How It Is Celebrated: Christmas In Mali

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December 27, 2022

Christmas is an official public holiday. In Mali, most Christmas celebrations take place in Churches, where people remember the real meaning of Christmas, that Jesus came into the world as a baby.

The festivities begin on Christmas Eve with an all night service which includes worship, preaching and items performed by different groups including children and young people.

The children memorize Bible verses to recite on Christmas day at Church, as do the women.

At the Christmas Eve service, each language group gets up and sings a song in their language.

There is often a baptismal service on the day after Christmas (Boxing Day), although this is sometimes held in the week before Christmas. Baptismal Services are special services where Christians make a public statement that they follow Jesus.

This is normally done by being totally immersed (dunked) in water.

Some people can spend over 30 hours in Church over the Christmas period!

After Christmas the women’s group of the Church often goes around to different courtyards (of houses) to greet people, sing and dance.

The Church choir also does the same. If they come to your yard it is customary to give a small gift of money to the group. This is after Christmas Carol Singing!

Once Upon A Time – December 27 – 1949 – Queen Juliana Of The Netherlands Grants Independence To Indonesia

By

Angel Gimalo

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December 27, 2022

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1512 Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regards to native Indians in the New World

1657 “Flushing Remonstrance” petition signed in the Dutch colony of New Netherland, protesting the ban on Quaker worship

1939 Between 20,000 and 40,000 die in magnitude 8 earthquake in Erzincam, Turkey

1945 International Monetary Fund formally established by 29 member countries based on ideas of Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes

1949 Queen Juliana of the Netherlands grants independence to Indonesia

1979 After invading Afghanistan two days earlier Soviet forces pull off a coup in Kabul, killing President Hafizullah Amin

Historical Events Today Events In 2022

Today In Film & TV

1947 1st “Howdy Doody Show” (Puppet Playhouse), telecast on NBC

Today In Music

1932 Radio City Music Hall opens in New York City

Today In Sport

1981 Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 pts (38th game)

1845 Ether 1st used in childbirth in US in Jefferson, Georgia

2012 NASA unveils plans to capture a 500 ton asteroid in 2025

Famous Weddings

1925 Inventor George Gallup (24) weds Ophelia Smith Miller

1950 American actor Henry Fonda (45) weds socialite and third wife Susan Blanchard (22) in New York City; divorce in 1956

1953 Broadcasting pioneer Roone Arledge (22) weds Joan Heise at St. Frances de Chantal Parish in Wantagh, New York

How It Started: History of Christmas Trees

By

Angel Gimalo

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December 23, 2022

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Nobody is really sure when Fir trees were first used as Christmas trees. It probably began about 1000 years ago in Northern Europe.

The first documented use of a tree at Christmas and New Year celebrations is argued between the cities of Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia! Both claim that they had the first trees; Tallinn in 1441 and Riga in 1510.

Evergreen trees (and other evergreen plants) have traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals for thousands of years.

Christmas Trees might well have started out as ‘Paradise Trees’ (branches or wooden frames decorated with apples).

These were used in medieval German Mystery or Miracle Plays that were acted out in front of Churches during Advent and on Christmas Eve. In early church calendars of saints, 24th December was Adam and Eve’s day.

The Paradise Tree represented the Garden of Eden. It was often paraded around the town before the play started, as a way of advertising the play. The plays told Bible stories to people who could not read.

Christmas Trees as they came to be now started around the late 1400s into the 1500s. In what’s now Germany (was the Holy Roman Empire then), the Paradise Tree had more decorations on it (sometimes communion wafers, cherries and later pastry decorations of stars, bells, angels, etc. were added) and it even got a new nickname the ‘Christbaum’ or ‘Christ Tree’.

In the town square of Riga, the capital of Latvia, there is a plaque which is engraved with “The First New Year’s Tree in Riga in 1510”, in eight languages.

In 1584, the historian Balthasar Russow wrote about a tradition, in Riga, of a decorated fir tree in the market square where the young men “went with a flock of maidens and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame”.

There’s a record of a small tree in Breman, Germany from 1570. It is described as a tree decorated with “apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers”. It was displayed in a ‘guild-house’ (the meeting place for a society of business men in the city).

Cones On A Fir Tree

The first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches.

It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas. So he brought a tree into his house and decorated it with candles to represent the stars.

Some people say this is the same tree as the ‘Riga’ tree, but it isn’t! The story about Martin Luther seems to date to about 1536 and Riga tree originally took place a couple of decades earlier.

The custom of having Christmas trees could well have travelled along the Baltic sea, from Latvia to Germany. In the 1400s and 1500s, the countries which are now Germany and Latvia were them part of two larger empires which were neighbors. Fir, or other evergreen trees like conifers, were common throughout northern Europe at this time, so that’s why firs and conifers became the ‘standard’ Christmas Tree.

Do-It-Yourself For Christmas: Making of Christmas hangings – 3-D Paper Ornaments

By

Angel Gimalo

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December 23, 2022

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Make colored cardstock multi-dimensional and super chic. To create this ornament, cut out five strips of paper: two 1.25″ x 10″, two 1.25″ x 7″ and one 1.25″ x 5″.

Then punch a hole 1/4″ from the top and bottom of each strip. Stack the papers together with the smallest in the middle sandwiched by the medium strips, followed by the largest strips.

Line up all of the strips on one end and thread a piece of string or wire through the holes and tie it off.

Repeat this step on the other end of the strips, which you can then fan out. Add tassels or beads to the bottom of the ornament for extra sparkle.

How It Is Celebrated: Christmas In Iceland

By

Angel Gimalo

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December 23, 2022

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Christmas is often known as ‘Jól’ (Yule) in Iceland. This comes from the ancient winter solstice celebrations, that were taken over by the early Christians. Jól also include the New Year celebrations.

Jóladagur – Christmas Day / Jól Day

Jóladagur is usually celebrated with the extended family. The main Jól meal is ‘Hangikjöt’, a leg of roast lamb. Sometimes ‘Rjúpa’ (Rock Ptarmigan a gamebird) is also eaten. Another Jól meal speciality is ‘Laufabrauð’ or leaf bread.

This is made of thin sheets of dough cut into delicate patterns and fried. Each family often has their own patterns for the Laufabrauð.

Annar Jóladagur – Boxing Day

This is another day for visiting friends and family and eating lots more! Public entertainment is considered inappropriate on Jól Eve and Jól Day, and it is on Boxing Day that dancing is again allowed in public!

Bonfires have been lit on Gamlárskvöld since the late 1700s. People also have big fireworks displays to bring in the New Year. This is called ‘sprengja út árið’ or ‘blowing out the year’.

Happy/Merry Christmas/Jól in Icelandic is ‘Gleðileg jól’.

2023: Nigerian Govt To Make Pronouncement On Workers’ Salaries

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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December 23, 2022

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The Nigerian government says a pronouncement on workers’ salaries would be made in the new year, raising hope of wage increase for workers in the country.

Minister of Labour and Employment in Nigeria, Chris Ngige stated this on Friday while briefing State House correspondents on the meeting he had with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“As we enter the New Year government will make some pronouncements in that direction,” Ngige said when asked to give a timeline on government plans to increase worker’s salaries to cushion the effect of inflation in the country.

“I briefed and we are doing some review within the Presidential Committee on Salaries. Discussions are ongoing. The doctors are discussing with the Ministry of Health; insurance people in the public sector discussing under ASSIBIFIE.

“There is a general calmness, and hopefully within available resources, government can do something in the incoming year.”

He said that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission is mandated by law to fix salaries, wages, emolument in, not only in the public service but also in the private sector.

“If you want their assistant and you are in the private sector, they will also assist you. They have what is called the template for remuneration for compensation.

“If you work, you get compensated; if you don’t work you are not compensated. So, they have the matrix to do the evaluation.

“So, they are working with the Presidential Committee on Salaries”, chaired by the Finance Minister; I’m the co-chair, to look at the demands of workers.“

The Labour Minister said he also discussed labour issues with the president as the year is coming to an end.

“You know the year is coming to an end, and we have to look at our 2022 exhaustively. On the part of my ministry, we had to discuss labour issues and what we were able to do.

“First and foremost, we looked at the unemployment situation in the country and what we have achieved and what we have not achieved.

“Unemployment is high; various policies we have. We have to tell him the successful ones.

“I also gave him a briefing on productivity vis-à-vis the various industrial disputes we had in 2022.

“ It’s a year we can a year of industrial disputes, starting from the February ASUU strike which was joined by other sister unions in the university system, and even crippling research institutes.

“Thereafter, strikes from various unions, including the medical doctors association and the youthful wing of Resident Doctors Association, JOHESU, which is also the Joint Health Sector Union, asking for wage increase.”

Ngige pointed out that asking for wage increase could also be understandable because of what inflation has done in the economy and what the attendant cost of living has been workers especially in the public sector.

ASUU OUTSTANDING SALARIES

Ngige also commented on the eight months outstanding salaries that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is demanding for its members, following government’s insistence on the no-work-no-pay policy.

“ASUU has not pronounced anything on their salaries anymore because it is one of the issues that was referred to the National Industrial Court for determination, whether a worker who is on strike should be paid in violation of Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, which says when you go on strike, the consequences are these:

“Number 1, you will not be paid; you will not be compensated for not going to work to enable your employer keep the industrial or his industry afloat.

“That money should not be given to you; that compensation should not be given. It is there in Section 43 (1).

“The second leg to Section 43 also says that that period that you’re on strike will not count for you as part of your pensionable period of work in your service.

“That leg, government is not yet touching. The leg of no work no pay has been triggered off by that strike.

“So, we are asking the court to look at it. The matter is out of the hand of the executive now and in the hand of the judiciary.

“ASUU has also put up a defence in court, asking the court yes, we went on strike but we did that for a reason.”

He said the matter is left for the National Industrial Court to decide.

Only 27,000 Nigerian homes were connected to hydropower between 2014 to 2021 – IRENA

By

Henry Williams

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December 23, 2022

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Only 27, 000 Nigerian homes were connected to hydropower sources between 2014 to 2021.

This is according to the December 2022 off-grid renewable energy statistics report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

According to the report, Nigeria also recorded steady growth in solar energy connections during the period highlighted.

Solar lights less than 11 watts: The data showing the number of people using solar lights less than 11 watts in Nigeria revealed a steady growth over the years from 2012 to 2021.

In 2012, it was 117,000 people.
In 2013 it was 382,000 people.
As of 2014, the number had risen to 674,000.
Meanwhile, by 2015, the number of connections had grown to 1,450,000 people.
By 2020, 2,652,000 people were connected to solar lights less than 11 watts.
By 2021, the number had grown to 3,516,000 people.

Solar home systems between 11 and 50 watts: Between 2013 and 2021, there was reported growth in the number of people using solar home systems (SHS).

In 2013, 26,000 people were connected to solar home systems between 11 and 50 watts.
As of 2018, 464,000 people were connected to the highlighted solar home systems.
By 2020, there were 847,000 people were connected to the highlighted solar home systems.
And by 2021, 813,000 people were connected to the highlighted solar home systems.
Tier-1 solar mini-grids: The data revealed that the number of Nigerians connected to tier-1 solar mini-grids grew from 14 in 2012 to 78,000 in 2018 and has remained at 78,000 through 2021.

According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), tier-1 mini-grids have over 1-watt peak capacity and provide the least amount of electricity with the most restrictive hours of use.

The hours of supply under tier-1 mini-grids range from over 4 hours during the day and over 2 hours in the evening. Those under tier-1 mini-grids can access task lighting (increased lighting for specific tasks like sewing), radio and phone charging.

Tier-2+ solar mini-grids: The data revealed that the number of Nigerians connected to tier-2 solar mini-grids and higher grew from 54 in 2016 to 91,000 in 2019 and has remained the same through 2021.

Tier-2 mini-grids have over 20-watt peak capacity and provide over 4 hours during the day and 2 hours in the evening. However, those on tier-2 mini-grids can access general lighting, television, computing, radio, phone charging, air circulation, printing, and task lighting (increased lighting for specific tasks like sewing).

The data shows that a lot has been achieved in Nigeria’s renewable energy space. However, the country still needs to focus on developing relevant renewable energy policies that will increase stakeholders’ capacity to develop large-scale solar energy projects with minimal bottlenecks. This will close power supply gaps that still exist in Nigeria, especially in unserved and underserved areas.

Exploring Koh Rong, Cambodia

By

Angel Gimalo

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December 23, 2022

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Koh Rong is one of the most famous islands, which is also the second biggest one that is part of the Mittakpheap district in Sihanoukville Province of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Even though it is one of the biggest Cambodian islands, it is still undeveloped which makes it more attractive to the travelers who would like to discover something that is not ordinary, and in some ways secretly hidden.

As it once was a jungle-clad wilderness that was rimmed by swaths of sugary-white sand, with a few beach-hut resorts speckling the shore, nowadays, Koh Rong represents something what is a must visit for the travelers, especially the backpackers who are visiting the countries in South East Asia.

With an area of about 78 square km (30 square mi), the island has a coastline that is measured to be 61 km (38 mi) long, out of which around 43 km (27 mi) are delicate beaches, and the highest point is 316 meters (1,037 feet) that can be found to the northwestern side of Koh Rong.

With the uncertainty about the origin of the name, there are some locals who claim that the word Rong actually refers to a historical person’s name, while others think it might refer to an old term for ‘cave’ which in some way may meant to be the ‘shelter island’.

Nowadays, most of the island’s forest is slowly diminishing due to the illegal logging, however, most of the island is still covered with forest where in some parts it is with the dense and very lush jungle.

Unfortunately, the huge, old and slow growing hardwood trees have become a very rare sight, and the original varieties of the trees are becoming replaced by a more commercial ones, such as the coco and oil palms which are very common along the coast and the lowlands.

The locals living on the island are settled in the four villages, among which the most famous one is the Koh Tuich village since there are more tourist businesses in the village than residential homes.

The local population is slowly abandoning the traditional fishing and crop cultivation, as they are surely moving towards the tourism sector which has become more popular all around the island, offering different services to the visitors. In addition, plenty of reality TV programs have been filmed here, among which the most famous one is Survivor.

All in all, the plans that the Cambodian government has for the development of the island is somewhat tricky, as the investors would like to develop Koh Rong and make it an impressive paradise which would be regarded as the new diamond of South East Asia, not regarding the protection of the vulnerable nature which will need quite long time to adapt to the changes that have already been made.

Once Upon A Time – December 23 – 1954 – First Human Kidney Transplant Is Performed By Dr. Joseph E. Murray

By

Angel Gimalo

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December 23, 2022

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962 Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under future Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered tunic of John the Baptist

1688 King James II, the last Roman Catholic British monarch flees to France from William of Orange

1783 US General George Washington resigns his military commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to Congress

1920 Government of Ireland Act / Home Rule Act passed partitioning Ireland

1954 The first human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts

Historical Events Today Events in 2022

Today in Film & TV

1928 NBC sets up a permanent, coast-to-coast radio network

1951 National Football League Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Los Angeles Rams beat Cleveland Browns, 24-17; first coast-to-coast televised NFL title game

Today in Music

1893 Opera “Hansel und Gretel” by Engelbert Humperdinck and his sister Adelheid Wette premieres in Weimar, conducted by Richard Strauss

Today in Sport

1951 National Football League Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Los Angeles Rams beat Cleveland Browns, 24-17; first coast-to-coast televised NFL title game

1996 Four women ordained priests in Jamaica, 1st in 330-year Anglican history

2002 A MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, making it the first time in history that an aircraft and a modern unmanned drone had engaged in combat

Famous Weddings

1847 Prime Minister of Canada Mackenzie Bowell (24) weds Harriet Moore

1951 MLB centerfielder Mickey Mantle (20) weds author Merlyn Mantle (19) in Commerce, Oklahoma

1961 Actor Martin Sheen (21) weds Janet Templeton

High prices force Nigerians to ration Christmas expenses

By

Henry Williams

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December 23, 2022

2

Many Nigerians are having to ration their spending during this Christmas season due to high consumer costs across the country. This is according to a field survey across some markets in Lagos and Ogun.

Since February 2016, Nigeria has been grappling with a double-digit inflation rate which worsened to a 17-year high of 21.47% in November, according to official stats. And this high inflation rate is inevitably impacting negatively on household spending this Christmas.

Everything is expensive, from energy costs to transportation, food, clothes, etc. These are all essential goods and services Nigerians need to spend on in order to have a merry Christmas. It is, therefore, not surprising that many Nigerians are rationing their expenses given the economic realities in the country.

Last year Christmas, a 50kg bag of rice was selling for an average of N29,500. Right now, it is now selling for a minimum of N38,500 and as high as N42,000.

In the same vein, the price of chicken, turkey, groundnut oil, onions and other food items that makes the popular Christmas Jollof a worthwhile meal have also surged in recent times. Nairametrics visited some markets in Lagos and Ogun State, and responses from traders and customers indicate slow trading activities compared to previous festive periods, largely attributed to price increases.