Category Archives: Au Pair Info

Dr. Martin Luther King Day

Dr. Martin Luther King

Dr. Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.

Each year schools, federal offices, post office and banks across America close as we celebrate the birth, the life and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is an occasion for joy and celebration for his life and his work toward nonviolent social change in America and the world.

It took many years for Congress to decide to celebrate the holiday.  In the years leading up to the official decree many African-Americans celebrated the birthday themselves with a few states declaring King’s birthday a state holiday.

The bill was finally passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and was signed into law on November 2, 1983.  The first national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday took place January 20, 1986.

To learn more about Dr. King and his life visit these websites.

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/martin-luther-king-day

http://www.answers.com/topic/martin-luther-king-day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AU PAIR IN AMERICA!!

Au Pair in America Celebrates 25 Years!

Au Pair in America was established in 1986 as the first federally approved au pair program in the United States.  We have established high standards of excellence, partnering with the U.S. government, international partners, our U.S. field network, AIFS staff and orientation team to provide a quality cross-cultural experience for over 87,000 au pairs from around the world and thousands of American families.  Join us in celebration.

Holiday Partying with the Au Pairs!

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” were the operative words for close to one hundred au pairs at our multi-cluster holiday pot luck dinner party this past week.   Held at the historic Concord Scout House,  several Boston area clusters gathered for what has become an annual tradition of good food, good fun, and good cheer.

Santa's visit

Santa's visit

For more  pictures click -> Holiday Pictures

The evening started with the potluck dinner that reflected the diversity of au pairs that attended. We had appetizers from South Africa, India and Italy, salads from Italy and Colombia, desserts from Germany and Thailand, just to name a few.  The community counselors came through with delicious roast ham, lasagnas, and potato casseroles, and our famous Au Pair Punch!

Our special guest, Santa, arrived to circulate and hear what is on our au pairs’ wish lists this year.  Peals of laughter and lots of photo opportunities were a part of his extended visit. Then, it was on to the Yankee Swap during which we found out a lot that we did not know about each other, in addition to swapping gifts!  It was all in good fun though.

One of the nicest parts of our traditional party is the holiday singing that ends the evening. Each of our many countries’ languages was represented on stage as au pairs gathered together to sing their favorite holiday songs in their native languages to us. This is a wonderful tradition that you can experience now in our YouTube video here on the blog.

Au Pairs bring holiday cheer in song!

0511-0711-0615-2028_Abstract_Christmas_Tree_clipart_imageThen, after all the festivities, it was time to say, “Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night” as au pairs bundled up and made their way out into the starry December night.

NOVEMBER DATES TO REMEMBER

1102Election Day

Would you like to know more about the American political system? Check out http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ for a simple presentation of information about the US government including elections. Talk to the children about what you learned and create an Election Day theme at home: decorate in red, white and blue (how about colored napkins on the table?) Put out an American flag, and serve red, white and blue snacks. Blue and white corn chips with red salsa, vanilla ice cream with strawberries and blueberries or layers of colored Jell-o served with whipped cream.

1107Daylight Savings Time Ends

Move your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night and enjoy the extra hour of sleep…

1111-1Veteran’s Day

A day to honor American veterans of all wars, Veteran’s Day is a federal holiday. You can find some suggestions of activities to do with children at www.va.gov/KIDS/.

1125Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dates back to the first European settlers in North America. After hardship, illness and hard work, the Pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest that they shared with their Native American friends. This national holiday is a day to feast and give thanks. Visit this site to compare Thanksgiving to other harvest festivals: www.familyculture.com/holidays/thanksgiving.htm.

1126

Black Friday

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving and is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many employees take the day off, which increases the number of potential shoppers. Many retailers open very early (typically 5 am or even earlier) and offer door buster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores. Merchants and the media use the term Black Friday to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black (i.e., turning a profit).