Black and Gold News, December 15, 2014

Black and Gold NEWS

December 15, 2014 Vol. 3 Issue 5

By: Isabel Smart

The History of Christmas Why do we celebrate Christmas? Christmas is a Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus

Christ. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basics of their religion.

Today, Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts. Popular cus-toms include: decorating Christmas trees, attending church, exchanging gifts, and of course, wait-

ing for Santa Claus to arrive. Christmas has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. From 1659 to 1681, the cel-

ebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston and law-breakers were fined five shillings. Christ-mas is a widely observed cultural holiday. It is celebrated on December 25th.

Saint Nicholas, whose named changed over to Santa Claus over the years, was a real person. He was a bishop in the church in the fourth century.

Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? December 25th is the traditional anniversary of

the birth of Christ, but most scholars are unsure about the true date of Christ’s birth. Regardless of the pagan background of so many December traditions, and whether or not Jesus was born on December 25th, our goal is still to turn the eyes of all men upon the true creator and Christ of

Christmas.

December 15, 2014 2 Vol. 3 Issue 5

Are you ready for Christmas? Well, the theater certainly

was. Their play, Christmas in July, was on Dec. 6th at

7:00 p.m. at LISD Auditorium.

The play was about how a new year had begun. The New

Year was nervous but ready for the challenge when some-

thing goes terribly wrong. Summer starts in November,

Easter is in February and Christmas is in July! The calen-

dar days are all in a jumble. The New Year better fix this

mess, and fix it quick, before Father Time gets involved. It

was a really good play, I would say that it was the best

play ever in the 21st century.

Cast and Crew: Heralds-Baylee Chandler, Cassidy Hai-

dusek, Chancellors-Abisai Cortina, Aliyah Banda, Shan-

non Smith, New Year-Riley Mayo, Last Year-Skylar Mitch-

ell, Farrel-Reagan Mayo, Santa-Wyatt Tulley, Cupid-Jamie

Nichols, Easter Bunny-Madison Graves, Four Seasons-

Chyna Brisker, Francis- Lauryn Mitchell, Father Time-

Nolan Myers, Lights-Jakeb Madden, and Directed by

Jackie Hartel.

Christmas in July

By; Avery Bendele

By: Emily Connelly

The Birth of Jesus December 15, 2014 3 Vol.3 Issue 5

Over two-thousand years ago a young couple named Mary and Joseph rode a donkey

back to Joseph’s home town of Bethlehem for the first ever census. They traveled there because Joseph belonged to the line of David.

Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph and was pregnant with a baby. Once they reached Bethlehem she was in labor and had nowhere to go. The hotel was full and the houses were packed. All that was left was a small stable with farm animals, so in that

small stable she birthed her first born, a son. They wrapped him in swaddling and laid him in a manger. They proclaimed his name to be Jesus. This baby, however, was special. He was the son of God, not Joseph. Months before,

an angel had visited Mary at night telling her that she would carry the child of God in her womb and that his name would be Jesus. Joseph was spoken to as well. The angel

calmed him of his worries about the baby that wasn’t his. Meanwhile, in a small field, a group of shepherds watched over their flocks of sheep. They also were approached by an angel.

“Do not be afraid.” said the angel. “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the

Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” After hearing from the angel the shepherds set off to find the newborn.

A few miles away, a crowd of wise men traveled on camels following the North star to-ward Bethlehem. They carried gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to present to Jesus. Mary and Joseph sat in the stable cradling their new baby as the wise men and shep-

herds bowed to their son. So on Christmas morning when you wake up, remember this holiday isn't just about

presents, but to celebrate our savior's birth.


Did you see Santa’s sleigh going down the streets downtown? That was the Christmas pa-

rade. There were several floats decorated differently, and elves were walking along with the

parade. There were people from both Liberty and Dayton, so it was pretty full. One down-

side, though, was that it was very cold , but other than that it was a nice event. So if you

didn’t go to the Christmas parade, attend next year!

Have you ever wondered if there is any thing to Christmas than just the usual story or even

some more fun facts? Well , this article has that all. Read below and you will find out more

about Christmas.

Christmas trees are also known as the Yule-tree.

The song “Jingle Bells” was originally called “One Horse Open Sleigh” and was made for

Thanksgiving.

There are 3 towns in the U.S. that are named Santa Claus. These towns are located in

Georgia, Arizona, and in Indiana.

Christmas trees were first decorated with foods such as apples, nuts, and dates.

Did you ever wonder where X-Mas came from? X means Christ in Greek so to shorten the

word Christmas we sometimes use X-Mas.

Santa’s elves live for a very long time. Elves live off of children’s happiness and belief in

the magic of Christmas. So remember to never lose the spirit of Christmas.

The Christmas Parade

Weird and Wacky Facts By: Avery Bendele

By: Leslie Rodriguez


Thoughtful Presents to Give By: Hugo Lopez

Are you prepared for Christmas?

Well, I have a few gift ideas for your par-ents, siblings, and friends.

Starting off, your mom may enjoy jewelry, purses, clothing, and gift cards. Some presents for your dad might be

watches, phones, wallets, and colognes. Don’t forget about your siblings.

Your sister would enjoy dolls, electron-

ics, and shoes. Your brother may enjoy toys, clothes, and electronics.

Finally, for your friend you can buy them stuffed animals, or you can

write them a letter about how much you

appreciate having them as a friend. This will make them feel loved and needed.

You don’t always have to waste money on presents. You can always give homemade gifts. Some ideas include

homemade frames, and necklaces. These gifts can make them feel joyful.

By: Maria Lopez

First things first, you have to buy the present, wrapping paper,

present box, ribbons, and bows. When you begin, you are going to want to pull out the wrapping paper and put the present in the mid-

dle. Make sure the ends are equal. Next, cut the paper off the tube. After that, you leave the present in the middle, and fold in-ward from each of the four sides. To hold it down, put some tape on the edges.

Now, make sure nothing from the present can be seen. At this time, get the ribbon and cut in an appropriate length. Wrap the ribbon around the box, and make a bow by tying it how you tie your shoe. If

that’s not your style, or you want to make the boxes different, you can also use bows or other designs already made. Just stick them on

the present. Oh, but most importantly, don’t forget to remove the price tag!


Unique Christmas Gifts For a hot chocolate snow

man, you will need three small glass

mason jars, hot cocoa powder, small

marshmallows, peppermints, four

medium-sized black stickers, five

small black stickers, a small carrot

sticker, and a plaid cloth of your

choice. Fill the bottom jar with pep-

permints. The, fill the second jar up

with the hot cocoa mix, and fill the

last jar with marshmallows. Stack

them in the following order: marsh-

mallows on top, hot coco in the

middle, and peppermints on the bot-

tom. After this, put two medium,

black stickers on the top jar as eyes,

make a smile with the small black

stickers, stick the carrot sticker on

the top jar for the nose, then stick

two medium black stickers on the

second jar for black buttons. Once

that is done, you may add your own

finishing touches. For some body

lotion, you will need one half-cup of

Shea butter, one-half cup of cocoa

or mango butter, one half-cup of co-

conut oil, one half-cup of light oil,

similar to olive oil. If you like, you

could use ten to thirty drops of es-

sential oil. In a double boiler, or a

glass bowl, combine all the ingredi-

ents except the essential oil. Bring to

a medium heat, stir constantly until

all of the ingredients are melted.

Take it off the heat and let it cool

slightly. Move to the fridge to let it

set for one hour until it’s somewhat

hard but still soft. When it’s set, use

a hand mixer to whip it for ten

minutes until fluffy. Return to the

fridge for ten to fifteen minutes, then

store in a glass jar with a lid, and

enjoy!

You don’t have to spend lots of

money to give terrific gifts. Just be

creative!

By: Chad Geter

By: Chad Geter

Get in the holiday spirit with these simple DIY projects.

For a colorful ornament, you will need clear ornaments and paint colors of your choice.

Put some paint in the ornament and swirl the ornament around to spread the paint on the sides . Don’t do it too far up the side, though, so you can add another color.

For a fun, ball ornament, you will need colored straws and a zip tie. Use the zip tie to tie them together on the middle. Next, start bending them in different directions until you get a ball like shape. You can either spray paint it or just leave it how it is.


Concerts By: Yazmin Brooks

We have great ways this year to get us into the Christmas spirit!

First, we started off with the annual Christmas choir concert. The concert was held on Tues-

day, December 9th at the L.I.S.D auditorium behind San Jacinto Elementary School. The 6th grade

beginner choir sang, “Do You Want to build a snowman?” from the movie Frozen and the “Reindeer

Hop.” The tenor/bass choir which is the 7th and 8th grade young men’s choir sang, “We Wish You

Peace for Christmas” and “I Saw Three Ships”. The treble choir which is the 7th and 8th grade young

ladies choir sang, “Sleigh Ride,” “Mary Came A-Rock in’,” and “What Can I Bring?”. Every year the

middle school and high school do a combined Christmas concert, but this year they were joined by

the 5th grade choir class and together they all sang “Santa’s A-comin’.” It was an amazing concert

and definitely a good way to boost the Christmas spirit!

If you couldn’t make the choir concert, don’t worry because there’s also a band concert on De-

cember 15th held in the high school gym. It will begin at 7pm. Beginners through high school will

perform.

Well, that sums it up, and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Shopping

Do you know where all the best deals are during Christmas. If you don’t, I’ll tell you. The best places to buy electronics are BestBuy, Wal-Mart, GameStop or Apple Inc. For teen clothing, look at Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Hollister, and Aeropostale. The best stores to buy toys are Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart. Many stores like Palais Royal and Macy’s have discounts during Christmas shopping. Here are some tips for Christmas shopping. You need to budget. For instance, you can always start by saving a small amount of money every month. Also, you should decide what you want to buy for Christmas by making a Christmas list. Last but not least, keep track of the presents you buy. Don’t lose the presents or forget who you bought them for. Just a remainder, don’t forget to remove the price tag be-fore wrapping them. Be sure to go Christmas shopping early!

By: Adrian Del Rio


Have you ever wondered how other religions celebrate Christmas? Well, if so, here are a cou-

ple of traditions that other religions do to celebrate their version of Christmas!

The Jewish celebrate Chanukah, but it’s more commonly known as Hanukkah. Hanukkah

lasts eight days and begins on the 25th of December. The main reason the Jewish celebrate Hanuk-

kah, is to celebrate the victory of Judah the Maccabee over the Syrian Tyrant Antiochus 2,100

years ago! The Jewish light is a special candle holder that holds eight candles called a Menorah.

Why eight candles? That’s because for each day a candle is lit and gifts are given. Last, but not

least, did you know that Hanukkah means dedication?

Muslims celebrate Ramadan. This marks the month where Mohammed is believed to have

found their holy book, the Koran. Ramadan starts when the full moon is spotted on June 29th or

the ninth month of the Islam calendar. Muslims can’t eat or drink during the daytime. They can

only break their fast when the sun sets and again before the sun rises. During that time period

they share special Islam treats such as Konafa, which is a dessert made of shredded wheat and

syrup, or Katayef, sweets stuffed with nuts. They also eat dates also known as Iftar, which were

eaten by Mohammed at the end of each day during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Kwanzaa is celebrated by African American culture. Unlike Christmas

this lasts seven days and begins on December 26th, one day after Christ-

mas. Kwanzaa is a cultural festival where they look back at their heritage

and the products of the world. Kwanzaa was founded in 1996 by Maulana

“Ron” Karenga, a professor and leader. He looked at previous traditions and

decided he would make a new holiday. The holiday would be a harvest or

“First fruits”. Kwanzaa has a meaning too - it means “The first fruits of the

harvest”.

Religious Christmas Celebrations By: Sipriano Lopez

December 15, 2014 11 Vol.3 Issue 5

Santa Claus is no stranger to any of us as children. Santa Claus was born in 270 A.D. in the town of Peppermint Valley, North Pole. Santa Claus graduated from Gingerbread Stalks Academy with a degree in milk and cookies, and a Masters Degree in both Science and Physics. I asked which achievement he was the most proud of and he replied, “Well, I’m proud that I’ve gotten my sleigh to travel at the speed of light.” No wonder he can travel all over the world! Santa Claus is currently living in the North Pole with his wife Mrs. Claus at his workshop preparing for his trip around the world. Some of Santa’s hobbies are reindeer racing, eating cookies, and making toys with the elves. His favorite food is milk and cookies. One of his favorite things about Christmas is seeing the kids all happy when they open their pre-sents. When I asked him what he had planned for Christmas after his big delivery he said, “I plan on going to the Bahamas with Mrs. Claus.”

Rudolph was born in 1939 and was raised in the

North Pole. His proudest accomplishment when he was younger was when he was able to guide

Santa’s sleigh with his glowing red nose through the fog. His favorite hobby is competing in the Reindeer Olympics. Rudolph’s favorite food is the

special hay that tastes like candy canes at San-ta’s workshop. When I asked him what he plans on doing after Christmas he said, “ I plan on

spending time with my family.”

SPOTLIGHT By: Francisco Pacheco


This past weekend, North Main Baptist church invited people

from all over to enjoy fellowship and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Their Christmas Under the Stars event only lasted three days—

December 12th,

13th

and14th. Everyone was invited to go and enjoy the

festivities.

There were many exciting activities that included: hay rides, live

Christmas music, a Christmas play, kids activities. Best of all, they

served cookies, hot chocolate, and wassail!! I hope you were able to

go and have some fun and celebrate Jesus’s birth at Christmas Under

the Stars at North Main Baptist Church.

Do you know what types of foods people eat around the world on Christmas? ....Well, here are

some WACKY foods people eat at Christmas!

Here in the U.S, we drink wassail, which is a hot cider beverage. In Japan, they eat at KFC for Christmas.

In Bulgaria, they eat walnuts for Christmas dinner. They also make twelve dishes to repre-

sent the twelve months in the year.

In France, they serve fresh oysters for Christmas.

In Sweden, they eat PIGS FEET for Christmas!!

In Norway, they eat lamb for Christmas. They eat the head and the ribs!! They eat the head from the back of the head all the way to front of the head. They eat about every part of

the head from the tongue, to the eyes, but no, they don’t eat the BRAINS!!

Christmas Under the Stars By: Giovanni Lopez

Strange Foods at Christmas

By: Giovanni Lopez

Documents

Black and Gold News, December 15, 2014