Superintendent's Update ~ December 23

Superintendent Conrad’s weekly message for December 23, 2022, including well wishes for December Break.

December Break

Happy Hanukkah to those in the midst of their celebration. The festival of Lights began on Sunday, December 18, 2022, and will conclude on Monday, December 26, 2020. For more information about Hanukkah navigate to https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah

Merry Christmas to those who are celebrating the holiday. Christmas, which occurs on December 25th is an important holiday for Christians throughout the world. In the United States, it may mean a Christmas Tree and Christmas Cards as well as a very special Midnight service. To learn more please visit https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

Happy Kwanzaa to those who are celebrating the holiday. Kwanzaa, which is celebrated from December 26th through January 1st is a celebration of African-American culture that includes the lighting of seven candles in a Kinara. The holiday created by Dr. Maulana Karenga was inspired by traditional African harvest festivals. For more information please visit https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history

Happy New Year! December 31, 2022 marks the end of the year in the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar we use today was introduced by the Vatican in Rome under Pope Gregory XIII in October 1582. The Gregorian calendar is based on the solar year and replaced an ancient Roman calendar that was based on the lunar cycle of the earth’s moon.

The pope also used the opportunity to decreed that each year would officially begin on January 1 instead of April 1 as had been the custom under the old lunar calendar system. This decision had no actual astronomical basis and was influenced by the ancient feast celebrating the Roman god Janus, the god of doorways and beginnings. For more information about the history of New Year’s eve navigate to https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years

As 2022 comes to an end, It seems appropriate to share with you an old favorite. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. I love that Frost is from our corner of the world and that he describes so well the pleasure of pausing and enjoying the beauty around us. I hope you take the time to do so during our December break.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful vacation and a Happy New Year!