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December 2020
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Keeping the Magic of Christmas Alive For Our Family and Our Community
Almost immediately after Halloween was over, our daughter came up to me and asked if we could put up our Christmas decorations. Normally, we wait to put up our Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving, but she really wanted to get a head start on it. With everyone stuck in the house for quite some time now, that change was something we were all feeling, especially now at the end of the year. But, as we were planning on hosting a small Thanksgiving dinner this year, we didn’t want to put up those decorations too early. In the end, we worked out a compromise: We let her decorate the upstairs and we kept the fall decorations downstairs. These types of changes have happened quite a lot for the holiday season. Many of us have had to adapt to the situation we find ourselves in, the situation we’ve been living in since March, and change the way we’ll be celebrating the holidays this year. While changing when we decorate for Christmas was a pretty easy change, there’s been a few others that were harder.
with a majority of our extended family on Christmas Day, but that’s not really an option this year. We will be getting together with family, but it will only be with our immediate family members. Something we’re thinking about doing for Christmas is to have a family Zoom call so we can at least see and chat with them over the holidays, even if we can’t meet them face to face. Something we also missed this year is the annual Nutcracker Market. As I’m sure many of our readers know, this event is a huge deal this time of year in Houston. The Nutcracker Market is a four-day event benefiting the Houston Ballet where many vendors from around the country sell Christmas décor, clothing, jewelry and other unique crafts. My mom, sister, and I go every year dressed in cute matching Christmas shirts and shop till we drop! Unfortunately, like many big events, the Nutcracker Market was canceled this year because of the pandemic. We’re hoping that next year things will have returned to normal and we’ll be able to enjoy this tradition once again.
we approach our lives and traditions, we’ll still be able to celebrate as normally as we can. However, we also know that many other families in our community have had a lot more challenges to overcome this year. Because 2020 has been so difficult for so many families, we want to do something to help them as a family. Along with several of our kids’ sports organizations and friends’ groups, we have “adopted” several families to help them with their Christmas. Even though our children are older, we want to make sure other kids know that Santa Claus is immune to COVID-19 and will be visiting them this year. We’re also going to be donating food to the local food bank. We want everyone to have the magic of Christmas and experience the holiday as normally as possible, despite the difficulties 2020 gave us. If you have the chance and ability to do so, we’d also like to encourage our readers to do what they can for others and, if they’re able, give generously. From our family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season, no matter how much it might have changed this year. Merry Christmas! -John & Jennifer Kahn
Our biggest family tradition for the holidays is that we get together
Even though our family has faced hardships this year and have had to change the way
What Are You Doing This Holiday Season? As the months have gone by, our readers have read many of our stories of trips and family traditions. Now, we want to hear yours! This month, we’re giving a turkey to one of our readers who emails us about their family tradition. All you have to do to enter is send our team an email at Info@KahnLawyers.com, with the subject line “Free Christmas Turkey Giveaway,” and tell us your favorite holiday family tradition. This tradition can be something you’ve done for years or one you have had to get creative with this holiday season. We want to hear what everyone is doing and share a Christmas day meal with you. Be sure to send in your email before Dec. 18, and we’ll be sure to have that Christmas turkey delivered straight to our winner!
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3 GIFT-GIVING TIPS That Won’t Kill Your Savings
Think beyond store-bought or expensive items.
Ah, the holidays. It’s a time of sweet treats, family, and giving back — and sometimes giving a little too much. When it comes to the perfect holiday gift, many people spend too much money. The average American spends nearly $1,000 on gifts during the December holidays alone! It’s possible to cut back and make it to January without major debt. Here’s how.
Sure, everyone wants this holiday season’s “it” item, but sometimes the best gifts don’t even come wrapped under the tree. Instead, look to your own talents as a clue to what you should give. If you’re a great crafter, create something unique for the people on your list. If you can offer the gift of time, provide a free night of babysitting for your friends with kids or an experience at the local theater. These gifts have a bonus factor: Recipients love the gift when they open it, and they love it when they get to use it!
Set a budget — and stick to it.
Setting a holiday budget ensures you only spend what you can afford. It also narrows down your search. If you choose to buy your neighbor something, but they aren’t your top priority, set their budget at a lower level, like $25–$50. If you have a sibling who has had a rough year and you’d like to make their holidays a little brighter, bump their budget up. This narrows the focus of what you’re looking for so you don’t stumble into something you can’t afford. Ultimately, it’s the spirit of giving during the holidays that makes them so rewarding. With a little ingenuity, you can be generous and avoid the stress of excess debt come January.
Check your list — twice!
The list is going to be your secret weapon to tackling the holidays with your savings still intact. Start by writing down the name of every person you’d like to get a gift for. Now, with the exception of your immediate family members, narrow the names down to your top five — top 10 if you’re really popular. Now, place the names of the people who didn’t make the cut into a second list. If you still feel the need to do something for them, send homemade cookies or a handwritten note instead of purchasing something. This limits how much you actually have to spend!
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spellings of common names. Additionally, the name must match the biological sex of the child: girls with feminine names and boys with masculine names. And another thing, traditional last names cannot be used as a first name. Many other countries have similar laws, including Germany. While the German laws are not as strict as Denmark’s, they state that the name must match the sex and that any name must not bring harm to the child. That is to say, if the child is likely to be bullied because of the name, it may be rejected.
No Running Out of Gas on the Autobahn
The “no gas” law is designed to minimize hazards and accidents on the road. It’s also illegal to stop on the side of the Autobahn, unless you’re experiencing an emergency or car trouble, such as an unforeseen issue with the engine. Running out of gas is considered a “foreseen” issue, thanks to fuel indicators.
Should you run out of gas and require assistance, you must not leave your vehicle, because it’s also illegal to walk on the
Speaking of Germany, home of the Autobahn, it’s illegal to run out of gas while driving on the superhighway. In fact, driving on the Autobahn comes with many restrictions. That’s the trade-off for accessing an efficient road system where some stretches lack a speed limit.
Autobahn. If you do need to pull over, you must do so in designated areas or leave the highway altogether.
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TAKE A BREAK
It’s not always easy to share feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, or other strong emotions — but it’s healthy to share them. Sometimes, we need to vent and get it all out. Venting gives us an opportunity to release these emotions, which often leads to mental clarity. However, when someone comes to you to vent and share their heavy emotional burden, listening can be just as challenging as sharing. You want to be supportive, but you don’t want to interfere. Strong feelings and tough situations may be involved. What can you do to be the listener they really need? It starts with your body language. Open yourself to their emotional needs. Gregorio Billikopf, an interpersonal relationship expert at the University of California, Berkeley says if you begin the conversation standing, invite the person to have a seat with you. Another thing you can do as a listener is to position yourself below their eye line. This puts the person venting in a more active “storyteller” position and you in a better “listener” position. While in this position, maintain eye contact. It’s okay to look down or away occasionally, but try to keep steady eye contact. Billikopf also notes that, as a listener, it’s important to avoid interjecting. Don’t offer input, suggestions, or guidance to the person venting until after the person has had the chance to get it all out. “During this venting process, there is still too much pressure for a person to consider other perspectives,” Billikopf says. While you don’t want to interject, you do want to be an active listener. This means you don’t want to be completely silent. This is where “reflective listening” comes in. Occasionally repeat what the speaker says — but don’t use their exact phrasing. Reword slightly in a sympathetic manner. Don’t spin their words or mistakenly interject an opinion, as it may not be the opinion they’re interested in hearing. Alternatively, listening cues like “mm” or “hm” and nods are always welcome. One last thing to keep in mind: You do not need to offer a solution to the person’s problem or concerns. They may just be venting to get their negative emotions out, not looking for answers or explanations. If they are looking for answers or guidance, wait for them to ask. In the meantime, lend your ear and let them know you’re there for them going forward. BE A BETTER LISTENER FOR SOMEONE Who Needs to ‘Get It All Out’
NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FRUITCAKE
Inspired by SimplyRecipes.com
Ingredients
• 1 tsp baking soda • 1 cup sour cream • 3 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice, chopped • 1 cup nuts of your choice, chopped • 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 stick butter • 1 cup sugar • 1 egg, room temperature • Zest of 1 orange • 1 tsp salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with greased baking paper. Ensure the piece running the length of the pan stands 1 inch above each side to form “handles.” 2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and sour cream. 3. In a second bowl, combine fruit, nuts, and 1/4 cup flour. 4. In a third bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, zest, and sour cream mixture. Then, add remaining flour and salt. Mix, then add fruit mixture. 5. Pour batter into lined pan. Fill up a separate loaf pan halfway with water. Bake both pans in oven for 1 1/2–2 hours or until a skewer leaves the cake clean. 6. Use “handles” to remove cake from pan and cool completely on a rack before serving.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Celebrating Christmas a Little Differently
3 Fool-Proof Ways to Pay for the Holidays Without Going Broke
2
Not Your Grandma’s Fruitcake How to Be a Better Listener for Someone in Need
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Strange Laws Around the Globe
CURIOUS LAWS IN PRACTICE Around the World
No Chewing Gum in Singapore
Nearly every community around the world has strange laws: Some were established decades or centuries ago to address specific issues that came up once or twice; some were created with good intentions but have since become outdated; and there are some recently created ones that still serve practical purposes. Here are three such examples.
Company. You can get certain types of gum with a prescription, but if you are caught with more than two packs or are found littering, you may be handed a very steep fine.
Singapore has numerous laws aimed at keeping the city-state free of clutter, one of which is aimed squarely at chewing gum. As the government made infrastructure improvements in the 1980s and ‘90s, they wanted to curb vandalism and littering so they could keep this new area clean. The result was a crackdown on gum. They take it so seriously that they monitor gum products that pass through the city-state. If it’s en route to a neighboring country, it must be locked up until it’s through. In the past, anyone caught selling, possessing, or chewing gum could be fined up to $100,000.
No Unusual Names in Denmark
When you have a child in Denmark, don’t get too creative with their name. The government maintains a list of around 7,000 approved names, and around 200 names are rejected every year. However, if you choose a name that isn’t on the list, you might not receive an automatic denial. You can get special approval through your local church, then submit the name for approval from government officials. The law looks down on naming children after inanimate objects or alternative Continued on Page 2 ...
In recent years, the law has eased somewhat, thanks in part to gum lobbyists funded by the Wrigley
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