The New Year is days away; while everyone is still recovering from the merriment of multiple December holidays, an annual milestone looms large in our not-too-distant future. Traditionally, we take time to consider how we will do things differently--how we can improve ourselves and our lives. As you consider this point of introspection, try not looking so much inward as outward. Ask yourself how you can better serve others--how you can be more grateful for the people who make your life good each and every day and become eager to do the same for them. Those are the hard questions--which is probably why everyone sticks to simple resolutions like a healthier diet or more exercise.

Maybe part of how you begin to help the people you love is by first helping yourself. Better health is always a priority because you can't really help others if you yourself aren't well. Perhaps you will resolve to become more involved in community initiatives, start volunteering or increase the number of hours a week you already volunteer. You may wish to work on things like organizing your household--closets, the basement and other storage areas. Or maybe it's as simple as making a promise to hold Sunday night dinners every week in 2011, giving your family more opportunity to connect with one another.

Whatever you plan for your New Year's resolution(s), remember to forgive yourself when on January 10th, you haven't yet accomplished your goal. We don't need to wait for the new year to start over; every day is a new day. If you falter a bit early on, don't throw in the towel. Start fresh the next morning as if it's January 1st all over again.

The best thing any of us can do for ourselves and others is to truly know who we are--lions can't be lambs and lambs can't be lions. Avoid any situation--whether work, social or family-oriented--that asks you to be someone you're not. The stress that will leach into your life and the lives of the people you care about can have serious--even mortal--reprecussions that could leave an indelible mark on your loved ones. I call this the literary Oedipal complex--in trying to do avoid hurting the people you love most, though you may think you're moving away from whatever the problem is, in reality, you move directly toward it.

Good luck to all of you as you consider how to make your life and the lives of your loved ones better in 2011--here are a few of my New Year's wishes for you:

My heartfelt sympathies go out to all the families who lost sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and good friends while serving their country in 2010--may you claim peace in the coming year.

My best wishes go out to all the men and women who found themselves jobless or homeless in 2010--may you find what you need in 2011.

And wishes of better health to everyone affected by disease in 2010--may 2011 bring you empowerment and healing.

2011-wishes of protection and resolution to the women and children suffering from domestic violence in 2010.

To all those who feel hopeless and helpless in the midst of poverty, may 2011 see you reclaim agency over your lives.

To those who suffer from depression, may you feel increased sunshine each new day of the new year.

To those blessed with wealth--may you find the grace to be humble, generously remembering the misfortune of others in the coming year.

To people whose futures are yet unsure, may you know calm, confidence and clarity in 2011 and beyond.

To those who took it upon themselves to deliberately abuse the innocent in ways both large and small--may you profoundly reconnect with your humanity, conscienciously moving toward full reparations in 2011.

To those who lost beloved family and friends in 2010, may you continue to move forward with strength and courage in the new year.

To parents of children of all ages, may you see your children flourish and thrive in 2011.

To the students who find themselves confused and unsure about their futures--know that 2011 will provide you with definitive direction.

And to all of you, dearest readers, may the coming year be full of every happiness, every joy; may all your hopes, wishes and dreams peek at reality; may your health be your most prosperous wealth; and may you find every closed door open as you bravely continue life's journey into 2011 and for every new year thereafter.  

See you next year....

Easy A, currently on DVD, is a female-hero driven film that was largely overlooked by the mass audience but is a major contributor to the growing genre of female-centered hero-narratives.

Joseph Campbell, the scholar who introduced the idea of the hero's journey, a part of an ongoing human narrative that stretches back to the Paleolithic period, unwittingly proved that most human narrative, whether drawn on a cave wall, Greek vase, or on some ancient scroll, was male-centric and so developed "trials" specific to male-centered story, like "ritual death and dismemberment." One of the most popular storylines influenced by Campbell in Hollywood history is the Star Wars franchise.

Of course, Campbell's hero's journey is merely representative of the patriarchal society the collected threads of human story came from. But today, in the 21st century tapestry, the narrative of the female hero has earned more vibrant colors. And Easy A gets an easy "A" for playing what will be considered by future feminists and socio-political scholars an integral role in early 21st century pop culture history.

Our hero, a high school girl who is not particularly popular but particularly bright--which is probably why she's not terribly popular--becomes the subject of a rumor that spreads like wildfire thanks to the ever-present advent of texting and the fact that in 2010, EVERY teen and tween seems to have a cell phone or iPhone or Blackberry attached to their body (a la Gary Shteyngart). Played beautifully by Emma Stone, our hero, Olive Penderghast, must find a way to deal with being the new school slut though still a virgin.

Directed by Will Gluck, the next John Hughes, Easy A magically weaves together all the best moments of the top 80's teen flicks like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Say Anything, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and others. Olive is branded a slut; her best friend turns on her; people stare at her as she walks down the hall; no one will sit with her in the cafeteria; jealous girls hate her; and every boy in school wants her to be his next conquest...both imaginary and real. 

Olive uses the sittuation to her advantage but finds that what seemed advantageous has become more like a festering contagion as she fights off the first guy who actually asks her out on a respectable date because he thinks she's an "easy A."

But there is a happy ending...it is Hollywood after all. And this reviewer was especially touched by the constant literary allusion to Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter--used as a kind of theme throughout.

Unfortunately, part of the female-specific hero's journey does include sexual empowerment. If you have sex as a teen girl, you're a slut; if you don't, you're a prude. Neither the twain shall meet. For teen boys, having sex affirms your masculinity--and having it with many partners is cause for congratulations...as long as you use a condom. Which, one unfortunate character, did not.

This reviewer had a similar experience to Olive Penderghast (and I'd wager much of the female viewing audience has as well)--which is why the authenticity of the script is so appreciated, thanks to writer, Bert Royal. Thankfully, my time in high school coincided more with Ferris Bueller, so there was no texting or Facebook or Twitter to spread the viciousness. And my moment of triumph did not come at a pep rally but much later in life. However, the Hollywood ending in Easy A is a manifestation of the desire for female heroes to master their two worlds much more quickly. And I heartily second that emotion!

Easy A gets a 10/10 on the Housel-scale; Emma Stone ROCKS as the modern, high school-Hester and Gluck and Royal are equal rockers for their part in what WILL BE considered a cult classic in the next 20 years.

Kawaida is a Swahili term for "tradition" used by Kwanzaa-founder, Dr. Maulana "Ron" Karenga. Dr. Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett in 1941) is a former professor of African Studies at UC Long Beach and the creator of Kwanzaa, the first African-American holiday. Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 to celebrate universal African heritage. Kawaida is a philosophy first developed by Dr. Karenga that focuses on evolving African thought and practice. Kawaida is central to the celebration of Kwanzaa, which runs from December 26th through January 1st.

Karenga used seven principles to comprise his philosophy of Kwaida; these principles are called Nguzo Saba and mean the "seven principles of blackness." For each principle, a candle is lit on each night of Kwanzaa. The first is Umoja or "unity"; the second is Kujichagulia or "self-determination"; the third priniciple focuses on Ujima or "collective work and responsibility"; the fourth, Ujamaa, centers around cooperative economics; the fifth is Nia or "purpose"; the sixth principle, Kuumba, means creativity, often reflected by the use of kente or colorful African cloth; the final and seventh principle, Imani, means "faith."

The traditional greeting at Kwanzaa is Habari Gani? or "What's the news?" in Swahili. Kwanzaa typically ends in a Karamu or feast. The traditional candle holder for Kwanzaa is called a kinara. The common chalice used during Kwanzaa is called the kikombe cha Umoja.

In 2009, a documentary film on Kwanzaa was released, The Black Candle, narrated by former Poet Laureate, Maya Angelou. Kwanzaa has also been recognized in two stamps issued by the US Post Office, created in 1997 and 2004.

Today is the third day of Kwanzaa--Ujima, or "collective work and responsibility," is the principle tonight's candle will be lit for. The kawaida of Kwanzaa stretches beyond its creation in 1966 all the way to the birth of humanity. And It's important we remember that.

In the spirit of Ujima and Kwanzaa, Habiri Gani?

Christmas or "Christ's Mass" is Saturday of this week. If you're a Christian, you celebrate the miracle of God being born as a man to atone for the sins of humanity. But Christ was only born just over 2,000 years ago. What was going on before Christmas was, well, Christmas?

Today, December 21st, is the winter solstice; in fact, last night, if you were awake and outside around 1:30am EST, you would have seen a lunar eclipse. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti or "the birthday of the unconquered sun" is an ancient Roman holiday that may not have preceded Christ's birth (though was associated with it as Christ being the "unconquered son") but Saturnalia in the month of December is older, and by the similarities between Saturnalia and Christmas, perhaps wiser. 

Saturnalia was celebrated in the month of December by Romans in honor of the deity, Saturn. Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture and the harvest but was also known as the Greek God, Cronos, father of Zeus. Saturn was the son of Gaia, the earth and Uranus, the heavens. "The Golden Age of Man" is often attributed to Saturn's rule by Roman writers; the festival of Saturnalia was held around the winter solstice and was essentially a week-long feast. People wore colorful clothing, and it was a time when masters became slaves and slaves became masters.

Saturn is also associated with aging or the passage of time. The term "Golden Years" is a phrase derived from the "Golden Age" also attributed to Saturn.

In Medieval times and during the Renaissance, the planet named after the Roman god was associated with what was one of the "four temperments" by physicians of that time: melancholy. Philosophers, physicians, scholars, and scientists were thought by Medieval and Renaissance scholars to have strong placement in Saturn, giving them a bend toward both melancholy and wisdom.

Interestingly, there is a contemporary connection to these ancient beliefs: in order to gain wisdom one must earn it, usually through difficulty. Though it is possible to survive difficulty and still be a high-functioning human being, one is never the same...prone to depression, also known as, melancholy. It was also believed that those with strong Saturnal placement had difficulties with their father; the Greek name for Saturn, Cronos, includes legend of Cronos eating his own children--hence the connection to a domineering father.

Saturn was associated by early Gnostics with scripture or the letter of the law. "Saturn's Day" or Saturday--the seventh day of the Scripture--is also the holy Sabbath. Some religions believe the Sabbath begins on Friday night and ends on Saturday night; others believe the Sabbath begins on Saturday night, ending Sunday--either way, Saturday is deeply connected to the Sabbath, and apparently, to Saturn--not the planet, the Roman god.

Saturnalia was a week of drunken-orgies and merry-making; it was originally started in 217 BCE to raise the morale of a newly defeated Rome by the Carthaginians. The word "Ho" as in "Ho, ho, ho, it's Santa Claus..." is also a throw-back to Saturnalia, whose traditional greeting was "lo, Saturnalia!" which was pronounced "ho" in the Latin interjection. Things like decorating with greenery, lights and giving charity also derive from the Roman New Year tradition that followed the week of merriment during Saturnalia.

Christmas was estimated by early Christian scholars to be the birth of Christ because it was nine months after the Annunciation. The Annunciation is the day believed by Christians that Gabriel, one of God's archangels, came to the Virgin Mary and told her she would be the mother of Christ. The Annunciation also coincides with the date for Passover in the Jewish calendar; the Passover Seder was the "Last Supper," famously depicted by Leonardo Da Vinci. Like Christmas's association with the winter solstice, the Annunciation falls on the spring equinox.

There's your summary of Christmas past, or Christmas's past. Either way, in 21st century America, Christmas is known as "the best morning ever" by both children and adults. Christmas has increasingly become a cultural holiday in places like the United States. Part of that turn was influenced by retail marketing over the last 100 years. Christmas retail sales are an integral part of the global economic market. No matter what you believe or don't believe, Christmas isn't going anywhere. Without it, there'd be unimaginable economic instability.

So enjoy your Christmas cookies. Have fun opening presents with family and friends on Saturday. And even if you're a self-proclaimed "Scrooge," try to observe people at this time of year--you may soon change your tune. I was in a local store and yes, the Musak was running subliminal Christmas tunes in the background. I started to get annoyed at the obvious ploy by the retailer to pull on my Christmas-heart strings but then noticed something: every other person there was smiling while humming or singing along (I walked around the entirety of the store to solidify the evidence).

People are nicer, happier, more mindful during this time of year. I don't care if Christmas is truly Christ's birthday or if it's simply an offshoot of some pre-Christian Roman holiday made up for morale--it's nice.

And we can all use a little more "niceness" in our lives.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

In 2006, Dr. Jean M. Twenge wrote a book about an intergenerational "generation" that spans three decades; like their hippy forebears, this "generation" is referred to today as "Gen Me." Twenge, a professor at the University of San Diego, talks about how this particular generation is one of the most confident yet unsuccessful generations because of the "Me" phenomenon that began creeping its way into public school curriculums, social media and child-psychology practices in the mid to late seventies. Suddenly, everyone was "special"--whether you won the little league chamionship or not, you got a trophy. Heck, there were even satin ribbons made for children who went to the bathroom--a blue ribbon for simply performing a bodily function? Yes. And that's why what seemed like a positive social change to help empower children to be strong, independent adults backfired...in a BIG way.

What ended up happening with all this positivity and encouragement of mediocrity? Once a child reached an age where they recognized that, in fact, they were not as special as they were led to believe by the people they loved and trusted most in the world, a tremendous sense of fear overcame them: the number of teens and early 20-somethings with depression has risen dramatically in the last 20 years. And so has the number of teen suicides.

What have we done?

Now, it's true that not every individual classified as "Gen Me" is depressed or suicidal--that's not the point. The point is  that the fear of personal failure is so great that many of these young people are paralyzed by it, manifesting in a multitude of ways--not the least of which is depression. Many more languish in college, trying to "figure out" what to do with their lives...but really, they're trying to figure out how not to fail. Today, the average four-year college degree is accomplished in five-to-seven years. A student who takes seven years to acheive a Bachelors could have completed a Bachelors and Masters or Bachelors and Juris Doctorate in that time; they could have also completed a Bachelors and be one year from completeing a VDM, DMD, MD, or PhD. The time, money, energy, and effort is collosal. And if it resulted in better-prepared, productive people--that would be great. But Bloomberg recently reported that the government is looking to shift the focus from "liberal arts" in colleges to "technical arts" because college graduates with four-year degrees are finding themselves unemployable, and with anywhere from $40k-$200k in debt. Part of the current administration's focus has been holding colleges accountable for the employability of their students. It's like taking advantage of the psychology of an entire generation: "You want to be special, so here's a special niche degree to make you feel better about you but, uh, you may have limited employment opportunities later...just a minor detail...."

Bankruptcy has become a social norm. Repossession of cars, short sales on homes--these are all things that are now typical instead of atypical. And while the economy is certainly struggling, we can't blame the government for everything....

It all comes down to psychology. Yours, mine, and ours. Somewhere along the line, we forgot that failure is necessary for success. "Necessity is the mother of invention," remember that one? You never hear it anymore. Too bad, too. Because history is doomed to repeat itself when forgotten--and we've forgotten. We've forgotten that things are less important than people. We've forgotten that it's okay to let our children fall, and get back up again...without our help. As parents, it's a challenge to watch your child suffer in any way. But one day, we won't be there to catch them.

What happens to "Gen Me" in the next 40-50 years?

What happens to us? 

The 2009 animated flick, Fantastic Mr. Fox, was directed by Texan Wes Anderson, known for films like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited--three of my favorite films. Andersen's attention to detail and methodical style lent itself well to the stop-motion animation in this Roald Dahl adaptation.

With characters voiced by Hollywood talent like Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray, Mr. Fox takes the every-aged audience on a quaint ride through middle-class mid-life crisis, albeit with forest creatures...but such creatures as a badger attorney, a mouse tailor, a squirrel architect, a rabbit doctor, a weasel realtor, and of course, Mr. Fox, who is a newspaper columnist...and ex-chicken thief.  

The Fox family moves up in the world from a mere hole in the ground to a rather large tree...that happens to face three very prosperous farms, one of which is--yes--a chicken farm. 

Jason Schwartzman plays well the neurotic angst-ridden teen son in the Fox family, who is different from his tall, good-looking and talented parents in every way.  When similar-aged cousin, Kristofferson, voiced by director Anderson's brother, arrives--taller, smarter, stronger, faster--a kind of rivalry develops that furthers the plot later as the boys attempt a rescue that naturally goes awry. The irony here is that Eric Chase Anderson, Wes's younger brother, is his character's opposite. His best-known accomplishments have been connected to his brother's acclaim and talents, save his 2004 debut novel. Knowing this added an endearing layer to the character that was simply irresistable, as was the emergence of Schwartzman's coming-of-age recognition, which happened simultaneously to his father's, voiced by Clooney.

The moral of the story is to accept change as part of life's journey, not it's conclusion...and of course, when all else fails, DIG!

Very enjoyable storyline and rather terrific stop-motion technique with a contemporary yet nostalgic feel, Fantastic Mr. Fox gets an A+ for effort to Anderson et al, and a 10/10 overall.

Disney's 50th animated motion picture, Tangled, takes place in a faraway land, long, long ago...in a forgotten kingdom, where the queen was very sick. She was about to have her first child and so the king ordered everyone to search for a fabled golden flower. The flower was unique and grew on a cliffside, where an old hag had kept it hidden so she could use the power of the flower (that's right, flower-power is an all-consuming theme, here...) for herself.

The flower is discovered anyway and the queen is healed! The king and queen then welcome a golden-haired daughter into the world. But the old hag had other plans. Seeing that the flower had been fused with the child, she kidnapped the baby princess and locked her away in a clandestine tower where she raised the girl as her own. The old hag named the princess Rapunzel...and so the story turns.

We enter the "real" story as Rapunzel nears her 18th birthday; we see, through the magic Disney animation, that young Rapunzel is extraordinarily talented...she paints, cooks, reads six books a day, studies astronomy, sews, plays musical instruments, swings from the ramparts like an accomplished gymnast...and she can sing, too!

Mandy Moore voices the princess while NBC's Chuck, Zach Levi, voices her love interest, Flynn Ryder. Flynn was renamed from the original Brothers Grimm character "Bastion," in honor of Errol Flynn, who, like Marvel's Tony Stark, shares characteristics with the historic Hollywoodian.

Some of the best "drawn" characters are the animals a la classic Disney, like Maximus the horse or the chameleon, Pascal. There's also a fun scene with singing vikings, tough guys and thieves set in a tavern called--you guessed it--the "Snuggly Duckling."

The six-year, $260-million project reaped close to $150-million in its opening weekend in the States. It also opened to a whopping $9-million in Russia. 

The sincere, if not sometimes canned, Disney-romp, Tangled gets high marks for putting forward a "real" female hero who emerges like any good Campbellian hero from an insular world only to face trials and come out "mastering" two very separate worlds with a turn-around transformation of consciousness that sweeps evil under the proverbial rug with which good always wipes its feet.  

Very much a "Little Mermaid" varaiation with music by Alan Menken, Tangled earns a 9/10 on the Housel-scale. A fun holiday film the whole family can enjoy, Tangled, attempts to kick up female heroes a notch or two while maintaining the "Disneyness" so many of us have come to know and love.

While we can't all be a part of "Whale Wars" missions, tying ourselves to Japanese whaling vessels or boarding rubber rafts in order to "chase down" bad-guy whalers, there is still something we can do to help save the whales. And it's super-easy. Take a look at your box of tissues, and no, I'm not crazy. Lots of tissue manufacturers now include some kind of "lotion" in the production of what are essentially disposable handkerchiefs. If your tissues include "lotion" for softness, take a look at the ingredients. You might be surprised to learn that at least some of the "lotion" tissue products contain something called "cetyl alcohol." Alcohol is a standard ingredient in many cosmetics, including lotion--doesn't seem too unusual, does it? But what's the "cetyl" mean???

"Cetyl" comes from the Latin word "cetus"--meaning "whale."

Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol used as an emulsifier. Discovered by a French chemist in 1817 after heating spermaceti, or the waxy fat rendered from sperm whale oil--a primary source of light and heat from the 1700's through the early 1900's--what remained were flakes of cetyl alcohol. The product became very popular in all sorts of lotions and potions, including shampoo. Because of aggressive whale hunting for centuries, and the advent of new technologies in the early-mid twentieth cenrtury, more than two-million whales were "harvested" before 1950. Whales are now an endangered species. However, they are still being hunted. And sadly, even if you bought a product in America--where whale hunting is not condoned--if the product was made in China, Japan, or any other country that doesn't have the same laws about whale-hunting, you may be unwittingly supporting the senseless killing of an already endangered species.

Whales are mammals--like humans. And like humans, whales have four-chambered hearts, large complex brains, breathe air, birth live young who are fed from mammory glands, have a known system of communication--whales learn, teach, even grieve. Whales are also thought to have a lifespan anywhere from 77-130 years--a lot like human beings. Whales even have hair! In fact, whales are thought to have evolved from land-mammals who entered the water some 50 million years ago. Humans and whales have a lot more in common than you might think...except, of course, whales have slightly larger brains.

You can find information on the internet that states that cetyl alcohol is no longer "primarily" produced from whales and can be a byproduct of the petroleum industry or during production of certain vegetable-based oils, like palm oil. The thing is, "cetyl" is as "cetyl" does. A cetyl alcohol-like product made from vegetable oils is typically called palmityl oil. Palmitate, an ingredient in all kinds of processed products, is a derivitive. Anytime you see the word "cetyl" it pertains to whales or dolphins or anything from the Cetacea order of the Mammalia scientific class. And in case you were wondering what class humans are from, we're Mammalia, too.

Being aware of what's in the products you purchase has become part of the green-chic movement of the twenty-first century, so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to look for "cetyl alcohol" in the ingredients of your cosmetics, shampoos, body care, and now, tissues. If you find cetyl alcohol (or anything with the cetyl prefix or suffix) in the ingredients of a favorite product you don't want to give up, contact the manufacturer about the ingredient. Ask. It never hurts.

And as far as tissues go, you may want to give those up anyway--you'll not only help save the whales--you'll help save the planet.

It's both! The Jewish holiday of Chanukah is all about celebrating freedom and the miracle of light with what has become known as the "festival of lights." For each of the eight nights of Chanukah, a new candle is lit--by the time you get to the eighth night, you have nine candles blazing (inluding the "shamesh" or "servant" candle that lights all the others). It's quite a beautiful sight if you haven't yet had the pleasure. In the glow of the flames, families often play dreidel--a game of chance using a four-sided top with Hebrew letters on each side representing the words "Ness Gadol Haya Sham," or "A Great Miracle Happened There." What miracle, you may ask? Well, Chanukah is a holiday commemorating freedom won by the Maccabees around 167 BCE after defeating the rule of Antiochus, who had outlawed Judaism. Part of the outlaw was that Jews were no longer allowed to read Hebrew or teach their children how to read or write in Hebrew. In order to preserve Jewish teachings, Jewish parents developed the game of dreidel--which looked like a simple game of chance but was, in fact, used to secretly teach the alef-bet to Jewish children.

After the Maccabees victory, one of the first priorities was to check the Temple for damage. Because of the anti-Jewish laws and sentiment, the Temple had been desecrated and all the vials of olive oil used to light the "menorah" or candlelabra had been smashed...except for one. The single vial of oil was enough to last one day. In order to give hope to the war-torn people, the menorah was lit--even if only for one day. The miracle came in when on the second, third, fourth, and all the way through the eighth day, the menorah, using one small vial of oil, remained lit. That's why today, Chanukah is celebrated for eight days.

The word "Chanukah" means dedication or rededication because the lighting of the menorah was used to rededicate the Temple after it had been desecrated. In Hebrew, the word "Chanukiah" also means menorah for this reason. Hebrew is an interesting language read from right to left, unlike English. It has it's own alphabet known as the "alef-bet," named after the first two letters, "alef" and "bet"; several letters in that alphabet or "alef-bet" have a gutteral "ch" sound--like the first letter in the Hebrew word for "Chanukah"--the letter "chet." So why is Chanukah often spelled "Hanukkah"?

The words "Hanukkah" and "Chanukah" are the same words--"Hanukkah" has just been anglicized--meaning, assimilated for the English language. In English, there are no "ch" sounds so it became easier for people to say "Hanukkah" as opposed to the more gutteral "Chanukah." Mystery solved! No matter which way you pronounce it, you've said it correctly.

If you know someone who celebrates Chanukah, you can really impress them by saying "Chanukah Somaach" (pronounced so-may-ach)--which means "Happy Chanukah" in Hebrew. Pretty cool, huh? You can speak Hebrew now! Or at least, a few words in Hebrew...which is more than most may claim.

More December holiday fun facts to come. I'll write a piece for Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Years--so keep your eyes peeled! December is a busy month but if you'd like to learn a little something about WHY that is, check back to see what's new on the blog.

Until next time, Chanukah Somaach!