Special Edition December 2000
Page
Navigation Panel
Page 1 2
Inside This Special Issue !
Posadas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
Cultural Calendar . . . . . . .. .
3
Letters to the Editor . . . . . .
4
Less Stress For The Holidays! The holiday season is a time
for joy,
good cheer and hopes for the coming year. But it is also a time for
stress, fatigue and
unrealistic expectations, not to mention potential problems
associated with dealing
with one' s family. As clinicians, we are always assessing our
consumers for
such symptoms, but often we forget to assess ourselves! The
following preventative
efforts can make a difference in your own sanity:
-Lighten your workload. Easier said than done-but the month of
December
may be a good time for a few well planned vacation days-a holiday
gift to yourself.
You can utilize the day to shop, cook and attend to holiday chores
without feeling
so much pressure.
-Enjoy workplace holiday activities. Take a few minutes out of each
day to enjoy the season. Partake in a cup of hot apple cider-share one
with your consumer.
Participate in a small "Secret Santa" gift exchange, with
one caveat-all
gifts must be priced under $1-or home-made.
- Keep holiday expectations manage-able.
- Set realistic goals for
yourself.
- Pace
yourself.
- Organize your time.
- Be realistic you may not be able to
bake a
dozen cookies for each staff member at your clinic-but you may be
able to
bake a few dozen to share with everyone.
Remember that one' s everyday problems don't simply go away
because the
holidays are approaching. Although many people become depressed
during
the holiday season, more are affected by the excessive stress and
anxiety once the
holidays have passed. The post-holiday "blues" can be the
result of emotional disappointments
experienced during the holiday months, as well as the physical
reactions caused by excessive stress and fatigue.
1 Page 2 3
Page 2
Special Edition 2000
Posadas, like many other Mexican celebrations, are religious based.
Posadas are the depiction of Mary and Joseph looking for a place to
stay. Posadas, This celebration will take place for nine nights preceding
Christmas. Children
are dressed as Angels and Shepherds. One girl will be chosen to be
Mary, and one boy will be Joseph. People gather holding faroles
(paper
mache torches) and prepare to sing Christmas carols.
The group will travel to the first home of the evening where
they will sing
verses telling of there being no room for them. They will proceed to
a second
home again being denied entrance. At the third home they travel to,
they will
be welcomed in. At this home, a rosary will be said, and verses from
the Bible
read.
After the prayers, the fiesta begins. Food is served and boloches
(bags filled with fruit, nuts, and candy) are passed out to all. The children
have a chance at
trying to break the piņata, and Christ-mas carols are sung the rest
of the night.
As a child I traveled to Mexico and was able to enjoy participating
in the Posadas
and other Christmas traditions of Mexico. We enjoyed the Posadas so much that we began a tradition of
celebrating them
in our homes in Santa Ana. Our family's Posadas have become very
popular with
our neighbors and friends. Every year the amount of guests grows and
we welcome
all that want to participate. FAQ's about aging:
Part IV
Statement 1: Extremes of heat and cold can be
particularly dangerous to older people.
True: The body' s thermostat tends to function less efficiently
with age
and the older person' s body may be less able to adapt to heat or
cold.
Statement 2: Many older people are hurt in
accidents
that could have been prevented.
True. Falls are the most common cause of injuries among the
elderly.
Good safety habits, including proper lighting, nonskid carpets, and
keeping
living areas free of obstacles, can help prevent serious accidents.
Statement 3: More men than women survive to
old age.
False. Women tend to outlive men by an average of 8 years. There
are 150 women for every 100 men over age 65, and nearly 250 women for
every 100 men over 85. 2
2 Page 3 4
Page 3
Special Edition 2000
Cultural
Events Calendar
Event: December 12, 2000
Oshogatsu Cooking Workshop
Location: To be determined
Information: Kym Aoki at 213-628-2725
ext 112
Admission: $25.00 General admission, JACCC members: $15.00
Event: December 17, 2000 "Tis the Season"
Location: Orange County Performing Arts Center
Information:
714-662-2345
Event: December 21, 2000
Menorah Lighting Ceremony
Location: Fashion Island
Information: 949-786-5000
Event: Continuing thru December 30, 2000
Glory of Christmas
Location: Crystal Cathedral
Information: 714-544-5679
Event: December 31, 2000
First Night Fullerton -An
alcohol-free,
family-oriented evening of music, art, culture,
exhibits, entertainment and dining, climaxing with a fireworks
show at midnight.
Location: Downtown Fullerton
Information:
714-738-6575
Event: Continuing thru December 31, 2000
Women in Print: The
Bank of America Art Collection
Location: Orange County Museum of Art
Information:
949-759-1122
Event: December 30 -31, 2000
Kwanzaa Celebration
Location: Bowers Museum
Information: 714-567-3600
Event: Continuing thru January 2, 2001
Egyptian Treasures from the
British Museum
Location: Bowers Museum of Cultural Art
Information:
714-567-3600
Event: January 9, 2001
Shaping Abortion Discourse: Democracy &
the Public Sphere in Germany & the U. S.
Location: UC Irvine
Information: 949-824-7372
Event: December 16-24, 2000 (evenings)
LAS POSADAS
Information: 213-625-5045
3
3 Page 4
Page 4
Special Edition 2000
Behavioral Health / HCA Cultural
Competency
405 W. 5th Street, Suite 400
Santa Ana, CA 92701
The Cultural Connection is published quarterly by the Cultural
Competency Program of the
County of Orange/ Health Care Agency. If you would like to
contribute an article, or have comments,
ideas, or suggestions for newsletter improvement, please write to
us at:
County of Orange/ Health Care Agency
405 W. 5th Street, Suite 400
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Telephone: (714) 796-0188
Fax: (714) 796-0194
Editor: Ronnie Kelley, M. S. W. Ethnic Services Coordinator
Cultural Competency
Contributing Staff: Ronnie Kelley, M. S. W
Production Staff: Maria Concepcion,
Rafael D. Canul, PhD Wales is a country in the British Isles, located South of England
and across the
Irish Sea from Ireland. Immigrants of the Celtic Iron Age
established the first culture
known as "Welsh". Wales was subsequently invaded numerous
times by many Europe-ans
such as the Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans. The Welsh history
is a diverse
one .
I am a descendent of Central Wales, and wanted to share a little of
our history. Famous Welsh include Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlotte Church and the Bee-Gees. Singing is highly
prized in Wales.
Another highly prized tradition in Wales is the eating of the
Christmas Plum Pudding ,
which incidentally contains no plums! Due to the importance of the
Bull in our culture,
the Welsh enjoy bull-riding tournaments, in addition to drinking
Welsh ale and listening
to Celtic music.
By Janice Davis
4
1 2 3
4
|
