 |
G is for Gelt given to good girls and boys Who during the holiday get plenty of toys. Gift baskets are filled with this delectable treat. Give some to your friends so you all can now eat. Gelt Believe it or not, Gelt is not something Catholics use to make their kids go to Church. In fact, it’s Jewish. Yiddish for “money,” the word has come to mean any presents given around Chanukah. As Christmas had become a shopping extravaganza, the capitalist spirit has permeated Jewish culture as well. Gift giving actually has deep historical roots in Jewish law and history, but for many families today, the practice has become an informal exchange. The word also gets used specifically to refer the chocolate wrapped in a gold-like wrapper. Children are rewarded with the coins when they are good, and many times just as a treat during the holidays. Who says religion can’t be tasty? Gift Basket of Wishes If you need a gift for someone who is homebound, or for a “hard to choose for” senior, consider buying a gift basket – wicker, wire or other – and filling it with an assortment of greeting cards, post cards, Thank You notes, pens, pencils, markers (different colors and sizes), wrapping paper, tape, gift tags, shipping labels, brown shipping paper, postage stamps, and other items needed on a daily basis by those who love to communicate with friends and family. And if it is food you are looking to give, check out the gift baskets offered by Buon Appetite Caterers. These gift baskets from Buon Appetite at 36-12 Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria can open the eyes as well as the appetite with their varieties of cheese, meat, fruit and candy. Buon Appetite provides Kosher and gourmet baskets, any of which make a great treat for the holidays. They also offer stuffed animals, balloons, fruit and flower baskets. Check them out or give them a call at (718) 726-6669. Guru Nanak Dev For the Sikh community, one of the most important holidays of the year arrives on Nov. 26, which marks the birthday of the religion’s founder. Born in 1469 in Punjab, which is now in Pakistan, Guru Nanak Dev created the religious philosophy that guides the lives of Sikhs around the world. According to Harpreet Singh Toor, former president of the Sikh Cultural Society in Richmond Hill, members of the Sikh community in Queens mark this important day with family and friends at the temple, celebrating and honoring the Sikh philosophy to work hard, pray and also share what you have with less fortunate people.” Sikhs also eschew the gift-giving traditions that figure prominently in other holidays during the winter season. “We feel that you are reducing the significance of the person because it is sort of like commercialization,” he explained. “We feel you can share gifts at other times during the year.”
Gifted Exhibit Just in time for the dazzling harvest of November’s colors and December’s warm holiday cheer, the Rockaway Artists Alliance presents “Gifted,” a holiday members exhibit. The exhibit run to Sunday Dec. 18, in the Rockaway Center for the Arts (RoCA) sTudio 7 and sTudio 6 galleries respectively. “Gifted” offers the combined works of more than a dozen Rockaway Artist members as they express their vision in media as interesting and diverse as metal and glass, collage, watercolor, photography, painting and poetry. Gallery hours are Saturday noon-4 p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m. and by appointment. For information call (718) 474-0861, e-mail rockart116@aol.org or visit www.rockawayartistsalliance.org. |
 |
||
 |
||||
