Category: Centerspread

 

By Sarah Shafaeen

While San Jose is not known for its traditional white winters and the many activities that go with that, there are many other fun things to help you enjoy the Holidays. Here are five ways to have a blast this winter without leaving the city.

1. Visit downtown. Downtown San Jose has many fun activities just for the holidays. Go ice skating at the Circle of Palms Plaza and grab some steaming hot chocolate when you finish. Visit the annual Christmas in the Park at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez to admire the musical and animated exhibits, glittering lights and the 60-foot Community Giving Tree. Or you can go to the Winter Wonderland, consisting of carnival rides, food, games and more sprawled across Park Avenue.
2. Stay inside. Who says you have to go outside this winter? Enjoy the great indoors by cozying up in front of an roaring fire and watching the flames, wearing fuzzy slippers at home, curling up under a blanket with a good book, wearing flannel pajamas, shopping after-Christmas sales (online, in your PJs) or completing a jigsaw puzzle. You can successfully avoid the outside world but still get into the holiday spirit with these wintery things that can be done from the comfort of your own home.
3. Decorate your house. The holidays are an aesthetic. Get in the spirit and have some fun by setting up ornaments, twinkle lights, wreaths, paper snowflakes, pine cones and anything that goes with your theme. This can also be a fun family activity. Do not be afraid to try something new or make something yourself. Make your home feel warm, cozy and inviting so you’ll have the perfect place to relax when the cold weather arrives.
4. Bake. There are many fun and festive foods that are easy to bake and share with loved ones. This year, bake cookies, pies and cinnamon rolls. If you are up for a challenge, try to bake and decorate a gingerbread house. These toasty foods will help keep you warm and spread the holiday cheer.
5. Just Because. Finally, some extra things you can do this season are mail a handwritten card to an old friend; cup a steaming mug in your hands on a cold day; donate food, toys or clothing to a local charity; wear something red; go on a hike; help clean up trash around parks; volunteer at a soup kitchen.

The holidays are a stressful time for many, but these activities are a great way to just relax and enjoy your holidays with friends and family!

By Devonna Dang

 

A multitude of holidays are celebrated in winter in different regions. Each holiday has their own purpose, traditions and festivities.

HANUKKAH

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated mainly by Jews. For eight days each November or December, they light a special candle holder called a Menorah. They do it to remember an ancient miracle when one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days in the Holy Temple. During this holiday, many eat latkes or special potato pancakes, sing songs and spin the dreidel, a top to win chocolate coins, nuts or raisins.

                THREE KINGS DAY

                At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes the Epiphany or Three Kings Day on Jan. 6. This holiday is celebrated in Spain, Latin America and across the US by Latinos as the day the Three Kings first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. On this day in Spain, many children receive their presents. In Puerto Rico, before children go to sleep on Jan. 5, parents leave a box with hay under their beds so the kings will leave good presents. In France, a delicious King cake is baked where a coin, jewel or little toy will be hid inside.

                KWANZAA

                Kwanzaa, which means “First Fruits,” is based on ancient African harvest festivals, celebrating ideals such as family life and unity. It is a celebration held in the US and in other nations of African diaspora in the Americas. It is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Millions of African Americans dress in special clothes, decorate their homes with fruits and vegetables, and light a candle holder called a kinara.

LUNAR NEW YEAR

                This holiday falls on different dates each year between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20, celebrated in many Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Singapore. While all celebrate it in their own way, all of their celebrations are linked by a commonality: family reunions and a lot of red—a symbol of good luck in Asian cultures.

1. LUCIA DAY

                This holiday is celebrated in Sweden, Norway and Swedish-speaking areas around Christmas time in Sweden on Dec. 13. The celebration originated from stories told by Monks who were the first to bring Christianity to Sweden. As the story goes, St. Lucia was a young Christian girl who was killed for her faith. Many girls dress up as “Lucia brides” in long white gowns with red sashes and a wreath of burning candles on their heads. They wake up their families by singing songs and bringing them coffee and twisted saffron buns called “Lucia Cats.”

By: Rose Lu

 

When it comes to Christmas, there are lots of factors in deciding the right tree. Wood vs. Plastic always seems to be the one of the most debated questions throughout the holiday season. Wood trees require lots of pesticides and land, as well as fuel to pick up the tree and transport it however, they are biodegradable.

Plastic trees are not biodegradable. However, if it’s used for four years or more, it would save more money and resources than buying a natural tree every year, according to a 2010 Study by PE International. A wooden tree is the better choice if a family wants a tree for only a year, as long as it’s from a local source and not a far-away farm. Plastic trees are better for families who live in the city, want a long-term tree, and don’t have access to farms. They are also much easier to assemble, store, and can be reused.

There are some ways to reuse a natural tree as Bock of Cal State Fullerton, suggests a way to preserve wooden trees, is by buying a potted tree and replanting it in a garden.

It ultimately boils down to convenience and what families are looking for during the holidays, whether it be the coloring of the tree or the natural pine smells. Some families however, do not use trees and rely on alternatives for the Christmas spirit.

Merry Mirror:  Stack green books, binders and other household items in a pyramid-like manner against a mirror. The mirror creates a reflection effect for the full tree. This fun, functional tree can save space and add Christmas spirit to many households and bedrooms.

Chalkboard tree:  Many households can transform their unused chalkboards into a tree, simply by drawing a design on the chalkboard and using magnets to hang Christmas lights or tinsels.

Ladder Tree: Transform an unused ladder into a Christmas tree by hanging lights and tinsels from the steps and wrapping Christmas lights around it.

Christmas Tree made out of Books: Books that can’t fit into a bookshelf can fit into a tree, by creating layers of books stacked upon each other. Be cautious of LED lights, get the ones that don’t get hot and burn.

Present Tree: Make a tree out of presents! They can be empty or filled, just make sure that the placement of the presents emulate a tree. It is also possible to make this an advent calendar tree for 24 days, each with a present or surprise in it.

Nature Inspired Christmas Tree: This tree consists of nature and other items made of paper, such as evergreen branches, book pages, old photographs and masking tape. Simply tape the branches, book pages etc. onto a wall in a tree-like pattern.

These are just a few suggestions for every family to add holiday spirits to their households and some quick advice for last minute tree shopping. Most of all, have fun and enjoy the holidays!

By Harleen Kaur

 

Looking for a more perfect way to unwind and relax after taking your finals? If so, the Legend has some suggestions to watch some of these festive movies to get into the Christmas mood.

If you want a good laugh while soaking in the jolly feeling here are some comedic Christmas flicks.

Elf

One of Santa’s elves learns that he is actually human and decides to make a voyage to NYC where he struggles to fit in with the humans.

The Santa Clause

An ordinary dad accidentally makes Santa fall of his roof, so now he takes it upon himself to deliver gifts and become the new Santa.

Home Alone (2 and 3 included)

Kevin’s family leaves him home alone when they leave for a Christmas vacation. Kevin has to protect his home and fend off the Sticky Bandits. What type of family leaves the same kid home alone three times?

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Clark Griswold has some very bad luck but tries to make up for it by holding some Christmas activities with all of his family.

 

If you love sappy Christmas romance stories, don’t fret we also have a few recommendations.

The Holiday

Two women switch homes after meeting online on a home exchange website where they realize the life they live is not the one they want. They stir up new romance in their new homes.

The Holiday Calendar

A Netflix original, where a photographer finds an antique advent calendar that predicts a new romance.

 

These are some Christmas Classics that you should watch with your younger siblings or cousins to get them in the Christmas Spirit.

The Muppets Christmas Carol

It’s the story of Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future teaching a lesson to Scrooge, but this time less scary and with your favorite Muppets character.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (1964)

The original adaptation of a special reindeer who was bullied all his life for his shiny bright red nose but was finally accepted and appreciated for who he was, once Santa specially asked for his help.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)

If you don’t want to spend money and watch the new adaptation in theaters, I recommend revisiting this classic tale of a Grinch who learns the true spirit of Christmas after trying to ruin Christmas for the civilians for Who Ville.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Why not combine everyone’s two favorite holidays of Christmas and Halloween into one movie? Well this classic can be watched year-round where the king of Halloween town, Jack Skellington accidentally finds Christmas town and tries to bring  their Christmas to Halloween Town.

Polar Express

This movie tells a tale of a train that travels all the way to the North Pole the night of Christmas Eve so that children on board can see the kick-off ceremony of Christmas and catch a glimpse of Santa.

Santa Buddies

If you love dogs, you will swoon as these talking puppies try to help return Puppy Paws (Santa’s helper) to the North Pole in order to save the Christmas Magic.

By Sarah Shafaeen

 

Before visiting family, eating delicious food and looking for great deals the next day— trademarks of modern day Thanksgiving— you may wonder where the tradition of Thanksgiving originated from.

According to Pilgrimhall.org, historians agree that the first Thanksgiving occurred sometime in the fall of 1621 and was most likely an unplanned gathering. The Pilgrims were celebrating their first successful harvest when members of the Wampanoag tribe appeared, likely uninvited. According to an article from Smithsonian Magazine, the feast lasted three days and featured a menu with deer, fowl and corn.

A few years before this event, a disease from shipwrecked French sailors swept through New England and killed most of the Wampanoag tribe. The Pilgrims from the Mayflower were essentially living in the remnants of one of their decimated villages. The Natives’ motivations to extend good will towards the settlers was the result of the trade goods brought from Europe. According to history.com, the mutually beneficial relationship extended to the Wampanoag allying themselves with the Pilgrims to gain British goods and protection from warring tribes like the Narragansett, who wouldn’t mess with an ally of their trade partners. The Pilgrims, in turn, looked to the Wampanoag for survival, gaining valuable tricks like using fish for fertilizer to make effective use of their stolen cornfields.

While those may be the origins of modern day Thanksgiving, according to the National Parks Service, the practice of giving thanks dates back to celebrations in Europe involving fasting then feasting after enduring some great hardship. The first recorded Thanksgiving involving Spanish settlers and members of the Seloy tribe breaking bread with salted pork, garbanzo beans and holding Mass in 1565 Florida.

According to historian Melanie Kirkpatrick, Connecticut was the first state to have a Thanksgiving for general, everyday blessings, in 1778. Former President George Washington issued the first presidential proclamation to nationalize the tradition. However, that quickly became controversial, with members of Congress saying the president didn’t have that authority over the states. As a compromise, Washington recommended a day of thanks and sent a copy to every governor requesting, not ordering, the governors to issue their own day of Thanksgiving.

According to politifact.com, the holiday was finally officiated under former President Abraham Lincoln, who proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November in large part thanks to an aggressive campaign by magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale.

So, when you finally dig into that slice of rich pumpkin pie, remember all the events that led to the Thanksgiving you celebrate today.

By Julian Rosete

 

It all started Sept. 24, 1869, when the word Black Friday was first used, but not in the way we know it as today.

“The term Black Friday was used in the U.S to describe a financial crisis in 1869,” according to Jennie Wood from the New York Times. This financial crisis consisted of two men named Jay Gould and his partner in crime James Fisk who attempted to uphold and buy out the gold market on the New York Gold Exchange. This caused a gold panic across the country, but this is not the reason for those crazy sales on a new television.

The day became known as “Black Friday” after a newsletter from the Philadelphia Public Relations Association in 1961 referred the day as a day to begin the shopping season. They labeled this day as a shopping day because it was defined as the first day of Christmas shopping. This is because the two days after Thanksgiving are considered the busiest shopping days for downtown merchants across the country. These days were then called Black Friday and Black Saturday, but why? The reason for this is that companies are “in the red” meaning regressing in sales all year until that Friday hits their margin goes “in the black” meaning they gain a ton of profit.

Before the 2000’s hit, almost all retailers opened their doors at 6 a.m. to maximize their profit on this day. They then began to realize they can open even when they began to notice customers camping out for the sales. The late 2000’s is when states began to open their doors, at 4-5 a.m.

Retailers began to receive backlash from the people because of the hard labor employees have to go through on this day, but that didn’t stop the companies. In 2013, Walmart decided to open doors in the day of Thanksgiving at 8 p.m. Stores began to follow this and it’s been happening to present day. Till this day debates still arise on if stores should be open on the day of Thanksgiving because of Black Friday.

Some alternatives names that could have changed the name we all know today is when a deputy of Philadelphia felt that the name Black Friday and Black Saturday was considered to give a negative outlook on this shopping day. Deputy Abe S. Rose recommended to change the name to Big Friday and Big Saturday to make the day seem more positive. This idea was shot down when the New York Times decided to refer to it as Black Friday, making it official to what we all know as today

By Megan Laser

Bells are jingling around the necks of baristas wearing red aprons and serving coffee in cups decorated in red and green with snowflakes falling down. The new holiday series launched on Nov. 2, causing the already cheery attitude of baristas to heighten as they serve your drinks and food with big smiles on their faces. The Christmas spirit has rained down on all the Starbucks stores across the nation, and the seasonal holiday drinks are back for a limited time.

 

TWM (Toasted White Mocha)

The TWM is essentially a caramelized version of the WM (White Mocha), with steamed milk and espresso and topped off with whipped cream and red sprinkles and white pearls. The drink can come either iced, as a hot beverage, or as a blended frappuccino. It’s one of the more popular holiday drinks compared to the rest of the drinks.

The TWM is personally one of my favorite holiday drinks, mostly because the WM is my favorite coffee to drink. To be honest, there’s not much of a difference between the regular WM and the TWM, probably because it’s the same basic flavors. I, personally, always ask for no whipped cream because not only does it make the calories go up by like 80 calories, it makes it way too sweet for me to drink. I prefer the steamed milk version because when you think of the holidays, it’s the warmth of hot chocolate in the cold weather that really hits home. The warm feeling it provides, that’s what makes the TWM taste even better. Plus, when the ice melts the drink becomes really watery and it’s not as amazing as the original flavor.

 

CB (Caramel Brulee Latte)

The CB is another favorite for those who usually get the CRF (Caramel Frappuccino) in the summer. The latte consists of the Caramel Brulee sauce with steamed milk, espresso and topped with whipped cream and the Caramel Brulee sprinkles. The drink can come either as a hot coffee, an iced beverage, or a frappuccino. Again, another popular holiday drink, but it’s not much of a fall flavored drink.

In my opinion, the CB is too sweet for me to drink. I was never able to drink the CRF because of how sweet it was, and this beverage is the warm version of it. Again, I go with no whipped cream because a lot of Starbucks drinks are too sweet and the whipped cream only adds onto that. Although it’s all too sweet, I do enjoy the sprinkles on top. They’re like little bits of caramel and it might just be a me thing — but I like to chew on the bits, especially when they’re softer. If I did buy the CB, I’d get it as a frappuccino because it’s too sweet to actually be considered a coffee. But for all the CRF lovers who think it’s too cold to drink a blended beverage, the CB is the drink to warm you up this winter.

 

SHC (Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate)

The SHC is the sweet twist to the classic hot chocolate. There’s no espresso shots so kids can enjoy this beverage without being caffeinated. The drink is made with White Chocolate sauce, Cinnamon Dolce syrup, and steamed milk and topped with whipped cream. Only the warm beverage is available on the menu, but if you wanted it cold or as a frappuccino, you could order it as a milk with flavoring or a cream frappuccino, which just means no coffee, and the syrups that go with it.

This drink is good for a while, especially the first time you try it. But, after a few sips for me, I realized how sweet it really was, and I couldn’t drink the rest (I only had the short size!). I didn’t even try it with whipped cream because I knew it’d be too sweet just by smelling it as I poured the milk into the cup. I, personally, wouldn’t order this drink unless I was really craving something sweet. Other than that, it does really taste like a snickerdoodle cookie. It’s like drinking a liquified version of a snickerdoodle cookie that came straight out of the oven.

 

Chestnut Praline Latte (CPL)

And last but certainly not least, we have the Chestnut Praline Latte. It has a Chestnut Praline Syrup mixed with espresso shots and steamed milk. It’s topped off with whipped cream and the Praline topping that looks almost like breadcrumbs. This drink is one of the less popular drinks, but it does smell really good when it’s ready.

If you’re looking for a stronger coffee flavor, this drink is the perfect one for you. It’s both sweet and bitter at the same time, and I enjoyed it very much. I didn’t drink it with whipped cream, but I’d assume it’d make the drink sweeter by a little bit. It’s not one of my favorites, but it’s still a better drink compared to the SHC.

 

And with that, you have the holiday beverages that baristas across the nation have been waiting all year to make. And with these amazing drinks, Black Friday and Thanksgiving are just around the corner, and you know what that means. Deals! They’re may be a huge line, but if you stop by your local Starbucks you could get this drink for a deal much less than what it’s worth. Merry Christmas from your local barista!