SASM Members approve changes to Statute

The changes to the Stars And Stripes Malta Statute have been approved when 92% of registered members voted in favour of the changes. At http://www.starsandstripesmalta.com/News/News201211.html#SA20121102 one can see the changes members were asked to approve.

We would like to thank all members who took part. It is a clear demonstration of your support in SASM and we greatly appreciate it.

The approved statute will be filled in the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations.

'Sunday Lunch With A Twist!’ – Next Door Family EU

On 18th November at 1pm, 20 slightly different Sunday lunches will be happening all across Malta as part of the Next Door Family EU project.

Each ‘Sunday Lunch with a Twist’ will be between 1 Maltese family, 1 non-EU family making Malta their home, and 1 trained Next Door Family assistant.

The aim of this project is to celebrate the strength and beauty of diversity, to teach us how to live together not just next to one another and to focus on our similarities, not just our differences. But it is also just about having fun, eating good food and making new friends! 

The Next Door Family project has been running successfully since 2004 in the Czech Republic coordinated by NGO Slovo21, and lasting friendships have been formed between the families. This year 8 European Union member states have joined together to create Next Door Family EU and more than 210 family lunches will take place across Europe on 18th November at 1pm.

We feel that this project is a really exciting opportunity for the Maltese to showcase their famous hospitality, rich family culture and great food.

Equally, we know that settling into a new country can be challenging and we hope this project helps Non-EU families to feel more at home here. The ‘Sunday Lunch with a Twist’ is a wonderful chance for these families to make those first steps whilst sharing their incredible variety of cultures and cuisines with Maltese families.

If all this sounds like something you and your family might enjoy and you would like to be part of it all, then have a look at our website www.nextdoorfamily.eu and APPLY ONLINE as soon as possible before spaces run out!

Please feel free to email us on nextdoorfamilymalta@gmail.com or call on 99613869/79699692 if you have any questions.

Happy Halloween from Stars And Stripes Malta!

Like many other ancient celebrations, Halloween was originally a non-Christian ritual. According to the historian Nicholas Rogers, this celebration seems to be linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain. This feast was the largest celebration in the Celtic calendar and used to mark the end of as well as the beginning of the cycle of life. This feast was observed around the end of October / beginning of November at a time when the long days and the bonanza of summer would give way to the less prosperous winter period. Being farmers, these people had to secure livestock and ensure that the summer harvest would last through the winter months.

The Celtics believed that during Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year made their way into the next world. They lit bonfires and performed sacrifices to honour those who had passed on and to light the way towards their new destination. The Celts believed that on the day supernatural traffic was two ways; demons, fairies and the ghosts of departed already in the afterlife would come back into the real world.

 Photo: http://0.tqn.com/d/create/1/0/l/g/6/-/samhain-altar.jpg

In an effort to eradicate paganism, Christian missionaries hijacked non-Christian festivities and attributed to them a Christian twist. In this case, the feast of All Saints was assigned to November 1^st, yet unlike many other similar pagan feasts, Samhain was not wiped out.

Halloween was revived thanks to the Irish who had immigrated to North America. During the 20^th century it evolved into the nationwide feast we love so well. Today Halloween is usually celebrated amongst family and friends. Parties and other events may be planned on October 31 or in the weekends before and after this date.

Many children dress up in horror costumes and visit other homes in the vicinity. At each stop they knock and ask for a treat. This is normally sweets. If they are not given anything, they threaten to do some “harm” to the inhabitants of the house. Some families make jack-o'-lanterns out of pumpkins and decorate their homes and gardens for the occasion.

In Malta this occasion has been celebrated only for about 20 years as costume parties. The custom of children trick-or-treating with parents has not yet caught up nationally.

Photo: http://wallpaperdesigns.co.cc/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Fright-Night-Happy-Halloween.jpg

Columbus Day: Are you in or are you out?

Columbus Day is a controversial annual holiday which falls on the second Monday of October. It became a federal holiday in 1937 although there are records of it being celebrated in the late 18th century. It is intended to celebrate Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Americas; the first European to set sail to what was later to be the new world.

This celebration has Italian origins and many Italo-Americans borrow the day to celebrate their heritage. It took the lobbying of a first generation Italian living in Denver called Angelo Noce to popularise it, then Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald a to make it a statutory holiday and the push of the Knights of Columbus to result in President Franklin D. Roosevelt to sign the date as a federal holiday. 

Controversy surrounds the holiday because of a number of factors:

·         Christopher Columbus was not the first European to visit the Americas, it was Viking explorers from Scandinavia who crossed into the Americas almost a thousand years before;

·         Columbus did not really discover mainland USA, he discovered San Salvador, an island in the Caribbean. In his four voyages, the closest he got to the USA was Cuba.

·         The Europeans displaced the native Indians, their beliefs and culture and in some cases massacred them. Some feel that this is not something one should celebrate.

 

Different states celebrate the day very differently; some states hold a Columbus Day Parade, others mark it as a Day of Recognition and hold services while others do not officially recognise it and normally celebrate another occasion on the day. For example, Hawaii marks Discoverer's Day to honour James Cook the British navigator who discovered the islands.

Anatomy of Presidential Vote

Voting in a US Election cannot be simpler; just fill in the oval next to (or above) the person who you would like to vote for.You can do so in blue or black ink or in pencil. In US elections you also have the option of voting for a person whose name is not printed on the ballot. There is space on the last column of the ballot. In this case you would write or stamp the person's name and fill in the oval in the blank space at the right end of the row in which appears the title of the office.

Besides voting for the President you may optionally vote for the Senator as well as the Representative in Congress. The Senator and Congress Representative will vary depending on the State you are registered at. The names shown here are for those who are registered in New York.


As with almost all ballots, any other mark or writing as well as any erasure made on the ballot outside the voting ovals or blank spaces provided for voting will void this entire ballot.

Members of Stars And Stripes Malta can avail themselves of the free service provided by either the US Embassy or SASM.

Absentee Voting Week

All American citizens living in Malta are invited to register to vote in the forthcoming Presidential election. Thanks to a service being offered by the US Embassy you can now register here in Malta rather than write to the US. Events will be held both in Malta and Gozo and will be managed by staff from the US Embassy.  They will be hosting two separate events, one in Gozo on Thursday, October 4th and one in Malta at Verdala International School on Friday, October 5th beginning at 2:00 p.m.  The process is very simple and straight forward. If you are not registered, there will be a table where you can register. After this short process is completed you can then case your ballot. On the other hand, if you are registered all you need to do is vote. The embassy will send the ballot box back to the United States.

Stars and Stripes Malta encourage you to vote in the Presidential elections. If there are people with special needs or if you would like someone from Stars And Stripes Malta to assist you during the process get in touch.

If you are aware of other people, don’t forget to pass this message on to them.

SASM's 2nd Annual Get Together: What a Party!

SASM 2nd annual get together that was held at Ta’ Kenuna Bar and Restaurant in Nadur Gozo. The event was well attended (we tripled the number of attendees over last year).

A group of volunteers arrived beforehand so that we could decorate the place and turn the restaurant into Festive USA mode. Photos clearly indicate that we overcame this challenge with flying colours.

We soon realized that the area we had originally reserved (double of what we had last year) was not sufficient. Luckily Ta Kenuna Restaurant had an additional dining area that allowed is to spill over into this area.

The event kicked off with the singing of the US National Anthem after which the food starting being served. In the background US songs could, at times, be heard over the chatter and laughter of SASM members as well friends and family who accompanied them.

After the tables were cleared of the second course, President Alan Bonnici and Honorary President Mark Miceli-Farrugia thanked those who had attended the event as well as the committee of SASM who put time and effort into making SASM into the active and dynamic organisation it is. SASM is a not-for-profit organisation by members for members. It thrives on the input of its members and offers services and support to all those who have at heart the continuing good relations between Malta and the USA. It aims to keep a bit of the USA alive for those Americans and Maltese who reside in Malta as well as retain and project Maltese culture and lifestyle to those who left the Maltese islands in the past. With the latter SASM hopes to extend Malta to subsequent generations of Maltese living abroad who, because of circumstance, may not appreciate their Maltese heritage. Special thanks to the success of this particular event went to committee members Joyce Grech and Joe Meilak who were in charge of organising this event.

As desert made it way to the tables, Joyce Grech took charge of the raffle. Prizes donated by Meridiana Wine Estate, onNeutral’s Bulk SMS Services, Budweiser and Ta’ Kenuna Bar And Restaurant were distributed to attendees. Thanks to the generous donations many of the attendees walked out with a gift (some with two or more).

This August evening came to a close with the singing of the Maltese national anthem. At the end, those who live in Gozo drove or walked home, those who come from Malta headed for the ferry and those who live in the USA will continue their holidaying in Malta until they have to go back to the USA.

Stars and Stripes Malta would like to thank the following organisations and individuals for helping to make this such a special occasion:
• Mr Charles Calleja
• Mr Charlie Tewma
• Budweiser
• Embassy of the United States of America
• Meridiana Wine Estate
• Ta’ Kenuna Bar And Restaurant
• onNeutral’s Bulk SMS Services