Our Lady of Guadalupe printable lesson plans for Catholic feast day - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Dec. 12 marks the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Catholic Church. It dates to 1531 when Catholics believe the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant at Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City. Latinos venerate Bl. Juan Diego on Dec. 9 and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Their feast days are part of Catholic Advent celebrations. Here are free printable Our Lady of Guadalupe lesson plans. Lesson plans on Mexico are included.Our Lady of Guadalupe printable lesson plans for Catholic feast day

 

Bad Santa rejects autistic child and service dog - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Apparently, Santa has lost his Christmas spirit. At least the Santa and elf helper at The Shops in Mission Viejo, Calif., have. Showing less yuletide cheer than the duo from "A Christmas Story," this North Pole team turned away a little autistic girl and her service dog Pup-cake. Santa suffers from pitbull phobia, it seems.  Bad Santa rejects autistic child and service dog - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes collected November 17-24 2014

As Black Friday shopping looms, we're making our lists and checking them twice. But let's not forget those whose holidays aren't so happy. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to share with the needy, especially kids. In that spirit, it's time to pack gift shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child donations, the Times and Democrat reported November 6. The Operation Christmas Child 2014 gift donation drive runs from November 17-24--just in time for Thanksgiving.  Operation Christmas Child 2014 time to pack gift shoeboxes for kids - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Free Diwali crafts and activities to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights

The theme of light triumphing over darkness is common in many religions. Hindus celebrate it in Diwali, the five-day Festival of Lights. Diwali kicks off the Hindu new year. It falls in the month of Kartika--late October to early November on the western calendar. In 2014, Diwali begins October 23. Here are free printable Diwali crafts, activities, games and recipes. Teachers, you might want to use these as social studies lessons to explore Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and world holidays.Free Diwali crafts and activities to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 

Free Printable Rosh Hashanah Crafts

Parents and teachers, I've found a website you are going to love. Grandparents, day care providers, homeschoolers, you pay attention too. It's called The Toymaker and it is brimming over with free printable paper crafts, toys and goodies for kids. I like how it covers many world holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Sukkot, Chanukah, Solstice, Canada Day, Purim. Plus there are the more mainline festivals.

Marilyn, the Toymakers, designs these herself. She's created an online world of charming cartoon animals and characters. She's from the United Kingdom and the designs have a whimsical Dickensian flavour.    Free Printable Paper Toys, Holiday Crafts

Free Printable Catholic Liturgical Calendars and Bible Story Coloring Pages

 Catholics celebrate several religious days, referred to as Holy Days. That's where the term "holiday" originates. Based on the Bible, these days center around an event in the life of Jesus or His Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. Holy Days are All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), Christmas (preceded by the holy season of Advent), Solemnity of Mary (Jan 1), Ash Wednesday (movable feast which kicks of the holy season of Lent and leads up to Easter), Ascension Thursday (movable feast) and the Assumption of Mary (August 15). To follow the Catholic liturgical calendar and understand it better, here are

Free Printable Catholic Saints and Christian Bible Coloring Pages 

American Civil War Biopic, My Great-Great and 1st Michigan Engineers Moved the Union Army

The mighty 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, those clever builders and craftsman, could truly be called "the movers and shakers" of the American Civil War. My great-great grandfather, 18-year-old Andrew Kinney, of Company C, was one.  My Great-Great Grandpa and Michigan Engineers Moved the Union Army

Earth Day Means Caring for People

 Today is Earth Day. We talk a lot about caring for earth's natural resources. But what about her people? They need care too. Many of the world's children go to bed hungry. They lack basic necessities--drinking water, healthcare, a warm bed, a sturdy roof over their heads, safety.  Earth Day Means Caring for People, Too

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta With Latino-Inspired Games, Crafts, Activities

Cinco de Mayo--"fifth of May" in Spanish--celebrates the Mexican victory at the Battle of Pueblo. It's not the Mexican independence day though it sounds like 4th of July in the US. Ironically, my Latino friends tell me Cinco de Mayo isn't a big thing in Mexico (except in the Puebla province) like it is stateside. Regardless, we Americans love our ethnic kitsch. And how to we observe holidays? We party! Or in this case, fiesta. Here's are kid-friendly Cinco de Mayo games, crafts, lesson plans, cultural activities and food! Now if ONLY I could find one of the tortilla chip hats like El Macho has in Despicable Me--that would really make the fiesta! Kid-Friendly Cinco de Mayo Fiesta With Latino-Inspired Games, Crafts, Food

Free Catholic Bible Easter Printables for Lent and Eastertide

Easter is the major feast day in the Catholic church. For forty days of Lent we've fasted, prayed and journeyed with Our Lord in His walk to Golgotha. In Lent, we take an inward spiritual pilgrimage amidst the activities of our everyday lives. Children in the Catholic faith take part in this journey as well. Some are making first reconciliation and are preparing for first Holy Eucharist. At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, catecumens and candidates will be welcomed into the Church. Many will be baptized. The new Easter candle is lit for the first time. The sacred oils are blessed on Holy Thursday. The parish priest renews his vows of ordination. The Holy Eucharist is placed in repose for the three days of the triduum in a solemn and lovely pageant. Here are free printable lesson plans, Bible coloring pages to help children and adults experience Lent and Easter more deeply. Free Catholic Easter Printables 

Healthy Easter Snack and Treat Recipes

Ever notice how holidays involve increasingly more candy? What's an Easter basket without it? With one in three kids overweight or obese, says KidsHealth, it's time to rethink our sweets craze. I've been dieting and lost 96 pounds by substituting sweets with healthy alternatives. Here are good-for-you Easter treat and snack recipes.  Healthy Easter Snack and Treat Recipes 

Free Printable Origami, Kirigami, Pop-up Scissors Craft Patterns

Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding and kirigami is the art of cutting paper to create stand up, pop up or three dimensional figures. Here are free printable origami and kirigami patterns and template for you to cut, fold and create. Let's celebrate Japan with these crafts. Free Printable Origami, Kirigami and Pop-up Scissors Craft Patterns, Stencils and Templates

Let us Respect Those Who Eat Differently

I posted about special diets being good so long as they aren't shoved down peoples' throats (pun intended). Special Diets. Having said that, I've got some thoughts on the other side of the issue. It's important to respect different eating styles, too. I would no more feed my vegan or friends animals or animal products as I would a child, tacks. My vegetarian friend's aunt slipped some chicken soup in the mashed potatoes at a family dinner. She did it on purpose. She thought it was funny that the girl ate it. Cruel and stupid.   Having Said That...Let us Respect Those Who Eat Differently

Posting on Bubblews is Like Going to Mass

I noticed posting at a different time than I normally do, on Bubblews that there's a totally different crowd of connections. I saw people online that I haven't seen in my notifications for months. Some I'd forgotten. Some I thought had left Bubblews. Now I see it's just that we're online at different times.

  Posting on Bubblews is Like Going to Mass

Catholic Lent and Islamic Ramadan More in Common Than Different

We say Lent, you say Ramadan. But really, my Catholic and Muslim friends, we're more alike that different. Divisiveness between religions saddens God, especially between "sibling" faiths ours. Let's look at the principles and practices of both.



On Mardi Gras, Fat or Shrove Tuesday (observed tomorrow) Catholics feast, using up sweets and fats in the house before Ash Wednesday fasting. Some traditions make pancakes and call it Pancake Day. This symbolic shriving (using up) prefigures the shriving of sin in confession. Ash Wednesday ushers in the penitential season of Lent. Lent anticipates the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Read on  Catholic Lent and Islamic Ramadan More Alike Than Different

World Religion Class Studies Jedi, Ignores Pagan, Mythology

I'm big on solidarity with teachers. Being a scrappy union girl, I'll take their part any day over administration. But lazy teaching still irks me. Being certified and unable to find work myself, teachers bungling a job I could do blindfolded colossally peeves me.



Case in point: our daughter's world religion teacher. He taught the major five--Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam. Cursorily and too fast if you ask me--class has only been in session for two months, pock-marked by snow days. Now he has time left, so he polled them on what to end with:  World Religion Teacher Ignores Pagan, Mythology For Jedi

Lessons on Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Russia, Greek Gods, Games

If you can't go to the XXII Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi, Russia, why not learn more about it? February 7-23 As a teacher, mom and former homeschooler, I always look for ways to teach any world event in the classroom. Here are free printable winter Olympics lessons plans. Games, crafts, coloring pages, puzzles, sports-themed worksheets--all you need to explore. There are activities about Russia and the city of Sochi, too. Read on Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Russian and Greek Lessons. Here's a link I missed adding with printable activities on ancient Greece.

Why Yom HaShoah Jewish World Holocaust Remembrance Day - News - Bubblews

January 27 is Yom HaShoah, or World Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today, Jews around the world honor those lost in the Nazi genocide of World War Two. And we join them in commemorating this most profound loss. The depth and width and breadth of Germany's Third Reich killing machine is too much to imagine.



Those who deny the Holocaust happened, I won't even think about. That monstrous egotism is beyond my ken. But even basically loving people will ask why Jews get to use the term Holocaust, like theirs was the only one. These people then cite other genocides of which sadly there are many. So here are some thoughts on why we commemorate the Jewish Holocaust.   Why Yom HaShoah Jewish World Holocaust Remembrance Day - News - Bubblews

2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games XXII Activities for Kids

The 2014 Winter Olympic Games XXII are being held February 7-23 in Sochi, Russia. The Olympics is international, multicultural; studying the games is a great globetrotting experience. Free Printable Winter Olympics Coloring Pages and Activities Explore the Olympics with these free printable lesson plans.

Chinese New Year 2014 Year of the Horse

Chinese New Year is a ancient and charming festival. Why not explore the color, festivity, fun and pageantry of CNY this year? Chinese New Year 2014 begins on January 31 and celebrates Year of the Horse. Here is a unit with enough lessons for a two week unit. You'll find social studies, literature, writing, art, music, craft and food lessons.  Chinese New Year Lesson Planner and Unit