Winter Holidays
The chilly winter month of December is filled with celebrations, parties, and holidays all around the world. Some are filled with solemn traditions while others focus on fun and frolic.
Hanukkah: While the exact dates change every year, this is an eight-day Jewish holiday. Those who celebrate light a special candle holder called a menorah. They do this to remember an ancient miracle in which one day’s worth of oil burned for eight.
Winter Solstice: This year the winter solstice takes place on December 21st, which will be the shortest day of 2022. People all over the world celebrate with festivals and celebrations.
Christmas: This Christian holiday is celebrated annually on December 25th. In the US the holiday centers around spending time with family and exchanging gifts. Festivities in Ireland tend to be more religious, and celebrations last until the 6th of January.
Kwanzaa: A holiday based on ancient African harvest festivals which celebrate the ideals of family life and unity. Celebrated from December 26th through January 1st.
No matter what holiday, or holidays, you celebrate, we wish you a very happy, healthy, safe, relaxing, and fun holiday season! Happy holidays!
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Enjoy Plant-Based Fare at Planta
Planta isn’t just devoted to plant-based dining. It’s also dedicated to environmental sustainability. So in addition to serving only vegan food, every process the restaurant has put in place benefits Mother Earth. From compostable to-go packaging to locally sourced produce, Planta has taken steps to decrease its footprint wherever possible.
So you can feel really good about dining at Planta whether you’re a vegan or not. You won’t even miss the meat at the plant-based Asian restaurant. Its sushi chefs artfully craft rolls sans seafood, using veggies like eggplant or even watermelon as stand-ins. For instance, the ahi watermelon nigiri comes glazed with ginger and citrus soy, while the mushroom “bacon” inari harnesses the umami flavor of fungi. Meanwhile, a baked crab roll is actually stuffed with hearts of palm, plus ponzu and spicy mayo. Foray into raw fare with the pad Thai slaw, kelp noodles tossed with green papaya, peppers, cabbage, and peanut sauce. Or sink your teeth into a signature entree such as the avocado-lime tartare, showcasing beetroot “tuna” with pine nuts, capers, citrus soy sauce, sesame, cilantro, and crispy taro chips.
Music Old and New Rings Out Across the Concert Hall at MCYO: Symphonic Essence
Vivaldi. Mozart. Bizet. These are some of the musical icons inspiring the pair of MCYO: Symphonic Essence concerts on Sunday, December 11th. With one performance slated for 2 p.m. and another set to begin at 7 p.m., you have two opportunities to experience the passion with which the orchestra delivers its cheery holiday symphony.
MCYO is made up of a mix of young artists and seasoned adult musicians led by meticulous conductors who guide them as they master some of the most difficult and famous melodies of all time—alongside some lesser-known tracks. On deck for MCYO: Symphonic Essence is Overture to the Merry Widow, a newly composed suite from Wagners Lohengrin, and Three Sketches for Unbridled Earth. The latter by Jordan Jinosko has actually never been played before in public, and it’s essentially a love poem to Mother Nature. Oscar Navarro’s Libertadores will serve as another homage to the earth, this time the Amazon rainforest and its native people. Tickets to the performances start at $10.
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