ADVISORY

The holidays quickly approach, and the University of Michigan Office of News and Information Services has prepared a packet of features related to the season—available to you simply for the asking. Please call us at (313) 764-7260, send us an e-mail message, or fax your request to us at (313) 764- 7084. You may choose the entire packet or any number of individual stories. We can send them to you via U.S. mail, fax, or e-mail. Please order by number, and tell us how you would like to receive the stories.

• Handel’s “Messiah” is one of the season’s most famous and loved traditions. But did you know that when George Frederick Handel composed this best-known work, he was doing it in hopes of paying off some major debts?” Messiah” was first performed in Dublin in 1742, but, now, more than 250 years later, it is still performed at holiday celebrations around the world, including the 118th consecutive performance at the U-M this year.
• Candy canes, eggnog, chocolate kisses. . . . and 10 extra pounds. The holidays are a tough time for people trying to stay in shape. Christine Brooks, U-M associate professor of kinesiology, says that there are some easy ways to stick to your fitness routine over the hectic holidays. Plus, she offers some simple advice to people who make New Year’s resolutions to get into shape.
• Everyone wants to go home for the holidays, but plane fares and limited time off make that an impossibility for many U-M international students. Thanks to a program called the Christmas International House, U-M students from abroad can stay with an American family over the holiday break. International students say that’s a great way for them to learn about American culture, and it makes their holidays happier.
• The African-American celebration of Kwanzaa continues to grow in popularity. The holiday, whose name comes from a Swahili word meaning ” first,” consists of seven days, each of them having their own distinct meanings. Although Kwanzaa has no religious ties, seven universal principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith) are revered during the celebration, which began in 1966.
• ‘Twas the years before Christmas, all throughout Rome, folks were celebrating the Saturnalia. Even before today’s seasonal celebrations swept across the world, people in antiquity had their own late-December festival. The Saturnalia featured feasting and gift-giving, and was one of the Empire’s most popular holidays. David Potter, U-M classical studies professor, explains that the actual date of the Nativity likely would have been in the spring, which means our modern-day Christmas celebration may have been a replacement for the Saturnalia.
• Lights are an important part of the holiday tradition, especially to Jews around the world who celebrate Hanukkah. The yearly festival of lights began in the fourth century B.C., when Judah the Maccabee led an army against the bigger, more powerful Greek forces. The Maccabees succeeded in defending themselves and their temple. When they went to light the menorah in the temple, they found they only had enough oil to burn for one day. Miraculously, however, the menorah remained illuminated for eight days. Ever since, Hanukkah has been celebrated to commemorate the miracle of the lights and to celebrate Jewish freedom. Rich Kirschen of the Ann Arbor Hillel Foundation explains the modern day traditions of this, the oldest of seasonal celebrations.
• You’ve seen them a hundred times, and you’ll probably watch them a hundred more. Holiday movies. Frank Beaver of U-M’s Film and Video Studies Program says that holiday movies are an essential part of our holiday experience. Beaver says Hollywood is big on tradition, and that’s why every year Christmas movies embrace the same warm, fuzzy ideals. Beaver also picks some recent holiday films that the whole family will enjoy.
• Christmas trees lose their needles, and prettily wrapped packages are soon torn open, but some of the aesthetic appeal of Christmas lives on for centuries. The U-M Museum of Art features 17 works depicting such events as the Nativity of the Virgin, the Adoration of the Magi and the Annunciation. A special exhibit, ” Epinal: Early Images,” features colorful 18th and 19th century prints from the town of Epinal, France. Included in the exhibit are playing cards, children’s games, and illustrations from classic children’s books.

Related Links:

• classical studies
• Film and Video Studies Program
• kinesiology
• Museum of Art