The Christmas season has arrived and around the world many people are getting ready to celebrate the most joyful holiday of the year. "Christmas is one of the best holidays because all my family gets together and we enjoy each other’s company," said CSUSB student Alba Valdez. Different cultures have their own unique traditions in which they celebrate Christmas. In Latin America, “Las Posadas” or "hospitality," refers to the inn in the story of the birth of Jesus. They are a Catholic tradition commonly celebrated in Mexico and Guatemala. "Where I live, we have Posadas where the people in the city get together; it is a big tradition," said Valdez. Valdez said people walk in … [Read more...] about Latin American Christmas Traditions
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25th Annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn
*waiting for interview response* The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa is an iconic landmark of the Inland Empire. Full of both local and international history, it is a living testament to the story of Riverside and the inhabitants that surround it. Every year, this timeless destination gets into the holiday spirit by putting on a six-week celebration that includes a street festival down the Main Street pedestrian mall, horse carriage rides, and its main attraction: the hotel decked floor to ceiling with thousands of glittering Christmas lights. This celebration kicks off with the ever-popular switch on the ceremony that, this year, will happen on Nov 24 at 4:30 p.m. and will run until … [Read more...] about 25th Annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn
Christmas Time in Fall
As Halloween quickly passes those who chose not to celebrate that particular occasion prepare their decorations for another holiday: Christmas. Halloween draws a big crowd and an even bigger hype, but Christmas enthusiasts don’t let this discourage them from spreading the early holiday cheer. I conducted a survey among my Christian friends at Azusa Pacific University, inquiring if they were allowed to celebrate Halloween or not due to religious beliefs. Of the 20 friends I surveyed, an astonishing 15 of them said they weren’t allowed to celebrate Halloween, but instead attend the church harvest festivals. Evangeline Embry is not only my mother, but also the true queen of … [Read more...] about Christmas Time in Fall
Thousands gather for Festival of Lights
By Veronica Vicente |Staff Writer| The Los Angeles zoo and Botanical Gardens commenced their annual zoo lights festival on Nov.18, which featured thousands of lights and animal installations to spread holiday spirit. The event brought together more than 170,000 visitors and was awarded the Best Choice Travel award by USA today. Among walking inside, there are several lit paths that take you to different exhibitions of the zoo. “The Lair”, which represents for living amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles was the only exhibition open to the public. It contained a giant green snake covered with bright lights on top of the rooftop,greeting the guests as they walked … [Read more...] about Thousands gather for Festival of Lights
Gift card popularity down
By Cassie Coughlin |Staff Writer| The popularity of gift cards is starting to decline among people receiving them, according to Business Insider. “Americans spent $118 billion on gift cards in 2013, a number that exceeds the GDP of 136 countries,” reported Business Insider, CEB TowerGroup. From the billions of dollars spent on gift cards in America, CEB TowerGroup found that, “$1 billion of that goes unused.” The idea that gift cards are an undesirable gift is beginning to show. Numerous companies, such as Coinstar and CardCash, are solely dedicated to converting your unwanted gift cards into cash. Wal-Mart and CardCash are jumping on the bandwagon and emerging with a program … [Read more...] about Gift card popularity down
Festival of Lights astounds
By Sarah Johnson |Staff Writer| With Fall quarter coming to an end, most students’ minds are gravitating towards exciting plans for the holiday break. A free event to check out during winter break is the 22nd Annual Festival of Lights, located in Downtown Riverside at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. The festival is an annual holiday event that lasts five weeks, beginning Nov. 28th and ending on Jan. 3rd. To kick off the program, there is a “switch-on ceremony” presented by Duane and Kelly Roberts, owners of the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. The ceremony is an illumination of Downtown Riverside’s buildings, centered by the Mission Inn Hotel, decorated with more than three and a … [Read more...] about Festival of Lights astounds
Look great this holiday season
By Shelby Gonzales |Staff Writer| As the holiday season approaches and we are preparing for Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas parties, family gatherings, work parties and New Year’s festivities, we want to make sure we look our best for each occasion. Whether casual or formal, there are perfect outfits for all occasions. In the winter season, coats, sweaters, leggings, and boots are all a must to keep warm out there however, it is important to dress appropriate for each event you plan on attending. While still requiring to dress up for family get-togethers, it is important to stay comfortable to last the night. I think pairing some skinny jeans along with a nice sweater and … [Read more...] about Look great this holiday season
Avoid Black Friday lines shop online on Cyber Monday
By Maria Perry |Staff Writer| We were once all so thankful for what we had but now we are so greedy for what we don’t have. I believe Black Friday is far too hectic, shoppers show so much aggression towards others just to get better shopping deals on electronics or toys. But there are sales going on throughout the holiday season, not just on Black Friday. Cyber Monday is often overlooked, but it can give shoppers just as many deals as Black Friday in a lot less stressful and safer environment because the only thing shoppers have to deal with is their own computer. When she was asked if she would rather do Cyber Monday or Black Friday, student Brianna Jointer said, “Cyber … [Read more...] about Avoid Black Friday lines shop online on Cyber Monday
Winter break can’t come soon enough for students
By Brittany Crow |Staff Writer| Holiday breaks mean different things to different students. For some, it means no school, but to others, it means vacations, trips, fun, and spending time with family and friends. The holiday break couldn’t have come any sooner, but many of us are wanting to enjoy ourselves during the break, without emptying our wallets. Our Student Recreation and Fitness Center on campus provides activities for students to go on like snow trips during the winter. The trips to look into would be the one-day Snow Valley Snowboarding trip in our very own San Bernardino Mountains, which will be held on Dec. 8, 15, and 18. Snowshoe Hike is to be held on Dec. 23 … [Read more...] about Winter break can’t come soon enough for students
A holiday shopper’s guide to spending
By Brittany Crow |Staff Writer| A stress-free holiday season starts with a budget and with only a few weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about the season of giving! The upcoming holidays will have your undies in a bunch if you don’t start budgeting to catch those great sales. If you have participated in Black Friday, you know you must prepare for it mentally. But where do you start when it comes to budgeting? Here are some tips that can help you prepare for the madness! Student Sara Sells shared her budgeting strategies for the holidays and how she prepares. Sells explains that she gets a little stressed about finances during the holiday season. “I try to be … [Read more...] about A holiday shopper’s guide to spending
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