It was 98 years in the making, but the Buddhist country of Bhutan became an democracy on December 17, 2005 when King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, announced that he would abdicate, clearing the way for the country’s first general elections in 2008.
Bhutan was first formed on December 17 1907 by the Wangchuk Dynasty, a kingdom that was formally recognized by the British government who signed a treaty with Bhutan in 1910. The reigning monarchs seemed to have a bent for democracy, especially King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck who during his term set up a a 130-member National Assembly to promote a more democratic form of governance.

This tiny land-locked country in Asia is a mystery to many. They were one of the last countries to allow television and Internet (in 1999) and they measure their country’s quality of life with the Gross National Happiness, a play on the more commonly used Gross National Product, which measures the goods a country produces in terms of dollars.

When the Founding Fathers came up with the Constitution of the United States, they knew better than to think that it was a perfect document. They left room for improvement and those came in 1791 when the first ten amendments, or the Bill of Rights, was enacted. President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized the importance of these rights on Dec. 15, 1941 when he declared the 150th anniversary of the ratification “Bill of Rights Day”.

The Bill of Rights are a guarantee of the “rights of free men against tyrants.” The first ten amendments to our Constitution are concerned with the following topics:

Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition.
Right to keep and bear arms
Rights regarding the quartering of soldiers
Regulation of search and seizure
Protection of persons and their property
Rights of persons accused of crime
Right of trial by jury
Protection against excessive fines, bail, punishment
Guarantee of unspecified rights
Powers reserved to states and the people

Originals of the Bill of Rights and other documents pertaining to the founding of the United States are kept in the National Archives in Washington DC. They have a great website were you can view the images of the papers and their transcripts.

Though steeped in Victorian tradition, Boxing Day is now a fully modern holiday in England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The holiday has its roots in the old English custom of boxing up food and clothing for the needy, but now the day is full of shopping and sports. In Canada, Boxing Day is as big a shopping day as Black Friday is in the United States and in England some stores even extend it to “Boxing Week”.

            Boxing Day is also a time to tip the service workers that keep things running all through the year, such as postal workers and newspaper delivery folks. This tradition probably comes from the Middle Ages, when the lord and ladies gave Christmas presents to their servants on Dec. 26. 

A wonderful thing happens in Finland every Christmas Eve. The officials of Christmas City in that country proclaim a Christmas Peace. The tradition dates back to about 1320, when in the Old Great Square of Turku a statement – or wish- for peace is read from a parchment roll. These days it is also broadcat on Finnish radio and television.

The declaration ceremony begins with the hymn Jumala ompi linnamme (Martin Luther’s Ein` feste Burg ist unser Gott) and continues with the Declaration of Christmas Peace:
“Tomorrow, God willing, is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behaviour shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately. Finally, a joyous Christmas feast is wished to all inhabitants of the city.”

Food can be art, and the Mexican tradition of Night of the Radishes shows us why. On the night of Dec. 23 the most humble of vegetables is transformed into unique sculptures in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. Using local radishes that can grow to 2 feet in length artists use their magic to carve the root vegetables into saints, animals, dancers and military heroes. The city awards a prize to the best display.No one knows the exact origin of this holiday, but it is speculated that the tradition began when food vendors looking to attract the attention of holiday shoppers began to make radish figures, working to make the biggest and best to outdo each other. The crowds shopping for their holiday meal started to purchase the figures to display at their Christmas Eve table, and a tradition was born. In 1897 the Mayor of Oaxaca designated Night of the rashes as an official holiday.

In South Africa, Dec. 16 is celebrated as Reconciliation Day, national holiday centering on racial harmony. Reconciliation Day was originally known as the Day of the Vow, but changed in light of the end of Apartheid in 1994. The Day of the Vow was a religious holiday commemorating the Afrikaner, or Voortrekker victory over the indigenous Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838. The groups clashed over the influx of the Voortrekkers into the inland part of South Africa, where they wanted to settle and farm. In preparing for battle, the Voortrekkers took a vow before God that they would build a church if they were victorious in battle.
The holiday was celebrated as a thanksgiving for their victory but after Apartheid and the minority white rule ended, the day was changed to encourage the ending of conflict between all racial groups. This is no easy task, and many people are working to make this happen, including the filmmakers who produced “Long Nights Journey Into Day.”

After years of experimenting in their home state of Ohio, Wilbur and Orville Wright traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a test that would propel them into history. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot. Every year the day is celebrated in the United States by Presidential Proclamation.
The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia has a fantastic Wright Brother exhibit that rivals any in the world. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the Institute’s newly restored 1911 Wright Model B Flyer, which was returned to the museum in the summer of 2003 after undergoing restoration at Aeroplane Works in Dayton, Ohio.

Zamenhof Day is the birthday of the creator of the international language Esperanto. It was created by Dr. Ludwig L. Zamenhof, a Polish physician, who published it in 1887. This is a unique language not of any country or ethnic group.  it is a neutral, and is supposedly very easy to learn. Visit lernu.com to try your hand at mastering a few words.

December holds many holidays that highlight cultural celebrations. In Sweden, one such holiday centers on light and the beginning of the advent, or Christmas, season. St. Lucia’s Day (also known as St. Lucy’s Day) honors a young Christian girl who was martyred in ancient Rome. She was killed for her devotion to God and her refusal to be married to a man she did not love. Legend has it that her eyes were gouged out, so sometimes painting of her show a young woman holding a tray with eyes placed on it.St. Lucia is most often portrayed with her head encircled by a halo of lights. In many Scandinavia countries the youngest daughter dresses in a white gown with lights on her head and delivers baked goods to the family. In the old days they used candles for the head wreath – nowadays they use electric candles for safety sake. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucy’s life when she was sentenced to be burned. The name Lucia also means light.St. Lucia is the patron saint of Siciliy, Italy where she was born and her feast day is celebrated there. But St. Lucia’s Day is most associated with Scandinavia, where Dec. 13 is the longest night of the year. Since this a part of the world where nights are long and cold, celebrating light is important.

Celebrate with a traditional swedish treat, Lussekatter or St. Lucia Saffron Buns.
INGREDIENTS:
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2/3 cup lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron
5 to 5 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raisins
Margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.
Stir in the milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup margarine, 2 eggs, cardamom, salt, saffron, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth.
Stir in enough of remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth (about 8 minutes).
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour).
Punch down on dough; divide into 24 parts.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Shape each piece into rope, and form an S-shape, tucking the ends into a coil.
Place a raisin in the center of each end coil. Place rolls on greased cookie sheet.
Brush the tops lightly with margarine and let rise until doubled (about 30 minutes).
Mix 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon water and brush the buns lightly. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of sugar.
Bake for 15–20 minutes.

Perhaps the most important holiday in Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe Day represents the feast day of the patron saint of that country. Millions of devoted Mexicans make a pilgrimage to the Basilica in Mexico City, where the shrine to the saint is kept. Typical to the colorful country, a fiesta is held with dancers, singers, and artisans and of course food.The legend of Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to Dec. 9 - 12,1531, when during a walk on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City an Indian peasant named Juan Diego saw an apparition of what is now considered to be a version of the Virgin Mary. This vision told him to build an abbey on the site. When Diego went to the bishop with the Virgin’s request, he was asked to show a miracle. Off he went back to the h ill, where roses suddenly bloomed, even though it was December. He gathered the petals in his shawl and when he opened it for the bishop a vision of the Lady appeared on the cloth. The visions led to the construction of many churches and the conversion of many people to the Christian faith.

Celebrate with your family and capirotada, the traditional Mexican bread pudding.
Ingredients

3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. water
2 1/2 c. French bread
1/2 inch cubed squares
3/4 to 1 c. raisins (seeded) or currants or combined 3/4 c. walnuts
chopped 1/2 c. diced cheddar cheese
2 tsp. butter

Directions
In pan combine brown sugar, cinnamon and water. Boil gently until sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot syrup over bread cubes and toss gently. Add the raisins, walnuts and cheese, toss again until blended. Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart casserole or baking pan, greased with the 2 teaspoons butter. Let the pudding stand at least 20 minutes. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm with whip cream, or ice cream. Makes 6 servings.