December 25, 2024: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas – the time of the year when the entire world seems to slow down for a little while and the air fills with the magic of the season….this is the perfect time of the year when we all pause for a bit, and hold close what really matters…may your hearts be grateful, may your homes be warm and may your spirits be bright!

Crăciun  fericit, dragii mei!

Din casă în casă, din inimă în inimă, dintr-un loc în altul, căldura Crăciunului ne cuprinde pe toți, făcându-ne parcă ceva mai buni, ceva mai blânzi şi ceva mai înţelegători....să ne bucurăm de aceste momente aparte!

“Un clopoțel nu este clopoțel până nu sună...un cântec nu este cântec până nu îl cântă cineva.” – Colinde  de  Crăciun

❄ MERRY CHRISTMAS! ❄ FRÖHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN! ❄ CRĂCIUN FERICIT! ❄ BUON NATALE! ❄ ΚΑΛΆ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΎΓΕΝΝΑ! ❄

● My previous greetings on the same theme: CHRISTMAS – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018

December 21, 2024: WINTER Solstice

 December 21, 2024: WINTER Solstice is marking the first day of the astronomical winter in our Northern Hemisphere …may it bring us peace and joy!

Iarna este sezonul miracolelor, plin cu basme și voioșie, cu multă armonie și noi așteptări...dar să nu lăsăm gerul iernii să ne intre în suflete, ci să-l privim doar de la fereastră....

● A brief oasis of poetry and inner reflection:

          ⚪ (Ro) “Iarna” (poem de Vasile Alecsandri) – video clip

          ⚪ (English)”Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (Robert Frost) – video clip | Classical music for winter – video clip

● Short scientific background on HIBERNAL SOLSTICE:

“What is a Solstice?” (via National Geographic) – video clip | “What's Up: December 2024” (Tips from NASA) – video clip

Winter solstice (also called the ‘hibernal solstice’), marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year for all the people who are living in the Northern Hemisphere. According to the definition of the seasons, the winter solstice also marks the beginning of winter season, which lasts until the vernal equinox (March 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, or September 22 or 23 in the Southern Hemisphere). After the shortest day of the year slowly turns toward a greater length, this will embrace again the return of sun and the coming of spring.

● My previous greetings on the same theme: WINTER solstice – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018

Socializing: Pre-Christmas Reunion 2024

 The complete briefing will be available soon. Thank you!

Meanwhile, I’m wishing you all happy holidays!

The keepers of HOPE

In this troubled world where uncertainty touches every corner of our existence, blessed are those rare souls who carry the eternal flame of hope within their hearts. Those are the beautiful spirits, the possessors of wisdom and kindness, whose goodness and compassion are “bright” enough to illuminate the paths of others lost in darkness. Most of them are touching many hearts, in ways never thought possible! Those are the contributors, the philanthropists, the donors, the supporter, who share with generosity their precious time and their resources in order to remind their fellows that the happiest people in the world are the givers. This type of people are beacons of light, illuminating from far away in a world that often preaches consumerism and selfishness.

So, dear ones, as December reminds us to be good, I strongly encourage you to please do not hesitate to reach out, to share your table, to open your hearts, to be present – it costs you nothing, but it means a lot for less fortunate ones!

“In this symphony of life, let us be the notes that create harmony. Let peace flow from heart to heart, like ripples across still waters, until it touches every shore of human existence. Together, we light the way. Together, we heal. Together, we rise.”

December 2024: ALICE & Friends™ – winter charity

 The complete briefing will be available soon. Thank you!