What do the following titles have in common?
All of these are titles which have been challenged. Somewhere in Canada in the past 30 years, individuals or groups have tried to have these books removed from schools, libraries and bookstores. The list of challenged authors includes Canadian Alice Munro, the 2013 Nobel Laureate for Literature.
February 22-28 is Freedom to Read Week.
Celebrate and protect your freedom to read,
and stand up for intellectual freedom in all its forms.
Go to freedomtoread.ca for more information.
Gung Hay Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Welcome to the Year of the Sheep. Or is it the Year of the Goat?
Whatever the English translation is, the Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, begins on February 19, according to the Gregorian Calendar in 2015.
Different translations from Mandarin render it the Year of the Sheep, Goat or Ram. “Year of the Horned Ruminant” doesn’t have a nice ring to it.
Millions of Canadians, particularly those of Chinese heritage, and people all over the world will bring in the New Year. People of diverse religious, ethnic and political backgrounds come together to celebrate the common bonds of Chinese culture.
For more on Chinese New Year:
Is it the Year of the Ram, Sheep or Goat?
Chinese Historical and Cultural Project
Canada’s Flag was officially adopted on this day in 1965, making it 50 years old today. The Maple Leaf replaced the Red Ensign which had been Canada’s flag since Confederation. National Flag Day of Canada has been officially recognized by Parliament since 1996. 
Mental Health is as integral to our well being as our Physical Health. Yet too often we treat Mental Health as something about which we can’t talk openly. Thanks to people like Olympian Clara Hughes (@clarahughes_) and many others, Canadians are starting to fight against the mystery and the stigma around Mental Health. Today Canadians all across the nation are talking about Mental Health. Get in on the conversation.
For more info:
Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)
Today in the School Library students and staff will have the opportunity to view the famous “I Have a Dream” speech of Martin Luther King Jr. We will discuss the life of Dr. King, the Civil Rights Movement, and the ongoing struggle for racial equality and justice in our society. As Americans observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday, we in Canada can also celebrate the work of Dr. King, who stood for non-violent protest, peace, forgiveness and love.
Sikhs in Canada and around the world observe the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh who was born on this day in 1666 in Patna, India. He was the 10th and last of the (human) Gurus of Sikhism. He established the Khalsa, the organization of men and women baptized into the Sikh faith. He also established the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, as the final Guru for the Sikh people. For more on Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikh faith, check out some of the following links:
Happy New Year 2015!
Today is the first day of the year on the Gregorian Calendar and the first day of 2015 according the Anno Domini reckoning of years.
Of course, a “New Year’s Day” is an arbitrary notion and is celebrated at various times according to the traditions of different religions, cultures and nationalities. January 1st was adopted as the start of the year sometime during the era of the Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, most European countries celebrated the New Year in the Spring. However, by the time the Gregorian Calendar began to be adopted by most Western nations, January 1st became the standard for celebrating the New Year.
Happy New Year! We hope that 2014 was good and that 2015 will be better!
Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language. ”
(From the Official Kwanzaa Website)
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.'” from the Book of Luke, Chapter 2
Christians in Canada and around the world celebrate the Nativity, the birth of the Christ. Christians believe that Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem, in Roman occupied Israel roughly 2000 years ago, was the Messiah, the long awaited saviour promised by God.The Hebrew word Messiah translates to Greek as Khristos, from which we get the anglicized form, Christ. Christians believe that God became one of us in the person of Jesus, or Emanuel, literally “God With Us.”Over the course of the last century, Christmas has grown from a strictly Christian festival to become a secular holiday celebrated by people of many different religions, cultures and worldviews from all over the planet. For some, Santa Claus, stockings and gift-giving are central to Christmas. To others, it is a much needed rest at the coldest and darkest time of year. Some may agree with the Grinch, who simply hated Christmas, or with Ebenezer Scrooge when he said it was a “Humbug” — although both of them changed their positions in the end!
Whether you are celebrating the birth of the Christ with your family and friends, or observe Christmas as a strictly secular event, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 