Yearly Archives: 2015

Celebrating Easter

EasterEaster Sunday is this Sunday, April 5th. It is celebrated throughout the world by the followers of Christian community. It is believed that this was the day when Christ resurrected after crucifixion. This day is of great significance in the Christian community.

Church services and festive celebrations blend together during the Easter weekend. On Easter Sunday in New York and other cities, large Easter parades are held. The popular trend of Easter symbols such as the Easter bunny and egg tree were introduced to the American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. Gradually American people took to crafts such as egg and Easter tree decoration. Easter in the United States is also a time to enjoy special Easter foods such as baked ham, potatoes and vegetables. Several special recipes are made at each home. Easter parties are also organized where traditional Easter delicacies are served and people enjoy wonderful get together along with Easter games and music.

Check out Easter crafts and Activities on the Au Pair in America Pinterest page https://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/hop-into-easter/

Observing Passover

PassoverPassover begins at sundown tomorrow, Friday April 3rd . Passover is an eight day celebration observed each year in the Jewish religion. It commemorates the freedom of Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. Families celebrate Passover by having a seder. With special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Seder means order, and the Passover story is read in order from a book called a haggadah. Click here to read the Passover story http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/passover/kids-stories/the-story-of-moses.html

Trek America Adventures geared towards Au Pair Travel

DSC_0754Thanks so much to Brian Egger of Trek America (www.trekamerica.com/aupairinamerica) for braving the winter storm today to meet with us and let us know about the wonderful travel opportunities for our au pairs.  Tours range from as little as 3 to 4 days to 4 weeks long depending on how much time and money you have to spend!  The beauty of joining such a Trek is the opportunity to meet people who may come from all different parts of the world.  As you explore American cites and natural parks you find yourself making friends with people who span the globe!  The tour guides introduce you to the locals by offering jeep rides on an Indian preservation to horseback riding in the Grand Canyon.   For more information visit the Trek America site.

So What is Presidents Day Anyway?

Presidents DayPresidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22 ~ Washington’s actual day of birth ~ the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present. To see a listing of all U.S. presidents go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents. Click on each president to find out who they were and what they achieved during their presidency. Most American school children have to learn their presidents so this is a great site to go through with them and test their knowledge!  Have fun.  You may  learn something new.

Peace in My World by Syeda Mleeha Shah

I found this on Linked In and had to share as it has such a wonderful message for everyone!  Peace in My World is a delightful story for young children told in rhyme. It tells of a place where peace flourishes. Each page is accompanied by full color illustrations depicting children from all over the world in traditional costumes.  Learn how to say Peace in different languages!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPRdSlg9AFQ

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. Jan 19th

MLK2“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote

Here is a great link about the history of this special day including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword. Maybe you can do something special with the kids to acknowledge the day: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkjrday1.html

To read the full I Have a dream Speech go to:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Au Pairs receive self-defense instruction

group shotOn Sunday, January 11th au pairs from the Annapolis cluster of Au Pair in America received hands on instruction from Jing Ying Institute on practical easy to recall self-defense moves should they ever find themselves in a dangerous situation.  DSC_0369DSC_0370DSC_0358DSC_0354DSC_0364Billy and Nancy Greer, the owners, demonstrated several areas of personal protection to include (1) awareness and avoidance techniques; (2) escaping mechanisms and (3) quick easy to use fighting back tools enabling an au pair to escape if someone larger and stronger attacks.  The au pairs left feeling empowered and better prepared!  For more information on this workshop please visit www.JingYing.org.  They are located in Arnold and offer many wonderful classes for your entire family.