As the winter solstice descends upon New York City, the bustling metropolis prepares to embrace the longest night of the year, marking a celestial event that holds profound significance in the tapestry of human history and the city’s cultural fabric.

In the heart of the city that never sleeps, the winter solstice takes on a unique resonance—a blend of modernity and ancient traditions that pay homage to this astronomical occurrence. While skyscrapers create their own shadows across the urban landscape, the spirit of the solstice resonates through the streets, reminding New Yorkers of the interconnectedness between the celestial dance of the cosmos and the rhythm of city life.

For centuries, the winter solstice has held a place of reverence in various cultures. In New York, this celestial event aligns with the city’s diverse heritage, with communities drawing from their cultural roots to celebrate the turning point of the seasons.

From the vantage point of the city’s iconic landmarks like the High Line or the Brooklyn Bridge, New Yorkers gather to witness the sun’s fleeting appearance on the shortest day of the year, acknowledging the gradual return of longer days and the promise of spring. The solstice becomes a time for reflection, a moment to pause amidst the city’s frenetic pace and appreciate the natural ebb and flow of time.

In a city known for its resilience and diversity, the winter solstice serves as a unifying thread, weaving together various cultural celebrations. From the contemplative observances at The Met’s Temple of Dendur, honoring ancient traditions, to the vibrant gatherings in neighborhoods like Chinatown or Little Italy, where communities embrace their unique solstice customs, New York City becomes a mosaic of celebrations that echo the city’s rich tapestry of cultures.

Yet, beyond the festivities, the winter solstice invites New Yorkers to ponder the cosmic influence on life itself. Scientists highlight the pivotal role that Earth’s axial tilt—responsible for this astronomical phenomenon—has played in the evolution and sustenance of life, emphasizing its impact on the city’s ecosystems and the natural world that coexists within its boundaries.

So, as the cityscape illuminates with twinkling lights and resonates with diverse celebrations, let us honor the winter solstice in New York—a moment when the city’s vibrancy meets the ancient rhythms of the universe. Amidst the skyscrapers and the city’s bustling energy, New Yorkers pause to acknowledge this celestial event, finding unity in the shared experience of nature’s cyclical dance and the universal human connection it embodies.

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Listen to “Earth Celebrations’ Founder Felicia Young, change through the arts.” on Spreaker.

Felicia Young is a social action artist and the founder of Earth Celebrations, a non-profit organization on the Lower East Side of New York City since 1991, to engage communities to generate ecological and social change through the arts. For the past 30 years Earth Celebrations’ programs, www.earthcelebrations.com,
have applied the inspirational power of the arts to build community, collaboration and action on climate change, water quality, river restoration, waste management, and the preservation of species, habitats, nature, gardens, parks, and a healthy urban environment. Earth Celebrations has pioneered and developed innovative strategies utilizing collaborative arts to build broad-based coalitions and diverse sector partnerships with local organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, schools and community residents to work together and mobilize action to achieve common goals and ecological, policy and social change. The current Ecological City: Art & Climate Solutions project engages artists, gardeners, schools, organizations, youth and residents to collaborate over 9 months co-creating theatrical pageant, a procession with 20 site performances, to celebrate climate solution and sustainability initiatives throughout the community gardens, neighborhood and waterfront on the Lower East Side of New York City.

Opening – VIDEO CLIP – Earth Celebrations’ Ecological City: Procession for Climate Solutions May, 2019 – a community art and environmental action project engaging artists, gardeners, schools, organizations, youth and residents to collaborate over 9 months co-creating theatrical pageant, a procession with 20 site performances, to celebrate climate solution and sustainability initiatives throughout the community gardens, neighborhood and waterfront on the Lower East Side of New York City.

Closing Closing – VIDEO CLIP – The Bio-Remediation Sculpture was created for Earth Celebrations’ Ecological City: Procession for Climate Solutions by local artist/gardener Dee Dee Maucher from earth with fermented micro organisms, willow branches and other nutrient rich organic materials collected. The sculpture rode on on a cycle-rickshaw throughout the 5 hour procession and was offered to the East River at the end of the day. She floated on a reed raft and headed due south offering her nutrients for the cleansing of the river.

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“ChocolateText” As the world has become more high tech and less personal, ChocolateText® has created concepts for individuals to communicate in more creative and meaningful ways. Since the advent of emails, texts and gift cards, we all need to go back to putting some fun and feeling in our messaging. With ChocolateText one can write out a chocolate message on-line and have it shipped directly to their loved ones.

“Purple Political Games” – our Chocolect® product that brings together people with different political views for a tasty game of Political chess or checkers. Popular/unpopular politicians and Political parties are shown as chocolate chess and checker pieces with a colorful game board. What more politically correct than chocolate? It’s White, Milk and Dark!

ChocolateSideCar – Celebrate a beverage [or any type] with a chocolate garnish that sits on your glass. Available in multiple designs and flavors including sets that pair with specific wines. Our Designated Driver Chocolate SideCar and ChocolateSideCar for Safety Program are working with law enforcement to help combat this country’s Drunk Driving dilemna.

About David Little:
David Little, a former CPA started Nouveuates over 25 years ago. The Company originally designed, created and fulfilled items for brands [i.e. Starbucks, Keurig, Kraft, etc.] in the Incentive, Loyalty and related B2B marketplaces. During this period with the growth of the internet, the company also created its own consumer concepts marketed to consumers through ChocolateText.com.

Courtesy: Chocolatetext
www.chocolatetext.com

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GUESS WHO IS COMING ?
Every year Diwali at Times Square brings stars from all over the world to the Center of Universe, Times Square. Curious to know who is coming this year? Well it wouldn’t be so fun if we told you, right? We have released our latest teaser with clues on the next big singer to hit the stage of Diwali at Times Square.
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#DIWALIMEMORY
We might still be a few months away from our big event on October 7, but we are ready to fall right into the spirit of Diwali; And what better way than going down memory lane, right? We have launched the campaign #DiwaliMemory to have our fans and followers share their memories of their past Diwali celebrations with pictures, videos or however they choose to express themselves. We will all be able to cherish these moments as we project your stories and videos on our screen during Diwali at Times Square on October 7, so go ahead and share your Diwali memories with us.
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KARAN TACKER
He is back ! We listened to our fans, and by popular demand we are excited to bring Karan Tacker (Nach Baliye Fame) back to host Diwali at Times Square 2017. Make sure to check his video sharing the good news along with the founder and organizer of Diwali at Times Square Mrs. Neeta Bhasin in their latest trip to Israel for prime Minister Modi’s visit.
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DIWALI PARTNERS
Putting an event like Diwali at Times Square demands time, passion and a lot of work; And we wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of our sponsors. Interested in being part of the historic event? Want to send Diwali Greetings from your organization or personally from the tallest screen of Times Square.
Please contact us at
sponsorship@diwalitimessquare.com
Learn More
Regards,
Neeta Bhasin
President & CEO
Event Guru Inc | ASB Communications

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Liberty Mutual Insurance Renews Sponsorship of Boston’s 4th of July Tradition, The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. Good News is proud to bring Keth Lockhart and the Boston Pops interview as part of our July 4th 14 Anniversary Special. We applaud Liberty Mutual and The Boston Pops for all the GOOD that they do. Thanks.

Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance, a leading global property and casualty insurer, today announced that it would renew its sponsorship of Boston’s nationally-acclaimed 4th of July tradition, The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, through 2015. The three-year sponsorship agreement with Boston 4 Celebrations, the organization that produces the event, totals approximately $8 million. Liberty Mutual Insurance, headquartered in Boston since 1912, and with more than 4,500 employees in 30 offices across Massachusetts, first began its sponsorship of The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular in 2005.

This year’s concert will feature Conductor Keith Lockhart and The Boston Pops Esplanade , joined by Academy Award and GRAMMY(r) Award-winning superstar Jennifer Hudson. Emceed by Emmy Award-winning actor and Lowell, Mass. native Michael Chiklis, the event will air locally on WBZ-TV from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., followed by a national CBS broadcast from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The entire concert will be broadcast in HD (high definition), courtesy of Liberty Mutual Insurance. In addition, the final 20 minutes of the broadcast, featuring the spectacular fireworks display, will be presented commercial free by Liberty Mutual Insurance.

“In Liberty Mutual Insurance’s 100th anniversary year, we could not imagine a better time to reaffirm our support for Boston’s Fourth of July tradition,” said David Long, Chief Executive Officer and President, Liberty Mutual Insurance. “For 39 years, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular has brought together family and friends from across the country to our hometown, where they enjoy a free concert, watch an outstanding fireworks display, and salute the brave men and women who make it possible for us to celebrate. It is an honor to sponsor a tradition that so vibrantly captures the spirit of Independence Day, and we’re proud to share it with the millions of television viewers across the country.”

Liberty Mutual Insurance’s continued sponsorship will preserve a 39-year tradition that offers a free concert to an estimated 500,000 people who visit Boston’s Charles River Esplanade on July 4th. Worth noting, approximately one-third of the concert’s attendees are tourists from outside New England, who come to celebrate and enjoy Boston as a summer destination.

“We’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with Liberty Mutual Insurance, which allows us to continue to bring the Boston Pops, fireworks and this patriotic event to all free of charge for a fourth decade,” said Event Founder and Executive Producer David G. Mugar. “We look forward to producing this Boston tradition for many years to come for the families of Boston and New England.”

Added Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart: “It takes a great deal of support to present this country’s greatest Fourth of July concert, so we are thrilled that Liberty Mutual Insurance has generously renewed its sponsorship of one of this city’s signature events — the July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. We hope every Boston neighborhood and visitors near and far will join us, with host Michael Chiklis and singing sensation Jennifer Hudson, along the banks of the Charles River for this spectacular day celebrating our country’s birth.”

For more information about The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, please visit the event website at www.july4th.org .

About Liberty Mutual Insurance

“Helping people live safer, more secure lives” since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance is a diversified global insurer and the third largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2011 direct premiums written as reported by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Liberty Mutual Insurance also ranks 84th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2011 revenue. As of December 31, 2011, Liberty Mutual Insurance had $117.1 billion in consolidated assets, $99.3 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $34.7 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

Liberty Mutual Insurance offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, property, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, reinsurance and surety. Liberty Mutual Insurance (www.libertymutualinsurance.com) employs over 45,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

About Boston 4 Productions

Boston 4 Productions’ Fourth of July event was founded in 1973 by then Boston Pops Conductor Arthur Fiedler and Boston businessman David G. Mugar. While Fiedler had been conducting Esplanade concerts since 1929, the idea of adding fireworks, cannons and bells sparked new life into the well-known musical event. Now marking its 39th year, the event is once again produced and coordinated by Boston 4 Productions, the production arm of the non-profit organization Boston 4 Celebrations Inc.

About the Boston Pops

The Boston Pops, in its 127th year, has a rich and storied history that began with its founding in 1885. The Boston Pops Orchestra has distinguished itself as the founder of and leader in its genre, presenting the best of a wide variety of music from jazz to pop, indie rock to big band, film music to the great American songbook, and Broadway to classical. Though Arthur Fiedler’s nearly 50-year tenure as Pops conductor (1930-1979) established the Boston Pops as a national icon, Conductor Laureate John Williams (1980-1993) and present-day conductor Keith Lockhart (1995-present) have shepherded the orchestra through three decades of tumultuous change in the world of music. The Boston Pops, “America’s Orchestra,” performs for an audience of nearly 900,000 people annually in Boston, across the country and around the world, and reaches millions more through its recordings and television broadcasts. For more information, visit www.bostonpops.org .

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