December Prompt: Holidays

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

December rolls around and suddenly focus is on Holidays!

Holidays, festivities and celebrations are times which bring forth the best, and worst, in us. It seems this theme also runs through the worlds contained in books. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Colllins, talks about Christmas with a poignant mention of what her father gave her for a Christmas present one year. Tell us about another book, set in this world or in any world, where midwinter celebrations are held. What is the celebration that caught your eye when reading it?

If you post with words, your write-up needs to be at least 200 words to count towards Beans (and any possible award)! If you post a graphic, please keep it to 600x600 or smaller, and write a brief description underneath what the graphic depicts.

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There is no deadline as such for these prompts but if you’d like it to count towards your chance of earning the award for a specific year, we’ll need it by the end of that school year. If you’re comfortable sharing, then post below. If not, email your story to us via hol.bookclub @ gmail.com (without the spaces).

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[Hannah Lovegood]

I included as many winter holidays as I could.
I have Christmas and New Year.
I have Hanukkah and Ramadan.

[Dibyarup James Potter]

Imgur Link - Larger Version [4691 x 2400 px]

The Harry Potter series has always been a Christmas story for me. Every book celebrates Christmas in one way or the other, and it is just so heart-warming to experience Christmas in this magical world. In the graphic, I have included pictures of each book’s cover and hand-picked scenes from each of the movies depicting Christmas. These are the scenes that really put me in the Christmas mood while watching each of the movies, and even while reading the books, I visualise these scenes.



6.20.2024 - Beans sent - Tarma

[Galena May]

Fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen have so much variety in themselves. They can be fantastical or they can be realistic fiction yet with morals. They can be about animals or humans. Or they can be tragic in the end or have a happy ending. The Little Match Girl by this gifted author is the story of a young girl who struggles to survive the bitter winter cold as she attempts to sell her wares which are matchboxes. Its midwinter and New Year's eve, and celebrations are being held everywhere. Through the window of a house, she sees a family at the table, having a New Year's eve feast for dinner. She longs to join them. The story is all about the little girl's dreams and desires and how her sheer poverty prevents her from enjoying New Year's eve like other children of her age should be doing. On the night when everyone is celebrating and feasting, she needs to be walking around trying to sell her matchboxes because she won't be able to feed herself otherwise. The story has a tragic end and shows the stark contrast between the New Year's eve celebrations of the rich and the poor. It also allegorically portrays hope through the metaphorical glimmer of the little girl's matchsticks. It also teaches us a lesson, even with the tragic end, that it does no harm to hope even in the face of adversity.



11.15.2024 - Beans sent - Tarma