According tohttp://www.novareinna.com, the custom on Valentines Day in Denmark isto be humorous and have fun. Danish men give females a valentine letter known as gaekkebrev (or “joking letter”) The sender of this gaekkebrev writes a poem but does not sign his/her name. Instead, he signs the message with dots, one dot for each letter in his name. If the lady who receives the card guesses the name of the sender, then she is rewarded with an Easter egg later on that year.

According to www.everythingvalentinesday.com, Scotland celebrates a Valentine’s Day festival. At the festival, an equal number of men and women’s write their made up names on paper and fold it half, and put them into two separate hats.The men choose from the women hat, and the women choose from the men’s hat. If the names that were drawn don’t match, then the male is matched with the woman who chose his name. The ladies pin the name of their partner over their heart or on their sleeves. Later, there’s a dance where everyone meets up and they celebrate with their partners.

In France , a custom known as “drawing for” once occurred because later on becomes banned. According to, http://www.novareinna.com unmarried individuals would go into houses facing each other and begin calling out across from one window to another, matching up with the chosen partner. If the young man failed to be interested with his valentine, he would leave her. Later, a bonfire will be lit where the ladies could burn images of the ungrateful partner and say bad things while the picture burns. This ritual was eventually banned by the French government because people would abuse one another. Today, the French exchange greeting cards known as cartes d’amities, which contain heartfelt messages.

In China, Valentine’s Day is celebrated somewhat like it is in the U.S. “Gentlemen purchase flowers for the ladies,” said Geometry teacher Ms. Anney Li. In Chinese high schools, flowers are sold and they are distributed to the classrooms, like we do at our school. Restaurants are definitely places that older couples go to, to eat on Valentine’s Day. Many different countries celebrate Valentine’s Day. Whether it’s going out to eat, celebrating a festival, or watching pictures of ungrateful men burn in fire, like in France. “I personally like Valentine’s day because I think it’s nice to feel special on that day, to know you are loved by someone else,” said junior Marisch Perera. Valentine’s Day should be celebrated with the ones you love, and in a unique way.

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Sonia Rykiel, the “Queen of Knits,” began designing in 1962 when she was pregnant and unable to find any soft sweaters. Rykiel, who recently made an appearance on NYCTV’s, Video Fashion Daily, explained how her knitted approach is both fresh and elegant. Her style is depicted throughout her numerous embellished studded and sequin belts, wrapped over tailored knitted cardigans and dresses.

According to The Fashion Book, published by Phaidon Book Company, Rykiel states how she loves knit because it is “very magical, and sophisticated enough for the evening.” A shimmering Sonia Rykiel dress was worn by Kate Bosworth at the Grand Palais in Paris, celebrating Rykiel’s new lingerie collection for H&M. February 20, 2010, will mark the release of a second collection featuring an iconic knitwear collection for women and girls as well as playful accessories. After all, frivolity is a major theme this season. According to Nathalie Rykiel, president and artistic director of Sonia Rykiel, “The world is tough and you just have to have fun. Play around with your clothes in a way that’s different.”

Bright stripes, colorful scarves, 70’s style frizzy hair, and neon heels are also crucial to this coming season. According to style.com, Rykiel also hit the current idea of the big soft fun fur as a huge bubble of color; in her case, baby pink, purple knitted fox or teal-blue Mongolian lamb. During Paris Fashion Week, Sonia Rykiel showed her own collection for next spring.

There, she displayed gorgeous ruffled dresses in vintage floral and polka dot prints. By the time three models vamped their way down the elevated runway in metallic silver-and-black striped sweaters and skirts, it was inevitable that this seasons clothing was boisterous yet couture. Rykiel’s smocked dresses had a 70’s vibe, while crystal-strewn knit dresses mirrored the embellishment on her popular Domino bag. The seasons slogan read garçon manqué, which means tomboy, which was inspired by Rykiel’s tree climbing youth.

“Sonia Rykiel’s dresses are unique, but some girls are able to pull off her designs better than others,”said junior Danielle Ianazzi.

However, Ennio Capasa, the “mix of couture and the street,” is very different from Rykiel. His elegance is depicted throughout his use of toned down colors and sheer fabrics. His moment in fashion is used to open minds, and create fashion diversity in the future. According to Capasa, “Open backs, royal blue and black, and the mixture of dresses and high boots” is very important to him. Ennio Capasa is the creator of Costume National, the Italian fashion house he founded in 1986. He is now an internationally renowned designer label, famous for his subtle shapes, dark tones and sartorial detail.

“Capasa and Rykiel are both very different, but they both have a style in which I enjoy. I would wear Sonia Rykiel if I were going to a party or a club, but I would wear Capasa if I were going to a white tie affair, or an elegant event,” said senior Samantha Wong.

Both elegance and fun are essential to the fashion industry. So remember ladies, peace, love, Sonia Rykiel and Ennio Capasa.

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If you rode the New York City Subway on January 10, 2010, you probably experienced an unusual holiday. For the past nine years, January 10 has been declared No Pants Day by the comedy troupe Improv Everywhere.

The idea of No Pants Day is for thousands of New Yorkers to ride the subway in their underwear and act as if nothing is unusual. The reactions from fellow riders are priceless.

The event began at 3:00 pm at six meeting points through out the city, Foley Square and Central Park in Manhattan; Prospect Park and Bushwick in Brooklyn, and Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Astoria in Queens. The participants were then split up into groups by their birthday and the last digit of their cell phone number to be assigned their route and the car they would be riding in.

“We used 10 subway lines spread out all over the city, though sadly we didn’t use Staten Island as there is no direct subway route. We picked routes that would lead our participants to Union Square in about a half hour’s time,” said Charlie Todd, founder of Improv Everywhere.

All of the routes required a transfer at Times Square and converged on Union Square for a pantsless celebration. The three thousand participants formed conga lines around the park, held break dance competitions, and sang a pantsless rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

The participants flooded the local businesses. Some were on high alert, while others such as Heartland Brewery and Starbucks warmly welcomed the pantless brethren.

The event’s most exciting component was the reactions from fellow passengers.

“I was on the 1 train when two college age boys entered the train at Franklin Street without pants. I thought it was an initiation for a fraternity until two pantless women got on at Houston St. After that, I thought I was losing my mind until somebody told me it was a prank,” said a rider who wishes to be referred to as Denise.

Tourists looked on in awe at the unusual sight. When asked why they were not wearing pants, the participants were instructed to say they simply forgot their pants and they didn’t know why the other participants aren’t wearing pants.

“No Pants is always a fun event for me personally because I enjoy watching the reactions from the New Yorkers we encounter. Even as it gets more popular as the years go by, there are always people seeing it for the first time,” said Todd.

The New York event has grown from seven participants to over 3,000 in this year’s rendition. The No Pants Subway Ride has also become a global holiday, with participants in cities all over the US, as well as in South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

While the event began as a prank, it has evolved into a de facto underwear parade. However, the spirit of the event has not been lost. The priceless reactions are what keep the event going.

If you are seeking a memorable experience and a feeling of comradery, think about participating in the 2011 No Pants Subway Ride. Remember, don’t show up if you are not going to take off your pants.

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This year, there is no better way to spread the joy of the season than to donate toys to the Hungerford School located right here on our school campus.

Key Club ran their first toy drive, and they collected toys until December 11th. Anybody could give, and the only criteria was that the toys had to be new, simple, and suitable for middle school students.

“Our school and our Key Club are generous enough to want to see less fortunate people celebrate Christmas like everyone else. It’s nice to give,” said Key Club advisor, Ms. Hattie Slaughter.

“It’s good because we get to give toys to kids who don’t always get toys on Christmas,” said freshman Alyssa Merolo.

For many students, both members and volunteers, this toy drive meant a great deal. They truly cared about making sure these children receive toys this Christmas.

“It’s a very good idea to give children a wonderful Christmas,” said sophomore Michael Lupino.

The faculty members, inspired by the student’s generosity, were also involved in this cause.

“The toy drive is a great idea. I love to see how students at our school are in the giving spirit during the holiday season,” said math teacher Ms. Lilliana Vendra.

Even the Hungerford School staff were touched by the giving nature of our Key Club.

“In a time like now, particularly during the holiday season, it’s good to know people care, especially people you don’t know. You don’t ask for it, yet they give. It makes us feel good about the world. We gain a sense of hope,” said Hungerford teacher, Kevin Hazzard.

Ms. Slaughter organized this event with Ms. Lindsay Miller, the site coordinator of the Hungerford School. The toys were given to the Hungerford students on December 18th at a Christmas celebration where The Key Club Member delivered the toys.

Key Club’s twenty eight members meet every Monday after school in Ms. Niederhoffer’s classroom to discuss various community service activities they can do. Ms. Slaughter started this club in 2007.

Although the toy drive is over, the joy of Christmas giving should stay with us all throughout the year.

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Noisemakers blare, people are counting down, and Dick Clark on the T.V wishes everyone a Happy New Year. Now that it’s 2010, are you going to make a New Year resolution?

A New Year’s resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or to try to change a bad habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous.

“To me New Year resolutions are a waste of time. No one follows them. I don’t follow mine,” said Stop and Shop clerk, Andre Beckwith.

According to the founder of the site www.wilstar.com/Holidays Jerry Wilson, the celebration of the New Year is one of the oldest holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. Around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon.

“To me New Years is a time to spend with family, while patiently awaiting the New Years Ball to drop, eagerly looking forward to the New Year and all the opportunities that will come with it,” said sophomore, Angelia Martika Lewis.

Other traditions of the season include the making New Year’s resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking, but for Babylonians most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year began in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate the god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

“I remember in 2007 when my newborn was the New Years baby. It was so fun and very exciting,” said Toys R Us Shopper, Celeste Vell.

40 to 45 percent of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. Among the top resolutions are commitments to lose weight, to exercise, and to stop smoking. Other popular resolutions deal with better money management and debt reduction.

According to the website www.proactivechange.com, many of these resolutions are maintained as time goes on: past the first week: 75% past 2 weeks: 71% after one month: 64% and after 6 months: 46%.

One of the reasons it’s hard to keep a New Year’s Resolution is because you’re trying to end a bad habit. Bad habits die-hard, and it’s a struggle all year.

So, with a New Year almost here, start thinking of your New Year’s resolution, and have a happy New Year.

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Being an international school, we have many people that celebrate fun holidays, but we mostly acknowledge Christmas. But what about the other holidays such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa?

Have they been pushed aside? Definitely not. The tree outside the main office will be decorated to represent each.

The school is also starting a new tradition. The Recycled Dragon Ornament Contest, held between the advisories, began at the end of November and ended December 18th.

“It would be cool to decorate all the holidays. And we want to incorporate international symbols of peace because our school is international,” said Principal, Ms. Aimee Horowitz.

In keeping with our green mission, every advisory competed in the ornament contest. The ornaments are made completely from recycled materials, such as empty Snapple cans or scraps of paper. During E-Block lunch, recently many girls went from table to table, asking for empty milk cartons.

Some advisories have very intricate designs. The Barrett Advisory’s design was said to be made entirely of metal material and could possibly be mobile.

Other advisories, like Ms Guo’s, used what was lying around their advisory or brought in materials.

Students around the school enjoyed themselves while competing.

“I liked it because we didn’t have independent reading,” said freshman Travis Dove.

Not only were the students enthusiastic about the competition, the advisors were just as thrilled.

“We’re in it to win!” said senior advisor, Ms. Garcia, who refused to show her G-block class what her advisory made before the competition.

But why a dragon of all things? Since our school first opened, the dragon has always been the mascot, so the hope was to show off school pride.

The winning advisories were, Mr. Barret’s senior advisory, Mrs. Emerson’s junior advisory, Ms. Guo’s sophomore advisory, and the Stefanski and Packowski advisories for the freshmen.

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Christmas in Switzerland begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve, during advent. On these four Sundays, a candle on a ring of fir branches is lit, to symbolize the start of the holiday.

While in the U.S., Santa Claus brings presents on the night of the 25th, most Swiss don’t know who Santa Claus is. The Swiss are raised with the Christkind, an angel who brings presents on Christmas Eve, once children are out of sight.

Still, there is a Santa Claus figure called St. Nicolas, originally a bishop from Turkey who was famous for his generosity. Nowadays, men dressed as St. Nicolas (Samichlaus) bring children small bags filled with peanuts, oranges and chocolate on December 6.

But Christmas in Switzerland isn’t meant for gift giving. It is similar to Thanksgiving, as Christmas is meant as a time when we are thankful to each other and remember to love and help our friends and relatives.

What might be surprising to Americans is that traditionally our Christmas tree is a real fir hung with lit candles. Still, of course, electric lamps have become fairly common.

And, Swiss Christmas doesn’t end December on 26. It ends on January 6, the day the three kings arrived in Bethlehem. So, in Switzerland, we enjoy a longer holiday season

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Evidence shows that the historical figure, Jesus of Nazareth, was not born in December, and the Christmas traditions that are common today come from pagan origins, mainly from European countries.

Stories written about Jesus’ birth claim that shepherds were watching their flocks in fields the night of his birth.

Steven Birch | The Insider

“Animals adjust to weather conditions. They could still live outside and be fed by their keepers,” said earth science teacher Mrs. Kimberly Lombardi.

According to Reverend Finis Jennings Dake, a scholar who spent over 40 years studying the bible, shepherds never kept their flocks in the winter time, which in Bethlehem lasts from November to April.

So why do people celebrate Christmas in December?

The answer lies in history. Modern Christmas arrives from ancient European winter festivals.

According to the History Channel’s website, www.history.com, Romans celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, during the last few days of December. Romans also celebrated Saturnalia, a holiday in honor of Saturn, and the god of agriculture.

To truly honor Saturn, Romans decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs, similar to modern Christmas trees. Saturnalia was celebrated during the winter solstice and continuing for a full month. During this festival, people gathered to worship Saturn and enjoyed feasts together.

After Christianity spread throughout Europe, Pope Julius I chose December 25 because, as the leader of the church, this date allowed people to convert to Christianity without leaving their own non-Christian traditions.

So people continued to celebrate during December, but instead of worshipping Saturn, or Mithra, they celebrated the birth of Jesus. Fortunately, they could still exchange gifts, decorate their houses, and cook multiple meals because the pope said Jesus was born in December.

Even though historians know Jesus was not born during the wintertime, it is still tough to decide the actual date and year of his birth.

“The calendar we have today is off by 4 to 6 years, so no one can tell exactly what year Jesus was born,” said history teacher, Ms. Tonya Brooks.

Today, modern Christmas traditions are too popular and few people know about the real origins of the celebration or the inaccuracy of December 25th.

“My family is Catholic and Christmas is a big thing for us. We like to get the tree with decorations, make lots of food, and exchange gifts, so finding out that Christmas came from non-Christian traditions is extremely shocking,” said a junior student.

Even though history proves Jesus wasn’t born in December, and that the origins of Christmas are not related to the actual religion, it seems no one is willing to give up receiving gifts, singing Christmas songs, and most importantly sharing the Christmas spirit.

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Back in the 1850s, Abraham Lincoln was beginning his presidential campaign. At the time, biased newspapers were extremely common. A reporter from The New York Herald once wrote that Lincoln’s Cooper Union speech was “unmitigated trash, interlarded with coarse and clumsy jokes.”

On November 4, 2009, Journalism teacher Mrs. Nancy Kaplan took ten staff members to view the Lincoln Exhibit at the New York Historical Society in Manhattan to learn how the press influenced society, and consider whether the media still has an influence today.

Northern newspapers, such as The New York Tribune favored Lincoln while southern newspapers like The Ch

arleston Mercury were totally against him. “ It depended on which part of the country you were from as to how Lincoln was viewed in the press. Obviously, the abolitionist newspapers and the pro-Union papers were favorable to him,” said history teacher Ms. Karolynn Mangiero.

Biased newspapers and headlines were used during the 1800s as an attempt to sway people to one political side.

Today biased front pages and headlines are not only rare, but also unethical. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become more popular than newspapers, thus making them the biased newspapers of our generation.

“Oddly enough, people aren’t really all that shocked for the most part. A lot of people who come through the exhibit express the feeling that a lot of bias still exists in the media today. It’s just more subtle now,” said docent Jennifer Lagasse.

During Lincoln’s time, newspapers were seen as a source for news and a way to share information about local happenings with people. Nowadays, some newspapers have become geared towards whose dating whom and the latest celebrity’s public misconduct.

“Today I believe newspapers are about sensationalization and manipulating individuals so they can make large sums of money. For example, the headlines in New York’s daily newspapers have been filled with Tiger Woods’ domestic issues rather than the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan or any of the major social and economic issues facing the nation,” said Ms. Mangiero. “This also says a lot about us as news readers. We are more concerned with gossip than real issues.”

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Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF,) who has been known for her phenomenon, the seed of what is today a full fashion house, the classic wrap dress, is truly the stylista role model for 2010. Her designs celebrate women’s strength, courage, and prosperity.

As designer queen of the fashion house, Von Furstenberg has created a line inspiring to both the public and other fashion icons. Her clothes emphasize femininity and spirit with timeless bright colored prints.

“The wrap dress is very Diane Keaton. It looks like it’s made for older women to wear, but it’s so feminine that if you add some neon accessories and John Lennon glasses, younger girls can pull it off too,” said senior Alexandra Crimmins.

The overall effect of the wrap dress was sparked by pure optimism. All fashionistas can use a hefty dose of that, and while the Belgium born designer continues her independence by designing clothes, fall/winter 2010 is approaching. Having sold fine jewelry, shoes, and clothing in over 56 different countries, Von Furstenberg is helping to lead the runway for fashion week 2010.

Fortunately, this feminine inspiration is the key to all up and coming fashion weeks for the New Year.

“I am excited for fashion week 2010, because I was traumatized by fashion week 2009. The styles for girls, and even guys were just too weird. I’m hoping 2010 will be a better year for the fashion industry,” said sophomore Nasir Kujenya.

Over the years, drama has come into play with some of the most feminine and couture ensembles. In previous years, this “dramatic,” goth-type feel would not have captivated audiences. This year, it’s different, and all about the drama.

According to omiru.com, this dramatic goth style is over the top, experimenting with some extreme silhouettes (harem pants, sharp shoulders), severely attention-grabbing details (sequins, knotted details), and bold colors like red, yellow, and black.

“Black is a great color that can work for any body type and skin-tone. Paired with red, black is given the right amount of edge and boldness to complete a look,” said senior Amanda Cipollone.

In winter, there’s no fashion without fun. Ladies, thank goodness you’re a woman, for fall/winter 2010 catwalks are being heavily influenced by the 1940’s style.

Trends come and go, and fashion repeats itself. Could you ever imagine the original classic wrap dress worn runway again? There’s a question to ask yourself in the morning when you wake up. So remember ladies, peace, love, and Diane Von Furstenberg.

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