Enjoy this feature piece from our very own Ann Morrow.  Ann's deep dive into the fascinating history of the mistletoe gives a particularly unique outlook on this iconic holiday piece - evoking a consideration that you may not have had before!

For more interesting and educational articles on a variety of important topics, be sure to subscribe and check out our NOV-DEC 2022 issue!

😍  👉  New Mexico's INFLUENCE Magazine wishes you and your family, friends, and loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Be safe, eat well, and give thanks and gratitude for all we have.  🦃 🥂 🌽

The origins of Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is sometimes called American Thanksgiving (outside the United States) to distinguish it from the Canadian holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other regions. It originated as a day of thanksgiving and harvest festival, with the theme of the holiday revolving around giving thanks and the centerpiece of Thanksgiving celebrations remaining a Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner traditionally consists of foods and dishes indigenous to the Americas, namely turkey, potatoes (usually mashed or sweet), stuffing, squash, corn (maize), green beans, cranberries (typically in sauce form), and pumpkin pie. Other Thanksgiving customs include charitable organizations offering Thanksgiving dinner for the poor, attending religious services, watching parades, and viewing football games. In American culture, Thanksgiving is regarded as the beginning of the fall-winter holiday season, which includes Christmas and the New Year.


New England and Virginia colonists originally celebrated days of fasting, as well as days of thanksgiving, thanking God for blessings such as harvests, ship landings, military victories, or the end of a drought. These were observed through church services, accompanied by feasts and other communal gatherings. The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in October 1621. This feast lasted three days and was attended by 90 Wampanoag Native American people and 53 Pilgrims (survivors of the Mayflower). Less widely known is an earlier Thanksgiving celebration in Virginia in 1619 by English settlers who had just landed at Berkeley Hundred aboard the ship Margaret.


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New Mexico's INFLUENCE Magazine is kicking off the month of November with the recognition of Native American Heritage Month!  For the whole month, we will be posting weekly interesting and new information about Native American culture, people, and beliefs.  It's our intention to honor and uplift the Native American people and their many achievements and accomplishments.

Some history for your reading pleasure:

On August 3, 1990, President of the United States George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage Month. The bill read in part that "the President has authorized and requested to call upon Federal, State, and local Governments, groups, and organizations and the people of the United States to observe such month with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities".

This landmark bill honoring America's tribal people represented a major step in the establishment of this celebration which began in 1976, when a Cherokee/Osage Indian named Jerry C. Elliott-High Eagle authored the Native American Awareness Week legislation: the first historical week of recognition in the nation for native peoples. This led to activity in 1986, with then President Ronald Reagan proclaiming November 23–30, 1986, as "American Indian Week".

This commemorative month aims to provide a platform for Native people in the United States of America to share their culture, traditions, music, crafts, dance, and ways and concepts of life. This gives Native people the opportunity to express to their community, city, county, and state officials their concerns and solutions for building bridges of understanding and friendship in their local area. Federal Agencies are encouraged to provide educational programs for their employees regarding Native American history, rights, culture, and contemporary issues, to better assist them in their jobs and for overall awareness.

New Mexico's INFLUENCE Magazine is proud to feature Mr. Mike Chase: 2022 Mr. United States, entrepreneur, stylist, and the Hero of Cancun during 2020's devastating Hurricane Delta.

Be sure to follow Mr. United States himself on social media:
Facebook: Mr. United States 2022-23 Mike Chase
IG: https://www.instagram.com/mikechasemunoz/

***

Mike Chase lives by the philosophy “Live your life to the fullest! Be the best you, you can be!” Now Chase is using his platform and life-changing experience to spread his important message. Chase is an Alamogordo native and was recently crowned Mr. United States 2022. His goal is to work for New Mexico’s community and communities throughout the US by telling his life-changing story.

Early when Covid hit, Chase traveled to a resort in Cancun Mexico. During his stay, he feared for his life, when a Category 4 hurricane raged outside his resort. Phone service and power were lost and visitors were evacuated to the lower ballroom overnight for nearly 11 hours. There were travelers from all over the world and Chase was one of only 15 Americans. He was asked to translate a request from hotel staff. The request was to write your social security number on your arm. The reason: If the storm becomes deadly, your bodies can be identified. Visitors began speaking to Chase telling him their last wishes: “If I don’t make it, tell my son I love him.” Another guest told him “I wish I would have spent more time with my parents.”

Chase was alarmed. “We could die … this is serious!” he said to himself. After surviving the hurricane, Chase realized his dreams from a younger age when he used to model in New York. He realized he had stopped doing the things he truly loved. He thought, “I have lived in self-doubt for so long,” thinking he was too old to model or not good-looking enough.” -Andrea Joquin, New Mexico's INFLUENCE Magazine

Read the rest of the article here:
https://www.influencenm.com/.../proudly-announcing-the...

And subscribe to the magazine here for a glossy, premium hard copy mailed straight to your door!
https://www.influencenm.com/subscribe.html

New Mexico's INFLUENCE Magazine wishes the Southeast Asian and Indian-American communities a very illuminating Diwali celebration!

A bit of history for you about this ancient holiday:

Diwali (or Deepavali) is a Hindu religious festival of lights and is one of the most important festivals within Hinduism. The festival usually lasts five days, or six in some regions of India, and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity and Ganesha, god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, with many other regional traditions connecting the holiday to Sita and Rama, Vishnu, Krishna, Durga, Shiva, Kali, Hanuman, Kubera, Yama, Yami, Dhanvantari, or Vishvakarman. Furthermore, it is a celebration of the day Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating the demon Ravana in Lanka and serving 14 years of exile.

In the lead-up to Deepavali, celebrants prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circle patterns). During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with diyas and rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared. Originally a Hindu festival, Diwali has transcended religious lines and is also celebrated by Jains and Sikhs. It is a major cultural event for the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain diaspora.

The five-day long festival originated in the Indian subcontinent and is mentioned in early Sanskrit texts. Diwali is usually celebrated twenty days after the Vijayadashami (Dussehra, Dasara, Dashain) festival, with Dhanteras, or the regional equivalent, marking the first day of the festival when celebrants prepare by cleaning their homes and making decorations on the floor, such as rangolis. Some regions of India start Diwali festivities the day before Dhanteras with Govatsa Dwadashi. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi. The third day is the day of Lakshmi Puja and the darkest night of the traditional month. In some parts of India, the day after Lakshmi Puja is marked with the Govardhan Puja and Balipratipada (Padwa). Some Hindu communities mark the last day as Bhai Dooj or the regional equivalent, which is dedicated to the bond between sister and brother, while other Hindu and Sikh craftsmen communities mark this day as Vishwakarma Puja and observe it by performing maintenance in their workspaces and offering prayers.

Some other faiths in India also celebrate their respective festivals alongside Diwali. The Jains observe their own Diwali which marks the final liberation of Mahavira, the Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas to mark the release of Guru Hargobind from a Mughal prison, while Newar Buddhists, unlike other Buddhists, celebrate Diwali by worshipping Lakshmi, while the Hindus of Eastern India and Bangladesh generally celebrate Diwali by worshipping the goddess Kali. The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

#Diwali2022 #FestivalOfLights #NewMexicosINFLUENCE #IndianAmericans

Italian cuisine has always been one of my favorites. An Italian friend shared this with me a long time ago.

Carciofi Ripieni, Sicilian style, is a perfect appetizer for a party. I also enjoy it as a meatless dinner entrée.

Either way, you can’t go wrong. It’s a pleaser!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Artichokes:
• 8 medium artichokes
• 1 pound plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 pound grated Parmigiano cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Small bundle of parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1/ Clean the artichokes by removing the hard outer leaves and cutting the stem and the top part of the leaves. Wash and drain.

2/ Sauté bread crumbs and garlic in a sauté pan until the bread crumbs
are lightly golden.

3/ After cooling off, add the finely-chopped parsley, salt and pepper (as desired), a bit more finely-chopped garlic, grated cheese, and some olive oil.

4/ Mix all the ingredients well, until the oil is evenly absorbed.

5/ Open the leaves of each artichoke as much as you can and insert the breadcrumb mixture.

6/ Place the artichokes in an oven pan and add 1-1/2 inches of water.

7/ First, place the pan on the stove and cook for 15 minutes. Then, finish it off in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F.