Halloween Day By: Sagrario S. From Holmes Middle School

Halloween is not a official holiday. when we
treat-or-treat we have to be safe. For Example,
And adult should always accompany children 
under 12 years of age. 
Never get into  
a stranger's automobile.
Do not take 
shortcuts through backyards,alleys,
or parks.do not eat open candy if there
are on the ground.  Halloween 
celebrates a lot of things, including the 
lives of people who aren't with us 
anymore.

 

  

Halloween By: Zaira S. Holmes Middle School 8 grade

Halloween is known as a time to wear costumes, go door to door asking for candy, and watch scary movies. But the holiday's origins go back centuries to the enactment of All Saints' Day, a Christian holiday. Along the way, it has also picked up traditions from Samhain, a Celtic festival celebrating the beginning of winter.

Trick-or-treating—going from house to house in search of candy and other goodies—has been a popular Holiday tradition in the United States and other countries about 100 years. But the origins of this community-based ritual, which costumed children typically savor while their cavity-conscious parents grudgingly tag along, remain hazy. Possible forerunners to modern-day trick-or-treating have been identified in ancient Celtic festivals, early Roman Catholic holidays, medieval practices and even British politics.

 

 

 

Kids’ favorite candy stops are homes that offer “anything made with chocolate” (68 percent) followed by lollipops (9 percent), gummy candy(7 percent) and bubble gum or chewing gum (7 percent). (Reported by National Confectioners Association)  The National Confectioners Association reported in 2005 that 80 percent of adults in America planned to give out candy to trick-or-treaters, and that 93 percent of children planned to go trick-or-treating.  For its historic neighborhood gatherings and holiday spirit, National Confectioners Association also crowned Boston the 2006 Trick-or-Treat Capital of the United States.  Kids' least favorite items to get in their trick-or-treat bags were fruit and salty snacks like chips and pretzels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Constitution September 17 by Sagrario S.

The three branches of the federal government that are the Executive branch the Legislative branch , and the Judicial .

The Constitution was signed in 1787 .Constitution is the supreme law of the United States .What is Preamble? Preamble is the first part of the Constitution. The bill of rights is the first ten amendments or changes to the constitution and these are rights that the government cannot take away from us.U.S  people have many new rights but if they are citizens and they can bring family members to the U.S.

Constitution Day By: Zaira S. Holmes Middle School 8 Grade

Preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.


On September 17, 1787, the final draft of the Constitution was signed by 39 delegates. The document was then sent to the states for ratification, and went into effect on June 21, 1788 when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. In celebration of Constitution Day, the Library of Congress has compiled a variety of materials from across its collections. Explore these rich resources and features to learn more about one of America’s most important documents.
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is observed each year on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.”  
This commemoration had its origin in 1940, when Congress passed a joint resolution authorizing and requesting the President to issue annually a proclamation setting aside the third Sunday in May for the public recognition of all who had attained the status of American citizenship. The designation for this day was “I Am An American Day.”

In 1952 Congress repealed this joint resolution and passed a new law moving the date to September 17 to commemorate “the formation and signing, on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution of the United States.” The day was still designated as “Citizenship Day” and retained its original purpose of recognizing all those who had attained American citizenship. This law urged civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States and of the State and locality in which they reside.”

In 2004 under Senator Byrd's urging, Congress changed the designation of this day to "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" and added two new requirements in the commemoration of this Day. The first is that the head of every federal agency provide each employee with educational and training materials concerning the Constitution on September 17th. The second is that each educational institution which receives Federal funds should hold a program for students every September 17th.

References:

http://www.constitutionday.com/the-constitution-text.html

http://thomas.loc.gov/teachers/constitution.html

Happy Valentines Day By: Zaira Sandoval Holmes Middle School 7grade

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him. Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire. A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely! Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off. Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have. If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have. In an effort to do away with the pagan festival, Pope Gelasius ordered a slight change in the lottery. Instead of the names of young women, the box would contain the names of saints. Both men and women were allowed to draw from the box, and the game was to emulate the ways of the saint they drew during the rest of the year. Needless to say, many of the young Roman men were not too pleased with the rule changes. Instead of the pagan god Lupercus, the Church looked for a suitable patron saint of love to take his place. They found an appropriate choice in Valentine, who, in AD 270 had been beheaded by Emperor Claudius. Claudius had determined that married men made poor soldiers. So he banned marriage from his empire. But Valentine would secretly marry young men that came to him. When Claudius found out about Valentine, he first tried to convert him to paganism. But Valentine reversed the strategy, trying instead to convert Claudius. When he failed, he was stoned and beheaded. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

Easter Day By:Zaira S. Holmes Middle School 7grade

The first eggs given at Easter were birds eggs. These eggs were painted in bright colours to give them further meaning as a gift. As chocolate became more wide spread in the 20th Century, a chocolate version of the traditional painted egg was developed. The size of the chocolate egg has grown over the years and is now more likely to be the size of an ostrich egg rather than a small birds egg. Many families go away on holiday for the Easter weekend. A traditional and still very popular holidays are taken at holiday camps, providing all around entertainment for holiday makers since the 1940s. The first eggs given at Easter were birds eggs. These eggs were painted in bright colours to give them further meaning as a gift. We still paint bird eggs today but usually only chicken eggs. Pace Eggs are hard boiled eggs with patterned shells, they are traditional in northern parts of England at Easter, with local variants in the name, such as Paste Eggs.

Easter usually comes in the month of April. However, Easter can fall as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.

Many people prepare a festive breakfast, lunch or evening meal on Easter Sunday. Popular treats are:
• Fried, scrambled or boiled eggs.
• Roast lamb.
• Lamb stew.
• Rich loaves of sweet bread decorated with frosting and candy eggs.
• Cookies shaped like chicks, eggs or lambs.
• Butter in the shape of a lamb.
• Cakes baked in the shape of a hare or lamb.
• Various salads.

Many Christians may attend special church services to celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday. Church bells are not rung on the Friday and Saturday before Easter Sunday as a general rule. This is a sign of mourning. However, church bells are rung for a long time and in a celebratory manner curing the church services on Easter Sunday. These are known as the Easter bells. Many people spend Easter Sunday with family members or friends and eat a festive meal. Roast lamb with spring beans or other freshly harvested vegetables or leaves, brightly colored boiled eggs and omelets are popular. Easter eggs made of chocolate or candy are popular gifts and children are told that Easter hares, rabbits or bells bring the gifts. Spring flowers, lambs, birds' eggs and Easter eggs are symbols of Easter Sunday in France. They are symbolic of nature's rebirth or resurrection after the dark and cold winter period. Special biscuits known as Osterlammele are eaten in the Alsace region. They are baked in a clay mould and are in the shape of a lamb sitting on the ground. The Osterlammele were traditionally given to children after the church service on Easter Monday. Bakers now sell them and these are often decorated with ribbons and paper banners.

St. Patrick's Day By: Zaira S. Holmes Middle School 7 grade

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confession, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistle, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide. So, why is it celebrated on March 17Th One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17Th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17Th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins. In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity he became a Christian and adopted the name Patrick. He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he got the notion that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity. His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated. Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

Groundhog Day By: Zaira Sandoval Holmes Middle School 7 grade

February 2nd each year: Groundhog Day is celebrated in the U.S. each year on February 2nd. On this day in mid-winter, the groundhog awakens from a long winter's nap, and goes outside of his den to see if he sees his shadow. This tradition is big on an otherwise cold and dreary mid-winter's day. According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow (a sunny morning), there will be six more weeks of winter. He then returns to his den and goes back to sleep. If however, he does not see his shadow (cloudy days), he plays around outside of his hole for a while. If he does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner. The Groundhog's Day tradition travelled long ways. It comes from German roots. German immigrants brought the tradition with them from Germany. As they settled in hills of Pennsylvania, they began the tradition of using the Groundhog to predict the the arrival of Spring. The tradition is based upon Candlemas, the day that is the midpoint between Winter and Spring. A famous Candlemas poems goes: If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again.

Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs and whistle pigs, are the largest members of the squirrel family in their geographic range. They have ever-growing incisors that must be worn down by chewing to prevent serious health issues. They are true hibernators, which means they enter the burrow in the late fall and sleep until spring. Their burrows have multiple entrances, may have 45 feet of tunnels and go as deep as five feet.
RANGE: East central Alaska south to northern Idaho and across southern Canada as well as throughout the eastern United States to central Alabama and Arkansas and west to the Plains states.HABITAT: Edges of forests where there is open land, along fence rows, heavily planted gullies or stream banks, farmland, grassy pastures, woodlots DIET: Primarily herbivores grazing on grasses and forbs (any non-woody flowering plant that is not a grass), clovers, leaves of sassafras and other trees, farm crops and a variety of herbs. When green vegetation is not readily available, woodchucks will eat buds, bark, twigs, fruits (i.e. apples and paw paws) and occasionally insects, snails and bird eggs.

President's Day By: Zaira S. Holmes Middle School 7 grade

George Washington became a experienced surveyor. Following these, years fought in the French and Indian war. After the war he returned to Mount Vernon in 1758, married Martha Danbridge in 1759, and became a planter. That same year he became involved in the politics and was representative to the Virgina House of Burgesses. He was representative until 1774. When he became a delegate to the Continental Congress. In May of 1775 George Washington was appointed commander of the American army during the Revolution. He was the first President, (1789-1797) governing the 13 states.

Presidents' Day in 2012 is on Monday, the 20th of February. In the United States, Presidents Day is always celebrated on the third Monday of February. Presidents' Day in 2012 is on Monday, the 20th of February. In the United States, Presidents Day is always celebrated on the third Monday of February. President Barack Obama is the incumbent candidate. A Democrat, he grew up in Indonesia, studied at Columbia and Harvard universities, and served in the U.S. Senate before becoming the first African American president. Before that, he was a lawyer, teacher and community organizer. In foreign policy, Obama withdrew some troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and ordered the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden. He entered politics in 1996, first serving in the Illinois State Senate and then in the U.S. Senate in 2004. After a well-received speech at the Democratic Party convention in Boston that year, Obama caught the party’s attention as a serious contender to unseat the Republican Party from office. He is the son of Barack Hussein Obama Senior, a Kenyan who came to the U.S. on an academic scholarship, and Ann Dunham, an American from Kansas. He has two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and is married to Michelle Obama, also a lawyer from Chicago.