| The Owl Gazette |
| Issue 49 December 2007 B |
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| Books for Christmas Gift Giving
Beonca Aims Here I have listed some interesting books for those hard to buy for students in the different houses. For Slytherins: Brooding & Sulking, by Anita Darkcorner Dragons are Snakes with Wings, by Flint Firestarter For Gryffindors: Bravery by the Numbers, by Ima Bravehart The Roar Within You, by Eleen Onowone For Hufflepuffs: Standing in the Spotlight of Another, by Anita Space 101 Things to Make with Old Photos, by Scrapbook Annie For Ravenclaws: Returning Overdue Library Books without Paying Fines, by Skin Flint Randy�s Speed-reading Course, by Randy Redeyes For Penshires: Paper Arts, by Orgami Ream Coloring Outside the Lines, by Bea Creative |
| Yule You�all
Beonca Aims Yule means �wheel� in Norse and is the festival of the Winter Solstice, around December 21st, and the longest night of the year. It is one of the most universally celebrated festivals, and is also known as the Festival of Lights because of all the candles burned that night. In ancient Rome, it was called Natalis Solis Invicti, �Birthday of the Unconquered Sun�, and it took place during the longer festival of the Saturnalia, the greatest festival of the year, from which we get out New Year�s image of old Father Time (Saturn) with his scythe. Yule was the first Pagan festival to be Christianized in 354 ce, when the birth of Jesus, originally in late September, was officially moved to the Winter Solstice and called Christmas. The many customs associated with Yuletide, candles, decorated trees, Yule logs, wreaths, pine bough decorations, gift-giving, plays, mistletoe and decking the halls, are all Pagan in nature and provided rich material for our contemporary celebrations. There is not written record of Christians decorating their homes with evergreen, holly, ivy, and the �Christmas� tree before 1605. This symbolized to the ancients the eternal life of nature as these plants were the only remaining greenery during the winter. |
| Werewolf Sighting
By Death If you watched the news lately, you might have seen the news reports about werewolf sightings in Northern England, the Ministry of Magic is trying to cover this story up. I went over to the Ministry to talk to the Minister himself. I actually got to. "Minister, what are you trying to do to cover this up?" I asked. The Minister says, "We-are trying to cover this up by removing the creature from uptown England. We have our best men, Alastor, and Kingsley removing it. They have actually been caught up in trouble. They have discovered remains of fellow Wizards. Don't worry, we have a tent over the scene and we have our disguises on." The Minister seems to have this story under control, but I don't believe it. Tune in next issue for the final conclusion of this tingling story. |
| Backpacking - Winter Backpacking
By Gawyn Crossguard It's that time again - No, not present time. Ok, well that, too, but I was talking about Backpacking time. Now, I know that in the last issue I stated that I'd be writing this article about Car Camping, but I decided that instead, I'd talk about winter Backpacking. Backpacking in the winter is pretty much the same as backpacking any other time of year, except for the fact that it is really, really, really, really, really cold. Believe it or not I have actually camped out in my side yard in January with 2 feet of snow on the ground, and that night the temperature didn't get above 21 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend a fire that you can sit by to get nice, and toasty warm before you crawl into you're freezing sleeping bag. Your body heat will warm you up faster than if you just went to bed after sitting in the cold with just a coat. I would also suggest sleeping with every layer on, pulling the drawstrings tight on your sleeping bag to help prevent frostbite and hypothermia. Another tip that I would council is looking into a sleeping bag that has a rating for 25 degrees or lower. I personally prefer the 0 degree ratings or even into the negative numbers. I've found that down sleeping bags are much warmer and comfier than cotton or other fillings often found in sleeping bags. As a final thought, just remember that staying warm is the key. |
| What You Didn't Know About Christmas
By Fiona Chauvet The poinsettia, traditionally an American Christmas flower, originally grew in Mexico; where it was known as the "Flower of the Holy Night". It was first brought to America by Joel Poinsett in 1829. The popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont, and was originally called "One-Horse Open Sleigh." The Puritans forbade the singing of Christmas carols. The real St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, where he was bishop of the town of Myra, in the early 4th century. It was the Dutch who first made him into a Christmas gift-giver, and Dutch settlers brought him to America where his name eventually became the familiar Santa Claus. The table for Christmas Eve dinner in the Ukraine is set with two tablecloths: one for the ancestors of the family, the other for the living members. In pagan times, ancestors were believed to be benevolent spirits who, when shown respect, brought good fortune. The tradition of Christmas lights dates back to when Christians were persecuted for saying Mass. A simple candle in the window meant that Mass would be celebrated there that night. The traditional flaming Christmas pudding dates back to 1670 in England, and was derived from an earlier form of stiffened plum porridge. The world's first singing commercial aired on the radio on Christmas Eve, 1926 for Wheaties cereal. The four male singers, eventually known as the Wheaties Quartet, sang the jingle. The Wheaties Quartet comprised of an undertaker, a bailiff, a printer, and a businessman, performed the song for the next six years, at $6 per singer per week. The commercials were a resounding success. Theodore Roosevelt, a staunch conservationist, banned Christmas trees in his home, even when he lived in the White House. His children, however, smuggled them into their bedrooms. There are twelve courses in the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper. According to the Christian tradition, each course is dedicated to one of Christ's apostles. When Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, died on December 4, 1894, he willed his November 13 birthday to a friend who disliked her own Christmas birthday. Yuletide-named towns in the United States include Santa Claus, located in Arizona and Indiana, Noel in Missouri, and Christmas in both Arizona and Florida. |
| Godric's Double Chocolate Christmas Cookies
By Fiona Chauvet So I was lounging in the common room one day and had myself a seat on the couch. I was chewing on a sugar quill and accidentally dropped it in the back of the cushion. When I went to retrieve it, I found something else stuffed underneath. I pulled out a crumpled and very old piece of parchment. It was a recipe for Christmas cookies written by none other than our own founder, Godric Gryffindor. I was amazed! First off, that Gryffindor was a cook, and second that it had been ages since anyone had cleaned under the cushions. Kind of gross, really. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you all Gryffindor's very own recipe for Christmas cookies. They're delicious and I encourage all to give it a go. Ingredients: -Flour -Water -Double Chocolate Chips -2 eggs -Butter -Sugar -Cinnamon Directions: Make your cookie dough by pour a pound of flour into a bowl. Mix in a half cup of water, your two eggs and a teaspoon of butter. Mix until the dough is nice and sticky. Then, add a half cup of your double chocolate chips, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of sugar. Mix again for thirty seconds. Once you've created the dough, spoon out small balls onto a cookie sheet. This should make around 20 cookies. Use a tree shaped cookie cuter to mold the dough. Then bake the cookies for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Eat and enjoy! |
| How to make the Perfect Snowman
By Fiona Chauvet We all want to build the best snowman possible, but sometimes they just don't come out right. Here are directions to construct the best snowman ever! Follow them carefully and have a great time! First go outside and make sure the snow is the good kind of packing snow. If it's too powdery and falls apart when you try to make a snowball, it's no good. Wet snow sticks together the best. Roll a large snowball to make the bottom of the snowman. Depending on the size of your snowman, you'll want it to be pretty big. The bigger it is, the longer it will take to melt! Remember that! Next, roll a second snowball, but this time make it slightly smaller than the first. This will be the middle of the snowman. When it's a good size, place it on top of the big snowball. Then roll your third snowball, which will be the smallest one. It will be the snowman's head. Now you have your snowman body. Finally, you can add the finishing touches! Look for some stones or more preferably some coal for the eyes and mouth. You can also use sticks for the mouth. Then find a carrot or some other long vegetable that will work for the nose. You can add a corncob pipe if you like, or other accessories. Look for some long sticks you can use for the two arms. The thicker the better. Then gather some old winter clothing. Mittens, a scarf and a hat work the best. Now you're finished! You can play with the snowman, name him Frosty, Uncle Joe, Boop, or whatever, or just demolish him and make a new one. I prefer demolishing the snowman because it's a lot of fun. Hehe. |
| Top 5 Reasons Why Christmas Is The Best Time of Year!
By Megan Miller 1) It brings families together 2) The feeling of pure joy when you find the perfect gift for a loved one 3) The chance to re-discover the spirit of Christmas 4) Seeing all the pretty lights/decorations on trees and houses 5) Snow! (It makes the world look amazing!) |
| The 12 Days of Christmas: Hogwarts Style
By Fiona Chauvet On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me... 12 ghosts a-gliding 11 Slytherins sneering 10 Pens a-painting 9 Gryffs grinning 8 Huffs a-hopping 7 Raves a-reading 6 Wands a-waving 5 Heads of House! 4 Snowy owls 3 Dirty cauldrons 2 Detention slips and a first year stuck in the whomping willow tree |
| Top 5 gifts NOT to give a Gryffindor this Christmas
By Fiona Chauvet 5). A ruby studded sword (might poke an eye out) 4). A map to every hidden passage in the castle 3). Another hand knitted sweater with our initials 2). An invisibility cloak (they're so last season) 1). A BOOK |
| Dear Alba,
I think I am starting to like this boy that i have been friends with for a while but the problem is that he is dating some one right now and really happy and I also have a boyfriend. What should I do? Signed, Messed Up Dear Messed Up, Sometimes we develope these kinds of feelings about friends of the opposite sex because they may have a quality about them you admire that your current boyfriend doesn't have, or because maybe you can talk to them more openly than you can your own boyfriend. It would be wise to take some time & figure out if you really do have feelings for your friend, & if you do, are they stronger than the feelings you have for your boyfriend? |