Glen Grove Community Project
January 2023: New Beginnings
Making Space for the New Year
However, a Filipino superstition states that it's unlucky to have a messy room (or home in general) at the beginning of the new year. Whatever you leave at the end of one year, you carry it into the next. Maybe that is why so many cultures have different traditions surrounding new beginnings- all of the traditions revolve around wanting to start on the right foot.
Tsagaan Sar (White Moon), the Mongolian Lunar New Year, has traditions such as the zolgolt, a greeting performed by younger folk to the older family members. They ask "Amar baina uu?" (Are you living peacefully?/Are you in peace?), followed by kisses on the cheek and a warm meal. In many cultures across Asia, the giving of red envelopes from elders to young family members is a symbol of luck and wishes for prosperity. On the Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the tashlikh is a Jewish rite performed to symbolically cast off sins through the act of praying near running waters such as rivers and streams. Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti, which has been celebrated for over 2000 years on the Indian subcontinent, celebrates themes of transformation and traditions such as flying kites. Around the world, many people anticipate the coming of January 1st, the Gregorian calendar New Year, with parties, celebrations, and staying up late to watch the countdown to midnight. Lastly, every year on February 2nd, news channels around the United States flock to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to hear the prognostication of Punxsutawney Phil, a famous groundhog who is said to give predictions of the coming of spring.
No matter what the traditions, there is the same sentiment throughout all of these rituals, customs, and rites - all of them symbolize the hope for better things to come. The traditions are meant to spark new resolve or even new dreams for brighter times ahead.
As for me, I always feel better when midnight strikes and I have a much more organized room. That gives me some space to welcome new projects and new adventures into my life and more room for whatever the new year brings.
New Beginnings that our Gators Celebrate
Chinese Lunar New Year
Korean Lunar New Year (Seollal)
Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet)
Taiwanese Lunar New Year
Community Blurb #5: Happy New Year from your Gator Community
More new year greetings from District 34
Celebrating Dr. King's "Big Words"
We need your help!
Want to be Part of the GGCP Committee?
Upcoming Holidays & Important Events
Family Movie Night: Hidden Figures (2016)
Rated PG
Guiding Question of the Month
Have questions? Send us an email!
- Katherine Ellison, Glen Grove Principal
- Aurora Joaquin, Glen Grove Speech-Language Pathologist
- Katelyn Kelleher, Glen Grove Psychologist
- Hedy Helfand, Glen Grove English Langauge Learning Teacher
- Marie Chang-Pisano, Glen Grove Reading Intervention Associate
- Sylvia Gorski Duarte, District Title III Family Resource Teacher
- Lindsey Lurie, District Multilingual Instructional Coach
Email: GGCommunityProject@gmail.com
Land Acknowledgement
(Published 11/15/2022)
The Glen Grove Community Project acknowledges that the land on which their community, Glenview District 34, lives and works today is in the original homelands of the Peoria, Bodwéwadmi (Potawatomi), Myaamia, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk), and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) People and pay respects to the elders and communities of past and present.
In conjunction with this land acknowledgment, we want to provide resources to learn more about the original peoples and communities of the land.
Resources
- A Story of Survival: The Wampanoag and the English (A Native American Perspective of Thanksgiving)
- The Wampanoag Way (video)
- Native Americans (BrainPop video)
- Native America: A Documentary Exploring the World of America's First Peoples (PBS trailer)
- Glenview Public Library resources
- Visit The Grove to learn more about Native American groups that originally inhabited the area.