Wilmington Nursing and Rehabilitation Center's December 2019 newsletter — the origins of Hanukkah and Christmas, a moment to remember Pearl Harbor, and a look at the team behind daily life at Banyan Place.
The Origin of Hanukkah
An eight-day Jewish celebration, Hanukkah occurs in late November or December, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. The holiday focuses on the miraculous oil that the Jews used to light the menorah in the newly reclaimed Jerusalem Temple. Although there was only enough oil to last one night, the menorah candles burned for eight nights. Families celebrate Hanukkah by preparing traditional foods and lighting the menorah, adding one candle on each night.
2019 Date: Sunset, 22 December – nightfall, 30 December.
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked, resulting in over 2,300 deaths and over 1,100 injuries and spurring the United States into World War II. December 7 — the day Franklin Roosevelt called “a day that would live in infamy” — is a time to remember those who lost their lives in the attack and during the war.
Day of Infamy
The United States entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
The Origin of Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and forms an integral part of the holiday season centered around it.
Banyan Place Staff
- Kevin Wrenne — Executive Director
- Bradley Wrenne — Executive Director
- Francine Olson — Director of Operations
- Liz Askin — Office Administrator
- Liliana Barsallo — Office Bookkeeper
- Laurie Hoffman — Resident Services
- Jan Pryor — Activity Director
- Maria Fernanda — Chef
- Steve Perrin — Maintenance
- David Regis — Maintenance
- Marie Ange Estimable — Housekeeping
- Viyonne Bertrand — Housekeeping
- Cornel Peana — Driver
- Mike Smith — Wellness Center
- Natalia Contreras — ALF Staff Coordinator
