Posts filed under ‘.traditions’
I giorni della Merla
Winter legends for an Italian 2020
Traditionally, January is considered the coldest month of the year in Italy, especially its last three days, the 29th, 30th and 31st, which we call Giorni della Merla, or the “female blackbird days.” Weather experts debunked this myth, but Italians still love the legend, without a doubt tied for many of them to beautiful childhood memories.
You see, blackbirds, or so the story goes, used to be as white and snow and used to collect food to keep in their nest during the early weeks of winter, so that they could survive the icy days of January without leaving it: their aim was to finally peak out of their home only when the sun was back high in the sky. And so did they, a long time ago, finally flying out of their tree on the 28th of January, mocking the winter with their chirping: the cold season did no longer frighten them!
But Winter didn’t appreciate all that joy and chit-chat, nor the birds’ benevolent mocking, so it sent out the coldest, iciest of winds, that froze the earth over and destroyed all of the blackbirds’ nests. Left without shelter, they found refuge in chimneys, comforted by their warmth. But when the storm ended in February and they flew out in the sky again, their feathers had turned black because of the sooth they had lived in for the past three days.
This is why, we all learned as children, blackbirds are black.
Walk This World at Christmastime
Let’s take a stroll around the world,
to all four corners of the globe.
Peek through windows, open doors,
watch as Christmastime unfolds . . .
A collection of global cultures, Walk This World at Christmastime illustrates the ways people around the world celebrate Christmas. Travel to a new set of countries with every turn of the page. Lift the numbered flaps for all the fun of an Advent calendar in a format to be read again and again.
Amanda Crowe
Cherokee Traditions: Amanda Crowe (1928-2004)
HISTORIC ARTIST Amanda Crowe
Woodcarver
Qualla Boundary
Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth
Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth, set in Korea in the 1700’s, weaves a story of imperial power, individual determination and family love. This is a journey of loss and redemption. Ji-su’s mother, a gifted Korean bojagi seamstress, is selected by the emperor and taken to court to sew bojagi, Korean wrapping cloths, but Ji-su, her dutiful daughter, is left behind. Ji-su learns to use her mother’s tools, striving to become the finest Korean wrapping cloth seamstress in the land in order to sew bojogi in the emperor’s court and to be reunited with her mother.
Jingle Dancer
Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Jenna, a contemporary Muscogee (Creek) girl in Oklahoma, wants to honor a family tradition by jingle dancing at the next powwow. But where will she find enough jingles for her dress?
A warm family story, beautifully evoked in Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu’s watercolor art.
Moqui & The Kachina Doll
Moqui & The Kachina Doll
by Linda L. Rigsbee
Moqui is a 10-year-old Hopi Indian girl living in a pueblo in northwest Arizona during the 1700’s, but in some ways the problems she faces are not much different from the problems girls face today.
Moqui wants to fit in with the other girls her age. She wants to do fun things, but her mother thinks she is too young. She is upset about all the boring chores she has been given and wants to be trusted with the care of the Kachina Dolls.
When a Zuni refugee family from another pueblo joins them, Moqui becomes friends with Hanovi, who is four years older. Hanovi is cheerful about her chores and finds ways to make them challenging and fun. Hanovi befriends Moqui and soon she is being included in more interesting chores.
At first it is fun, but soon Moqui realizes the fun includes responsibilities. Life becomes more complicated. She is so caught up with her own struggles that she doesn’t realize how difficult life has been for Hanovi and her family.
At the peak of Moqui’s achievement, the truth is unveiled and Moqui must decide if she wants to make a huge sacrifice to help Hanovi.This story unfolds with history and authentic Hopi customs. It is a fast read for a suggested audience of ages 8 to 12.
TheKittyCats 