:snowflake: 18th Edition of WVNews

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                      ┃↝ ⺌ t𖦹 WVA N.ews ⺌ ♡⌟

                 〔 ♡ ┊ ៹° ♡ • 18th Ed.iti𖦹n ➵ ↯ 】

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ᦣ ‧₊˚ Hello! The Writing Village

News would like to wish you a

Merry Christmas and Happy

New years!

What's your New Years

resolution this year?

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Immediate Attention

:aquarius: BHG Poll Results

:aquarius: Metaphor Challenge

:aquarius: RWC December

:aquarius: VSS Applications

:aquarius: PR Weekly Post

:aquarius: Pumpkin Hunt Walkthrough

:aquarius: QNM Applications

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Hannukah Fun Facts

1. 17.5 million donuts (sufganiyot) are eaten in Israel during Hannukah

2. Gift-giving isn’t a traditional part of Hanukkah, but kids were given gelt money as an incentive to study the Torah.

3. Hanukkah candles are added right to left, but lit left to right so the newest is lit first.

4. Hanukkah Isn’t A Major Jewish Holiday

In fact, it’s not even mentioned in the Torah.

5. Hanukkah, Chanukah or Hannuka?

Hanukkah also goes by the names of the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication. As if multi-names weren’t enough, the holiday also has a variety of transliterated English spellings — thanks to the guttural Hebrew sound of the first letter, which cannot be rendered properly in English. In my personal opinion, the spelling with the 'Ch' is most accurate. People recognize the one with a 'h' at the beginning and end most though.

6. The menorah is always confused with a hannukiya. A menorah has 7 branches, a hannukiya has 9. The hannukiya is what we light on Hannukah.

7. The Hanukkah candles must burn after night falls, since their purpose is to bring light into darkness. But they need to be lit early enough that someone will be around to see them.

8. Today, there is a widespread custom to enjoy potato latkes on Hanukkah, since the oil they are fried in reminds us of the miracle of the flames on the Temple menorah burning for eight days. There is an older custom to eat cheese pancakes on Hanukkah, which is reminiscent of the dairy (and intoxicating) meal that the brave Judith fed the Greek general before she decapitated him in his sleep, saving her village. Both taste great by the way!

9. Nine facts for nine candles. Most Jewish holidays begin on only four out of seven days of the week. For example, the first day of Rosh Hashanah can be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Shabbat—never Sunday, Wednesday or Friday. However since the month preceding Hanukkah (Cheshvan) can have 29 or 30 days..

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Guest Writing Piece

Coffee Beans

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Chosen of Writing

History of Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas was born traditionally on March 15, 27 AD

He unfortunately died at the age of 73. Date of death was December 6, 343 AD

Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop who provided for the poor and sick and is the basis for the popular character of Santa Claus.

The story of Santa Claus all started with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara in Asia Minor. At the time, the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His parents raised him to be christian and died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still a young boy. Nicholas began to obey Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas began to use all of his inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He used the money that came from his very wealthy parents. He dedicated his life to serve god and was made “Bishop of Myra.”

The Roman emperor at the time, Emperor Diocletian, did not like christians. He ruthlessly persecuted the christians, meaning Nicholas as well. Nicholas suffered for his faith and was, he was exiled and imprisoned. After his release, he attended the Council of Nicaea. He then died and was buried in his cathedral church, where the unique relic, called Manna, formed inside his grave. The liquid was said to heal people and fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. His anniversary death became a celebration, locally known as “St.Nicholas day.”

Now we celebrate his kindness by bringing Santa Claus to life.

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Uncommon Words:

๑⇢Obfuscate: render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

Her vision of the road was obfuscated by the heavy snowfall.

๑⇢Schadenfreude: experiencing pleasure or satisfaction from the trouble, failure or humiliation of others.

She felt great schadenfreude looking down at the broken man before her.

๑⇢Fugacious: fleeting or transient

Humans encounter a number of fugacious moments which is why we should enjoy the moments we have.

๑⇢Elysian: blissful or delightful

The happiness she felt was almost elysian in nature when she saw him for the first time in 8 years.

Vocabulary:

๑⇢Semantics: (1)The meaning of a word, phrase, sentence or text. (2) The study of language meaning.

๑⇢Redaction: (1) The act of putting something in writing. (2) Putting something (as a literary work or a legislative bill) into acceptable form.

๑⇢Tachygraphy: A method of writing rapidly using an abbreviated symbolic system

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Character Analysis

Nancy is a fictional character in the novel Oliver Twist. She is a member of Fagin's gang and the lover, and eventual victim, of criminal Bill Sikes.

Despite of her illegal occupation, Nancy is portrayed as a sympathetic figure, whose concern for Oliver beats her loyalty to Sikes and Fagin. By the climax of the novel, she is emaciated with sickness and worry, and filled with guilt about the life she is leading.

Nancy has a mixed character . This is clear in the scene when she goes to the police station to look for Oliver after he is 'caught stealing'. Mr. Fagin sends her to ask about him, so she dresses in nice clothing and in the police station she pretends to be Oliver’s distraught sister.

Dickens was criticised for featuring a positive character that was a thief. He defended his decision in the preface to the 1841 edition, explaining that it was his intention to show criminals in 'all their deformity' and that he had thought that dressing Nancy in anything other than 'a cheap shawl' would make her seem more fanciful than real as a character.

In general, Nancy is a character that has a good heart and was driven to do terrible things by her past and circumstances. I think it is rather understandable and (for some) relatable. It's what makes her real and interesting, despite Dickens statement.

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Riddles:

Christmas edition

For the first three people to solve all the riddles will receive a prize in coins.

๖ 1st place prize: 15 coins

๖ 2nd place prize: 10 coins

๖ 3rd place prize: 5 coins

Comment the answers below this months WVA Newsroom issue.

I’ll DM the first three winners for their prize!

-Polar

─ Lv. 1 ─

My nose is always red, though I never have a cold. And I lead with a prestige on every Christmas eve. Who am I?

─ Lv. 2 ─

I only happen when your breath is shown. I crystalize and mystify children day and night. You can stack me and pack me into shapes for your delight. What am I?

─ Lv. 3 ─

Though you do not see me I’m always watching. Traveling from the North to the South, East to the West. I run through the trees and over the seas. I’m inside you and all around you. What am I?

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Comic

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