Celebrations around the World

Free Family Holiday Event Rings in the Season
at the Penn Museum

Saturday, December 3, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

PHILADELPHIA 2016—Philadelphia is now a World Heritage City, and the Penn Museum offers a free, spirited holiday program with an international focus: Celebrations around the World Saturday, December 3, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Guests receive Museum “passports” to “visit” China, Japan, Kenya, Iraq, and the Republic of Georgia and discover a world of holiday traditions at this annual, all-ages afternoon. Traditional Vietnamese songs as well as world music geared to children, Tai chi and Karate demonstrations, African and African-American storytelling, and “Celebrations around the World” family gallery tours are all part of the event, along with balloon art, face painting, holiday craft make-and-takes, and even holiday cupcakes, while they last!

“This joyful and distinctively international celebration is Penn Museum’s holiday ‘gift’ to our community,” said Dr. Julian Siggers, Williams Director of the Penn Museum. “We open our doors in the spirit of cultural understanding and in the hope we all have for a world at peace.”

Exploring New Year’s Eve Around the Globe

The celebration begins with an inspirational talk at 11:30 am, as Thomas Dixon offers a wide-ranging look at “New Year’s Eve Around the World.” A native Pennsylvanian and a Temple University graduate student, his goal, as he explains on The Humanist.com, is to visit a new city every year on New Year’s Eve, opening himself to new cultures, experiences, and people.

An Afternoon’s Passport to the World

Guests receive their “passports” upon entering the Museum, set to “depart” on their world tour throughout the galleries from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Along the way, presenters from University of Pennsylvania cultural student associations and community partners share aspects of their countries’ holiday festivals, history, cuisine, and traditions—and stamp guest passports. Passports stamped with four or more countries earn a small memento. This year, guests can discover the cultural and holiday traditions of multiple countries, including China, Japan, Iraq, Kenya, and the Republic of Georgia.

“Celebrations around the World” family gallery tours depart at 12:00 pm and again at 2:30 pm, venturing through the Native American Voices exhibition, plus the Africa, Mexico and Central America, and Rome galleries, to explore ceremonial rites of passage, feasts, and music of celebrations past and present.

The Watoto of Joy youth group, part of Philadelphia’s Keepers of the Culture Afro-centric storytelling group, perform stories told during Kwanzaa (African and African-American), Crop Over (Barbados) and Watch Night (African-American) at 12:00 noon. The youth group just performed at the 34th “In the Tradition” annual national Black Storytelling Festival and Conference held in Philadelphia in November.

pMuic, and martial arts from around the world keep the international theme lively. A Tai chi demonstration by Penn graduate student Xirui Sun is at 1:00 pm. Everyone is invited to travel around the world in song, with a children’s world music program by Daria at 2:00 pm, and hear traditional Vietnamese songs performed by Trang Le at 3:00 pm. Members of the Kenkojuku Karate school of South Jersey offer a demonstration at 3:30 pm.

Throughout the event, guests can stop by at a holiday crafts make-and-take station to create unity wreaths and paper stained glass window ornaments. From 1:00 to 4:00 pm, balloon artists and face painters from Peanutbutter’s company work their special magic for guests. Holiday cupcakes are available for all, courtesy of CxRA (Catering by Restaurant Associates) at the Penn Museum, while supplies last!

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Schedule:

11:30 am	Lecture: New Year’s Eve Around the World with Thomas Dixon
12:00 pm	Family Gallery Tour—Celebrations Around the World
12:00 pm	Wototo of Joy storytelling
1:00 pm	Tai chi demonstration by Xirui Sun
2:00 pm	Children’s Music from around the World with Daria
2:30 pm	Family Gallery Tour—Celebrations Around the World
3:00 pm	Traditional Vietnamese songs by Trang Le
3:30 pm	Kenkojuku Karate school demonstration
11:00 am - 4:00 pm	Holiday crafts make-and-take station: Paper Stained Glass Windows Unity Wreaths
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm	Passports around the World Learn about holidays and traditions from around the world, and collect passport stamps to win a prize Balloon artists Face painting Holiday cupcakes (while supplies last)

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The Penn Museum (the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) is dedicated to the study and understanding of human history and diversity. Founded in 1887, the Museum has sent more than 300 archaeological and anthropological expeditions to all the inhabited continents of the world. With an active exhibition schedule and educational programming for children and adults, the Museum offers the public an opportunity to share in the ongoing discovery of humankind's collective heritage.

The Penn Museum is located at 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (on Penn's campus, across from Franklin Field). Public transportation to the Museum is available via SEPTA's Regional Rail Line at University City Station; the Market-Frankford Subway Line at 34th Street Station; trolley routes 11, 13, 34, and 36; and bus routes 21, 30, 40, and 42. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and first Wednesdays of each month until 8:00 pm. Celebrations around the World is a free annual event! (Regular Museum admission donation is $15 for adults; $13 for senior citizens, 65 and above; free for U.S. Military; $10 for children and full-time students with ID; free to Penn Museum Members, PennCard holders, and children 5 and younger.)

Hot and cold meals and light refreshments can be purchased with or without Museum admission in The Pepper Mill Café; the Museum Shop offers a wide selection of gifts, books, games, clothing and jewelry. The Penn Museum can be found on the web at www.penn.museum. For general information call 215.898.4000. For group tour information call 215.746.8183.

TWEET IT! Discover a multitude of holiday traditions at the @pennmuseum’s FREE Celebrations around the World, Sat. Dec 3: http://bit.ly/2fVUvyC