Easter Island > The authorities on Easter Island have arrested a Finnish tourist who allegedly damaged one of the island’s famous moai stone statues. An island resident said she saw the man taking a piece of an earlobe which he had broken off. If found guilty, the tourist could face up to seven years in jail and a fine of 12,000 euros.

Easter Island is situated in the Pacific and belongs to Chile. There are nearly 900 moai statues on Easter Island, some of them more than 10 metres tall.

The statues were erected by the island’s Polynesian inhabitants hundreds of years ago to honour their ancestors. The Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island, where the moai are situated, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

UPDATE > A Finnish tourist has been arrested for allegedly stealing a piece of an Easter Island statue.

Marko Kulju, 26, faces seven years in a Chilean jail and a $21,000 fine if convicted of stealing pieces of a Moai statue. The 400 statues were carved out of volcanic rock between 400 and 1000 years ago to honour deceased ancestors. A local woman told police she saw the theft on Sunday at Anakena beach. Police later identified Mr Kulju by tattoos the woman saw on his body.

Mr Kulju tore off an earlobe of a 4m-high statue with his hands, police Chief Cristian Gonzalez said. He said the piece fell to the ground, breaking into 20 to 30cm pieces and Mr Kulju fled with one.

“Fortunately, this type of thing does not happen every day, but it does happen, and it is almost impossible to control because on Easter Island there are sites of great archaeological value everywhere and the park guards cannot prevent all such incidents,” said Easter Island government official Liliana Castro. The statue will be inspected to see if it can be repaired, Ms Castro said.

Moais are protected as national monuments. Some Moais are more than 20m tall but most are about 6m and weigh about 20 tonnes. The statues face the south Pacific about 3700km west of Chile. The Moais were nominated, but not chosen, as one of the new seven wonders of the world, selected in a global poll last year. They were edged out by the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and Rome’s Coliseum.

From the streets of Caracas to a rain-soaked Saint Peter’s Square, Christians around the world celebrated Easter Sunday amid messages of renewal, peace and hope.

At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI called for “solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good” in Tibet, the Middle East and Africa during his traditional Easter message. Tens of thousands of pilgrims turned out to hear the “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message, sheltering from the pelting rain under a sea of umbrellas in the flower-bedecked Saint Peter’s Square. 

In Britain, the leader of the world’s Anglican communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, warned that “comforts and luxuries” would eventually run out, and that civilisation in its current form would collapse. 

As the faithful marked the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday, worshippers found ways to celebrate this holiest date in the Christian calendar in even the most difficult circumstances.

In Jerusalem, Christian pilgrims from around the world flocked to celebrate Easter in Jerusalem’s Old City where many believe Jesus to have been resurrected after his crucifixion.

In Venezuela, Holy Week celebrations conclude with a political twist each year with the “Burning of Judas,” in which unpopular politicians are hung and burned in effigy. This year Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was torched in the central Caracas neighorhood of San Agustin. Colombia and Venezuela almost went to war in early March, and Uribe and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have long had a testy relationship. 

In China, the Tibetan Catholic Church in Cizhong, a Christian enclave on the threshold of the Himalayas, saw its Easter services curbed after anti-Chinese riots in Lhasa caused the region’s deadliest tensions in two decades. As a result, the tiny community of less than 1,000 souls, snuggled amid picturesque mountains in an overwhelmingly Buddhist area, has been affected by the recent unrest where it matters the most for them: religion.

In Australia, Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, focused on the environment. In Seoul, some 20,000 Christians held a non-denominational Easter service in front of city hall, raising money for victims of an oil spill last December. Throughout Germany, thousands of pacifists took part in some 90 Easter weekend demonstrations that included a bicycle ride demanding German troops pull out of Afghanistan. In Afghanistan itself, Canadian soldiers deployed through NATO received chocolate Easter eggs, although no chaplain was available to hold a mass at their base camp.

In Russia, Catholics, a minority in the mainly Orthodox Christian country, celebrated Easter at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow. The Eastern Orthodox Church, which still uses the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, holds its Easter on April 27. Orthodox Easter in Greece and Cyprus will be celebrated on this date next April.

U.S. kids have no time to waste in helping ensure that needy boys and girls around the world have a merrier holiday season. Sending hope to hurting children worldwide is a full-time, year-round effort that requires the contagious compassion of local Panama City families right now!

Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, is calling on local kids, families, churches, businesses, schools, scout troops, and civic organizations to join this massive effort to bring joy to children overseas suffering from disease, famine, war, terrorism, and natural disaster, through shoe box gifts. Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts are simple but powerful ways to brighten the lives of suffering children in more than 90 countries.

“Last year, more than 176,000 children around the world joyfully opened shoe box gifts that came from the generous people of Florida,” reports the regional office of Operation Christmas Child in Florida. “For many of those children, it was the first gift they’d ever received.”

  HOW TO HELP >

Prepare: Enlist families, churches, community groups, and businesses to take part in making shoe box gifts for needy children.

Pack: Fill shoe boxes with toys, necessity items, school supplies, candy, and a letter of encouragement.

Process: Sign up to join thousands of Operation Christmas Child volunteers this fall, at one of hundreds of collection sites or one of six Processing Centers in the United States, to collect and prepare millions of shoe box gifts for travel to underprivileged children on six continents.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (850) 265-3688 or visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week is Nov. 12-19; however, shoe box gifts are collected all year.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and hand-delivered more than 54 million shoe box gifts to hurting kids in some 120 countries.

The journey of the three kings
Every January 6, Catholics and people of other faiths observe the Feast of the Epiphany, a religious day that marks the visit of three kings to Jesus Christ.

According to biblical accounts, three kings, or wise men who may have been astrologers, traveled from distant lands, following a star that led them to the Christ child. The kings rode on camels and carried gifts to honor Jesus.

The Epiphany celebrates that Jesus was revealed as not only the king of the Jews but as the savior of all people. The wisemen recognized this with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold represented Jesus’ royal lineage, while frankincense reflected his divinity and myrrh symbolized his sacrifice through death.

The wisemen, Baltasar, Gaspar and Melchior, came from different parts of the East. In the visual arts, the wisemen are depicted with dark to light complexions, reflecting the diversity of the world.

For Latinos and others, the Epiphany, known as Three Kings Day, also has cultural significance. The evening before Three Kings Day, children leave grass and water for the camels. In the morning, they find gifts from the magi, another term for the wisemen. In addition to gift exchanges, some families also enjoy the traditional rosca de reyes, a warm bread that is shared and that has a hidden plastic figurine representing the wisemen.

While the Epiphany generally closes the Christmas season, Puerto Ricans continue to honor the Magi Saints with eight feast days known as Octavitas. In the Dominican Republic, the season also includes a visit from la Vieja Belen, who brings gifts to poor children on January 21.

The Three Kings traveled with great hope. Their journey, wisdom and diversity remind us of the blessings we can envision and embrace.

El viaje de los Tres Reyes Magos
Cada 6 de enero, católicos y personas de otras denominaciones religiosas observan la Fiesta de la Epifanía, un día religioso que marca la visita de los tres reyes a Jesús Cristo. De acuerdo con el relato bíblico, tres reyes, u hombres sabios quienes pueden haber sido astrólogos, viajaron desde lejanas tierras, siguiendo una estrella que los llevó hasta el niño Jesús. Los reyes cabalgaban en camellos y llevaban regalos para honrar a Jesús.

La Epifanía celebra que Jesús fue revelado no sólo como el rey de los judíos, sino como el salvador de toda la gente. Los sabios reconocieron esto con sus regalos de oro, incienso y mirra. El oro representó el linaje real de Jesús, mientras el incienso reflejó su divinidad y la mirra su sacrificio a través de la muerte.

Los sabios, Baltasar, Gaspar y Melchor, procedían de diferentes partes del Oriente. En las artes visuales, los sabios son presentados con complexiones de clara a oscura, reflejando la diversidad del mundo.

Para los latinos y otros, la Epifanía, conocida como Día de los Tres Reyes, también tiene significación cultural. La noche antes del Día de los Tres Reyes, niños dejan hierba y agua para los camellos. En la mañana, ellos encuentran regalos de los magos, otro término para los sabios. En adición al intercambio de regalos, algunas familias también disfrutan la tradicional rosca de reyes, un pan caliente que se comparte y que tiene figurines plásticos representando a los sabios.

Mientras la Epifanía por lo general cierra la estación navideña, los puertorriqueños continúan honrando a los Santos Magos con ocho días de fiestas conocidas como octavitas. En República Dominicana, la temporada también incluye una visita de la Vieja Belén, que trae regalos a los niños pobres el 21 de enero.

Los Tres Reyes viajaron con gran esperanza. Su travesía, sabiduría y diversidad nos recuerda las bendiciones que podemos vislumbrar y abrazar.

Each culture celebrates the holidays differently. But you don’t have to go to another country to find a family welcoming the New Year with their own tradition.

For some it begins on Christmas Eve. For others the party lasts 10 days, and doesn’t start until February. But the feeling of excitement that comes with the holidays transcends all cultures.

“If there’s Latin in your blood, there’s going to be a lot of family and a lot of food,” said Albert DePaoli, an Italian Woburn resident. DePaoli said Italians and other Latin cultures get the whole family together and eat for Christmas.

“It really starts on Christmas Eve,” DePaoli said. “Usually, there’s a meal based with fish. Fish is the center of attention, or it has been, traditionally. Then on Christmas there’s anything and everything.”

A church service is carefully fit into Christmas Eve, either at 4:30, 7:30 or midnight, DePaoli said. Church on Christmas Eve is a common tradition. Hugo Moraes, owner of the downtown restaurant A Taste of Brazil, said because Catholicism is important in Brazil, there are church services throughout the day on Christmas Eve.

“In Brazil, [Christmas] is very big,” Moraes said. Moraes said Christmas is similar to the way it is celebrated in the United States. Brazilians have a Santa Claus tradition, and children go to bed early and discover the next morning that he has brought them gifts in the night. “Our Christmas is like here,” Moraes said. “Santa in the mall and the same food.”

Moraes said Brazilians will traditionally eat similar foods as Americans. Turkey, stuffing, rice, pork loin and fruitcake are all offered in a Brazilian Christmas celebration.

The Greek Orthodox Church focuses on the holy aspect of Christmas. The Rev. Dr. Peter G. Rizos, pastor of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on Montvale Avenue, noted that Christmas is a high holy day.

“It is a festive occasion, preceded traditionally by a 40-day period of fasting,” Rizos said. “Christmas is a very special family occasion, when people get together with their loved ones to exchange gifts, and also to make donations to various charities as an expression of the Lord’s love for the world.”

DePaoli agreed that Christmas is a time for family. Everyone in the family meets at the same place every year, and everyone brings something different, which is part of why there is always so much food.

“Everybody’s usually at the same house, one traditional place everybody meets,” DePaoli said. “For 10 to 20 years, that will be the meeting place. Then people get older and a new place [is established] for the next generation.”

For Brazilians living in America, however, it’s a little different. Moraes said there are many who have family still living in Brazil, and whom they may not see for the holidays. But that doesn’t stop them from celebrating. Groups of friends will gather at one house, Moraes said, each of them bringing something different to eat.

DePaoli’s family is the same. There is always something different because everyone in the family wants to be unique.

“Usually, certain people get earmarked for certain things,” he said. “Someone will make the absolute best stuffed mushrooms, so you want them to bring those. “Someone else makes a killer cookie, so they’re the ones that are gong to bring the Christmas cookies.”

For the Greek Orthodox Church, the celebration doesn’t end with Christmas, however.

“In the Orthodox church, the celebration of Christmas is in conjunction with the feast day of Epiphany,” Rizos said. “[Epiphany] commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river by St. John the Baptist.”

Epiphany, which is celebrated on Jan. 6, is a fast-free, celebratory time, Rizos explained.

Traditions are significant to people, and carrying them on from generation to generation is the most important.

“At one time being proud of your heritage wasn’t a good thing,” DePaoli said. “There are some benefits in the traditions of old. The more pride you take in them the longer they’ll last.”

New Year’s > Just a week after Christmas comes New Year’s. Though it’s another momentous holiday, for the people just finishing Christmas celebrations, New Year’s is not as big. DePaoli said he and his family will order Chinese food, and sometimes go to a movie. At midnight, he will watch the ball drop in New York, and go to bed. But in Brazil, the New Year is celebrated with a little more gusto.

“For New Year’s, we have a big meal early,” Moraes said. “Then you go to restaurants and clubs. After midnight, we have champagne.”

Some people, Moraes said, are very superstitious on New Year’s Eve. Some will dress in all white, with the hopes of having a peaceful new year. Others will wear red for luck in love, or yellow for money. Some people take it very seriously, he said, dressing right down to their underwear in one color.

For the Chinese culture, the holiday season doesn’t start until late January or February. The Chinese New Year is what they celebrate; Christmas and New Year’s are just another day. Howard Wong, an employee of Oriental Chinese Restaurant downtown, said the Chinese New Year celebration lasts 10 days, with a party every night.

“We pray to gods and ancestors,” Wong said. “And people wear a new coat, or get a new haircut.”

Each night there is an envelope with money inside for single, unmarried family members. The Chinese New Year is their culture’s biggest holiday, and family members from all over come back to their parent’s house to celebrate.

Traditionally, Carnival begins on 12th Night, or 12 days after Christmas, which falls on Saturday. In the Crescent City, krewes and revelers have marked the occasion for decades with 12th Night celebrations. To the west, Lake Charles has staged a huge 12th Night celebration for years. Best of all, the public is invited.

The Feast of the Epiphany (or 12th Night) celebration, hasn’t been as prominent in Acadiana, but it may grow to be. The Krewe of Carnivale en Rio will have the season’s first ball, and the Boys and Girls Club will hold a Carnival-themed gala on that night.

Maybe you’re interested in starting your own 12th Night tradition. Naturally, food will be part of the plan. There are many recipes that have been passed on to us from the European cultures that hold an Epiphany event. All seem to have one thing in common, a pastry or confection.

We all know the King Cake, which celebrates the three kings who visited the newborn King when he was 12 days old. It is made from sweetened dough shaped in a ring or king’s crown. In modern France, there is a Galette des Rois, which is made from puff pastry and conceals a bean.

The most interesting one I noted is the Spanish Epiphany Bread. Instead of piling on heavy icing, the bread is topped with slivered almonds and candied fruits. As with a king cake, one would hide a coin or bean inside. The person who finds the coin inside his or her slice of bread will be crowned the king or queen of the evening.

Recipe follows >

Millions of people flocked to Copacabana and Ipanema beaches on New Year’s Eve, brushing aside fears sparked by gang attacks that left 19 dead last week.

Although police reported several shootings, the violence was a far cry from the gang attacks that saw eight people burned to death on an interstate bus Thursday and gangs spraying police stations with automatic weapons fire.

Four people were wounded early Monday by stray bullets around Rio’s Copacabana beach district, where an estimated two million people crowded to watch 22 minutes of fireworks and listen to live music. A woman was killed by a stray bullet in the nearby Rocinha shantytown.

Police said the bullets were likely from guns fired into the air in the surrounding shantytowns during the fireworks celebrations. All of those wounded were expected to survive.

In another incident, an off-duty police man shot and killed two men who were part of a group allegedly vandalizing a bus in the city center. Rio’s newly elected governor Sergio Cabral held a minute of silence for the victims of last week’s attacks at his swearing-in ceremony Monday.

“These cowards will have the response of a serious government that demands order,” Cabral said in his inauguration speech, taking a jab at his predecessor, Gov. Rosinha Matheus, who had long declined federal offers of assistance in combating the drug gangs that control many of the city’s nearly 700 shantytowns.

Cabral said he planned to ask the federal government for help in the coming days. Rio de Janeiro state deployed more than 21,000 police to keep the peace during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. About 1.5 million people also crowded Ipanema beach to watch the U.S. hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas perform.

“It’s a violent city, but you can’t let that stop you from living your life,” said 22-year-old Claudia de Oliveira Conceicao, who attended the concert on Ipanema beach with several friends.

Last week’s attacks have been attributed to Rio’s drug gangs responding to increased pressure from militias, reportedly run by off-duty police officers. But authorities say the attacks are a show of force before Monday’s inauguration of the new governor and that they are being ordered by jailed gang leaders who control “soldiers” on the outside. Rio is one of the most violent cities in the world, with a homicide rate of 50 per 100,000 people.