Happy Holiday: Happy Islamic New Year

Islamic New Year, December 18^th, is a cultural celebration in which Muslims celebrate the month of Muharram which marks the beginning of the liturgical year.

Muharram is historically tied to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who emigrated from Medina to Mecca in 1662 A.D. Because of its historical roots, the Islamic New Year is celebrated differently. Some celebrate Muharram relatively quietly through prayer and reflection, while other Muslims celebrate Muharram by exchanging cards. As far as differences in celebration for Shia and Sunni Muslims, both groups see this particular holiday as a somber remembrance as it also encapsulates the Battle of Karbala and the death of Caliph Abu Bakr. However other than these differences, Muharram is remembered as a day of self-reflection as well as family gathering through special prayers and readings such as the hijra from the Koran. These special prayers and readings are what unite Muslims during this time of year and serve as a reminder of the prophet Mohammed’s daring emigration from Medina to Mecca providing a kind of solidarity that brings all Muslims together.

Sources:

http://www.newyearfestival.com/islamic-new-year.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_New_Year

http://www.indobase.com/holidays/new-year/newyear-in-different-religions/islamic-new-year.html

Campus Events: City of Chicago Winter Activities

With classes out of session, this week’s events calendar feature winter holiday happenings in the City of Chicago. The regular Campus Events calendar will resume on Thursday, January 7.

• Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light at The Museum of Science and Industry
  57th Street and Lake Shore Drive
  November 20, 2009- January 3, 2010
  Holiday singers, dancers, and decorated trees from all over the world as well as a Ginger Bread White House
  

• Maxwell Street Market
  South Loop, Des Plaines St & Roosevelt Rd
  Sundays, December 13, 20, 27, 2009 from 7:00am-3:00pm
  International ingredients just in time for the Holidays
  

• Millennium Park Ice Skating
  55 N. Michigan Avenue from 12:00 pm-10:00 pm through March 14, 2010
  Come skate in downtown Chicago
  

• Kristkindlmarket Chicago
  50 W. Washington St. - Loop
  Fridays and Saturdays until December 23 11:00am – 9:00 pm
  An open-air, German-style market showcases handmade ornaments, accessories, clothing and gifts from more than 50 vendors. Also features German food and drink such as beer, hot spiced wine, potato pancakes, bratwurst, schnitzel, strudel and more.
  

• Bank of America’s Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier
  Navy Pier 600 E. Grand Ave from December 4 – January 3
  Festive games, music and live entertainment transform Navy pier into a winter celebration
  

• Chicago Sports Fest
  McCormick Pl Halls A and B 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive
  December 27 – 28 10:00 am-4:00 pm
  Learn how to Fence, play football or even try out some judo martial arts
  

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra Welcome Yule
  220 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL
  December 18- 23 at 3:00 pm
  The Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus present renditions of holiday songs
  

• Snow Days Chicago
  Grant Park S. Balbo & Michigan Ave
  January 29 - 31, 2010
  Snow sculpting competitions, dogsled competitions and many more activities free of admission
  

Guest Blogger: UCPD - Holiday Safety Tips

Protect your home

• Always lock doors and windows when you leave the house, even if you will only be away for a few minutes.
• Never display gifts where they can be seen from the window or doorway.If someone comes to your home asking for a donation or claiming to be delivering a package, always ask for official identification.
  

Shop Safely

• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash; pay with a check or credit card whenever possible.
• Never flaunt your money or expensive jewelry or clothing.
• Walk confidently, and be alert. Notice who passes you and who is behind you. Be especially mindful of pickpockets on crowded busses and trains and among crowds of holiday shoppers.
• If you drive, park in a well-lit space, and always lock the car, close the windows and hide shopping bags and gift in the trunks.

Happy Holidays: Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day, December 25th, is a traditional Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. It has become very popular in non-religious circles and many traditions have developed. The Christmas tree (pictured to the right) , usually a fir tree decorated with twinkling lights, tinsel, and ornaments begins the Christmas season for many families. Poinsettias, ruby-colored, star-shaped leaves, are popular holiday decorations during the Christmas season, along with wreaths and mistletoe, a popular kissing adornment at parties! Many families celebrate Christmas by having family and friends over for dinner and exchanging gifts. Some religious families attend various pageants, carols, and church services.

Winter Break Perks

Winter Break is soon upon us and for some of us, home is only an air ticket away. If you are heading to the airport next week, Student Government will have the annual shuttle service during finals week to take students to Midway and O’Hare airport. The shuttles will run from Thursday, December 10th, to Saturday, December 12th. For more information and to sign up for the service, please visit the Student Government website.

While some of us get ready to head back to our hometowns, there are those who will be in the Hyde Park area. We here at 5710 would like to give students who will be around the campus a list of resources that are available to them. While there will be libraries, cafes, and gyms open to the student population, the hours have been augmented in light of the holiday season.

Libraries

Days Hours

1. Crerar Research Library
Sun-Thurs 8:00 am- 1:00 am
Fri- Sat 8:00 am- 10:00 pm

2. Joseph Regenstein Library (The Reg)
Sunday 12:00 pm- 5:00 pm
Mon-Thurs 8:00 am- 8:00 pm
Fri-Sat 8:00 am- 5:00 pm

3. D’Angelo Law Library
Sunday 12:00 pm- 9:00 pm
Mon-Wed 8:00 am- 8:00 pm
Thurs-Fri 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Saturday CLOSED

Athletic Facilities

1. Ratner Auxiliary Gym Centre
Mon-Fri 6:00 am- 9:00 pm
Sat-Sun 8:00 am- 7:00 pm

2. Henry Crown
Mon-Fri 7:00 am- 7:00pm
Sat- Sun 10:00 am- 6:00 pm
Campus Cafes, Halls and Pubs

Campus Events: December 4 - December 12

Friday, December 4

Gingerbread White House Unveiling
Time: 10:00am
Location: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive

Soul Umoja’s God is in Control!
Time: 7:00pm
Location: C-Shop of Reynolds Club, 5706 S. University Avenue

Sunday, December 6

Opening Reception for the “All Power to the People! The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas”
Black Panther Party Minister of Culture
Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: DOVA Temporary Gallery, 5228 S. Harper Avenue

Workers in a Time of War: Pakistan and the Crisis of the International Labor Movement
Time: 2:00pm
Location: International House, University of Chicago 1414 E. 59th Street

Hindu Student Sangam Workshop on Yoga and Meditation
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: Rockefeller Chapel, 1156 E. 59th Street
RSVP birla@uchicago.edu. Bring your own yoga mats.

H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine for campus community members and children

To: Faculty, faculty emeriti, other academic personnel, students, and staff
From: Kimberly Goff-Crews, Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students in the University, and Nim Chinniah, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Re: H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine for campus community members and children
December 2, 2009

Thanks to increased allocations of vaccine for H1N1 (swine) flu, we are now able to offer separate immunization opportunities for all members of the University community and children of University affiliates.

We invite all students, faculty, faculty emeriti, other academic personnel and staff to a general vaccination clinic from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, in the Reynolds Club. Please bring University identification. Seasonal flu vaccine also will be made available at the clinic.

Happy Holidays: Chanukah!

It is December and that means only one thing: HOLIDAYS!! Get your Christmas tree up, your dreidel spinning, or light your Kwanzaa candles! We here at OMSA are very aware that many of our students and fans celebrate December in their own way and we wanted to highlight some of the celebrations occurring this month. We will be posting a description of a holiday every Tuesday for the first three weeks in December. This gives us the opportunity to share with our readers what we have learned in our research.

First up we have Chanukah!

Chanukah is the eight-day festival of light which begins on the eve of Kislev 25. This holiday celebrates “the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality.” This year Chanukah will be celebrated from Sunset of December 11 through December 19, 2009.

Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil -- latkes (commonly known as potato pancakes) and sufganiot (similar to doughnuts). Children usually play with the dreidel, a spinning top, which has inscribed the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, meaning "a great miracle happened there"[pictured to the right].