Japanese New Year Recipe: Ozoni
Ozoni, or mochi soup, is a Japanese holiday meal traditionally prepared on New Year's Day. After baking, fresh mochi is put into a bowl, and soup and cabbage are ladled over it.
Celebrating Guru Nanak’s Birthday at Gurdwara
I was raised with a balance of spiritual exposure and inspiration from Sikhism and Paramahansa Yogananda. Even though Yogananda is my Guru, I do not feel the need to choose one path. I believe all religions are different faces of the same God.
Armenian Christmas: January 6
Armenian Christmas, also known as Theophany, is celebrated one day before the Orthodox Christmas. Although Armenia follows the Gregorian calendar, when the Romans changed the date of Christmas to December 25 in the fourth century, Armenians held to the original January 6th date.
Ringing in the New Year the Japanese-Buddhist Way
New Year's is a huge festivity in Japan, larger than any other holiday observed there. After my first experience in 2008, I couldn't help thinking that it was Christmas and Thanksgiving in the U.S. all rolled into one three-day festivity.
Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories
The stories are full of fantasy and provide a window into another culture without needing experience in the culture for children to appreciate them. Beautifully illustrated, the stories are imaginative and often dramatic.
Languages of the Mind and Heart: Growing up Trilingual in the UK
As someone who loves to write and read, a love of language and words fits naturally. My family is of Punjabi origin, hailing from Jhelum, Pakistan and therefore speaks a Patwari dialect of Punjabi. Growing up, I spoke Patwari with my mother and grandparents; this was the language they scolded us in (Danger! Animals!) and loved us in.
