The Synergy Project Magazine - October 2020

THE

SYNERGY

PROJECT

MAGAZINE

OCT 1 2020

FEATURING

Obon Festival (pg. 4)

Thie History of Halloween (pg. 6)

Being Filipino: Concealing

Ethnicity, School Lunches and

Recipes (pg. 16)

Language Learning: A Window to

the World (pg. 28)

CONT

04 07 14

Obon Festival

Britney Vildor

The History of

Halloween

Lauren Daniels

The Festival of

Diwali

Dhruvin Kamani

24 28 30

Lessons from the

Beehive

Grace Cunningham

Language Learning:

A Window to the

World

Julia Loritz

The History of

Indian Food

Shubaani Kumar

02 THE SYNERGY PROJECT MAGAZINE

ENTS

16 21

Being Filipino:

Concealing

Ethnicity, School

Lunches and Recipes

Mariel Bumanglag

10 Unique Facts

About Germany

Nadia Kreuwieser

33 34

THIS ISSUE

We were created to

connect students worldwide

during a time of isolation

and uncertainty. Through

collaboration, we have

learned about the worlds

we come from--each unique

and beautiful in its own way.

This month, we want to share

the beauty of our cultures,

identities, and communities.

We want to teach youth

to accept their differences

instead of dismissing them, to

express their quirks instead of

hiding them. There is a beauty

to diversity.

Holi: The Indian

Festival of Colors

Dhruvin Kamani

Around the World

in 15 Books

Grace Cunningham

THE SYNERGY PROJECT MAGAZINE

03

OBON

FESTIVAL

By: Britney Vildor

The Obon festival (also known

as the Bon festival) is a holiday

that occurs in Japan to celebrate

the dead. Obon is a festival that is

celebrated in different regions but

in Japan; it’s a big part of Japanese

cultures and considered to be one

of the major holidays in that region.

It’s a Buddhist tradition

that’s been going on for 500

years. It’s a three-day event that

usually happens between August

13-August 16. The festival is a time

to perform a series of rituals and

celebrations—both to honor the

dead, and liberate disquiet spirits,

like hungry ghosts, from their

suffering.

The festival origin is from

Buddhist mythology. The story

goes that Maha Maudgalyayana,

a disciple of the Buddha, used his

powers to look at his deceased

mother. He found out she was


in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts,

a shadowy underworld full of

suffering. The Buddha instructed

his disciple to make offerings on

the 15th day of the 7th month to

Buddhist monks returning from

their summer retreat. By doing so,

Maha Maudgalyayana was able

to free his mother. Afterwards,

he danced with joy. This dance is

said to be the origin of the Obon

festival. The dance is called the Bon

dance.

On the first day, people take

chochin (paper) lanterns and light

them inside their houses. Then

they go to the graves of their

relatives or loved ones so they can

guide them back home with the

light of the lanterns. Some people

may even leave it outside their

homes to do so. This process is

called mukae-bon. In some regions,

big fires are lit at the entrance of

the homes with the same purpose.

Most families do two shōryōdana

(altar for spirits) which may include

fruits, incenses, and flowers—one

for their own ancestors, and a

second for any spirits who have

not attained peace. Other common

rituals include ohakamairi, cleaning

and decorating ancestral tombs,

prayer services at temples, and

preparing special meals.

Obon is a memorial but not

solemn. The second day (AKA

Nakanuhi or the middle day) is

the celebration of the spirits’

homecoming.There are festivals

during the second day and the bon

dance is performed. The style of

the dance varies from area to area

and Japanese taiku drums keep

the rhythm for the celebrations

in all regions. Bon Odori typically

happens in parks, gardens, shrines,

or temples. People wear summer

kimonos and dancers perform

around a yagura stage. Anyone

who participates in the festival is

free to join the circle.

Floating lanterns are also

known as toro nagashi. Inside

each lantern is a candle that will

eventually burn out, and the

lantern will float down a river that

runs into the ocean. When a family

does this, they are sending off their

ancestor’s spirits into the sky.

On the last day, families return

the ancestors’ spirits back to the

grave. They do this by hanging the

chochin lanterns, painted with the

family crest, to guide their souls to

the eternal resting place. During

Obon, the smell of senko incense

fields fills the Japanese home and

their cemeteries. The festival is

a meaningful one but not a sad

one. It represents the union and

separation of ancestors spirits. In

addition to that, these three days is

a day for them to remember who

they lost.

Attribution: PBC Parks & Recreation on Flickr


05

THE

HISTORY

OF

HALLOWEEN


By: Lauren Daniels

Halloween has grown to be

very popular and is a favorite

holiday to many across the globe,

mainly in the United States and

Canada. But Halloween has not

always been the hallmark holiday

filled with spooky decorations,

costumes, and tons of candy.

I conducted a survey in order

to see what Halloween meant

to people and if they knew the

origin of this holiday. From the 26

responses, mostly the answers

indicated that Halloween meant

candy, parties, scary movies,

trick-or-treating, costumes, and

spending time with friends. A

few answers also expressed it is

an opportunity to be someone

other than themselves, show off

costume making skills, embrace

what scares you, and relinquish the

cold, seasonal depression. When

it came to knowing the origin, 24%

had no clue what the origin was,

52% noted uncertainty in their

answers with an overall vague

response, and 20% had a certain

answer that was correct. Only one

response really seemed to nail it

on the head though. Isn’t it ironic

how Halloween is so loved, yet the

origin is so unclear for many? The

origin is uncertain in history as well,

as there is no one culture that has

defined our modern-day holiday

and it is rather a mix of cultures,

traditions, and religions from

various countries.

Around 2000 years ago, the

Celts were largely congregated in

Western Europe and the British

Isles. They celebrated the end of

the harvest season, marking their

new year, with a festival known as

Samhain (/saa·wn/) (“Halloween

History”, 2007). The pagans and

Irish also celebrated Samhain.

Protonic Celts and the Welsh

celebrated a similar holiday, Calan

Gaeaf (McLeod, 2020). Samhain

means summer’s end and is the

Irish word for November (Lang,

2018). It was celebrated from

sunrise to sundown and marked

the beginning of winter. During this

time, cattle were stocked up. Cattle

were very important to Celts since

they symbolized wealth and were

a form of currency. On the first day

of spring, the cattle were brought

to the pasture to graze and during

Samhain they were brought back in

order to be slaughtered (“Samhain”,

2013). There were many feasts,

horse races, and consumption of

alcohol during Samhain (“The Celtic

Festival”, 2019).

The world was dying and

becoming darker, therefore they

believed strange things occurred.

It was said that during this time,

the ghosts of the dead walked the

earth since the veil between death

in the underworld and life on earth

was at its thinnest (“Halloween

History”, 2007). They tried to

remain close to their villages

during this time, used bonfires

that mimicked the sun, and wore

costumes from animal skins to

ward off evil spirits, or Aos Sí, back

to the underworld (“Halloween

History”, 2007). These costumes

were made from animal skins

usually and they felt safe in them

since they were unrecognizable

to these spirits (“History of

Halloween”, 2019). Not all spirits

were bad, as some were believed

to be passed loved ones, so they

left food and drinks for some.

Offerings like crops and animals

were given to the gods (“The

Halloween Bonfire”, n.d.).

The Romans also had a

large influence on modern-day

Halloween as well, such as the

creation of apple bobbing. They

bobbed for apples to honor the

goddess Pomona yet some argue it

was also for fortune telling in Irish

cultures (Emery, 2019). Lupercalia

and Lemuria were similar to

Samhain. Lupercalia was a nineday

celebration in February that

celebrated love and purified the

city from evil spirits. Lemuria was

in May and concentrated on driving

out foul spirits (“Ancient Roman

Holidays”, 2012). During Lemuria

the head of the Roman household

would guard the house at night

throwing beans over their shoulder

chanting, “Haec ego mitto; his

redimo meque meosque fabis” nine

times. This translates to “I send

these; with these beans, I redeem

me and mine”. The household

members would bang pots and

chant, nine times, “ Ghosts of my

fathers and ancestors, be gone!”

(Schmitz, n.d.). Milk was poured on

graves and food was also offered to

appeal to the dead (Lux, 2004).

Warfare was prevalent

during these times. Germanic

tribes often fought with the celts.

The Romans conquered Celtic

territories like France and much

of pre-Englo-Saxon Britain, but

not Ireland, creating a melting

pot of their traditions (“Who

Were Celts”, 2017). In the 4th

century AD, immense changes

occurred. Constantinople the

Great adopted Christianity, which

spread quickly through the Roman

Empire (Rattini, 2019). Saint Patrick

later took Christianity to Ireland

(O’Raifeartaigh, 2019). Conversion

was not easy since many wanted

to keep their traditions before

their homelands were conquered.

Negotiations were held and pagan

traditions became Christianized

(“Christianity and Paganism”,

2020). They were allowed to

uphold such traditions as long

as they were dedicated to the

Christian God and not the various

pagan gods. Many ancient pagan

holidays sparked Christian ones

and it became hard to separate

the traditions and trace the origin

since they became so intertwined

(“Samhain”, 2018). In the 7th

century, Lemuria was replaced by

the Christian holiday, All Saint’s

Day, originally held on May 13th.

Pagan gods were no longer

venerated, and instead, it was

the Christian Saints (“Halloween”

Wikipedia, 2020). It was around the

9th century that the holiday was

moved to November 1st by Pope

Gregory, and it was believed that

it replaced Samhain (“Samhain”,

2018). The vigil was held on All

Hallow’s Evening, October 31st.

In Scotland, it was shortened to

“Hallow’s Even”(“Talk:Halloween”,

2020). November 2nd became

All Souls Day to honor the souls

of the deceased Christians and

those that remained in purgatory

(Racoma, 2019). These three days

became known as Allhallowtide

or Hallowmas in Christianity

(“Allhallowtide”, 2020). These

traditions lasted from Medieval

times until the ages of Europe.

In the late Middle Ages,

customs flourished in Western

and Central European countries.

Bells were rung and they mourned

the dead, holy relics were held

in churches, and parishioners

were encouraged to dress as

their favorite saints (“History of

Halloween”, 2019). The Danse

Macabre or “The Dance of the

Death’’ took place during these

medieval times. To show that kings

and peasants were equal in death,

they joined for eternal death. The

philosophical meaning behind this

dance was that only one’s service

to god was important at the time

of death, not their social status.

(Gotschall, 2017). Some believed

the dead would rise on this night

to perform. Civilians were dressed

as both social statuses and danced

together.

Another custom formed was


souling. Children would go from

door to door to ask for soul cake

which were made from spices,

flour and were marked with the

cross (“Soul Cake”, n.d.) Children

would pray in return for those in

purgatory. It was an imitation of

spirits coming down to earth to

accept food offerings or as if they

were doing so on their behalf

(“History of Halloween”, 2019).

Soulers could be seen carrying

lanterns that were made from

hollowed turnips (“Soul Cake”, n.d.).

Souling continued into the early

20th century and was practiced

in England by Catholics and

Protestants (“Soul Cake”, n.d.). The

Irish and Scotts practiced guising,

which was similar. Children would

ask for coins and food in exchange

for a song, dance, or playing the

flute (“How Trick-or-Treating”,

2019). There was a downside to this

as well. Misfortune was brought

if you turned down a guiser, both

figuratively and literally. Children

would pull pranks on October

30th and November 4th, the night

before Guy Fawkes Day, known

as the “Mischief Nights’’(“What

Is Mischief”, 2018). Properties

were egged, windows and lights

smashed, and wagons were

assembled on roofs (“History of

Halloween”, 2019). Candles were

also lit to commemorate the dead

and guide the good spirits to family

and demons back to Satan (“History

of Halloween”, 2019). Bowls of milk

and other foods were left at the

sides of graves in some areas of

Europe (“Libation”, 2020).

In the 16th century, the

religion of Christianity began

to branch off, so rituals began

to change. Many started to

believe that purgatory was papist

catholic nonsense whereas other

protestants held onto these

beliefs (“How to Explain”, n.d.).

Reformation caused widespread

disputes amongst Europeans. In

1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow

up the English House of Lords

and ultimately failed since he

was executed. His goal was to

assassinate King James I to return

England to its earlier ways and

the catholic church. (“Gunpowder

Plot”, 2009). November 5th has

since been known as Guy Fawkes

Day. In England, it would be filled

with bonfires and effigies of Fawks

to mock him, later influencing the

bonfires we have during Halloween

(Bosley, 2009).

Hallowtide and Christianity

were brought to the western world

in the 17th and 18th centuries

when colonization began by the

Spanish, Portuguese, English,

French, and Dutch. (Nowell and

Webster, 2018). Puritans did not

celebrate All Hallow’s Eve but

the Catholics and Anglicans did.

The bulk of what makes up our

current Halloween traditions was

brought during the 1840s when the

Irish and Scottish arrived during

the potato famine(“Halloween”

Encyclopedia, 2020).

Turnip carving with faces of

souls on them turned to pumpkin

carving when this fruit was

discovered upon the arrival to

America (“How Jack O’Lanterns”,

2019). The term, Jack-o-Lantern,

evolved from the Irish folklore,

“Jack of the Lantern”. In this story,

Jack is a cheating, drunk, scoundrel

who plays many tricks on the

town members. One day, he was

wandering in the forest and came

across Satan who came to take

his soul to hell. Jack begged for

one final request, which was a

beverage from the pub. Together,

they went for drinks at a pub and

Jack advised Satan to turn into a

silver coin in order to pay. When

Satan transformed himself, Jack

placed him on a crucifix which

prevented Satan from turning

back. Jack negotiated one more

year on earth in return to remove

the crucifix. A year later, Satan

returned and Jack asked once

more for a final request. This time,

it was an apple. Satan reached

for an apple from a tree and Jack

surrounded him in crucifixes,

preventing Satan from straying

from the tree. Jack demanded

that Satan never takes him to hell.

They formed another agreement

and when the time came that Jack

died, he was rejected by God from

heaven. Satan gave him fire from

the depths of hell to fill a turnip

and wander the earth as a lonely

ghost for the rest of eternity It was

said that you could see the random

light on lonely, dark roads and that

it was Jack (“The Legend of”, 2019).

Will-o’-the-wisp, will-o’-wisp, or ignis

fatuus, were small fires of varying

colors that occurred naturally in

marshes (“Will-o’-the-Wisp”, 2020).

Both formed the Jack-o-Lantern.

European traditions birthed a

new holiday. The first Halloween is

still uncertain whether it occurred

in Canada or the United States,

but it began around the same

time. It was believed to have

begun in Canada around 1910

and in the city of Chicago in 1920.


09

In Anoka, Minnesota there was

a Halloween parade. Anoka still

prides itself on being the world

capital of Halloween(“The History

of”, 2020). Trick-or-treating began

in the 1930s and was influenced

by souling and guising. The

issues of vandalism came with

it. Americans and Canadian

communities came together and

decided to concentrate on positive

activities to prevent vandalism

and candy was the main source

of bribery (“History of Halloween”,

2019). Trick-or-treating became

a community event. The children

of this time enjoyed it so much

that they kept the light-hearted

in their adulthood. Sugar rations

during World War II took the

fun away from trick-or-treating,

but the custom continued after

the war in the 1940s and the

holiday took flight

(Zebrowski, n.d.).

The first president to

celebrate Halloween

at the White House

was Dwight D.

Eisenhower. The idea

was introduced by

his wife Mamie and

it then became a

presidential activity

at the White House

(“Halloween at

the”, n.d.). As time

went on, Halloween

became a more

secular holiday

yet churches still

hold Halloween or

Hallowtide festivities.

Traditions formed

like setting a place at

the dinner table for

the dead and “dumb

supper” where there

was minor amount of conversation

to dine with the thoughts of the

dead in mind (“Something Wiccan

This”, 2011). The old Scottish

tradition of an “apple wedding”

,where you would take an apple

peel, throw it over your shoulder

and whatever letter was most

pronounced on the peel was the

first letter of your future spouse,

was resurfaced as well (“Forgotten

Halloween Traditions”, 2018). The

holiday in America today focuses

less on the traditions of honoring

the dead.

Halloween not only celebrates

religion and traditions but

creatures such as vampires, ghosts,

zombies, etc. There are origins to

the myths of the classic monsters

associated with this holiday.

Monsters like ghouls, zombies,

phantoms, etc. are classified as

the dead who rise from their

graves. These types of monsters

have been myths of remotely all

cultures (“History of Halloween”,

2019). Many creatures mainly stem

from gothic literature during the

Victorian Era from the 1830s to

the 1900s (“History of Halloween”,

2019). The Victorian Era homes are

the ones often depicted as typical

“haunted houses” and the ghosts

were the Victorian owners of these

houses that died in peculiar ways

(Amaya, 2017). Some notable

authors from this time period

are Mary Shelley, Edgar Allen

Poe, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis

Stevenson, and Mary Shelley. The

European legends created by these

authors are the ones being foretold

today to describe the monsters we

know.

Bram Stoker wrote Dracula

on May 26th, 1897 (“‘Dracula’ Goes

on”, 2009). Count Dracula has

influenced other characters like

Count on Sesame Street, characters

on The Vampire Diaries, and the

Twilight series. The original story

of Count Dracula was about a

handsome nobleman who lived in a

castle in the Carpathian mountains

and moved to England (“Dracula

Legend”, n.d.). It turns out, he is

a vampire who was feeding on

humans by sucking their blood.

Stoker formed the archetypal

vampire: red eyes, pale skin, the

cloak, fangs, the inability to view

their own reflection in a mirror,

shapeshifting into a bat, fear of

running water (“Ten Fascinating

Facts”, 2018) Count Dracula also

had powers like super strength,

hypnotism, weather control, and

turning others into vampires

(Jackson, 2013). Other common

vampire knowledge is the hatred

of garlic, silver, sunlight, and the

crucifix. They can be killed with

a silver bullet, wooden stake to

the heart, or decapitation. In the

novel, Dr. Abraham Van Helsing

and his team set out to stop Count

Dracula. Although Stoker was a

phenomenal, creative author he

did not create vampires. Bram

Stoker was inspired by Prince Vlad

III of Wallachia who reigned during

the 1440s (O’Hara, 2020). He was

given the nickname “Dracule” when

joining the Dragon order who

defended their region from the

Ottoman Turks, who eventually

overtook Constantinople. Vlad was

known as “Vlad the Impaler” since

he impaled his enemies on pikes

creating a slow death

(Curta and Zupka,

2010). Vampires were

also influenced by the

late Middle Ages to

early modern ages.

People were curious

and searched for the

answers to death.

Graves were dug up

from the ground to

examine corpses.

Those recently buried

appeared to have

fingernail growth,

blood on the corner

of the mouth, and

stomach bloating

(Weisberger, 2019).

They feared that they

were alive and were

wandering, as what

we may call vampires

or zombies, at night

so the corpses were

often beheaded and staked once

more. Today, we have learned that

there is a science behind these

observations. Swelling occurs from

gas expansion after decomposition,

blood is pushed to the surface, and

skin begins to recede to make it

appear as if there is hair, nail, and

teeth growth (“The Bloody Truth”,

2016). During the middle 1700s,

Austrian Empress Maria Theresa

sent her physician, Gerard Van

Swieten to disprove the theory of

vampires since the wealthy were

angered by the peasants’ beliefs

and vandalism of the graves and

corpses (“A Practical Guide”,

2020). Laws were put in place to

ban digging graves. Vampire bats

during the 17th century in the

Americas contributed to vampire

fables. Many cultures found them


to be evil (Jemison, 2014).

Witches are a more common

myth discussed in history classes

in America today mainly due to the

Salem Witch Trials of 1692. From

the 14th through the 19th century,

older women were targeted as

witches. During stressful times that

lacked modern scientific discovery

and was extremely patriarchal

tended to associate unexplainable

crimes to women in the country

(“History of Halloween”, 2019). In

order to detect a witch-- which still

ties to the characteristics of witches

we visualize today-- there is a

sense of dark magic, devil worship,

brooms, cauldrons, and pointy,

countryside hats. Thousands of

innocent women were burned,

staked, and executed for witchcraft

around the globe (“History of

Halloween”, 2019). In Islamic and

African countries, women are still

executed for sorcery (Moyssen,

2018). Black cats in European

history have been associated with

bad luck and witches. Often they

were killed with their witch owners,

unfortunately (“Misconceptions

about Black”, n.d.).

In 1831, Mary Shelley’s book,

Frankenstein shaped the spinoffs

of Frankenstein and general

zombies. In the novel, mad scientist

Victor Frankenstein made this

creature from an experiment

after the death of his mother

(“Frankenstein”, 2020) Shelley’s

inspiration most likely from the

pre-Islamic Arabian religion that

discusses zombie-like creatures

(“History of Halloween”, 2019) and

from her love of Greek mythology.

George Gordon Byron’s 1816 work

about the greek god Prometheus

certainly was fuel for her novel

as well (“The Prometheus Myth”,

n.d.). Another common creature,

the werewolf, dates back to

Ancient Greece and Indo-European

mythology (“Werewolf”, 2020).

Many were turned to werewolves

due to a curse as punishment to

their malicious persona. Full moons

were temporary triggers whereas

bites and scratches were more

permanent. Like witches, during

high-stress situations, there was a

want to assign blame for the cause

of stress (“History of Halloween”,

2019). Other tales from around

the globe that are similar to the

creatures mentioned that I suggest

reading about are Thailand’s

Krasue, the Latino ghost tale of La

Llorna, and the Australian folklore,

“Fisher’s Ghost”.

Modern Halloween in America

has turned into fun parties

dressing up as favorite characters,

puns, and still the traditional

monsters we have celebrated for

decades and there are far more

treats than tricks. In fact, roughly

9 billion dollars are spent on

Halloween in America each year,

roughly 2.6 billion dollars are from

candy purchases alone (Finney,

2019). The Celts still celebrate

their own traditions and England

celebrates Guy Fawkes Day. The

modern holiday has slowly been

spreading to nations like East Asia,

Japan, Europe, Philippines in the

eastern hemisphere for economic

benefits. Other countries like

South Africa and the Middle East

see it as a very western holiday

and do not choose to celebrate

it (“History of Halloween”, 2019).

Hispanic countries in Latin America

celebrate Día de Los Muertos

in many similar ways but they

focus on honoring their deceased

relatives much more; Graves are

decorated, sugar skulls are made,

stories and prayers are shared

and altars are created for the dead

(“Day of The”, n.d.).

The ancient traditions

from the Celts, the Christians,

and Pagans are to thank for what

makes Halloween the holiday

it is today. The Victorian Age of

writing is also to take credit for

ghouls and creatures they have

normalized. With the Coronavirus

this year, the holiday will undergo

many changes for people and

may even create new trends or

traditions for later generations. We

may see many drive-by trick-ortreating

parades, more bowls left

out with individually packed treat

bags, and masks of course. It is an

opportunity to spend time with

family and maybe even revive the

customs of honoring the deceased.

Regardless, the holiday can still be

celebrated in a spooky, enjoyable

way as long as you make the most

of it.

Works Cited

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Bohemian Magic, 25 May 2020,

magicbohemia.magic-realist.

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“Allhallowtide.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,

5 Sept. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Allhallowtide.

Amaya, Holly. “Designed for Dread: Why Are

Victorian Houses So Spooky?>.” Real Estate

News and Advice | Realtor.com®, Realtor.

com, 27 Oct. 2017, www.realtor.com/news/

trends/victorian-houses-spooky-reputation/.

“Ancient Roman Holidays & Festivals at The

Detective & the Toga.” HistMyst | The

Detective and the Toga, 26 Mar. 2012,

histmyst.org/festivals.html.

Bosley, Catherine. “Halloween Goblins Scaring off

Britain’s Guy Fawkes.” Reuters, Thomson

Reuters, 5 Nov. 2009, www.reuters.com/

article/us-britain-halloween-fawkesidUSTRE5A43XE20091105.

“Christianity and Paganism.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia

Foundation, 21 July 2020, en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Christianity_and_paganism.

Curta, Florin, and Dušan Zupka. East Central and

Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450-

1450. Brill Academic Publishers, 2010.

“Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos).” Day of the

Dead, dayofthedead.holiday/.

“‘Dracula’ Goes on Sale in London.” History.com,

A&E Television Networks, 24 Nov. 2009,

www.history.com/this-day-in-history/

dracula-goes-on-sale-in-london.

“Dracula Legend.” Count Dracula’s Legend

and the History of Vlad the Impaler,

romaniatourism.com/dracula-legend.html.

Emery, David. “Why Do We Bob for Apples on

Halloween?” LiveAbout, 10 Jan. 2019, www.

liveabout.com/why-do-we-bob-for-appleson-halloween-3299440.

Finney, Michael. “CONSUMER CATCH-UP: How

Much Americans Spend on Halloween

Candy, a Simple Way to Cut Your Water

Bill by 13 Percent, and Congress Urged

to Reevaluate Airline ‘Family Seating’

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Jackson, Matthew. “Bram Stoker’s Original Dracula

Notes Reveal Odd Unused Vampire Power.”

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syfywire/bram-stokers-original-draculanotes-reveal-odd-unused-vampire-power.

Jemison, Micaela. “Bat Myths – Where Did They

Come from and What Can We Do about

It?” The Inverted Perspective, 20 Aug. 2014,

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Lang, Cady. “What Is Samhain? Origin of Halloween

Rooted in Pagan Holiday.” Time, 30 Oct.

2018, time.com/5434659/halloween-paganorigins-in-samhain/.

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Punished by the Death Penalty in the 21st

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21st-century.

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17th-century.

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history-all-saints-day-souls-day/.

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a-wartime-halloween/.


13

By: Dhruvin Kamani

Diwali (also:

Deepawali) is one of

India’s biggest festivals.

The word ‘Deepawali’

means rows of lighted

lamps. It’s also known as

the festival of lights. Not

only Hindus celebrate

this festival but people of

every religion celebrate

it with joy. During this

festival, people light up

their houses and shops

with Diyas (small cupshaped

oil lamps made of

baked clay). They worship

the Lord Ganesha for

welfare and prosperity

and Goddess Lakshmi

for wealth and wisdom.

Most noteworthy, the

festival signifies the

victory of light over

darkness. Another

meaning of the festival is

the triumph of good over

evil and knowledge over

ignorance. Consequently,

there are bright lights all

over the whole country

during Diwali. Diwali

brings peace to people.

Diwali brings spiritual

calmness to people.

This festival is

celebrated in the Hindu

month of Karthika Masam

which falls sometime

during October or

November. It’s celebrated

to mark the return of

Lord Rama after 14 years

of exile and his victory

over the Demon Ravana.

This day Lord Rama

returned to Ayodhya

along with his wife Sita.

Furthermore, Rama’s

brother Lakshmana and

Hanuman also came back

to Ayodhya victorious.

In most parts of

India, Diwali is celebrated

for five consecutive days.

The first day is Dhanteras.

Dhanteras, derived from

Dhan meaning wealth

and teras meaning

thirteenth. It marks the

thirteenth day of the dark

fortnight of Kartik and the

beginning of Diwali.

The second day is

Naraka Chaturdashi.

Naraka Chaturdashi also

known as Chhoti Diwali,

which coincides with the

fourteenth day of the

second fortnight of the

lunar month. The term

“chhoti” means little,

while “Naraka” means hell

and “Chaturdashi” means

“fourteenth”.

The third day is

Lakshmi Pujan. The third

day is the height of the

festival, and coincides

with the last day of the

dark fortnight of the

lunar month. This is when

Hindu, Jain and Sikh

temples and homes are

aglow with lights, thereby

making it the “festival of

lights”.

The fourth day

Annakut. The day after

Diwali is the first day of

the bright fortnight of

the luni-solar calendar.

It’s regionally called as

Annakut (heap of grain),

Padwa, Govardhan

puja, Bali Pratipada, Bali

Padyami, Kartik Shukla

Pratipada and other

names. According to

one tradition, the day

is associated with the

story of Bali’s defeat at

the hands of Vishnu. In

another interpretation,

it is thought to reference

the legend of Parvati

and her husband Shiva

playing a game of dyuta

(dice) on a board of

twelve squares and thirty

pieces, Parvati wins.

Shiva surrenders his shirt

and adornments to her,

rendering him naked.

According to Handelman

and Shulman, as quoted

by Pintchman, this legend

is a Hindu metaphor for

the cosmic process for

creation and dissolution


THE

FESTIVAL

OF

DIWALI

FROM INDIA

of the world through the

masculine destructive

power, as represented by

Shiva, and the feminine

procreative power,

represented by Parvati,

where twelve reflects the

number of months in the

cyclic year, while thirty

are the number of days in

its lunisolar month.

The last day of the

festival is called Bhai

Duj (literally “brother’s

day”). It celebrates the

sister-brother bond,

similar in spirit to Raksha

Bandhan but it is the

brother that travels to

meet the sister and her

family. This festive day is

interpreted by some to

symbolise Yama’s sister

Yamuna welcoming Yama

with a tilaka, while others

interpret it as the arrival

of Krishna at his sister’s,

Subhadra, place after

defeating Narakasura.

Subhadra welcomes

him with a tilaka on his

forehead.

Hindus regard it

as a celebration of life

and use the occasion to

strengthen relationships.

It is certainly an occasion

where people forget

disputes. People remove

all feelings of hatred from

their hearts. In some

parts of India, it marks

the beginning of a new

year. People clean and

decorate their house

before the festival. They

do colorful rangoli art

works on floors.

Diwali is celebrated

and is a public holiday in

countries such as Nepal,

Sri Lanka, Singapore,

Malaysia, Mauritius,

Fiji, Suriname, Guyana,

Trinidad and Tobago. It

is also a school holiday in

many states of the United

States with a large Hindu

population. President

George W. Bush had

the first celebration of

the holiday in the White

House.

Hindus light up their

homes and shops to

welcome the Goddess

Lakshmi and to give them

good luck for the year

ahead. A few days before

Ravtegh, which is the day

before Deepavali, houses,

buildings, shops and

temples are thoroughly

cleaned and decorated.

On the day of Deepawali,

people put on their best

clothes and exchange

greetings, gifts and

sweets with their friends

and family.

At night, buildings

are illuminated with

earthen lamps, candlesticks

and electric bulbs.

People go to each other’s

houses to get blessings

from the elders and

wish them a happy and

prosperous year ahead.

According to a

legend, Diwali is the night

of Lakshmi wedding. This

night she chose and wed

Vishnu. Eastern India

Hindus associate Diwali

with Goddess Durga or

kali. Some Hindus believe

Diwali to be the start of a

new year.

The Goddess

Lakshmi is also worshiped

in the form of earthen

images, silver Rupee.

Hindus believe that on

this day, Lakshmi only

enters houses which are

neat and tidy. People

offer prayers for their

own health, wealth and

prosperity. They leave

their doors open and

lights on so that the

Goddess Lakshmi will

not have any difficulty in

finding her way in.


15

BEING FILIPINO:

CONCEALING ETHNICITY,

SCHOOL LUNCHES

AND RECIPES

By: Mariel Bumanglag

“Kain na!” a voice calls from

the kitchen. Let’s eat! As you walk

down the stairs, you can already

hear the chorus of sisig sizzling on

the stove. You already know that

your family is scattered around,

frantically setting down placemats

and plates. When you reach the

kitchen, you’re met with the sight

of an array of dishes, from savory

meals to sweet desserts. You pull

out a seat, circled by close family

and distant relatives. Like it always

has, the food on the table brings

everyone together, even if just for

one meal.

When people ask me how

Filipinos greet one another, I find

myself stumped. We say “hello”

too but when coming up with an

answer, a shrug always seemed to

be my response. One time, I asked

my mom the same question.

“You can say ‘kamusta?’”

She’d tell me.

“No, but that’s ‘How are

you?’” I’d whine, unsatisfied with

the translation.

“We welcome people into

our homes by saying ‘kain na tayo!’”

Let’s eat together now!

I’d shrug, thinking that

inviting people to eat with you was

an odd greeting.

Looking back at that answer

years later, I see the truth in her

answer. Every time I leave a Filipino

dinner with relatives, we’re left

carrying armfuls of leftover food.

When my mom visits one of her

friends, she comes home and with

her, old containers with cassava

cake, lumpia, and buko pandan.

After finishing enough food for

a trio, there’s always someone

beaming and pushing the tray of

pancit my way, a gesture I know too

well. “More food?”

To remember the time

in my life when I was ashamed

of eating the chicken adobo my

parents would make for lunch, it

makes a wave of sadness wash

over me. As a young child, with

barely anything to worry about,

I’d gladly wave goodbye to my

neighborhood friends as my dad

carried a steaming bowl of sinigang

to the table.

Once I started getting

older and entering the last years

of elementary school, my Filipino

pride began to waver. All of the

other kids in my class didn’t look

like me. They all had pale skin,

narrow noses, and fair hair. Every

day, I’d see Lunchables and juice

boxes pulled out of bags. There

was always a rotation between

oddly-shaped chicken nuggets,

deflated hamburgers, or Eggo

waffles on white trays with

chocolate milk cartons. If you asked

these kids what lunch looked like to

them, I’d bet you all my money that

none of them would guess sinigang

and rice or banana leaf-wrapped

suman.

After I realized that I

was too unlike my peers, I made

changes. Emulating the cool, white

teenagers I’d watch on Disney

Channel, I started addressing my

parents as “mom and dad.” I asked

my mom if she could start packing

me peanut butter sandwiches

instead of anything with rice,

tiptoeing my way out of bringing

anything that would warrant a

scrunched face and pinched nose.

Once I moved to a school

and spent time with other Asian

students, watching them embrace

their cultures and their native

languages, it made me want to do

the same. I began sharing more

of my culture when people asked,

describing foods we ate at family

gatherings and singing video-oke.

The years of neglecting

the importance of my ethnicity

make me feel like I’m not “Asian

enough” because I speak broken-

Tagalog at home and I don’t eat

as many Filipino meal-foods as

I wish I did. When asked about

Filipino traditions, my mind goes

blank. I have no knowledge of any

widespread Filipino traditions with

such magnitude as Chinese New

Year or important ceremonies.

Despite being exponentially

more comfortable being Filipino,

I still haven’t shaken everything

I considered to be “normal” or

“beautiful.” I hate taking off my

glasses in front of others because

I think that people won’t like the

combination of my small eyes

with my broad nose. I’ll find skin

cleaners hidden in my cabinets,

an array of them adding “skin

whitening” as a pro for the product,

and wonder if my arms look nice

even if they’re on the darker side.

I am still learning how

to be comfortable with making

mistakes, with learning more about

the Philippines and the culture

and Tagalog. For me, baking my

favorite dishes allowed me to bond

with my mom, to hear her stories

of the Philippines, and to take a

step closer to learning more about

my heritage. Perhaps trying the

recipes of these Filipino desserts

and meals will make you want to

bring leftovers home in a former

ice-cream container as well!


LUMPIA SPRING ROLLS

Lumpia is one of my favorite foods! I don’t think I could get sick of eating these at family gatherings.

At Filipino restaurants, lumpia is a dish that’s very likely to be on the menu. Lumpia has origins from

around Asia as well! According to Epicurious.com, “[lumpia] first traveled to the Philippines with ninthcentury

Chinese traders. Rolls similar to lumpia are made throughout Asia—in China, they’re fried and

called spring rolls (or egg rolls, in Chinese-American cooking).” (Kagan n.d.)

Ingredients

• 1lb ground turkey or

ground beef

• 2 celery stalks

• 1 cup carrots

• 1 cup of green beans

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 egg

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in

a bowl. Mix well.

2. Scoop around 1 to 1 ½

tablespoons of filling and

place over a piece of

lumpia wrapper. Spread

the filling and then fold

both sides of the wrapper.

Brush beaten egg mixture

on top end of the wrapper.

Roll-up until completely

wrapped.

3. Heat oil in a cooking

pot. Deep fry lumpia in

medium heat until it floats.

4. Remove from the pot. Let

excess oil drip.

5. Enjoy!

For an air fryer:

1. Freeze for at least 12hrs

(to make sure they’re

crispy!)

2. Place on greased tray

3. Set air-fryer to 400 degrees

F

4. Bake on one side for 8

minutes, flip, then bake for

another 8 minutes

5. Enjoy!

Works Cited

Epicurious. “Filipino Lumpia Recipe and Video: Around the World in 80 Dishes.” Epicurious, www.epicurious.com/archive/cuisines/

aroundtheworldin80dishes/philippineslumpiarecipe.

Merano, Author Vanjo, et al. “Bananacue Recipe.” Panlasang Pinoy, 2 Sept. 2018, panlasangpinoy.com/bananacue/.

I AM FILIPINO.

Ingredients

• 6 pieces saging na saba

(Asian plantains)

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 4 cups cooking oil

Directions

1. Heat a cooking pot then

pour-in cooking oil.

2. When the oil becomes hot,

deep fry the bananas for 2

minutes.

3. Gradually put-in the brown

sugar, adjust the heat to

medium-low and continue

cooking until the melted

brown sugar coats the

bananas. Note: Gently stir

the bananas so that it can

get coated with melted

brown sugar easily.

4. Remove the cooked

bananas one by one and

immediately skewer using

a bamboo skewer. Note:

2 pieces per skewer is

recommended.

5. Let cool then serve with

cold soda.

6. Share and enjoy!

Bananacues are very popular in the Philippines and if you roam the streets, you’ll surely find vendors

offering this sweet treat! “Bananacue is a term used to call fried skewered plantains cooked with brown

sugar. This is a staple in the Philippines, and is mostly consumed as a mid-afternoon snack,” (Merano).

This recipe comes from Panlasang Pinoy as well!

BANANACUE


19

10

UNIQUE

FACTS

ABOUT

GERMANY

By: Nadia Kreuzwieser

Germany is a beautiful country, filled with

a rich history and many things that make it unique.

From food to architecture, there are so many

wonderful things about Germany. Here are 10

interesting facts about Germany, so if you ever visit,

you know what to look for!

01

Germany’s

college is free

for everybody, even non-

Germans! This means

that there are no student

loans, no debt, and no

fear about whether or not

you can afford college.

Germany’s universities

are also consistently

rated high on lists of best

universities in the world, so

in Germany, you can get a

great education for free (“Is

College Free”)!

04

Germany

has over 20,000

castles! Although Wales

holds the title for most

castles per capita, Germany

beats them with sheer

numbers. If you ever visit

Germany, the castles are a

must-see. There are places

where you can stay in a

castle as a hotel, and there

are castle tours that happen

all over the country (“Does

Germany Really”).

05

Germany

has some of the

lowest carbon emissions

in the world (“Electricity

Generation”). The country of

Germany is an international

leader in renewable energy,

and its carbon emissions

are a fraction of the U.S. and

China’s, meaning Germany is

one of the cleanest places to

live (“Electricity Generation”)!

08

There

are over 500 different

kinds of bread in Germany,

meaning it has the largest

variety of bread in the world!

Bread is a very important

part of German food and

culture, and German bread

is the best there is (“German

Bread”).

09

The

Berlin Zoological Garden

is home to more species of

animals than any other zoo

in the world. This zoo has

more than 1,300 animals!

If you are interested in

animals or zoology, this is a

wonderful place to visit (“The

Most Species-Rich Zoo”).

Works Cited

Burt, Jacqueline. “A Brief History of Gummy Bears.” Bon Appétit, Condé Nast, 10 Oct. 2014, www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/history-gummy-bears

“Does Germany Really Have 25,000 Castles?” DW, Deutsche Welle, 30 Jan. 2018, www.dw.com/en/does-germany-really-have-25000-castles/a-42350502.

“Electricity Generation.” Facts about Germany, 13 Aug. 2018, www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/node/208

“German Bread.” Wimberger’s Old World Bakery & Delicatessen, www.wimbergers.com/german-bread/

“Is College Free in Germany? Here’s The Truth!” Studying in Germany, 30 Apr. 2019, www.studying-in-germany.org/is-college-free-in-germany/.


02

Gummy

bears come from

Germany! Gummy bear

candies were first made in

Germany back in the 1920s

(Burt).

03

Germany

was the first

country to use Daylight

Saving Time. Germany first

began doing this on April 30,

1916, as a way to conserve

energy. Unlike what many

people think, Daylight Saving

Time was not created to help

farmers (Klein).

06

Germany

has about 1,200

types of sausage. This means

that Germany currently holds

the title of most varieties

of sausage in the world.

Although the Sumerians

were the first to invent

sausage, Germans were the

ones who created most of

the types we know today, like

bratwurst or bregenwurst

(MacGregor).

07

Germany

is home to the

world’s narrowest street. In

Reutlingen, Germany, the

street Spreuerhofstrasse

measures 31 centimeters

at its narrowest part and

expands to about 50

centimeters at its widest part

(“Narrowest Street”).

10

The

world’s tallest church

is in Germany. The Ulmer

Münster, or Ulm Minster,

measures 530 feet tall

(Kergin). La Sagrada Basilica

in Barcelona, Spain, is

supposed to pass the Ulm

Minster’s height in 2026

when it’s renovations have

been completed (Philjake).

Ultimately, there are so many great things about

Germany, and so many reasons you should visit!

Whether it’s to taste the many varieties of bread or

to stay in a castle, you should visit the country and

all of the things it has to offer!

Kergin. “Ulm Minster (Ulmer Münster).” Atlas Obscura, 11 June 2012, www.atlasobscura.com/places/ulm-mintser-ulmer-muenster.

Klein, Christopher. “8 Things You May Not Know About Daylight Saving Time.” History, A&E Television Networks, 9 Mar. 2012, www.history.com/news/8-thingsyou-may-not-know-about-daylight-saving-time

MacGregor, Neil. “Germany: Memories of a Nation, One People, Many Sausages.” BBC Radio 4, BBC, 11 Oct. 2014, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04k6rcj

Philjake. “Sagrada Familia Facts and Information.” The Tower Info, 7 June 2019, thetowerinfo.com/sagrada-familia-facts-history-tour/.

“Narrowest Street.” Guinness World Records, www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/narrowest-street

“The Most Species-Rich Zoo Worldwide - Oldest Zoo in Germany.” Zoo Berlin, 1 Sept. 2020, www.zoo-berlin.de/en.


23

LESSONS

FROM

THE

BEEHIVE

By: Grace Cunningham

Independence. What exactly

does that word mean to you?

To most U.S. citizens, the idea

of independence is seen as

overwhelmingly positive. There is

even a national holiday dedicated

to celebrating the country’s

independence. A sense of the ideal

self as an autonomous individual

is ingrained into United States

culture. Personal independence

is essentially synonymous with

strength and success.

Countless U.S. books and

movies paint a picture of a “strong,

independent person,” especially

when it comes to women. Many

of these characters are portrayed

as so self-sufficient that they are

almost disinterested in connecting

with others. There is nothing

wrong with being confident, but

overemphasis of self-autonomy can

lead to an unnecessary glorification

of emotional and social seclusion.

On a personal level, just how far

is too far with all this weight on

independence?

Take another example of a

strong, independent female. The

queen bee is arguably the most

influential bee in the hive. She is

the only bee that can reproduce

and is the mother of almost all the

other members of the beehive.

Every day of her life, she has

a court of attendants feeding,

grooming, and protecting her. Her



25

pheromones affect the behavior

of all the other bees in the hive. It

certainly is not an overstatement

to say that a queen bee is a strong

female.

Step back for a moment and

take a wider view of the beehive.

There are tens of thousands of

worker bees, guard bees, and

nurse bees making sure the hive

can run as usual. Without worker

bees, the hive would starve.

Without nurses, there would be no

young to keep the beehive thriving

for years. If none of the workers

would guard the hive, wasps

or ants would ravage the hive’s

honey stores. The queen bee is not

running the beehive alone.

While she is called a queen, all

parts of a beehive must function

together for the hive to survive. She

might be the most powerful bee in

the hive, but that does not mean

she is the only bee in the hive, or

even that she does everything by

herself. The entire beehive forms a

community that works together for

the good of all.

Insects such as bees do survive

by instinct. They are not making

a conscious decision to help each

other out. Even so, there is a

stark contrast between the idea

of independence in U.S. culture

and in a beehive. People do have

the ability to be independent and

survive, but sometimes cultural

emphasis may take this idea a little

too far.

Reliance on a community does

not have to mean that somebody is

not powerful or insufficient. Rather,

a secure support network can be a

tool to help every member of the

community survive. A powerful

person does not have to push away

their community. One can be both

unconstrained and communityoriented,

much like a queen bee.

The beauty of culture is that it

is, to some degree, fluid. Culture is

not set in one spot with traditions

that may never be changed.

People have the power to mold

and change culture through the

decisions they make and actions

they take. Independence can be a

wonderful thing, but forgetting the

importance of community is not.

In this season of COVID-19,

it is more relevant than ever

to recognize the importance of

a community network. While

cultural emphasis may portray

independence as the ideal, there is

nothing wrong with finding support

from others. Be there for others

and let them be there for you - it’s a

lesson from the beehive.

LANGUAGE

LEARNING:

A WINDOW TO THE WORLD

By: Julia Loritz

Underneath the

widespread umbrella

of culture lay the

foundations of human

behavior. Many can

trace their roots to

unique traditions and

ancestral ways of

life. It’s impossible to

classify them all, but

each provides a new

perspective of the world

around us. The intimacy

of folklore and native

practices are staples of

who we are, whether or

not we are aware of it.

Amongst

innumerable customs and

heritages are over 6,500

languages —intricate

maps and keys to identify

our surroundings and

the things we love

(Klappenbach). One

of the greatest gifts is

knowledge, especially

that of which is earned

through meaningful

dialogue with remarkable

people, all of whom

have something to say.

Without communication,

there is an emptiness.

Language fills that gap

and is nothing short of a

miracle. As we grow up,

we process information

while picking up words in

a game of association and

memorization. Our entire

vocabulary is made up of

compounds our brains

are wired to comprehend.

This phenomenon is so

often taken for granted,

despite its gravity in our

everyday lives.

I am fascinated

by language and how

different vernaculars

are intertwined. We can

group each dialect in

branches of a language

tree. There’s Germanic,

Balto-Slavic, Romance…

the list goes on. Many

students earn foreign

language credits in

school. Others may take

initiative to learn outside

of class. No matter where

you start, learning a

language is challenging.

With these strategies,

however, it is well worth it

to begin your studies.

The opportunity

to learn has never

been more accessible,

especially in the

Information Age. Taking

advantage of resources

and time otherwise spent

on mindless activities

is an excellent way to

improve your intellectual

wellness. Understanding

language is the key to

understanding the world.

Works Cited

Klappenbach, Anna. “Most Spoken Languages in the World 2020.” Busuu Blog, 19 Dec. 2019, blog.busuu.com/most-spoken-languages-in-theworld/#:~:text=Well%2C%20roughly%206%2C500%20languages%20are,less%20widely%20spoken%20than%20others.


01

02

03

04

05

SET

A

SCHEDULE

SET

GOALS

SURROUND

YOURSELF

WITH

THE

LANGUAGE

DOWNLOAD

AN

APP

CONNECT

WITH

OTHERS

The most important strategy is consistency. It takes

time and dedication to retain new vocabulary into

your long-term memory, where it can be useful.

Even 10 minutes a day for a beginner is enough

time for subtle improvements. Set an appointment

for yourself to take time and study your target

language, and stick to your schedule every day.

Hold yourself accountable for the time you spend

and make it useful to you.

To remain motivated, it helps to have long-term

and short-term goals. Perhaps you decide that you

want to memorize x new words by the end of the

week, or that you want to master a grammatical

skill by the end of this month. Remind yourself what

you’re aiming for in the future, and also set daily

tasks to keep you on track.

To immerse yourself in your target language, start

integrating it into your daily routines. Listening

to music in another language is a fun way to

pick up pronunciation and linguistic patterns, all

while exposing you to playlist material! For more

advanced learners, try reading or journaling about

your day in your target language. This will help

with your comprehension and production skills.

Listening to podcasts are also an interesting way

to improve your understanding.

The App Store is filled with language-learning

apps, many of which are free, such as Duolingo.

Depending on how you learn, having a more

structured or guided approach to language can

help you figure out your next steps to proficiency.

The accessibility of an app can make fitting your

learning into your busy schedule much easier.

Reach out to friends, family, or even native

speakers that are willing to aid your studies.

Learning alongside someone else can give

you motivation to keep up your work. Having

conversations with those at a similar level is also

an excellent way to reach mastery, often proven in

foreign-language classrooms all over the world.


29

THE

HISTORY

OF

INDIAN

FOOD

By: Shubaani Kumar

Indian cuisine is known for its

wide array of spices, bold colors,

and distinct aromas. Along with

having an expansive variety of

different dishes, Indian cuisine has

a rich history as well. The origin

of Indian food dates back nearly

5,000 years ago (A Guide To Indian

Cuisine, n.d.). Different regions

of India all have different origins

for their cuisines. In North India,

the cuisine is influenced by the

Mughals dynasty (Lewis, 2011),

which ruled India from the early

16th century to mid 18th century.

Saffron and gravies of blended

nuts and cream were all acquired

from the Mughals. On the other

hand, South Indian food still retains

many aspects of the Dravidian

culture which thrived 4,500 years

ago (Sahni, 1990). One of these

aspects is food being served on

banana leaves, which is believed

to be healthy and is considered

auspicious. The cuisine of eastern

India originated from the previous

European explorers and Muslim

settlers (Sarkar, 2019). Their mark

left behind a unique variety of

foods which are unlike those of the

other regions of India. West Indian

dishes have Portuguese influence

due to Goa, an Indian state being

home to a Portuguese colony

and trading port for 450 years

after originally being captured by

Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1510

(Britannica, 2018). Throughout all

of India, there is a wide assortment

of all kinds of dishes. From sweet

to spicy to savory, there is a dish

for everybody to enjoy! Along

with amazing food, India’s cuisine

has a deep and rich history with

influences from many places.

A popular dessert in India is

kheer, or in Southern India, more

commonly known as payasam. This

dessert is generally eaten during

or after a meal. Kheer consists

of milk, sugar, and some sort of

carb, whether it be rice, tapioca, or

vermicelli (Santosh, 2016). Along

with these base ingredients, kheer

can be infused with spices such as

cardamom and saffron for flavor

(Santosh, 2016). Nuts and raisins

may also be added for textural

variety. This dish dates back to

ancient Indian diets through its

link to Ayurveda (Santosh, 2016).

Ayurveda is considered to be one

of the oldest healing sciences

(Lad, 2006), and relies on natural

remedies to treat physical and

mental health. Asides from this, not

much is known about the beginning

of kheer as a dessert. The first

reference of kheer was found in the

14th-century Padmavat of Gujarat

(Santosh, 2016). Back then, kheer


Attribution: Marvelous Kerala on Flickr

was not quite a rice pudding, but

simply a mix of milk and jowar,

or sorghum (Santosh, 2016).

Eventually, in the southern states of

India, kheer evolved into payasam;

a heavier and richer version

of kheer. Typically, payasam is

distributed to devotees in temples

as prasad, or a religious offering.

This tradition is based on an

ancient legend: Lord Krishna took

the form of a sage and challenged

the king of Ambalapuzzha to a

game of chess (Santosh, 2016). The

king gladly accepted this request,

as he was an avid player of chess

and knew of the game’s tricks.

The king asked the sage what he

wanted in case the sage was to win.

The sage responded by requesting

a single grain of rice to be put

on the first square of the board,

and for that rice to be doubled

on every consequent square

after that. By the 64th square,

the king would’ve had to place a

remarkably high number of rice

grains on the square. Seeing the

king’s predicament, Lord Krishna

revealed his true form and told the

king he would not have to pay his

debt all at once, but rather pay it

off by serving devotees payasam

every day at the Ambalapuzzha

temple until his debt was paid off.

The elaborate history of kheer

has shaped it into the delectable

dessert it is today. Just like with

kheer, the entirety of India’s diverse

cuisines have intricate histories,

hidden behind masks of bold, rich,

and flavorful foods.

Works Cited

“A Guide To Indian Cuisine.” CulinarySchool.org,

CulinarySchool.org, www.culinaryschools.

org/international/indian-cuisine.php.

Inc., Restaurant Agent. “An Overview of India’s

Regional Cuisines.” Table Agent, Table

Agent, tableagent.com/article/an-overviewof-indias-regional-cuisines/.

Sahni, Julie. “South India’s Regional Cuisines.” The

New York Times, The New York Times, 21

Oct. 1990, www.nytimes.com/1990/10/21/

travel/fare-of-the-country-south-india-sregional-cuisines.html.

Santosh, Urmila. “Kheer: The Quintessential

Indian Milk Affair.” Make Heritage Fun!,

Food Heritage, 27 July 2016, www.

makeheritagefun.com/kheer-thequintessential-affair-indian-milk/.

Sarkar, Petrina Verma. “Learn About the Simple

Cuisine of East India.” The Spruce Eats,

The Spruce Eats, 19 Aug. 2019, www.

thespruceeats.com/cuisine-of-eastindia-1957881.

Lewis, Jeanine. “History of Indian Cuisine.” The

Culinary Scoop, WordPress, 12 Feb. 2011,

www.theculinaryscoop.com/2011/02/

history-of-indian-cuisine/.

Lad, Vasant. “Ayurveda: A Brief Introduction and

Guide.” The Ayurvedic Institute, 2006, www.

ayurveda.com/resources/articles/ayurvedaa-brief-introduction-and-guide.

Manali. “Rice Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding).”

Cook With Manali, 21 May 2019, www.

cookwithmanali.com/rice-kheer/.


31

HOLI

THE INDIAN

FESTIVAL OF

COLORS

By: Dhruvin Kamani

Holi is one of the most

important festivals in India. It is

celebrated each year with zeal and

enthusiasm in the month of March

by followers of every religion.

Those who celebrate this festival

eagerly wait for it every year to play

with colors and have delectable

dishes.

Holi is about celebrating

happiness with friends and family.

People forget their troubles and

indulge in this festival to celebrate

brotherhood. In other words, we

forget our enmities and get into the

festival spirit. Holi is known as the

festival of colors because people

play with colors and smear them in

each other’s faces to get colored in

the essence of the festival.

The Hindu religion believes

there was a devil king named

Hiranyakashyap long ago. He had

a son named Prahlad and a sister

called Holika. It is believed that the

devil king had blessings of Lord

Brahma. This blessing meant no

man, animal or weapon could kill

him. This blessing turned into a

curse for him as he became very

arrogant. He ordered his kingdom

to worship him instead of God, not

sparing his own son.

Following this, all the people

began worshipping him except

for his son, Prahlad. Prahlad

refused to worship his father

instead of God as he was a true

believer of Lord Vishnu. Upon

seeing his disobedience, the devil

king planned with his sister to kill

Prahlad. He made her sit in the

fire with Prahlad on her lap, where

Holika got burned and Prahlad

came out safe. This indicated he

was protected by his Lord because

of his devotion. Thus, people

started celebrating Holi as the

victory of good over evil.

People celebrate Holi with

utmost fervour and enthusiasm.

Holi celebrations start the night

before Holi with the Holika Dahan

where people light a bonfire, gather

around it, perform religious rituals

in front of the bonfire, and pray

that their internal evil be destroyed

in the same way Holika, the sister

of Demon king Hiranyakashipu and

aunt of Prahlad, was killed in the

fire with the help of God Vishnu.

The next day is probably the

most colorful day in India. Everyone

gets up early and prepares their

choice of weapon, such as pichkaris

(water guns), water balloons, colors

or mud. People go around different

areas to color people, throw them

and cover them in mud, and dance

in the water, all while colors are

thrown everywhere. Children

compete among themselves to see

how many people they can throw

water and colors at without getting

wet or colored themselves. DJs and

huge speakers play traditional and

modern songs, and people drink

the customary Bhaang made out of

cannabis, which is intoxicating.

Everyone, whether they are

rich or poor, man or woman, child

or elder, enjoys themselves to the

fullest because this is one of the

days where people forget about

everything and just live in the

moment.


33

AROUND THE WO


RLD IN 15 BOOKS


35

01 02 03

My Lady Jane by Cythia Hand is

set in the United Kingdom. This

book is a historical fantasy set in

an alternate history 14th century

London. It’s full of humor and witty

dialogue, with a fast-paced plot.

This is the perfect story for those

who enjoy learning about the past,

but with a little imagination thrown

in.

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta

Sepetys is set in mid-20th century

Madrid, Spain. It tells the story of

young people in Spain under the

dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

They see both the beauty and the

carefully hidden darkness to the

country, and must decide how to

navigate relationships and goals in

this tumultuous era. You’ll love this

story if you like history, romance,

and travel with a healthy seasoning

of adventure.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is

set in Russia. Don’t pass this book

up just because it was on a school

reading list! Believe it or not, some

of the books assigned for English

class can be pretty interesting.

This book is full of memorable

characters that seem before their

time. It’s dramatic and lush, and

just as entertaining as it is thoughtprovoking.

If you like musicals such

as Les Miserables or The Phantom

of the Opera, just imagine a soaring

soundtrack as the setting, and

you’ll fall in love with this book.

06 07 08

Inside Out and Back Again by

Thanha Lai is a novel-in-verse set in

Thailand. This book may be labeled

middle-grade, but it is so lyrical and

thought-provoking that adults will

enjoy it as well. The story of a Thai

girl fleeing her beloved country

due to war but finding hope as her

family preserves their culture will

stay with you long after you close

the covers.

Time and Tide: The Islands of Tuvalu

by Tony Wheeler is set in the tiny

country of Tuvalu. Tuvalu is less

than 10 square miles and hosts

only about 11,000 citizens. To

put that in perspective, the city of

Chicago hosts 2.7 million citizens.

This book is full of beautiful

pictures of a stunning environment

and unique culture that’s in danger

due to environment change. Read

this for a look into another world

that may be slowly slipping away.

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

is set in New Zealand. This story

is a look into an indigenous tribal

culture, the Maori of New Zealand.

Read this book and you’ll learn

about the Maori culture through

the eyes of a courageous young girl

who loves her people. The story will

almost remind you of Moana, but

with real legends and traditions as

the foundation.

11 12 13

Aluta by Adwoa Badoe is the story

of a young woman’s fight for her

ideals in 1981 Ghana. The main

character, Charlotte, loves her

country and passionately heralds

the cause of the revolution. As

political unrest overtakes Ghana,

she must make difficult decisions

about her future. If you have ever

fought for a cause, you will find this

novel relatable.

The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers

tells the incredible story of how an

impoverished girl from Uganda falls

in love with the game of chess. You

may have seen the movie, but don’t

pass up the book! It shows both the

beauty of culture and community

and the oppression of poverty in

modern Uganda.

The Stowaway by Laurie Shapiro

is set in Antarctica. Just because

it’s not a country doesn’t mean

it’s off the list! Why wouldn’t you

want to read about a continent

with penguins? The continent of

Antarctica is a fascinating place for

so many reasons, which you can

learn more about in this nonfiction

book. In this true story, a young

man stows away on an expedition

to Antarctica and his ensuing

adventures and discoveries.


04 05

The Magnolia Sword by Sherry

Thomas is set in 484 A.D. China.

This is a novel telling the story of

Mulan. It’s packed full of adventure,

danger, and interesting snippets of

ancient Chinese culture. If you’re

looking for a less controversial

(and less expensive!) alternative

to Disney’s live-action Mulan, this

book is sure to please.

Diary of a Tokyo Teen by Christine

Inzer is set in modern-day Japan.

This is a wonderful book if you

want an entertaining way to learn

about another culture. It’s the

true story of a girl who was born

in Tokyo and goes back to learn

more about her birthplace. It’s

full of hilarious situations and fun

drawings. If you love graphic novels

or world travel, be sure to check

out this book.

09 10

A Time to Dance by Padma

Venkatraman is set in India. One

book really can’t do an entire

country justice, especially in the

case of a nation like India with so

much diversity of culture. However,

this book is a good start. It tells

the story of a girl who loves the

traditional bharatanatyam dance.

She gets injured and can’t dance

anymore, and must find a new

way to connect with her culture. If

you’ve ever taken dance, be sure to

pick out this book for a fascinating

look at what dance means in

another culture!

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

is set in wartime Afghanistan.

This story is a sobering look at

how war affects a country from

a child’s point of view. However,

the ending is ultimately hopeful.

Read this book if you want to learn

more about how war can disrupt a

culture, and the hope for the future

young people can bring.

14 15

By: Grace Cunningham

Have you ever wanted to

travel the world? From vast deserts

to towering mountains, trains to

camels, or burgers to eel stew,

the diversity of experience across

the globe is incredible. There is so

much to appreciate about different

cultures across the world.

Most of us won’t be prolific

world travelers in our lifetimes,

but that doesn’t mean we can’t get

lost in the stories and traditions

of another culture! This book list

will allow you to travel around

the world from the comfort of

your own home. With books

set everywhere from Spain to

Antarctica, you’ll find a story (and a

culture) that interests you.

Next time you have a free

hour or two, immerse yourself in

another culture with one of these

books. You’ll find a whole world of

new experiences and ideas in these

stories!

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimimanda

Ngozi Adichie is one of the defining

pieces of Nigerian literature. Not

only that, but it tells a gripping and

victorious story of the messy and

beautiful sides of culture in Nigeria.

It’s a tale that transcends the

borders of countries or continents;

more a commentary on the

darkness and hope of humanity.

If you want to read a book that

makes you think, this is the story

for you.

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau

is a historical novel based on a

true story, about a girl from an

Andean village of Ecuador. It’s a

well-written story of the character’s

perseverance through prejudice

to find her place. If you enjoy true

stories about strong people, read

this book.


37

THE SYNERGY PROJECT

President

VP, Writing

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Tara Sangal

Julia Loritz

Britney Vildor

Dhruvin Kamani

Grace Cunningham

Lauren Daniels

Mariel Bumanglag

Nadia Kreuwieser

Shubaani Kumar

VP, Editing

Editor

Editor

Editor

Editor

Editor

Editor

Editor

VP, Design

VP, Operations

Operations

Marketing

Marketing

Marketing

VP, Finance

Finance

VP, Website Development

Emma Munro

Annie Vu

Avani Guduri

Britney Vildor

Julia Loritz

Mariel Bumanglag

Shubaani Kumar

Whitney Le

Avani Guduri

Whitney Le

Aryan Panpalia

Ameya Mulay

Carter Brutosky

Esther Ajayi

Bridgit Jung

Kayly Kassab

Bryan Lee

Website

www.synergyprojectglobal.org

Email

synergy@synergyprojectglobal.org

Instagram

@the.synergyproject

Twitter

@TheSynergyProj2

Reddit

u/SynergyProjectGlobal

LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com/company/synergy-projectnewspaper/

Podcast coming soon to Youtube and Spotify!

Our ability

to reach

unity in

diversity

will be the

beauty

and the

test of our

civilization.

--Mahatma

Gandhi

03

The Synergy Project Magazine - October 2020

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