FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS BEGINS TUESDAY
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO—This year, we recommend that you mark Hanukkah—whatever your faith may be—by visiting this National Public Radio (NPR) website and enjoying the free audio recordings of this year’s Hanukkah Lights series. For the 27th year in a row, NPR celebrates the Festival of Lights with stories of the season. Join Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz as they read tales by Andrea Kamens, Debra Darvick, Elizabeth Graver, Grace Paley and Evan Guilford-Blake.
We want to especially call your attention to the story from Debra Darvick, which is the true account of of Mike Neulander, who served in the Gulf War as a helicopter pilot in the 1st Cavalry Division, received the Bronze Star for aerial combat actions and retired as a major.
The NPR Hanukkah Lights webpage also allows visitors to easily send links to friends via email or social media. Please, do! Help us celebrate the Festival of Lights by sharing these wonderful audio stories with friends!
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WHAT IS HANUKKAH?
STEPHANIE FENTON—Our Holidays & Festivals columnist explains the holiday traditions and, along the way, busts the myth that Hanukkah is just “the Jewish Christmas.” Stephanie also explores the holiday’s rich food traditions, including latkes with a delicious recipe. And, you’ll find more of Debra Darvick’s reflections on the festival in this column.
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CHRISTMAS & NATIVITY
Back in November, millions of Eastern Christians began their traditional Nativity Fast in preparation for Christmas. Stephanie Fenton reports that holiday story.
Now, Western Christians are in the season of Advent. Stephanie’s story explains the meaning of Advent and its annual customs—plus, she looks ahead to the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8’s historic reading of Genesis in 1968. Interested in that inspiring story? We recommend the new book about Apollo 8 that has been described by Forbes magazine as “heady stuff.”
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NEED A LAST MINUTE GIFT?
We’ve got a treat for you! You’ll find hand-picked recommendations from a master shopper: Susan Stitt, head of Morgan Street Media. She is very familiar with the many authors who have published their books with us over the years—because Susan also serves as marketing director of Front Edge Publishing. She has a list of six recommendations that just might help you with that tough-to-satisfy person on your list. Check it out! And, yes, in most parts of the U.S., Amazon is still delivering these books well before Christmas.
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A LATINO TRADITION
POSADAS NAVIDENAS—The Hispanic countdown to Christmas officially begins Saturday December 16 with Posadas Navidenas. Tantalizing dishes, merry carols and the story of the nativity has been bringing together communities in Mexico for more than 400 years in a beloved tradition that lasts nine nights and ends on Dec. 24. Stephanie has the story!
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INVITE SADIE INTO YOUR HOME
ACTIVE PLAY—The new picture book by noted educators (and sisters) Linda Jarkey and Julie Jarkey-Kozlowski is far more than a quick-and-colorful story to share with kids. It’s an invitation to ongoing creativity! Here’s an interview with the sisters. We invite our readers to get involved as early allies.
Then, tell your friends about an interactive page that opens the creative doorway into this book: www.SadieSeesTrouble.com
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FAITH & FILM
ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.
LOVE MOVIES & SPIRITUAL REFLECTION? Buy yourself a merry little Christmas present by subscribing to a year of the Journal, now. And, among the hundreds of complete discussion guides you’ll receive in this treasure trove of Journals—you can also enjoy Ed’s popular guide to Christmas movies, originally published four years ago and still very popular.
Among Ed’s latest free movie reviews are:
- COCO—The Pixar/Disney movie is a great choice for family viewing this season! (4.5 out of 5 stars)
- THE STAR—Want a family movie specifically about the Nativity? Try this new version for children. (3 stars)
- THE RIDE—Any Midnight Clear fans out there? Ed points out that this short is still available online, for a modest price. You may want to check it out. (4.5 stars)
- THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS—Ed writes: “Director Bharat Nalluri’s film never actually claims that Charles Dickens invented Christmas, but it does show how Dickens struggled to create the classic story that transformed the holiday.” (4.5 out of 5 stars)
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THE SULTAN AND THE SAINT—Now, here is a movie you should plan to watch! What’s more—it’s free on TV in most parts of the U.S. Airing December 26—mark your calendar now. (5 stars)
- MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS—Clever, new and featuring a big new mustache for Hercule Poirot. (4 stars)
- LUCKY—Harry Dean Stanton’s final film is a tribute to its star, Ed McNulty writes, giving the movie 5 stars.
- WONDER—This story of a little boy with a disfigured face is a rich experience, Ed says. (5 stars)
- WONDERSTRUCK—Ed writes, “You too might feel wonderstruck when you watch Todd Haynes new film based on Brian Selznick’s 2011 novel, the engaging story of two deaf children separated by some 50 years yet bound closely together.” (5 stars)
- LOVING VINCENT—”Lovers of the dynamic paintings of Vincent van Gogh will enjoy this painstakingly made film. It is unlike any other animated film you have seen,” Ed says. (5 stars)
- FLORIDA PROJECT—A film about outsiders in America—troubling and well worth viewing, Ed concludes. In fact, this gem was just featured in two Best Movies of 2017 lists in the New York Times! (5 stars)
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