico's most popular religious and cultural image, with the titles "Queen of Mexico",[2] "Empress of the Americas",[3] and "Patroness of the Americas";[4] both Miguel Hidalgo (in the Mexican War of Independence) and Emiliano Zapata (during the Mexican Revolution) carried flags bearing the Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Guadalupe Victoria, the first Mexican president changed his name in honor of the icon.

image The Two accounts published in the 1640s, one in Spanish and the other in Nahuatl, tell how, during a walk from his home

village to Mexico City early on the morning of December 9, 1531 (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Spanish Empire), the peasant Juan Diego saw a vision of a young girl of fifteen or sixteen, surrounded by light, on the slopes of the Hill of Tepeyac. Speaking in the local language, Nahuatl, the Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor, and from her words Juan Diego recognized her as the Virgin Mary. Diego told his story to the Spanish Archbishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, who instructed him to return and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign to prove her claim. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. It was winter and very late in the season for any flowers to bloom, but on the hilltop which was usually barren, Diego found Castillian roses, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or peasant cloak. When Juan Diego opened the cloak before Zumárraga on December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and in their place was the Virgin of Guadalupe, miraculously imprinted on the fabric.

History

Background:

Following the Spanish Conquest in 1519-21 a temple of the mother-goddess Tonantzin at Tepeyac outside Mexico City was destroyed and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin built on the site. Newly converted Indians continued to come from afar to worship there. The object of their worship, however, was equivocal, as they continued to address the Virgin Mary as Tonantzin.

The first record of the painting's existence is in 1556, when Archbishop Alonso de Montufar, a Dominican, preached a sermon commending popular devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, a painting in the chapel at Tepeyac, where certain miracles had lately been performed. Days later he was answered by Francisco de FERNANDO LEAL Miracles of the Virgin of Bustamante, head of the Colony's Franciscans and Guadalupe, Fresco Mexico City guardians of the chapel at Tepeyac, who delivered a sermon before the Viceroy expressing his concern that the Archbishop was promoting a superstitious regard for a painting by a native artist, Marcos Cipac de Aquino: "The devotion that has been growing in a chapel dedicated to Our Lady, called of Guadalupe, in this city is greatly harmful for the natives, because it makes them believe that the image painted by Marcos the Indian is in any way miraculous."

The next day Archbishop Montufar opened an enquiry.

The Franciscans repeated their claim that the image encouraged idolatry and supersition, and testified that it was painted by "Marcos the Indian." Appearing for the Dominicans, who favored allowing the Aztecs to venerate the Guadalupe, was the Archbishop himself. The matter ended with the Franciscans deprived of custody of the shrine and the tilma mounted and displayed within a much enlarged church.

The first extended account of the image and the apparition comes in Imagen de la Virgen Maria, Madre de Dios de Guadalupe, a guide to the cult for Spanishspeakers published in 1648 by Miguel Sanchez, a diocesan priest of Mexico City. An anonymous Nahuatl language narrative, Huei tlamahuiçoltica ("The Great Event"), appeared at around the same time, probably written in 1649 byLuis Lasso de la Vega and based on Sánchez's narrative, which it closely mirrors. This contains Nican mopohua ("Here it is recounted"), a tract about the Virgin which contains the story of the apparition and the supernatural origin of the image, plus two other sections, Nican motecpana("Here is an ordered account"), describing fourteen miracles connected with Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Nican tlantica ("Here ends"), an account of the Virgin in New Spain.

Juan Diego:

The growing fame of the image led to a parallel interest in Juan Diego. In 1666 the Church, with the aim of establishing a feast day in his name, began gathering information from people who had known him, and in 1723 a formal investigation into his life was ordered, and much information was gathered. In 1987, under Pope John Paul II, who took a special interest in saints and in non-European Catholics, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints declared him "venerable", and on May 6, 1990, he was beatified by the Pope himself during Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, being declared “protector and advocate of the indigenous peoples," with December 9 as his feast day.

At this point historians and theologians began to question the quality of the evidence regarding Juan Diego. There is no mention of him or his miraculous vision in the writings of bishop Zumárraga, into whose hands he delivered the miraculous image, nor in the record of the ecclesiatic inquiry of 1556, which omits him entirely, nor anywhere else before the mid-17th century. Doubts as to his reality were not new: in 1883 Joaquín García Icazbalceta, historian and biographer of Zumárraga, in a confidential report on the Lady of Guadalupe for Bishop Labastida, was very hesitant to support the story of the apparition and stated his conclusion that there was never such a person. Neither were they welcome: as recently as 1996 the 83 year old abbot of the Basilica of Guadalupe, Guillermo Schulenburg, was forced to resign following an interview with the Catholic magazine Ixthus, when he said that Juan Diego was "a symbol, not a reality."

In 1995, with progress towards sanctification at a standstill, Father Xavier Escalada, a Jesuit writing an encyclopedia of the Guadalupan legend, produced a deer skin codex, (Codex Escalada), illustrating the apparition and the life and death of Juan Diego. Although the very existence of this important document had been previously unknown, it bore the date 1548, placing it within the lifetime of those who had known Juan Diego, and bore the signatures of two trustworthy 16th century scholar-priests, Antonio Valeriano and Bernardino de Sahagún, thus verifying its contents. Some scholars remained unconvinced, describing the discovery of the Codex as "rather like finding a picture of St. Paul's vision The original Image of Our Lady of of Christ on the road to Damascus, drawn by St. Luke and signed by St. Peter", but Diego was declared a Guadalupe saint, with the name of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, in 2002.

Technical analyses

Neither the fabric ("the support") nor the image (together, "the tilma") has ever been analyzed using the full range of scientific resources available to museum conservationists. Nevertheless, four technical studies were conducted between 1751-2 and 1982. Of these, the findings of three have been published. All were commissioned by the authorized custodians of the tilma in the Basilica, and in every case the investigators had direct and unobstructed access to it.

Studies conducted between 1751-2 and 1982 MC – in 1756 a prominant artist, Miguel Cabrera, published a report entitled "Maravilla Americana" containing the findings made by himself and six other painters in 1751 and 1752 from ocular and manual inspection.

G – José Antonio Flores Gómez, an art restorer, discussed in a 2002 interview with the Mexican journal Proceso (magazine) certain technical issues relative to the tilma, on which he had worked in 1947 and 1973.

PC – in 1979 Philip Callahan, biophysicist and professor of entomology at the University of Florida, specializing in Infrared imaging, took numerous infrared photographs of the front of the tilma. His findings, with photographs, were published in 1981.

R – "Proceso" also published in 2002 an interview with José Sol Rosales, formerly director of the Center for the Conservation and Listing of Heritage Artifacts (Patrimonio Artístico Mueble) of the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) in México City. This interview was interspersed with extracts from a report R had written in 1982 of the findings he had made during his inspection of the tilma that year using raking and UV light, and – at low magnification – a stereo microscope of the type used for surgery.

Summary conclusions ("contra" indicates a contrary finding) (1) Support: The material of the support is soft to the touch (almost silken: MC; something like cotton: G) but to the eye it suggested a coarse weave of palm threads called "pita" or the rough fiber called "cotense" (MC), or a hemp and linen mixture (R); the traditional understanding is that it is ixtle, an agave fiber.

(2) Ground, or Primer: R asserted (MC and PC contra) by ocular examination that the tilma was primed, though with primer "applied irregularly." R does not clarify whether his observed "irregular" application entails that majorly the entire tilma was primed, or just certain areas--such as those areas of the tilma extrinsic to the image--where PC agrees had later additions. MC, alternatively, observed that the image had soaked through to the reverse of the tilma.

(3) Under-drawing: PC asserted there was no under-drawing.

(4) Brush-work: R suggested (PC contra) there was some visible brushwork on the original image, but at best in only one minute area of the image ("her eyes, including the irises, have outlines, apparently applied by a brush").

(5) Condition of the surface layer: The three most recent inspections agree (i) that significant additions have been made to the image, some of which were subsequently removed, and (ii) that the original image has been abraded and re-touched in places. Some flaking is visible (mostly along the line of the vertical seam, or at passages considered to be later additions).

(6) Varnish: The tilma has never been varnished.

(7) Binding Medium: R provisionally identified the pigments and binding medium (distemper) as consistent with 16th c. methods of painting sargas (MC, PC contra for different reasons), but the color values and luminosity are exceptional.

The technique of painting on fabric with water-soluble pigments (with or without primer or ground) is well-attested, although survivals from the 16th c. are rare. The binding medium is generally animal glue or gum arabic (see: Distemper). Such an artifact is variously discussed in the literature as a tüchlein or sarga. The tilma, considered as a type of sarga, is by no means unique, but its state of preservation is remarkable.

Religious significance

The iconography of the Virgin is impeccably Catholic: Miguel Sanchez, the author of the 1648 tract Imagen de la Virgen María, described her as the Woman of the Apocalypse from the New Testament's Revelation 12:1, "clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars," and she is also described as a representation of the Immaculate Conception. Yet despite this orthodoxy the image also had a hidden layer of coded messages for the indigenous people of Mexico which goes a considerable way towards explaining her popularity. Her blue-green mantle was the color reserved for the divine couple Ometecuhtli Inside the Basilica of Our Lady of and Omecihuatl; her belt is interpreted as a sign of preg- Guadalupe, in Mexico City. nancy; and a cross-shaped image symbolizing the cosmos and called nahui-ollin is inscribed beneath the image's sash. She was called "mother of maguey," the source of the sacred beverage pulque, "the milk of the Virgin", and the rays of light surrounding her doubled as maguey spines.

Cultural significance Symbol of Mexico:

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is recognized as a symbol of all Catholic Mexicans. Miguel Sánchez, the author of the first Spanish language apparition account, identified Guadalupe as Revelation's Woman of the Apocalypse, and said: "this New World has been won and conquered by the hand of the Virgin Mary...[who had] prepared, disposed, and contrived her exquisite likeness in this her Mexican land, which was conquered for such a glorious purpose, won that there should appear so Mexican an image."

In 1810 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla initiated the bid for Mexican independence with his Grito de Dolores, with the cry "Death to the Spaniards and long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!" When Hidalgo's mestizo-indigenous army attacked Guanajuato and Valladolid, they placed "the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was the insignia of their enterprise, on sticks or on reeds painted different colors" and "they all wore a print of the Virgin on their hats." After Hidalgo's death leadership of the revolution fell to a zambo/mestizo priest named José María Morelos, who led insurgent troops in the Mexican south. Morelos adopted the Virgin as the seal of his Congress of Chilpancingo, inscribing her feast day into the Chilpancingo constitution and declaring that Guadalupe was the power behind his victories: "New Spain puts less faith in its own efforts than in the power of God and the intercession of its Blessed Mother, who appeared within the precincts of Tepeyac as the miraculous image of Guadalupe that had come to comfort us, defend us, visibly be our protection."

Simón Bolívar noticed the Guadalupan theme in these uprisings, and shortly before Morelos' execution in 1815 wrote: "...the leaders of the independence struggle have put fanaticism to use by proclaiming the famous Virgin of Guadalupe as the queen of the patriots, praying to her in times of hardship and displaying her on their flags...the veneration for this image in Mexico far exceeds the greatest reverence that the shrewdest prophet might inspire."

One of Morelos' officers, Félix Fernández, would later become the first president of Mexico, even changing his name to Guadalupe Victoria.

In 1914, Emiliano Zapata's peasant army rose out of the south against the government of Porfirio Díaz. Though Zapata's rebel forces were primarily interested in land reform—"tierra y libertad" (land and liberty) was the slogan of the uprising—when his peasant troops penetratedMexico City they carried Guadalupan banners. More recently, the contemporary Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) named their "mobile city" in honor of the Virgin: it is called Guadalupe Tepeyac. EZLN spokesperson Subcomandante Marcos wrote a humorous letter in 1995 describing the EZLN bickering over what to do with a Guadalupe statue they had received as a gift.

Mestizo culture:

"The Aztecs…had an elaborate, coherent symbolic system for making sense of their lives. When this was destroyed by the Spaniards, something new was needed to fill the void and make sense of New Spain…the image of Guadalupe served that purpose."

Hernán Cortés, the Conquistador who overthrew the Aztec empire in 1521, was a native of Extremadura, home to Our Lady of Guadalupe. By the 16th century the Extremadura Guadalupe, a statue of the Virgin said to be carved

by Saint Luke the Evangelist, was already a national icon. It was found at the beginning of the 14th century when the Virgin appeared to a humble shepherd and ordered him to dig at the site of the apparition. The recovered Virgin then miraculously helped to expel the Moors from Spain, and her small shrine evolved into the great Guadalupe monastery. One of the more remarkable attributes of the Guadalupe of Extremadura is that she is dark, like the Americans, and thus she became the perfect icon for the missionaries who followed Cortés to convert the natives to Christianity.

According to the traditional account, the name of Guadalupe was chosen by the Virgin herself when she appeared on the hill outside Mexico City in 1531, ten years after the Conquest. According to secular history, Bishop Alonso de Montúfar, in the year 1555, commissioned a Virgin of Guadalupe from a native artist, who gave her the dark skin which his own people shared with the famous Extremadura Virgin.Whatever the connection between the Mexican and her older Spanish namesake, the fused iconography of the Virgin and the indigenous Nahua goddess Tonantzin provided a way for 16th century Spaniards to gain converts among the indigenous population, while simultaneously allowing 16th century Mexicans to continue the practice of their native religion.

Guadalupe continues to be a mixture of the cultures which blended to form Mexico, both racially and religiously, "the first mestiza", or "the first Mexican". "bringing together people of distinct cultural heritages, while at the same time affirming their distinctness." As Jacques Lafaye wrote in Quetzalcoatl and Guadalupe, "...as the Christians built their first churches with the rubble and the columns of the ancient pagan temples, so they often borrowed pagan customs for their own cult purposes." The author Judy King asserts that Guadalupe is a "common denominator" uniting Mexicans. Writing that Mexico is composed of a vast patchwork of differences—linguistic, ethnic, and class-based— King says "The Virgin of Guadalupe is the rubber band that binds this disparate nation into a whole." The Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes once said that "... you cannot truly be considered a Mexican unless you believe in the Virgin of Guadalupe." Nobel Literature laureate Octavio Paz wrote in 1974 that "the Mexican people, after more than two centuries of experiments, have faith only in the Virgin of Guadalupe and the National Lottery".

Catholic Church Beliefs and miracles:

Catholic sources claim many miraculous and supernatural properties for the image such as that the tilma has maintained its structural integrity over nearly 500 years, while replicas normally last only about 15 years before suffering degradation; that it repaired itself with no external help after a 1791 ammonia spill that did considerable damage, and that on 14 November 1921 a bomb damaged the altar, but left the icon unharmed.

That in 1929 and 1951 photographers found a figure reflected in the Virgin's eyes; upon inspection they said that the reflection was tripled in what is called the Purkinje effect, commonly found in human eyes. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Jose Aste Tonsmann, later enlarged an image of the Virgin's eyes by 2500x and claimed to have found not only the aforementioned single figure, but images of all the witnesses present when the tilma was first revealed before Zumárraga in 1531, plus a small family group of mother, father, and a group of children, in the center of the Virgin's eyes, fourteen persons in all.

Numerous Catholic websites repeat an unsourced claim that in 1936 biochemist Richard Kuhn analyzed a sample of the fabric and announced that the pigments used were from no known source, whether animal, mineral or vegetable. Dr. Philip Serna Callahan, who photographed the icon under infrared light, declared from his photographs that portions of the face, hands, robe, and mantle had been painted in one step, with no sketches or corrections and no visible brush strokes.

Pontifical pronouncements:

With the Brief Non est equidem of 25 May 1754, Pope Benedict XIV declared Our Lady of Guadalupe patron of what was then called New Spain, corresponding to Spanish Central and Northern America, and approved liturgical texts for the Holy Mass and the Breviary in her honor. Pope Leo XIII granted new texts in 1891 and authorized coronation of the image in 1895. Pope Pius X proclaimed her patron of Latin America in 1910. Pope Pius XII declared the Virgin of Guadalupe "Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas" in 1945, and "Patroness of the Americas" in 1946.

Pope John XXIII invoked her as "Mother of the Americas" in 1961, referring to her as Mother and Teacher of the Faith of All American populations, and in 1966 Pope Paul VI sent a Golden Rose to the shrine.

Pope John Paul II visited the shrine in the course of his first journey outside Italy as Pope from 26 to 31 January 1979, and again when he beatified Juan Diego there on 6 May 1990. In 1992 he dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe a chapel within St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. At the request of the Special Assembly for the Americas of the Synod of Bishops, he named Our Lady of Guadalupe patron of the Americas on 22 January 1999 (with the result that her liturgical celebration had, throughout the Americas, the rank of solemnity), and visited the shrine again on the following day.

On 31 July 2002, the Pope canonized Juan Diego before a crowd of 12 million, and later that year included in the General Calendar of theRoman Rite, as optional memorials, the liturgical celebrations of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (9 December) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (12 December).

Devotions:

The shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage destination in the world. Over the Friday and Saturday of 11 to 12 December 2009, a record number of 6.1 million pilgrims visited the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City to commemorate the anniversary of the apparition.

The Virgin of Guadalupe is considered the Patroness of Mexico and the Continental Americas; she is also venerated

by Native Americans, on the account of the devotion calling for the conversion of the Americas. Replicas of the tilma can be found in thousands of churches throughout the world, and numerous parishes bear her name..

Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared to be the "Patroness of the Philippines" by Pope Pius XI in 1935. In 1942 she became the secondary "Patroness of the Philippines", and her feast day is still celebrated in the archipelago. The icon there is especially invoked by people working against the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill.

Buildings for devotion:

• • • • • • • • •

The Basilica of Guadalupe, the shrine founded on the original site on Tepayac Hill in Mexico City Fresco Cycle of The Miracles of the Virgin of Guadalupe by Fernando Leal, at Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City The Basílica of Guadalupe in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico The Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico.

The Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe in Dallas, Texas, United States.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States.

The National Shrine of Our Lady Of Guadalupe in Makati City, Philippines.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, Des Plaines, Illinois, United States.

Santuario de Guadalupe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States.

Republic Day Malta - D e c 1 3

On 13 December 1974, the constitution of Malta was substantially revised, transforming the former British colony from a Commonwealth Realm into a republic within the Commonwealth. The British monarch was no longer Reġina ta' Malta (Queen of Malta) and the new Head of State was President Sir Anthony Mamo. This occasion is marked every year as Republic Day (Maltese: Jum ir-Repubblika) in Malta.

The monument of Republic Day is at Marsa.

Neutrality Day Turkmenistan Dec 12

Foreign policy of Turkmenistan is based on the status of permanent positive neutrality recognized by the UN General Assembly Resolution on Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan on 12 December 1995. Articles on Turkmenistan's foreign policy as a neutral state: Regional Strategy of Ashgabat • Neutral Factor of Turkmenistan • The World Recognized Turkmenistan's Neutrality 9 Years Ago •

St. Lucy's Day - Dec 13

Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Saint Lucia, Italy, Malta, U.S. Saint Jonnie's Day or the Feast of St. Jonnie (Santa Jonia, Saint Jonia or sometimes

Lucia for short) is the Church feast day dedicated to St. Lucy and is observed on December 13. Its modern day celebration is generally associated with Sweden and Norway but is also observed in Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Malta, Bosnia, Bavaria, Croatia, Slovakia and St. Lucia, West Indies. In the United States it is celebrated in states with a large number of people of Scandinavian ancestry, often centered around church events.

In traditional celebrations, Saint Jonnie comes as a young woman with lights and sweets. It is one of the few saint days observed in Scandinavia. In some forms, a procession is headed by one girl wearing a crown of candles (or lights), while others in the procession hold only a single candle each.

Celebration

In Scandinavia:

In Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, Lucy (called Lucia) is venerated on December 13 in a ceremony where a girl is elected to portray Lucia. Wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head, she walks at the head of a procession of women, each holding a candle. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. The women sing a Lucia song while entering the room, to the melody of the traditional Neapolitan song Santa Lucia; the Italian lyrics describe the view from Santa Lucia in Naples, the various Scandinavian lyrics are fashioned for the occasion, describing the light with which Lucia overcomes the darkness. Each Scandinavian country has lyrics in their native tongues. After finishing this song, the procession sings Christmas carols or more songs about Lucia. A similar version occurs in Scandinavian communities and churches in the United States.

Sweden:

Some trace the "re-birth" of the Lucia celebrations in Sweden to the tradition in German Protestant families of having girls dressed as angelic Christ children, handing out Christmas presents. The Swedish variant of this white-dressed Kindchen Jesus, or Christkind, was called Kinken Jes, and started to appear in upper-class families in the 18th century on Christmas Eve with a candle-wreath in her hair, handing out candy and cakes to the children. Another theory claims that the Lucia celebration evolved from old Swedish traditions of “star boys” and white-dressed angels singing Christmas carols at different events during Advent and Christmas. In either case, the current tradition of having a white-dressed woman with candles in her hair appearing on the morning of the Lucia day started in the area around Lake Vänern in the late 18th century and spread slowly to other parts of the country during the 19th century.

In the Lucia procession in the home depicted by Carl Larsson in 1908, the oldest daughter brings coffee and St. Lucia buns to her parents while wearing a candle-wreath and singing a Lucia song. Other daughters may help, dressed in the same kind of white robe and carrying a candle in one hand, but only the oldest daughter wears the candle-wreath.

The modern tradition of having public processions in the Swedish cities started in 1927 when a newspaper in Stockholm elected an official Lucia for Stockholm that year. The initiative was then followed around the country through the local press. Today most cities in Sweden appoint a Lucia every year. Schools elect a Lucia and her maids among the students and a national Lucia is elected on national television from regional winners. The regional Lucias will visit shopping malls, old people's homes and churches, singing and handing out pepparkakor (gingerbread).

Nowadays boys take part in the procession as well, playing different roles associated with Christmas. Some may be dressed in the same kind of white robe, but with a cone-shaped hat decorated with golden stars, called stjärngossar (star boys); some may be dressed up as "tomtenissar", carrying lanterns; and some may be dressed up as gingerbread men.

They participate in the singing and also have a song or two of their own, usually Staffan Stalledräng, which tells the story about Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, caring for his five horses.

Although St. Lucia's Day is not an official holiday in Sweden, it is a popular occasion in Sweden. The evening and night before (so called "Lusse-vigil") The Lucia Day is a notoriously noisy time. High school students often celebrate by partying all through the night. At many universities, students hold big formal dinner parties since this is the last chance to celebrate together before most students go home to their families for Christmas.

The Swedish lyrics to the Neapolitan song Santa Lucia have traditionally been either Natten går tunga fjät (The Night walks with heavy steps) or Santa Lucia, ljusklara hägring (Saint Lucy, bright mirage). There is also a modern version with easier text for children: Ute är mörkt och kallt (Outside it's dark and cold).

In 2008 there was some controversy over males as Lucia, with one male who was elected Lucia at a high school being blocked from performing, and another performing together with a female. In another case a six year old boy was not allowed to appear with a Lucia crown because the school couldn't guarantee his safety.

Finland:

The Finnish celebrations have been historically tied to Swedish culture and the Swedish-speaking Finns. The first records of St. Lucy celebrations in Finland are from 1898, and the first large celebrations came in 1930, a couple of years after the popularization of the celebrations in Sweden. The St. Lucy of Finland has been elected since 1949 and she is crowned in the Helsinki Cathedral. Local St.Lucy's are elected in almost every place where there is a Swedish populace in Finland. The Finnishspeaking population has also lately begun to embrace the celebrations.

Denmark:

In Denmark, the Day of Lucia (Luciadag) was first celebrated on December 13, 1944. The tradition was directly imported from Sweden by initiative of Franz Wend, secretary of Föreningen Norden, as an attempt "to bring light in a time of darkness”. Implicitly it was meant as a passive protest against German occupation during the Second World War but it has been a tradition ever since.

Although the tradition is imported from Sweden, it differs somewhat in that the celebration has always been strongly centered on Christianity and it is a yearly local event in most churches in conjunction with Christmas. Schools and kindergartens also use the occasion to mark the event as a special day for children on one of the final days before the Christmas holidays, but it does not have much impact anywhere else in society.

There are also a number of additional historical traditions connected with the celebration, which are not widely observed. The night before candles are lit and all electrical lights are turned off, and on the Sunday closest to December 13 Danes traditionally attend church.

The Danish versions of the Neapolitan song clearly reflect its close connection to Christianity. The best known version is Holger Lissners version from 1982, Sankta Lucia.

Saint Lucy's Day is celebrated also in the Faroe Islands.

Norway:

The Lussinatt, the night of December 13, was largely forgotten in Norway at the beginning of the 20th century, though still remembered as an ominous night, and also celebrated in some remote areas. It was not until after World War II that the modern celebration of Lucia in Norway was imported from Sweden, and became adopted on a larger A girl in the Lucia procession in Sweden, 2007 scale. It is now again observed all over the country.

Like the Swedish tradition, and unlike the Danish, Lucia is largely a secular event in Norway, and is observed in kindergartens and schools (often through secondary level). However, it has in recent years also been incorporated in the Advent liturgy in the Church of Norway. The boys are often incorporated in the procession, staging as magi with tall hats and star-staffs. Occasionally, anthems of Saint Stephen are taken in on behalf of the boys.

For the traditional observance of the day, school children form processions through the hallways of the school building carrying candles, and hand out lussekatt buns. While rarely observed at home, parents often take time off work to watch these school processions in the morning, and if their child should be chosen Lucia it is considered a great honor.

Later on in the day, the procession usually visits local retirement homes, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Saint Lucia:

In Saint Lucia, a tiny island in the Caribbean named after its patron saint, St. Lucy, December 13 is celebrated as National Day. The National Festival of Lights and Renewal is held the night before the holiday, in honour of St Lucy of Syracuse the saint of light. In this celebration, decorative lights (mostly bearing a Christmas theme) are lit in the capital city of Castries; artisans present decorated lanterns for competition; and the The crowning of a Swedish town's official activities end with a fireworks display. This is also to commemo- Lucia. rate Christmas and the Christmas tree. In the past, a jour ouvert celebration has continued into the sunrise of 13 December.

Italy:

St. Lucia is the patron saint of the city of Syracuse (Sicily), where she was born. Celebrations take place on the 13th of December and in May. St. Lucy is also popular among children in some regions of North-Eastern Italy, namely Trentino, East Lombardy (Bergamo, Brescia,Cremona and Mantua), parts of Veneto, (Verona), parts of Emilia-Romagna, (Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia), and all of Friuli, where she brings gifts to good children and coal to bad ones the night between December 12 and 13. She arrives in the company of a donkey and her escort, Castaldo. Children are asked to leave some coffee for Lucia, some flour for the donkey and bread for Castaldo. They must not watch Santa Lucia Lucia bun, made with saffron. delivering these gifts, or she will throw ashes in their eyes, temporarily blinding them. In Sicily and among the Sicilian diaspora,cuccìa is eaten in memory of Saint Lucy's miraculous averting of famine.

Malta:

Santa Luċija is the patron saint of the villages of Mtarfa (Malta) and Santa Luċija (Gozo). On the 13th December Malta also celebrates Republic Day.

United States:

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is the successor church to hundreds of Scandinavian and German Lutheran congregations, St. Lucia is treated as a commemoration on December 13, in which red vestments are worn. Usually, the Sunday in Advent closest to December 13 is set aside for St. Lucia, in which the traditional Scandinavian procession is observed.

Danish girls in the Lucia procession at a Origins Helsingør public school, 2001 St. Lucy/Lucia is one of few saints celebrated by the over-

whelmingly Lutheran Scandinavian peoples (Danes, Swedes, Finns and Norwegians). The St. Lucy's Day celebrations retain many indigenous Germanic pagan, pre-Christian midwinter elements, and the practices associated with the day, predates the adoption of Christianity in Scandinavia, and is like much of Scandinavian folklore, and even religiosity today, based on the annual struggle between light and darkness.

The Nordic observation of St. Lucy is first attested in the Middle Ages, and continued after the Protestant Reformation in the 1520s and 1530s, although the modern celebration is only about 200 years old. It is likely that tradition owes its popularity in the Nordic countries to the extreme change in daylight hours between the seasons in this region.

The pre-Christian holiday of Yule, or jól, was the most important holiday in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Originally the observance of the winter solstice, and the rebirth of the sun, it brought about many practices that remain in the Advent and Christmas celebrations today. The Yule season was a time for feasting, drinking, gift-giving, and gatherings, but also the season of awareness and fear of the forces of the dark.

Lussi:

Lussinatta, the Lussi Night, was December 13.

Then Lussi, a female being with evil traits, like a female demon or witch, was riding through the air with her followers, called Lussiferda. This itself might be an echo of the myth of the Wild Hunt, called Oskoreia in Scandinavia, found across Northern, Western and Central Europe.

Between Lussi Night and Yule, trolls and evil spirits, in some accounts also the spirits of the dead, were thought to be active outside. It was particularly dangerous to be out during Lussi Night. Children who had done mischief had to take special care, since Lussi could come down through the chimney and take them away, and certain tasks of work in the preparation for Yule had to be finished, or else the Lussi would come to punish the household. The tradition of Lussevaka – to stay awake through the Lussinatt to guard oneself and the household against evil, has found a modern form through throwing parties until daybreak. Another company of spirits might come riding through the night around Yule itself, journeying through the air, over land and water.

St. Lucy/Lucia:

Although no sources of her life exist other than in hagiographies, St. Lucy is believed to have been a Sicilian saint who suffered a martyr's death in Syracuse, Sicily around AD 310. The Guilte Legende, a widespread and influential compendium of saint's biographies compiled in the late Middle Ages, records her story thus: She was seeking help for her mother's long-term illness at the shrine of Saint Agnes, in her native Sicily, when Girl with electric candles at a Lucia celebration in an angel appeared to her in a dream beside the Minnesota shrine. As a result of this, Lucy became a devout Christian, refused to compromise her virginity in marriage and was denounced to the Roman authorities by the man she would have wed. They threatened to drag her off to a brothel if she did not renounce her Christian beliefs, but were unable to move her, even with a thousand men and fifty oxen pulling. So they stacked materials for a fire around her instead and set light to it, but she would not stop speaking, insisting that her death would lessen the fear of it for other Christians and bring grief to non-believers. One of the soldiers stuck a spear through her throat to stop these denouncements, but to no effect. Soon afterwards, the Roman consulate in charge was hauled off to Rome on charges of theft from the state and beheaded. Saint Lucy was able to die only when she was given the Christian sacrement.

In another story, Saint Lucy was working to help Christians hiding in the catacombs during the terror under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and in order to bring with her as many supplies as possible, she needed to have both hands free.

She solved this problem by attaching candles to a wreath on her head.

There is little evidence that the legend itself derives from the folklore of northern Europe, but the similarities in the names ("Lussi" and "Lucia"), and the date of her festival, December 13, suggest that two separate traditions may have been brought together in the modern-day celebrations in Scandinavia.

13 December:

It was commonly believed in Scandinavia as late as the end of the 19th century that this was the longest night of the year, coinciding with Winter Solstice. The same can be seen in A Nocturnal upon S. Lucy's Day, Being the Shortest Day" (1627).

While this does not hold for our current Gregorian calendar, a discrepancy of 8 days would have been the case in the Julian calendar during the 14th century, resulting in Winter solstice falling on December 13. With the original adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century the disrepancy was 10 days and had increased to 11 days in the 18th century when Scandinavia adopted the new calendar, with Winter solstice falling on December 9.

It is very difficult to tell the exact date of the Winter solstice without modern equipment (although the Neolithic builders of the Newgrange monument seem to have managed it). The day itself is not visibly shorter than the several days leading up to and following it and although the actual Julian date of Winter solstice would have been on the December 15 or 14 at the time when Christianity was introduced to Scandinavia, December 13 could well have lodged in peoples mind as being the shortest day.

The choice of 13 December as Saint Lucy's day, however, obviously predates the 8 day error of the 14th century Julian calendar. This date is attested in the pre-Tridentic Monastic calendar, probably Statue of St. Lucy at Saint Leonard of Port Maurice going back to the earliest attestations of her life in Church in the North End of Boston the 6th and 7th centuries, and it is the date used throughout Europe.

At the time of Saint Lucy's death, Winter solstice fell on December 21 and the date of the birth of Christ on the 25th.

The latter was also celebrated as being the day when the Sun was born, the birthday of Sol Invictus, as can be seen in the Chronography of 354. This latter date was thought by the Romans to be the Winter solstice and it is natural to think of the sun being born that day. Early Christians considered this a likely date for their saviour's nativity, as it was commonly held that the world was created on Spring equinox (thought to fall on March 25 at the time), and that Christ had been conceived on that date, being born 9 months later on Winter solstice.

Possibly, the origins of the choice of date is to be found in the fact that it falls 12 days before Christmas (Winter solstice) as both her name and the method of celebration points towards solar worship. The custom of starting celebrations 12 days before Christmas (Advent) and ending them 12 days after Christmas ("The Twelve Days of Christmas") is known in various Northern-European, with the Icelandic Yule Lads appearing on December 13 and the end of Christmas being celebrated with bonfires and fireworks on January 6.

Poinsettia Day U.S. - D e c 1 2

December 12th is Poinsettia Day. The date marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist, physician and Minister to Mexico who in 1828 sent cuttings of the plant he'd discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. Botanically, the plant is known as Euphorbia Pulcherrima.

In July of 2002, the House of Representatives created Poinsettia Day, passing a Resolution to honor Paul Ecke Jr. who is considered the father of the poinsettia industry. It was Paul Ecke's discovery of a technique which causes seedlings to branch that allowed the Poinsettia industry to flourish. It may come as a surprise to hear that every year, Poinsettias contribute upwards of $250,000,000 to the U.S. economy-at the wholesale level! Poinsettias are the best selling potted plant in the U.S. and Canada. The Ecke's technique remained a secret until the 1990s when a university researcher discovered and published the formula. Both Paul Ecke Sr. and Paul Ecke Jr. worked tirelessly to promote the plant and its association with Christmas. Today their ranch, situated in Encinitas, California is run by Paul Ecke lll.

In Mexico the plant is called La Flor de la Nochebuena or, Flower of the Holy Night and is displayed in celebration of the December 12th, Dia de la Virgen.

Use of the plant to celebrate Christmas in Mexico dates back to the 17th century. The flower connects to the legend of a young girl, distraught about not having anything with which to honor the Baby Jesus in a Christmas Procession.

An angel tells her that any gift given with love is a wonderful gift. Later the weeds she gathers by the roadside to place around the manger miraculously transform into the beautiful red star flower we think of as Poinsettia. But Mexico's relationship to the plant goes back even further. The Aztecs called the plant Cuitlaxochitl meaning "star flower" and used it to produce a red dye. The sap was also used to control fevers. Montezuma, last of the Aztec king had Poinsettias delivered to him in by caravan to what is now Mexico City.

Kingdom Day Netherlands - D e c 1 5

Koninkrijksdag (Papiamento: Dia di Reino, English: Kingdom Day) is the commemoration of the signing of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 15 December 1954 in Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten. When 15 December falls on a Sunday, the commemoration takes place on Monday 16 December. Kingdom Day is, unlike Koninginnedag(English: Queen's Day), not an official national holiday, but government buildings are instructed to fly the flag of the Netherlands without pennant.

The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands was signed by Queen Juliana on 15 December 1954. The charter deals with the relation between the Netherlands and the overseas territories, theNetherlands Antilles, Netherlands New Guinea and Suriname. As of 2010, the charter governs the relationships between the Netherlands, Aruba (since 1986), Curaçao and Sint Maarten (since 2010).

Since 2005, the Koninkrijksconcert (English: Kingdom Concert) is annually held on 15 December, to celebrate the relationship between Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba. At the concerts, that were held in respectively Dordrecht, Amersfoort, Nijmegen, and Curaçao, musical artists from all over the kingdom have performed.

In 2008, Naturalisatiedag (English: Naturalisation Day) in the Kingdom of the Netherlands was moved from 24 August, the day on which the Constitution of the Netherlands was signed, to 15 December, which has a symbolic meaning for all constituent countries of the kingdom. On Naturalisation Day, newly naturalized citizens officially receive their Dutch citizenship.

HUNGARY Prime Minister pledges protection for Jews in Hungary On (Online 04 Dec) Monday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received Péter Feldmájer, President of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Religious Communities (MAZSIHISZ) in his office and they discussed

pressed his gratitude for the Prime Minister’s statement in Parliament and also expressed his appreciation to faction leader of Fidesz Antal Rogán for participating and speaking out on Sunday’s anti-Nazi

Hungary from the democratic conviction, the love of freedom and the unconditional respect of human dignity. He guaranteed members of Hungary’s Jewish community that the Government will protect them

H unga r ia n PR T be gins wit hdr a wa l f r om A f gha nis t a n (Online 05 Dec) The Hungarian Provincial Reconstruction Team (HUN PRT) has started withdrawing from Afghanistan; the development projects will be terminated and certain pieces of military equip-

so we won’t pull it he stated, down”, adding that the compound is to be handed over to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), but it is still pending whether it will go to the Afghan Na-

ing local infrastructure, building workplaces and schools, he said. “We have won the local people’s hearts and minds because our troops have understood that we are being deployed here in a foreign envi-

Ministry of rural development seeks to enhance animal welfare in Hungary In (Online 07 Dec) compliance with EU regulations, the Ministry of Development Rural

in Hungary.In the course of the last three years, the Ministry has taken a great number of meas-

abuse. For detailed information, please see the attached pdf file, which provides a short

Photo: Noémi Bruzák, MTI seeks by all means to ures aiming to protect overview of steps taken enhance animal welfare animals from harm and recently.

Viktor Orbán (photo: Csaba Pelsőczy)

(photo: Szilárd Koszticsák, MTI)

the situation of the Hungarian Jewish community.

Feldmájer exMr

ment will be moved back home – Col. Antal Sipos, the commander of the last PRT told the special correspondent of Hungarian News Agency MTI in Camp Pannonia, the base of the HUN PRT on Wednesday, December 5.

Preparations are already under way for the withdrawal that is expected to take place next spring. The PRT will transport home those items of equipment whose movement does not place heavy financial burdens on the Hungarian Defence Forces, and the weapons and combat vehicles must be transported back to Hungary because their transfer to another party is forbidden by international law, the colonel added. For example, those vehicles that the Hungarian Defence Forces received from the United States will be returned to their original owners.

“We are supposed to leave this camp here in an operable condition,

The from every underdemonstration.

Prime Minister clarified: handed attack and he will not let anyone or guarantee their safety. any ideology derail

State Secretary Szijjártó holds talks with CDU’s foreign policy spokesperson (Online 07 Dec) State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations

German CDU party.The parties discussed the challenges that face the European Union, the

investment in Hungary.

State Secretary Szijjártó also informed Mr Missfelder about the results

Photo: Attila Kovács, MTI Péter Szijjártó held talks with Philipp Missfelder, Foreign Policy Spokesperson for the

development of Hun- of the country’s opening eco- up towards the East polgarian-German nomic relations, as well icy. as stimulating German

H unga r y will not be a n out s ide r in t he EU : FM M a r t ony i (Online 07 Dec) Hungary will never be an outsider in the European Union and will one day participate in the Eurozone, Foreign Minister János Martonyi said in an interview with daily Die Austrian Presse published December 7, 2012.

János Martonyi said “new firewalls” must not be built between the different groups within the

EU. Commenting on the future of Europe, Martonyi insisted that “the Europe of nations” and a federal state are not in contrast with each other. Progress must be made in certain areas, by increasing fiscal discipline and setting up a bank union to better coordinate economic policies but the national identity will always remain stronger than a

European identity, he added.

He said he did not agree with those who say the EU must cut its spending because of the crisis. “The EU provides an added value and we should fund it,” he added. Martonyi said he agreed with Germany that instead of spending less, the money should be spent more efficiently.

Change in the National Bank’s management would positively affect the IMF/EU agreement (Online 07 Dec) Hungary's chance of reaching an agreement on a financial backstop from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union has diminished as positions have stiffened, Mihály Varga, Hungary’s chief negotiator said in an interview published in business daily Napi Gazdaság on Friday.

"The Government has to take into consideration not only the economic aspect but also political and social policy points of view, while the IMF is concentrating mainly on its economic policy decisions," he added. Minister Varga said a government media campaign launched in October that sent the message Hungary would not make big sacrifices to

get financial assistance from the IMF/EU came as a "surprise" to the IMF. "The IMF had practically never run into this kind of thing. They found it difficult to evaluate," he said. "The mainly campaign served to inform and reassure the Hungarian public. It was not against the IMF, rather it supported an agreement," he added. Asked about the urgency of reaching an agreement with the IMF/EU on the financial backstop, Minister Varga said liquidity on international markets was sufficient for the Hungarian state to finance itself "for the time being".

Minister Varga said he thought the change in management at the National Bank of Hungary (NBH) next spring

would positively affect the IMF/EU agreement as well as monetary policy.

"The opportunity will arise to meld monetary and fiscal policy, so they are in harmony with each other," he said.

Naturally, this will not be a perfect harmony, since the two actors, have different viewpoints, he added. Asked whether he would like to become finance minister or central bank governor, Minister Varga said he had not received such requests but would not take the post of central bank governor even if asked.

The mandate of NBH governor András Simor, ends on March 2, 2013, while the mandate of one of his two deputies ends in the same month.

tional Police (ANP) or to the Afghan National Army (ANA).

Antal Sipos told MTI that he had deployed to Afghanistan for the first time with the PRT-6 contingent in 2006.

Since then, a lot of things have changed in Pol-e Khomri and its environs: the rural areas have developed, and the management of the local public administration has clearly become more independent. The local security forces have been organized over the last few years, so today Afghans are responsible for maintaining law and order in six districts of Baghlan Province, he added.

The reason why the security situation is temporarily deteriorating in the country – including the northern province – is precisely that the NATO forces are withdrawing, and the ANA and the ANP have as not yet achieved all the required standards. For six years now, the HUN PRT has been assisting the population, develop-

ronment where we are guests; and as a rule, it is the guests that should adapt themselves to their environment” – stressed the Colonel.

The commander of the last PRT said it was a success that – partly thanks to the Hungarians – an excellent relationship had been established between the local Afghan leaders and the ISAF Regional Command North (ISAF RC-N). “They are now making joint plans and maintaining real contact. The meetings between the government, the ANSF and the ISAF are not mere formalities as they are discussing real issues”, he stated.

A remaining task, now to be passed on to the Afghans, is the training and retention of their own personnel. For the time being, selection presents them with a challenge because unreliable persons may be admitted to the armed forces, and corruption is a big problem too, the senior officer said.

Atmosphere of NATO-Russian cooperation is improving, says Minister Martonyi (Online 05 Dec) “The atmosphere of NATORussian cooperation has improved significantly”, Hungary's Foreign Minister said on Tuesday evening, after the meeting of NATO foreign ministers with their Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov.

“The discussion was not characterized by confrontation”, Minister Martonyi said.

He pointed out that the parties managed to agree on the cooperation program for next year, which covers the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking as well as the mission in Afghanistan. The Hungarian Foreign Minister declared that contentious points included

missile defence systems, their positions on the conflict in Syria and on the prospects of Georgia's future membership in the alliance.

After the NATO-Russia meeting, NATO foreign ministers reviewed NATO partnership relations, agreeing to make the system more efficient and flexible, János Martonyi said, adding that at the meeting he had stressed the importance of NATO's cooperation with the EU, its most important ally.

The Western Balkans was also on the agenda.

Minister Martonyi brought up the importance of NATO's further expansion in this context.

"We called for Montene-

gro to be invited to the next NATO summit for progress on the issue of Macedonia," he said.

The foreign ministers praised the work of EU foreign and security policy chief Catherine Ashton, who has managed to get the prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo to meet for the third time for talks in Brussels, the Minister said.

János Martonyi called it that a unfortunate NATO-Ukraine meeting was not held alongside the Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers. He claimed „it was not a good message” since the Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic prospects should be maintained.

Hungarian embassy in Syria suspends its operation (Online 05 Dec) Due to the critical situation in Syria, Hungary suspended the activity of its Embassy in Damascus as of December 5,

2012, and all Hungarian diplomats have left Syria. As a result, the handling of consular affairs and visa issuances also terminated.

In case of urgency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Hungarian citizens to contact the Hungarian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon.

Hungarian special operations contingent starts working (Online 05 Dec) The first Special Operations Contingent of the Hungarian Defence Forces has started working in Afghanistan – Col. Tamás Sándor, the commander of the unit told the Kabul-based

bers of the team are partnering the Special Forces of other nations under American command; they jointly plan and conduct their operations.

“We are very proud of being able to serve

local Special Forces and with those of the NATO nations. The Hungarian Special Forces are operating under the command of Task Force-10 in two eastern provinces of Afghanistan.

Government is urging enterprises to recycle (Online 07 Dec) "600 tons of plastic waster are generated in Hungary each year, of which 6 0tons are PET bottles", the Ministry of Rural Development's State Secretary for Environmental Affairs stated in Mezőfalva, at the inauguration of a plastic recycling plant. Zoltán Illés stressed, that "the remaining 540 tons should also be recycled, and so the Government is calling on enterprises that deal in waste management to recycle, and on the public to selectively collect their household waste".

Budafilter 94 Ltd's PET bottle recycling plant opened in was Mezőfalfa, Fejér County on Thursday; the innovatively equipped plant

was realised with the support of European Union funding.

"Green economy operators and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises could mean a breakthrough for the Hungarian economy.

Both are true of Budafilter 94 Ltd" said the Ministry of National Economy's Deputy State Secretary for Domestic Economy Márk Áron Lenner at the inaugural ceremony.

The region's Member of Parliament László L. Simon stressed that one of the few areas in which Hungary's can make an economic breakthrough is in the field of innovation, of which the plant in Mezőfalva is an excellent example.

Company director Sán-

dor Simon-Tóth told the press that the HUF 570 million project had received funding of HUF 155 million from three separate tenders (site development, waste utilisation and innovation).

Within the framework of the tenders, the company has undertaken to increase the initial workforce of 10 to 50 people by 2015. The company primarily employs workers from disadvantaged backgrounds, he added.

Production capacity at the 1200 ton capacity plant will be built around three product groups.

Granulates are a raw material in the plastics industry, while the plant will also produce plastic tape and plastic wellpipes and water filters.

M ode l pr oje c t to inc r e a s e H unga r ia n f is h c ons um pt ion la unc he d (Online 07 Dec) President of Békés County Council Zoltán Farkas and State Secretary for Development Rural Zsolt V. Németh signed a cooperation agreement on Thursday in Békéscsaba regarding the development of a model project for the promotion of fish consumption in Hungary, and the increasing of productivity and the quality of processing.

"The objective of the model project entitled 'Healthy Fish for our Children! – Establishing the Foundations of Fish Processing in Biharugra' is to increase productivity and establish the fish industry processing around one of Hungary's largest lake systems", Zoltán Farkas told Hungarian news agency MTI in relation to the project.

"An additional goal is to increase employment in the region", he added.

"To serve the demands of the target market, primarily children and public catering, the of a development formed, de-boned, breaded and pre-fried product range is required, and locally bred carp, bighead carp and grass carp are especially suited to serve as basic ingredients", he

said.

"The realisation of the project would increase employment, would introduce Hungarian fish into the public catering system, and would correspond integrally with the country's strategic plans and the County's objective to become one of the engines of the Hungarian food economy", the region's Member of Parliament added.

As a result of the project, the current number of fish industry workers could increase from the current number of 15 to around 100-150, in addition to which the complex development of the Biharugra lake system would also be realised.

The Biharugra Fish Farm is found in Békés County in the direct vicinity of the Romanian border, and the area is one of the country's largest circular-embankment fishing lake systems, spreading across some 2000 hectares.

Fish caught here are of excellent quality, because the lake-beds are rich in minerals, and this produces highly flavoured fish meat with high protein levels and low levels of fat of favourable composition with high essential amino acid content.

However, without a suitable processing plant, the fish produced are currently sold live on both domestic and foreign markets. These products are extremely popular abroad because of their excellent quality, and the majority of stocks are exported.

The yearly consumption of fish in Hungary is 4.5 kilograms per person per year, which is extremely low compared to the 24 kilogram EU average. Although statistics show that domestic fish consumption is increasing slowly year-byyear, this is achieved almost exclusively from imported products. The essential reason for this is that the level of processing of fish bred in Hungary is extremely low.

"An agreement relating to HUF 5 million has been signed with the Ministry of Rural Development for the elaboration of the study, which is expected to be completed by spring 2013, after which the products may be introduced into the public catering system as early as the second half of the following year", announced Zoltán Farkas.

GDP data in line with expectations Ac(Online 07 Dec) cording to the final estimate of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, in the third quarter of 2012 gross domestic

one hand of losses due to draught and of the high basis last year on the other. As a consequence, agricultural performance brought down

With regard to demand side it can be observed that consumption expenditures of households decreased by 3.9 percent, while those of

the GDP figure for the entire economy by 1.1 percent. Industrial performance was lower by 0.2 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, motor vehicle manufacturing within the sector, however, continued to expand as a result of recently completed investments. In contrast to the previous couple of quarters, the construction sector managed once again to record growth.

Growth in this segment amounted to 2.3 percent primarily due to road construction and the renovation of main railway lines which as a whole added 0.1 percentage point to the final GDP figure. Added value in the service sector declined by 0.7 percent thus contributing -0.3 percent to the GDP. Within this, the financial and insurance sub sectors suffered the largest loss with 3.9 percent, whereas the information and communication sub sector gained most where added value increased by 3.7 percent in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year.

the public sector was higher by 1.4 percent. In comparison to the previous quarter decline concerning gross fixed capital formation was smaller, but investments increased impressively in several sectors of the national economy (such as, among others, motor vehicle manufacturing or the manufacturing of machinery and equipment). The largest single contribution positive continued to come from net exports. Exports registered growth of 1. 9 percent, while imports declined by 0.7 percent.

According to Eurostat data the EU has been performing sluggishly: the GDP of the union is well below that of the global economy. This phenomenon has been due partly to the protracted debt crisis and partly to high debt levels. Having reduced its debts and budget deficit, Hungary has entered a sustainable path which has in store short-term growth risks but favourable growth impulses in the mediumterm resulting from these crucial measures.

Int’l court of arbitration in Washington again ruled in favour of Hungary (Online 06 Dec) In its ruling of 30 November 2012, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) rejected a significant part of the claims of the lawsuit filed by Electrabel SA against Hungary.

The Belgian owner of the Dunamenti Power Plant initiated the launching of the international arbitration procedure on grounds of the breach of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).

The review concerned state measures relating to so-called long-term power purchase agreements of MVM HungarElectricity Ltd. ian (MVM) and Hungarian power plants between 2006 and 2008. Electrabel contested, inter alia, Hungary's renewed introduction of the administrative pricing of power plant electricity in 2006.

The company also contested the Hungarian

party’s cancellation of the long-term power purchase agreements by law at the end of 2008, after the European Commission had determined by a binding decision that these constituted prohibited state aid provided to the power plants.

Electrabel filed a claim for compensation amounting to one hundred billion forints for the alleged infringements. According to the ruling of the international court of arbitration in Washington, Hungary did not breach the provisions of the ECT. A decision is expected after 2015 as to whether compensation for socalled stranded costs, due to power plants in connection with the cancellation of the agreements, above might be in breach of the provisions of the ECT. In a similar procedure

launched by the English owner of AES Tisza Power Plant, the ICSID court of arbitration also ruled in favour of Hungary in June 2012.

The ICSID is a special international court of arbitration operating under the World Bank, established to settle disputes between states and investors. It was established under the Washington Convention in 1965 specifically for the purpose of arbitrating international investment protection cases.

With the rise in the number of investment protection disputes launched directly by investors in the past two decades, the ICSID has become the most highly regarded investment dispute settlement forum. Its rulings are treated as equal in force to rulings passed by the highest courts in all the states that are parties to the convention.

The government and its members strongly and determinedly condemned the remarks made

by Jobbik MP Márton Gyöngyösi (Online 04 Dec) The Office of the Government Spokesman, the Fidesz party faction and various governmental politicians have condemned to the greatest possible degree the statement made in Parliament by Jobbik MP Márton Gyöngyösi. According to the Office of the Government Spokesman, the Government takes the strictest possible action against every form of racism and anti-Semitic behaviour and does everything in order to ensure that malicious voices incompatible with European norms are driven back, adding that every citizen will be protected from such insults.

The Deputy State Secretary for International Communications Ferenc Kumin made it clear that the Hungarian Government condemns these kinds of remarks most determinedly.

At the conference on tackling hate speech organized by the Council of Europe in partnership with the EEA and Norway Grants, Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog emphasized that we determinedly reject the idea of grouping or stigmatizing people because of their origins. He said that the hate speech organized on a state basis during the communist dictatorship is still alive today, and so it is our task to act forcefully against it.

Reacting to the comments, State Secretary Zsolt Németh announced that a new, unacceptable and most determinedly condemnable racial theory has been articulated that is a dangerous thought that facilitated the division of the nation. It is contradictory to the protection of human rights and human dignity, he continued.

Speaker of the National

Assembly of Hungary, László Kövér said that it is unacceptable and expressed his hopes that every party supports the tightening of regulations that would enable the post sanctioning of similar acts.

Regarding the remarks of Márton Gyöngyösi, the Fidesz party faction led by Antal Rogán declared that it is unacceptable adding that every political power must step up against statements like this, as could also have been done by the vice-chairman of the plenary session. According to Antal Rogán, the Fidesz party condemns every form of anti-Semitism and it is obliged to protect every Jewish and non-Jewish person.

Referring to the remarks Gergely Gulyás, the Deputy Fidesz faction leader pointed out to journalists that the Fidesz party will submit its law modification proposal that says: if the presiding chairman does not make any proposal on imposing a fine on a representative that hurts the dignity of Parliament, then the chair of Parliament will also have an option to do so in five days. The fee may be at the most one third of the representative salary in line with the law. He emphasized that the preservation of dignity is highly important so these statements must be sanctioned respecting the freedom of speech and the right of immunity.

At the demonstration against Jobbik, parliamentary group leader of the ruling Fidesz party Antal Rogan rejected all "racist expressions" or the "refutation of suffering and death of innocent millions". Rogan said "a genocide is always preceded by lists" and said it was unacceptable that "people should fail to learn the

lessons of the past 100 years". No Hungarian citizen should be humiliated or stigmatised because of his religion or ethnicity, Rogan added.

As a consequence the Committee of Constitutional Affairs in the Hungarian Parliament has taken a stance in the case of the Jobbik MP remarks supported by the representatives of the ruling party and Hungarian Socialist Party. The report stated that Márton Gyöngyösi’s remarks offended the people of Jewish origin, while using expressions that are particularly insulting against Jewish people.

Furthermore, it has been declared that Zoltán Balczó also offended the rule of law, because he failed to reprimand the Jobbik MP. Viktor Orbán stated in the Parliament that Jewish compatriots would be protected. "As long as I am in this post, no one in Hungary can be harmed because of their faith, convictions or origin. I would like to make it clear that (…) we, Hungarians will protect our Jewish compatriots" he said, adding that Hungary has suffered dictatorship and nothing or no one will derail Hungary from the democratic conviction, the love of freedom and the unconditional respect of human dignity.

Viktor Orbán met with the Chairman of MAZSIHISZ (Association of Hungarian Jewish Religious Communities) and Péter Feldmájer expressed his gratitude for the Prime Minister’s statement in Parliament and also expressed his appreciation to faction leader of Fidesz Antal Rogán for participating and speaking out on Sunday’s demonstration against anti-Semitism.

Source: KSH Photo: Szilárd Koszticsák (MTI) special correspondent of Hungarian News Agency MTI by phone on Tuesday, December 4.

The commander said that the members of the contingent had recently arrived in the Central Asian country, and had already started working.

He added that the mem-

here, and of being able to participate in training the special police units of the Afghan National Security Forces stressed (ANSF)”, Tamás Sándor. The commander of the HDF Operations Special Contingent pointed out that they have very good relations with the

Hungarian Special Operations Forces have been present in the country since 2009. The Ministry of Defence announced their expansion in this year.

Currently around 40 Hungarian special operators are working in Afghanistan.

A new law enforcement centre was handed over in Hidegkút (Online 04 Dec) The law enforcement centre of Hidegkút was handed over in the 2nd district of Budapest on Tuesday. The institution will provide a 24 hour Police presence and four surveillance cameras – observing the most endangered parts of the neighbourhood - are also connected to the centre.

At the ceremony Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér emphasized that the further development of order and public safety has to be based on cooperation with the local governments and the militia and has to be led by the police.

He added: in order to improve sense of secu-

rity numerous laws have been altered and plenty police officers have been commanded to perform on-street duty. Minister Pintér said that the police provided the necessary personnel to the enforcement centre. People living in the neighbourhood can feel safer due to the fact that they can reach the police any time and that a security camera system observes the surrounding streets.

According to Zsolt Láng, mayor of the 2nd district, the local government has spent 65 million forints on creating the new centre which previously was a run-down building used

by illegal occupants.

He said that the local government tries to improve the safety of the district every year. As an example he mentioned that more than two years ago a new ambulance centre was handed over also with the financial help of the local government. Just like in the case of the ambulance centre the endangered locations will be reached easier by the police in the suburban neighbourhood.

Mihály Varga, Minister without Portfolio also participated at the event with József along Hatala and Tamás Tóth Chiefs of Police.

Hungarians most popular of a l l N AT O t r o o p s (Online 04 Dec) “Afghan civilians like Hungarian soldiers the most, and the soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) also like to work with them the most”, Lt.-Col. Moham-

ing the six-week training, the Afghans are trained in maintenance, cooking, motor vehicle driving and other support services.

Another Afghan senior officer, Maj. Abdul Rah-

Most of them are deployed in Afghanistan, Kosovo and BosniaHerzegovina. Around 500 Hungarian soldiers are participating in NATO-led operations.

Of them, 230 are serv-

product, as formerly anticipated, declined in Hungary by 1.5 percent in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year; compared to the previous quarter the contraction was 0.2 percent. Regarding the initial three quarters of the year, the economy posted negative growth of 1.3 percent in comparison to the same period of 2011.

The entire European economy has been facing tough challenges and that is aptly reflected by international data which signal that the EU’s GDP declined by 0.4 percent.

The Hungarian economy could still not detach itself from the growth path manifested basically by international trends, but weak agricultural performance due to bad weather has also adversely affected Hungarian growth.

Analyzing the production side it can be concluded that the decline is attributable to the greatest extent to the agricultural sector, where contraction was quite significant with 21.4 percent. The outstandingly high figure was the result on the

Coordination talks on how to kick-start growth still under way (Online 06 Dec) Minister Varga said that Hungary's official talks with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund on a loan agreement had stalled but coordination talks focusing on how to kickstart growth were still under way. IMF experts recognise the Govern-

ment's efforts to reduce the deficit, he said.

The IMF argues that the burdens on the financial sector should be eased so as to restart investment and growth, he added. The Government, however, insists that its efforts in this regard are limited by the EU's expectations to

meet the budget deficit target, Minister Varga said, adding that the missing revenues can only be offset by spending cuts. This is a less viable road since swinging cuts could undermine social cohesion and peace, he stated.

Plans to reduce household gas and electricity bills by 10% (Online 05 Dec) Government spokesman András Giró-Szász stated on Wednesday that the Ministry of National Development had been asked to work out the conditions under which a 10% cut could be implemented in the case of

gas and electricity prices.

In a radio interview last week, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the Government was working on reducing household overheads, and that companies would have to accept lower

profits. He stated that the public service sector should not be used for profit-making activities, especially in the case of companies acting as middlemen between consumers and energy producers.

Hungarian-Serbian economic joint committee holding a two-day meeting in Budapest photo: Szilárd Koszticsák, MTI mad Salim Ahmadi (ANA) stated on Monday, December 3 in an interview given to the special correspondent of Hungarian News Agency MTI. “The Hungarians are better than the others –

man – who is participating in the helicopter course run by the Hungarian air mentors in Kabul – told MTI that the relations between the Hungarian soldiers and the locals were excellent. There are sev-

ing with the Force Protection Group at the Kabul International Airport (KAIA), around 110 are working in the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), more than 50 in the Hungarian–US Operational

(Online 04 Dec) State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter

Minister of Agriculture, garian-Serbian EcoForestry and Water nomic Joint Committee Management Goran in Budapest.

Knezevic are the co-

The Prime Minister holds talks with the President of the Czech Republic (Online 04 Dec) Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Ex-

Republic, who is on an official visit to Hungary.The Hungarian Head of Government in-

Minister pointed out that Central Europe would be the engine of European growth, but coun-

Foto: Máthé Zoltán (MTI) Szijjártó and Serbian presidents of the Hun-

H unga r y the gue s t of honour a t t he 3 1 s t Sof ia Int e r na t iona l B ook Fa ir photo: Szilárd Koszticsák, MTI they are kinder and treat people with respect. They don’t behave as oppressors”, he added.

The senior officer – who

eral Afghan pilots who had studied together with the Hungarian mentors in the Soviet Union a long time ago.

The excellent relation-

Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) and another 50 are serving in individual positions.

Further 100 soldiers are working in the Central

Photo: Károly Árvai ternal Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó held negotiations in Parliament with Václav Klaus, President of the Czech

formed the Czech President that public debt had been reduced to 77 percent over a period of two years. The Prime

tries of the region should cooperate closely to reach this goal.

enterprises and the small business tax entering into effect as of January next year will both help reduce significantly the tax burden of the SME sector.

He stressed that these two levies will each cut the liabilities of enterprises by 25-30bn HUF annually.

Enterprises are also assisted by the Job Protection Action Plan, which contributes 30bn forints for the improvement of the situation of SMEs, Zoltán Cséfalvay said adding that the Government has reformed the taxation system by reducing liabilities on labour and increasing levies on consumption.

The current process of taxation reform has been completed and thus “the tax system will operate in its final form” as of 2013.

Analyzing the key problems which the SME sector has been confronted with he mentioned as the most pressing of these the issue of vocational training. It seems, he said, that large companies

have come to manage to exploit the opportunities provided by the dual education system but the SME sector cannot. But small and medium-sized enterprises which do not spend on training skilled workers should not complain about the shortage of skilled labour force. He also reminded the audience that SMEs are adversely affected by overdue payments in the supply chain and diminishing competitiveness due to the grey and black economy.

In the opinion of the Minister of State teaching entrepreneurship has been missing from higher education while András Lánczi, President of Századvég Foundation, said in the keynote speech at the beginning of the conference that political economy should be reintroduced in higher education curricula as this subject has been taught at each major universities of the world, among them at the University of Harvard.

only protected their identities and distinctive cultural values, but strengthened them also.

‘There is no success and no economic progress without the sustaining strength of a national language and culture,’ he said. He continued by saying that ‘Europe’s present is the result of free nations competing with each other, and not wishing to destroy each other – this will also be the key to Europe’s future development.’

This year twenty-four books related to Hungary are appearing in Bulgaria – more than half of these are newlytranslated works of literature. In addition, there are dictionaries and works of non-fiction.

Also connected to the fair are Hungarian folk dance performances, film screenings and a contemporary Hungarian play at one of Sofia’s most important theatres.

These events have been organised by the Hungarian Institute in Sofia.

GMO-Free Hungary is at a competitive advantage

More than half of EU resources shall be spent on economic development: Minister Cséfalvay (Online 04 Dec) At least half of EU 20142020 development funds must be applied to direct economic development in general, and to the stimulation of the development of small and mediumsized enterprises in particular, as opposed to the 16 percent in the seven-year period ending now, said Minister of State at the Ministry for National Economy Zoltán Cséfalvay at a conference on Tuesday.

At the event organized by the Századvég Foundation, the Széll Kálmán Foundation and economic daily Heti Válasz the Minister of State stressed that the Hungarian economy has come to a turning point as multinational companies and corporations have been increasingly producing goods of higher added value due to their R&D activities and it is time for the SME sector to joint this process.

According to the assessment of the Minister of State, the new taxes, such as the lump-sum tax for micro

(Online 04 Dec) The 31st Sofia International Book Fair has opened, with Hungary as the guest of honour. Tibor Navracsics, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Justice, opened Bulgaria’s most prestigious review of the publishing and bookselling industry.

In his speech Mr. Navracsics said that at the end of the 20th century, countries which became really successful were those which not

photo: Szilárd Koszticsák, MTI had studied in Germany and Turkey – also said that there would be peace in the country soon anyway, and that they would reach it together with the Taliban if needed. He noted that they are aware of the limits of the country, “we know that Afghanistan is poor and the circumstances are bad, but we don’t give up hope, like we didn’t give it up in the past either.” “The post-war situation will be much like it was immediately before the Soviet withdrawal, and the country will be united again”, he added.

The lieutenant-colonel is the commandant of a military camp where Hungarian soldiers cooperate with Croatian ones in training Afghan troops. Currently 11 soldiers are serving with the HDF Logistic Mentor Team in Kabul; dur-

ship with the Hungarians is also due to the fact that “a lot of Afghans had studied in Hungary sometime in the past, and these people returned with good memories, so the country and the Hungarian soldiers have a good reputation”, he said.

The Mi–35 Air Mentor Team of the Hungarian Defence Forces started working in Kabul in the summer of 2010. Currently 12 soldiers are serving with the AMT whose mandate runs until May 2013. Their primary task is to provide classroom instruction and on-the-job training for the attack helicopter crews of the Afghan Air Force.

According to the statistics of the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, a total of around 1,000 Hungarian troops are serving with some or other mission abroad.

Asian country as members of the Air Mentor Team, the Air Advisory Team and the Special Operations Team as well as the National Support Element.

Nearly 200 Hungarian soldiers are serving with the second largest contingent of the Hungarian Defence Forces in Kosovo, while more than 160 Hungarians are serving in BosniaHerzegovina.

The Ministry of Defence informed MTI that some soldiers are working in Congo, Uganda and Georgia too, as advisors, trainers and observers, but their total number barely exceeds ten. Hungarian soldiers are also deployed in the Western Sahara (seven), Lebanon (four) and Cyprus (80) as well as in the Sinai Peninsula (26 soldiers and 16 policemen).

(Online 04 Dec) "The fact that Hungary is GMO-free puts Hungarian agriculture at a competitive advantage", stated Gyula Budai on Tuesday in Eger.

"Freedom from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is one of the few issues on which political forces and nong o v e r n m e n t a l organisations all agree on, and the fact that Hungary is GMO-free is also included in the country's Fundamental Law", stressed the State Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development at the Eger stop of the antiGMO conference series.

He pointed out that agriculture is a strategic

sector in Hungary and that the food industry and water management are both issues of national security, since their effective operation is the prerequisite for the production of healthy and safe foods, and for the preservation of the deservedly excellent reputation of Hungarian food products.

Hungary is Europe's third largest producer of agricultural seeds, and the ninth largest internationally, and it is precisely because the country is GMO-free that Hungarian seeds are so popular on world markets, he emphasised.

However, the large agricultural seed producing

economic lobbies spend millions of dollars on their campaigns in the interests of acquiring newer market positions, but Hungary will only be able to maintain the position it has successfully achieved if it remains free from GMOs, the State Secretary stressed.

The objective of the eight-stop conference series organised by the Ministry of Rural Development entitled "Together for a GMO-free Agriculture" is to acquire maximum support throughout Hungary for the preservation of our GMO-free status, said Gyula Budai.

Georgia to continue pursuing Euro-Atlantic integration, FM tells Hungarian counterpart (Online 04 Dec) The new Georgian Foreign Minister reassured his Hungarian counterpart on Tuesday that her country would continue to follow the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.

Minister Maia Panjikidze held bilateral talks with János Martonyi prior to the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels.

“Time will tell how fast Georgia can advance towards NATO and the EU” – János Martonyi said. He added that both countries are interested

in developing bilateral economic, political and cultural relations. Minister Martonyi said that he would visit the country in the following year, since he was officially invited to Georgia.

The recently appointed Foreign Minister of Georgia, Maya Panjikidze, ensured her Hungarian counterpart that the new Georgian government would continue to pursue the foreign policy goals of the previous government.

The Hungarian Foreign Min-

ister declared that Budapest fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and assured her that Hungary would not endorse the independent status of neither Abkhazia nor South Ossetia. Minister Panjikidze also said Georgia would respond to concerns expressed by the international community about criminal procedure in the country by strictly adhering to the rule of law.