Monthly Archives: December 2015

Saying “Happy New Year!” Around the World

One of the really cool things about working for Au Pair in America is that you get to meet fascinating women from all over the world.  At our last cluster meeting we taught each other how to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in different languages. Here’s a list with over 30 ways of saying Happy New Year!  May 2016 be a happy new year to you!

Language Happy New Year!
Afrikaans Voorspoedige nuwe jaar
Arabic Kul ‘am wa antum bikhair
Basque Urte Berri on
Bengali Shuvo noboborsho
Chinese (Cantonese) Sun nien fai lok
Chinese (Mandarin) Xin nian yu kuai
Czech Stastny Novy Rok
Danish Godt NytÅr
Dutch Gelukkig nieuwjaar
Esperanto Bonan Novjaron
Finnish Onnellista uutta vuotta
French Bonne année
German Ein glückliches neues Jahr
Greek Eutychismenos o kainourgios chronos
Hawaiian Hauoli Makahiki hou
Hebrew Shana Tova
Hungarian Boldog uj evet
Indonesian (Bahasa) Selamat Tahun Baru
Italian Felice Anno Nuovo or Buon anno
Japanese Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu
Korean Sehe Bokmanee Bateuseyo
Laotian (Hmong) Nyob Zoo Xyoo Tshiab
Latin Felix sit annus novus
Nigerian (Hausa) Barka da sabuwar shekara
Norwegian Godt Nytt År
Philippines (Tagalog) Manigong Bagong Taon
Polish Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Romanian La Multi Ani si Un An Nou Fericit
Samoan Ia manuia le Tausaga Fou
Spanish Feliz año nuevo
Swahili Heri za Mwaka Mpya
Swedish Gott Nytt År
Thai Sawatdee Pi Mai
Vietnamese Chuc mung nam moi
Welsh Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Holiday Party

On Sunday, December 13th we had our cluster meeting and holiday party.   The au pairs brought dishes from their home countries and we had fun with a typical American game: Yankee Swap.  None of the girls had played anything similar but they had no problem stealing the beautiful shawl away from the other girls!

 

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10 Christmas Tree Ornaments Kids Can Make

10. Handprint Reindeer

www.missdelk.blogspot.com

This cute little reindeer ornament is super simple to make and only requires your kid’s hand, some brown paint and paper. Have your child place their hand in the paint and press it on a fresh piece of paper. Once it dries, cut it out and add your decorations for a super cute reindeer you can hang on the tree. Easy, cheap and fun!

9. Cupcake Angels

www.allwomenstalk.com

This is a great way to use up the extra cupcake wrappers you had leftover from the school bake sale. Simply fold them in triangles and glue them together to create charming little angels. Add a small cotton ball for the head and you are well on your way to spreading Christmas cheer. They are also a fun craft the whole family can enjoy making.

8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Pine Cone

www.kidscraftroom.com

Instead of throwing out the pine cones that are littering your yard, why not turn them into fun Christmas ornaments? All you need is some pipe cleaner for antlers, some cloth for ears, and a big red button for the nose. Add some google eyes from the crafts store and you’ve got adorable Rudolph ornaments to enjoy.

7. Gingerbread Man

www.lovethispic.com

These ornaments are super fun to make because you can actually bake the cookies and decorate them before hanging the cute creations on your tree. Just follow any gingerbread recipe and let them dry out over night. Decorate them how you wish and then place a hook in the head so they can hang on the tree. They are super fun and create an awesome activity to get you in the holiday spirit.

6. Frosty the Snow Jars

www.crazylittleprojects.com

Frosty is looking super cute this year with this Frosty ornament that’s made out of a small paint jar. All you need to do is paint the jar white and add on a cute face. Place a hook through the top of the jar which also substitutes as a hat and you are good to go. Frosty won’t have to worry about melting this year when he’s safe on your tree.

5. Bottle Cap Snowmen 

www.snapguide.com

This cute ornament is a perfect way to use up old bottle caps you may have lying around the house. All you need to do is spray paint them white and glue three together to create little snowmen. Next paint on the buttons and faces and you’ve got brand new ornaments for mere pennies.

4. DIY Santa

youtube.com

These handprint Santa ornaments are made from dried play dough and are absolutely charming. All you need to do is make some play dough and cut out circles. Make a hand print and then let it dry overnight. Now you can paint the hand prints to look like Santa’s face with a long white beard.

3. Puzzle Piece Reindeer 

www.funfamilycrafts.com

If you have kids then we’re sure you have random puzzle pieces collecting in your drawers that you don’t know what to do with. Well, now you do! You can easily use three of these puzzle pieces to create super cute Rudolph ornaments. Simply paint them brown and add some eyes and a nose! These literally take minutes to make and are loads of fun!

2. Starlight Stars

parentmap.com

For this simple star ornament, all you need is construction paper and glitter, Cut the construction paper into strips and then loop them into circles. Glue the circles together in a star fashion as seen above and then sprinkle with glitter.

1. Melting Frosty 

www.itallstartedwithpaint.com

These are super wrong but also so so right! These melted Frosty ornaments are absolutely hysterical and all you need are some clear Christmas ball ornaments, some salt, peppercorns and orange felt. Fill up the ornament with some of the salt to simulate snow, then add the peppercorns for eyes and buttons and cut out a little orange felt nose.

Source: http://definevirals.com/10-adorable-christmas-tree-ornaments-kids-can-make/10/

Christmas Traditions – The 12 Dishes of Polish Christmas

In Poland, Christmas Eve dinner is the most important celebration of the year. Although this meal is reserved for the closest family, it is customary to set an extra plate and seat for an unexpected guest or even a vagrant. Most of the dishes served are cooked specifically on this special day – and only once a year!

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Christmas Eve dinner starts when the first star appears in the sky. Nothing may be eaten until all members of the family have broken the Christmas wafers (“opłatek”) together and exchanged wishes for good health and prosperity. During the meal, all guests should taste a bit of everything. According to traditions, bits of hay are spread beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Christ was born in a manger.

The tradition calls for twelve traditional courses to be served during the Polish Christmas Eve. This number is the symbol of the richness, twelve Apostles and represents the twelve months of the year.

Christmas Traditions – December 6th Sinterklaas

For most children in The Netherlands, the most important day during December is the 5th of December, when Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) brings them their presents!

St. Nicholas’ day is on the 6th December, but in The Netherlands, the major celebrations are held on the 5th December. The name Santa Claus comes from the name Sinterklaas.

It all starts on the second Saturday of November (the first Saturday after 11th November) when Sinterklaas travels to a city or town in The Netherlands. Dutch tradition says that St. Nicholas lives in Madrid, Spain and every year he chooses a different harbour to arrive in Holland, so as many children as possible get a chance to see him.

Amsterdam_Sinterklaas_Procession

Sinterklaas travels with his servants called ‘Zwarte Pieten’ (‘Black Peters’). When Sinterklaas and the Black Peters come ashore from the steam boat, all of the local church bells ring in celebration. Sinterklaas, dressed in his red robes, leads a procession through the town, riding a white horse. Every town in The Netherlands has a few Sinterklaas helpers, dressed the same as Sinterklaas who help give the presents out. (and sometimes you might one see one or more Zwarte Pieten with Sinterklaas!)

Children are told that the Zwarte Pieten keep a record of all the things they have done in the past year in a big book. Good children will get presents from Sinterklaas, but bad children will be put in a sack and the Zwarte Pieten take them to Spain for a year to teach then how to behave!

On the evening that Sinterklaas arrives in The Netherlands, children leave a shoe out by the fireplace or sometimes a windowsill and sing Sinterklaas songs. They hope that Sinterklaas will come during the night with some presents. They also believe that if they leave some hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinterklaas’s horse, they will be left some sweets or small presents. They’re told that, during the night, Sinterklaas rides on the roofs on his horse and that a ‘Zwarte Piet’ will then climb down the chimney (or through a window) and put the presents and/or candy in their shoes.