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NOBEL PRIZE DAY On December 10th, Nobel Prize Day recognizes the annual prize established by Alfred Nobel. On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his third and last will at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. When it was opened and read after his death, the will caused a lot of controversy both in Sweden and internationally, as Nobel had left much of his wealth to establish a prize. His family opposed creating the Nobel Prize, and the prize awarders he named refused to do... what he had requested in his will. It was five years before the first Nobel Prize could be awarded in 1901. Who Funds the Nobel Prize? At the age of 17, Swedish Alfred Nobel spoke five languages fluently. Nobel became an inventor and businessman, and at the time of his death on 10 December 1896, he had 355 patents worldwide one of them was the patent on dynamite. Furthermore, he had started 87 companies all over the world. In his will, Nobel directed his enormous fortune to be used to establish prizes to award those who had done their best to benefit humankind. Each prize would recognize the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. In 1901, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the first prizes five years after Nobel’s death. The committee added another prize in 1969: The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies Each year on December 10th, the Nobel Prize ceremony is held in Stockholm, Sweden, on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. In 1901, the committee kept the first winners secret until the ceremony. Since then, the committee announces the Nobel Laureates in October each year. In December, they gather in Stockholm for the ceremony and receive their prizes from the Swedish King. The winners receive a Nobel diploma, a medal, and 10 million Swedish crowns per prize. All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, with the exception of the Peace Prize. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize receives the award in Oslo, Norway. (When Alfred Nobel was alive, Norway and Sweden were united under one monarch. In 1905, Norway became an independent kingdom with its own king.) HOW TO OBSERVE Watch the Nobel Prize ceremonies live online. You can also discover more about the Nobel Prize and Alfred Nobel himself. * Read "Alfred Nobel: A Biography" by Kenne Fant or "Nobel: A Century of Prize Winners" edited by Michael Worek. * Watch "Mr. Dynamite" directed by Olle Häger and Hans Villius, or "Alfred," directed by Vilgot Sjöman. * Learn more about past winners and how their contributions impact humanity. * What criteria does the committee use to select the winners? * Discuss the controversy behind these prizes. * Use #NobelPrizeDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY

SAINT NICHOLAS DAY St. Nicholas Day on December 6 carries some connection to Christmas and Santa Clause, but there is much more to this holiday and St. Nicholas than that. Although St. Nicholas partially inspired the Christmas and Santa Clause that we all know and love, St. Nicholas actually derives from a different kind of tale. HISTORY St. Nicholas derived from Nicholas of Myra and was a bishop in 4th century Greece. He was known for selling off his own items and then givin...g the money to the poor. He would commonly leave coins in people’s shoes and dedicated his entire life to serving people who were sick and suffering. This is how he gained his saint status and inspired St. Nicholas Day (also commonly known as Feast Day or the Feast of St. Nicholas). One well-known story of St. Nicholas involves dowries for a father’s three daughters. In the third century, it was common for fathers to offer money to prospective husbands. However, one poor father with three daughters did not have money to do this. St. Nicholas paid for all three daughters’ dowries by leaving gold in their shoes. As time passed St. Nicholas Day began in different ways. In Italy, this day was celebrated with feasts, gift-giving, and festivals. In other European countries like Germany and the Netherlands, children would leave their shoes or special St. Nicholas boot in front of the fireplace or front door at night and find presents in them in the morning. The history of St. Nicholas and his good deeds was part of the inspiration of the modern-day Santa Claus and Father Christmas, which is why there are some current traditions of leaving gifts in people’s boots or shoes (or stockings). HOW TO CELEBRATE Have a feast! St. Nicholas day is also commonly known as the Feast of St. Nicholas, and it’s widely celebrated in Europe. To celebrate December 6, have a feast with your family and friends. There’s nothing wrong with splurging on some food for a day. Help someone in need Just like St. Nicholas was known to do, a great way to celebrate this day is to follow in his footsteps and help someone in need. Donate to an organization helping others, give money to someone in need, or help a friend or family member. Decorate your own stocking or special St. Nicholas boot. This would make for a great decoration around St. Nicholas Day. Buy a pair of cheap boots or D.I.Y. an old pair and turn them into a unique decoration to sit in front of your fireplace for St. Nicholas Day.

KRAMPUSNACHT Krampus isn't exactly the stuff of dreams: Bearing horns, dark hair, fangs, and a long tongue, the anti-St. Nicholas comes with a chain and bells that he lashes about, along with a bundle of birch sticks meant to swat naughty children. He then hauls the bad kids down to the underworld. You better watch out . . . In Catholicism, St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children. His saint's day falls in early December, which helped strengthen his association with the Y...Continue reading

ROSA PARKS DAY Rosa Parks Day honors an American Civil Rights hero. On either February 4th or December 1st, the holiday recognizes the civil rights leader Rosa Parks. On December 1, 1955, after a long day of work, Rosa Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She took her seat in the ‘colored’ section. As she rode the Cleveland Avenue bus home, the bus began to fill.... The Montgomery city ordinance allowed bus drivers to assign seating. However, it did not permit them to demand passengers give up their seats. Despite this, bus drivers customarily required black passengers to give up their seats to white passengers when public transportation became full. When the bus driver asked Rosa Parks to give up her seat, she refused. Police arrested her, and what followed is Civil Rights history. On December 5, 1955, the courts found Rosa Parks guilty of violating the city ordinance and fined her $10 plus a court fee. African American leaders, including E.D. Nixon and Martin Luther King, Jr., organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott for the day of Rosa Park’s trial. The boycott succeeded and lasted several months, devastating the transportation system in Montgomery. HOW TO OBSERVE Learn more about Rosa Parks, that day in Montgomery, Alabama, and her role in the Civil Rights movement. Discover how the Montgomery Bus Boycott affected the bussing system. Several books and films offer insight to this day in history and the Civil Rights movement to follow. * "Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope, and the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation" by Gregory J. Reed and Rosa Parks * "Rosa Parks" by Rosa Parks * "She Would Not Be Moved" by Herbert R. Kohl * "Boycott" (2001) * "Selma" (2014) Use #RosaParksDay to post on social media. HISTORY The California State Legislature created Rosa Parks Day and first celebrated February 4, 2000. California chose to recognize the date of Rosa Park’s birth. Ohio and Oregon celebrate on the day of her arrest, December 1.