Sana saʿida (Happy New Year)

and a Happy New Year to ya! it was interesting to see how folks celebrate the New Year, since they had two in one week! since Muslim holidays are based upon their lunar calendar, but they also observe the Gregorian calendar, as does most of the entire world, this year the New Years of both calendars fell in this same week! also i noticed that many people would ask if i were going home for the rasel alm (which literally means head of the year) and i was surprised that they would ask about the New Year versus Christmas. well, i realized that many sorta group the two together in that they are both celebrations so close in time and gifts are given and Papa Noel is present. it has been such an interesting mix of French influence along with their own celebrations or lack thereof. Christmas isn't celebrated as the birthday of Christ, but is seen as a time of gift-giving maybe or is just clumped together with the New Year's celebrations. at our lang school we had a great party between the Islamic New Year (1430) and 2009...

we had loads of fun foods and a nice time just talking with the teachers and other classmates. we also shared what was something good about 2009 (or 1429) and what we look forward to in the future. i brought buckeyes and chocolate dipped pretzels you see there in the middle!
above is a friend's husband (on the left) and one of our lang teachers. i had some buckeyes left and they took care of them:)

i was so excited to get this mix from my dad and bonnie! i whipped it up for our New Year's Eve festivities. it doesn't taste just like it, but is close:)

had to get some decor up for the New Year's Eve celebration we had at our place. it was pretty low-key, but really nice and fun. jenn, kevin, sherry and i rang in the New Year playing games. we weren't sure what to expect on the streets, so we decided to stay in. there really wasn't any kind of hoopla going on at all. i actually found out today from my friend that people weren't celebrating because the King had said not to because of the situation in Gaza. interesting.

we had mostly just snacks, but my roommate made up a dish they eat in NM for New Year's: pesole. it was really good. it had pork, hominy, and red chili in it.
the snacks: veggies, the fudge, divinity, peanut brittle, buckeyes, and pretzels! and some yummy hot chocolate i got in the mail:) thanks guys!

ringin' in the New Year literally! i called all my family and some friends to wish them a Happy New Year a little early:)

so, Sherry found bratwurst on her last trip to the pork butcher! she grilled them up on New Year's day! happy 2009 to us:)

the brat paired with imported velveeta cheese to make up some yummy mac and cheese was a great meal for the first day of 2009!