Students, faculty and staff participated in a recent Las Posadas celebration at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Photo courtesy of California Lutheran University.
Religious and cultural celebrations, giving campaigns mark the holidays
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805
The lighting of the Christmas tree, holiday parades, religious and cultural observances and, above all, the spirit of giving mark the return of the holiday season to the 805 region.
Many organizations have been planning for months to set the stage for the celebration of the holidays in the region. The following are some highlights of the upcoming holiday events and programs in the region.
Holiday celebrations
The first weekend in December typically marks the beginning of holiday celebrations in the region, with Oxnard holding its 63rd annual “Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony” at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 6, followed by its annual parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Ventura will hold its tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, followed by its Holiday Street Fair on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Santa Barbara’s “Downtown Holiday Parade” begins at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6, and San Luis Obispo will present its 38th annual “Holiday Parade” at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6.
Olivas Adobe will present its annual “Candlelight Tour” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at 4200 Olivas Park Drive, Ventura.
“Visitors will step back in time to watch as family members work by candlelight to prepare for the upcoming holiday,” officials reported in a media release. “The courtyard is filled with traditional luminaries, the house sports a display of natural decorations; Christmas music and refreshments available.”
Las Posadas
Young people enjoy a holiday piñata during a recent Las Posadas celebration at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Photo courtesy of California Lutheran University.
California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks will present its annual Las Posadas celebration from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15.
The festive event dates back to the 16th century and is typically celebrated from Dec. 16 through Dec. 24. In Spanish, Las Posadas means shelter or inn.
Students representing Mary and Joseph will travel by donkey through campus seeking shelter for the birth of their son Jesus. They will begin their journey at the Ahmanson Science Center and travel to the Lundring Events Center with other students, staff and visitors holding candles.
The evening will conclude with a piñata and refreshments of hot chocolate and pan dulce (sweet bread).
The Ahmanson Science Center is at 3260 Pioneer Ave. near Memorial Parkway on the Thousand Oaks campus.
The event is presented by CLU’s Office of Multicultural Programs and International Student Services, the Latin American Student Organization and the Department of Languages and Cultures.
Contact Daniel Lawrence at lawrenc@callutheran.edu for more information.
Feast de la Virgen de Guadalupe
Another important event during the holiday season is the Feast de la Virgen de Guadalupe, which is celebrated in Mexico and in Latino communities throughout the United States.
In Mexico, many thousands of the faithful arrive in Mexico City to make a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe to view the image of la Virgen Morena (the Dark Virgin). It is said to be the most visited Catholic pilgrimage destination in the world. By car, bus, bicycle and by foot, they all arrive, many making their way to the basilica on their knees to show their devotion.
According to one story, the name Guadalupe is believed to come from the native Nahuatl word Coatlaxopeuh — “She Who Has Dominion over Serpents.”
The beautiful dark-skinned Virgen de Guadalupe first appeared to Juan Diego on the slopes of the hill of Tepeyac as a vision of the Virgin Mary on Dec. 9. Speaking to him in Nahuatl, she asked Juan Diego to have a church built at the top of the hill. He then told his story to the Spanish archbishop, who told Juan Diego to return to the hill and ask her to provide a miracle.
Upon his return on Dec. 12, she told Juan Diego to gather flowers at the top of the hill, and carry the flowers, Castilian roses, in his tilma or cloak to the archbishop. Upon opening his cloak in front of the archbishop, the flowers fell to the floor with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe imprinted on the fabric. It is this image that can be found at the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Locally, beginning on Dec. 3 the faithful will take part in a rosary walk each evening from Robert J. Frank Intermediate School, 701 No. Juanita Ave., to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 500 No. Juanita Ave. in La Colonia neighborhood of Oxnard. Mass begins at 7 p.m.
The annual “novena,” the nine-day period between Dec. 3 and 11, concludes with a mass celebration on Dec. 11, followed by the annual full day of celebration on Dec. 12, featuring masses every hour, offerings of roses and other flowers at the church, the serving of traditional Mexican food outside the church, and music.
For the second year, the celebration will be held in the church’s new Juanita Avenue location, which opened in March 2012. In the past, the celebration has drawn upward of 3,000 people and has been the largest celebration at a Guadalupe church in the region. To get the latest schedule of events in Oxnard, visit Our Lady of Guadalupe on Facebook or http://www.olgoxnard.com, or call 805-483-0987.
Also contact Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 427 No. Oak St., in Santa Paula at 805-525-3716 and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, 227 No. Nopal St., Santa Barbara at 805-965-4060 to get information on any events in those cities.
Many churches throughout the 805 region will also be celebrating Christmas Eve masses on Dec. 24 to honor the arrival of the Baby Jesus, with family celebrations the next day featuring traditional meals of tamales, posole, turkey and other food.
El Día de Reyes Magos
Many in the local Latino community will visit family and friends in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America during this holiday season, with some staying through early February to take part in the traditional El Día de Reyes Magos celebration.
The celebration honors of the visit of the Three Wise Men, (Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar), who have followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Baby Jesus.
In Mexico, it is traditional for children to write letters prior to Epiphany Eve on Jan. 5 asking for presents they would like to receive from the Wise Men. The children then place their shoes under their bed or elsewhere in the house and awake the next morning to find the presents.
Many towns then hold celebrations on Jan. 6, which include street fairs and parades, with families taking part in the traditional evening dinner — Merienda de Reyes.
The dinner includes the traditional Rosca de Reyes, a circular sweet bread with a plastic figurine of the Baby Jesus hidden inside. Whoever finds the baby will invite everyone at the table for the final celebration of the season — Candelaria or Candlemas Day — on Feb. 2, a time when the nativity scene is put away for another year.
United Way’s new “Help Beyond the Holidays” campaign to provide basic essentials to those in need
United Way of Ventura County will hold a first-ever “Help Beyond the Holidays” campaign to help families in need with a few basic essentials. United Way is asking the community to stop by designated locations throughout Ventura County between Monday, Dec. 9 and Friday, Dec. 20 to drop off diapers, toilet paper, toothpaste and toothbrushes in the marked bins. All brands will be accepted. These items will be given to agencies that work with the homeless and low-income families living in Ventura County.
“We know there are hundreds of homeless or low-income individuals and families in our community with critical basic needs throughout the year. This new United Way campaign is designed to answer some of those needs, well beyond the holiday season,” said David M. Smith, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Ventura County.
Listed below are the “Help Beyond the Holidays” drop-off locations.
- United Way of Ventura County, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd., Suite E, Camarillo
- Simi Valley Ford, 2440 First St., Simi Valley
- Union Bank, 2310 E. Ponderosa Drive, Camarillo
- Alexander Buick GMC, 1501 E. Ventura Blvd., Oxnard Auto Center
- Alexander Cadillac, 1600 Auto Center Drive, Oxnard Auto Center
- Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, 4994 Verdugo Way, Camarillo
- Union Bank – 250 So. Mills Road, Ventura
- Union Bank – 2930 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley
For a complete, up-to-date list of drop-off locations, visit http://www.vcunitedway.org.
The Pleasant Valley/Somis Lions Club is a sponsor of “Help Beyond the Holidays” and Meathead Movers has partnered with United Way to provide collection boxes and to pick up all of the donations from the drop-off locations. Volunteers will count and sort all of the donated items to be distributed to agencies in mid-January.
In addition to the donation of diapers, toilet paper, toothpaste and toothbrushes, individuals can also make monetary donations to “Help Beyond the Holidays” which will be used to purchase additional items — especially diapers.
To make a minimum $10 donation, visit http://www.vcunitedway.org, click the donate button and select “Help Beyond the Holidays” from the pull-down menu.
Individuals can also make a $10 donation by using their cellphone to text the keyword UWVC to 27722. Standard message and data rates apply. Individuals can mail or drop off a check made payable to United Way of Ventura County to: 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd., Suite E, Camarillo, CA 93012. Write “Help Beyond the Holidays” on the note line.
For more information about “Help Beyond the Holidays,” contact Susan Englund at 805-485-6288, ext. 226 or send an email to susan.englund@vcunitedway.org
MICOP preparing for Fiesta Navideña 2013
The annual Fiesta Navideña will be held Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Boys & Girls Club, 1900 W. 5th St., Oxnard and also on the same day at Rio Real School, 1140 Kenny St., Oxnard, the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project reported.
“Our fiesta is a year-end cultural event for the Mixtec community. Santa will be giving out candy canes to the children, we will have lots of different crafts tables, a DJ and our first ever community-wide Potluck in Oxnard. We have various opportunities for our supporters to help make this a wonderful event!,” Donna Foster, operations manager, reported in a media release.
“Please read on to see how you can participate.”
Toy Drives: We are in need of toys! Lots of toys! 1,500 toys!, Foster reported. Suggestions include large balls (nerf, soccer, playground, etc.), large dolls, large plastic trucks and baby toys of all kinds.
To make a donation, call 805-483-1166 or drop toys off at the MICOP office at 520 W. 5th St, Suite F.
Also visit http://www.mixteco.org for information on starting a toy drive.
Volunteers: “We will need lots of volunteers to make this event a success,” Foster said. “Help will be needed from:
- Noon to 4 p.m. — Set up
- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Fiesta
- 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. — Clean up
“We welcome volunteers for any or all of these shifts, at either location. If you are available, please reply by email (donna.foster@mixteco.org) with your name, contact info and shift(s) that you are available,” Foster said.
For more information about volunteering, contact Program Administrator & Volunteer Coordinator, Vanessa Terán via email at vanessa.teran@mixteco.org.
Donations: To help MICOP purchase toys for the Mixtec farmworker families, send a check to MICOP, PO Box 20543, Oxnard, CA 93034 or send donations online at http://www.mixteco.org through PayPal.
Oxnard Fiesta Potluck: For the first time the Oxnard Fiesta will feature a giant potluck/convivio in which families and restaurants and volunteers contribute a dish to share. Take your appetite and something to share.
For more information contact Foster via email at donna.foster@mixteco.org or call 805-483-1166.