It was December once more in New York City. All over the five boroughs city workers were stringing up decorations. Charities had booths all over the city as the shelters and soup kitchens went out of their way to get donations to clothe and feed more people than normal. The city noise seemed to get louder this month than any month.
At the United Nations the departments were busier than ever. The entire building had been decorated with items from different cultures traditions for December holidays as well some posters and reminders about the international holidays the UN celebrated and helped spread. Some of those days include December third: International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which was to help promote anti-stigma ideas towards the disabled and inspire people to help them more often. Another important international day was December tenth: Human Rights Day. The Security Council and General Assembly worked extra hard on that day to solve a lot of problems. It was also the busiest day out of the year for the United Nations best kept secret.
Deep in the secret bunkers Peace Keeper aka Ning Sun, had finally returned from her job in Guatemala. Ever since the civil war in the country ended in 1996, death squads run by the CIAAS had been committing massacres, and genocides towards certain groups, though their influence had lessened in the last few years. In fact in 2008, the country was the first to officially recognize femicide, (the murder of a woman because of her gender), as both a hate and international human rights crime. Since Guatemala still had the third highest rate of this crime, Peace Keeper had been dispatched by the Security Council to remind the country of its obligations as a UN member.
It was now December seventeenth and she was exhausted. "Ah, it's good to be home after week long mission. I need to take a nice long hot bath." Heading into her bathroom, she filled her Jaquez tube up with warm wat and slightly hot jets. Adding in some bubbles and few bath salts, the UN agent lowered herself in and let out a sigh. "Ah, this is heavenly. I hope that I can enjoy this before something else comes up."
She was relaxing in her bath enjoying it immensely when a slight chime went off. It was an indication she had received a message from upstairs. Unwilling to get out of the tub, she asked the computer to read it to her.
"Peace Keeper, this is President Roman Oyazurn Marchesi. Since you have done an excellent job this year and have managed to create ten teams so far for the Special Peace Keeper unit, I have decided that you can take the rest of the month off from any missions. Enjoy your holiday break and have some fun and relaxation. Celebrate the holidays. Until next year Felize Navidad."
Ning was stunned. Aside from her short vacation early this year to London after her original one in Italy fell apart thanks to that strumpet Lila/Volpena, she never had time off from work. Fun and relaxation were not something she had often or indulged in. Now she was supposed to celebrate something?
It wasn't like she didn't know about the holidays that happened around the world in December. Growing up her handlers had taught her all about the different holidays and celebrations from all the countries in the UN. Traditions, cultural variance, what they meant and why they were celebrated them.
The problem was she never actually had celebrated any of them. Her handlers' jobs had been to teach her about the different countries so she could blend in if a peace mission occurred during a holiday time, so she didn't stick out like a sore thumb. No one had actually given her gifts, let her light a candle, or have a feast. She had never sang, danced, or played games. Heck, she had never seen a holiday movie before!
Also it wasn't as if she could bring in any decorations. Her home was at the bottom of the UN with only three ways out. She couldn't very well use the elevator without being seen and her escape exits were not good for bringing a large amount of items back here. Besides, she didn't know what to celebrate anyways. Her DNA was made up of different bits from countries all over the world. Belonging to the whole world was helpful in missions and bringing peace to suffering areas. Not so good when you wanted to celebrate holidays.
Honestly the only celebration she'd ever had was her birthday. When she was a child her handlers and mentors would put aside their work for one day. A few times there had been balloons and a piece of cake to eat. Her only presents were toys to increase her intelligence or help her improve her physical abilities. The last time it was celebrate was when she was thirteen. After that her birthday had been another day in the year. She hadn't celebrated until her twenty ninth two months ago when had managed to spend half a day in Paris with Master Fu.
"What should I celebrate? I can't celebrate St. Nicholas Day because that was December sixth. I missed Rohatsu, the Buddhism celebration of the day Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree to gain enlightenment because that was on the eighth. St. Lucia Day was on the thirteenth," she muttered to herself. Maybe she should think about what her peace teams celebrated and go from there.
Getting dressed, she thought about the different teams she had created over the last few months. Each was in a country that desperately needed help in preserving peace and stop violations of human rights. Her first and central team was the Miraculous team in France. Right now they were just taking care of Paris, but one day she knew deep in her heart they would be expanding to all over the country. She really missed her friends there and hoped they were having a wonderful Christmas together.
The second team had been set up in Yemen, the poorest Middle Eastern country. The country had a very unstable government prone to corruption. In order to survive in that country long enough she had used one of her male aliases to secure a team of four, three men and one woman, who had the talent, dedication, and bravery to help bring peace to the country. Two of the team members worked in the government being tasked with helping their rid their country of corruption in the highest form. Another worked at a jail and worked to help those who had been illegally put in prison. The only woman on the team had the riskiest job. She worked to prevent child marriages and prevent human trafficking. It was Ning's belief that these four could make a real difference.
Her third team was in the Arctic Region in Greenland. Technically, Greenland was a sovereign state of Denmark, but the team there had formed not just to keep relations friendly, but to protect environmental rights. With so many countries after the oil reserves and not caring about the fragile ecosystem, it had been very easy to help form a team dedicated to that cause. She had given them a little leeway and help so they could do their job because she knew most governments didn't think anything of the damage they did in their pursuit for oil.
Her fourth team was actually stationed in Central America in the country she just visited. With the problems in Guatemala, her team of twelve peace keepers had been split into four three person teams, covering a separate area in the country. Without their help she wouldn't have been able to get half the number of violators as she had.
Team number five was stationed in Antarctica. It seemed a strange place to station a team for peace. Still many countries had claims to different territories of Antarctica with a rotating population, keeping everyone safe and happy was important. More importantly, was the team was responsible for ensuring no research station started doing experiments that could harm human or worsen problems like holes in the ozone layer with them. It was the hardest team to reach, but she always found a way.
Team Six was stationed in one of the most dangerous countries in South America, Venezuela. Having the highest murder rate in the world in two thousand fifteen and with increasing inflation made this country very hostile. Ning had to search high and low before she could form a team with enough resources and protection to start reclaiming Venezuela for its people and prosecuting the murderers without fear for their lives. It was a dangerous and difficult job, one of the reasons she kept a close eye on it. Ning was hoping to voice her concerns to the next President of the Security Council so they might plan a peace mission there to clean it up.
Team Seven was situated in North America, on the Island of Haiti. Besides suffering from natural disasters, the cast system divided the population. With five percent of the island getting the best of everything, the remaining ninety five struggled to make ends meet. In turn this caused an unbalance with everything from the government, economy, all the way down to education and help. The team she had assembled there goals were to improve conditions and find a way to lessen or rid the island of the caste system. She had every confidence they could do it with continues help from other organizations.
Team Eight was based in the Republic of Congo. Over the years there had been several wars, a few cleansing of ethnic groups. The two worst violations had to be making child soldiers and enslaving the Pygmy ethnic group. The law that would have protected the people from slavery was never passed. Many of the Pygmy people had joined the group to fight for their freedom and end other human right violations. Ning was cautiously optimistic knowing that teaching them to fight in hand to hand combat and making their weapons out of everyday items, wouldn't stand up against guns and whips, but it was better than nothing she assumed.
Team Nine came from Australia, specifically the Northern Territories. Australia had a very healthy relationship with the UN and most of the countries in it. The government was very corruptible when it came to helping their people or trading with other countries. The man problem that the team was facing was helping the Aborigines get access to basic needs, while preserving their culture. Both sides were stubborn, but Ning knew that a past Ladybug had come from an aboriginal group meaning they could learn to change.
The last team, was located in Asia, most of the countries there had violated human rights at one time or another. Some continued to do so no matter what actions or inactions had taken place to stop them. While a team in North Korea would have been great, the country was too isolated for even Peace Keeper to get in. So she settled on having a team located in Singapore hoping they would have more success. Singapore was very big into capital punishment for many crimes ranging from murder to drug trafficking. Some criminals were executed without a trial.
Her team station in the country main job was to focus on the rights to freedom of speech and association. They could assist in ending human trafficking. Peace Keeper's only order was to observe the capital punishment from afar to gain data the UN could use to convince the government that not every crime should be punishable by hanging.
Making herself a light dinner she sighed. "My teams are doing great, but that still doesn't help me much with what I should celebrate. Maybe I should look up some information on the different holidays to decide." It was the best idea she had all day.
The next morning she gathered all her books from the library on holidays and traditions. She also fired up her computer network and start bringing in data on what countries celebrated what to help her figure out what she should do.
Getting comfortable in her favorite chair she started to read about Christmas. According to Christianity, the holiday was to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The angels, shepherds and the Three Wisemen who came to see the blessed child of God. How creatures such as spiders hid the family when they were being hunted by King Herod who was threatened by this new king.
The religious aspect of the holiday was very important. The religious seasons of Advent and Twelve days of Christmas were very popular. She had heard the song and wished she had gotten an Advent calendar. Ning smiled as she read more about the traditions and symbols associated with the holiday.
Hand bells were used with caroling for music and announcing times of service. The mistletoe was actually a tradition from Druids that had been adopted by the Christians. The plants magical properties were bringing luck to household and make sure bad spirits stayed away. The plant was also a symbol of friendship and love which is why people kissed under it. Red, green, and gold were the colors of the season because they represented the blood of Jesus, the everlasting life, and the gifts received.
Some traditions from around the world included. In Mexico the tradition of posada walks. Children carrying candles would reenact the journey of Mary and Joseph searching for a place to stay for the night. Then in Ghana they would harvest coco beans and light fireworks. Indonesia cookies included Nasta, (butter cookies with pineapple filling), Kastengle, (cheese cookies, bet Plagg would love them), and Putri Salju (butter cookies with sugar and cheese on them).
Switching to Hanukkah, Ning found herself drawn into the story of the Maccabees and the Miracle of the menorah staying lit for eight days. "The menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum, also sometimes called a Hanukiah. As you look at a menorah, you will notice that one candle is set at a different level from the other eight. That one is called the Shammash, or helper candle. Jewish law states that the regular candles are for viewing and spreading the word of the miracle only, so the Shammash is used to light the others."
Continuing to read she learned about the traditions of saying the three prayers with the family around the menorah. Traditional food included latkes and sufganyot sounded very tasty. The dreidel wasn't actually a toy, but a way to learn from the Torah when Jews had been banned from reading it. Gold candy coins were reminders that the Jews made their own currency a long time ago.
Hanukkah was celebrated by Jews all over the world. For Jews in Yemen the seventh night was set aside for woman to commemorate Hannah. According to the text, Hannah and her seven sons defied the Syrian Greeks who ruled Jerusalem at the time, and she and her sons were killed for refusing to give up their beliefs. In India they dipped wicks in coconut oil instead of using candles. In Italy they cooked lightly sweetened, olive oil infused, honey-covered treat called precipizi. Truly this holiday was a wonderful thing to celebrate.
Kwanzaa was the most recent holiday created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–67. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. The holiday celebrated the Nguzo Saba, the "seven principles of African Heritage" It was not meant to replace Christmas, but to help inspire a cultural revolution among Pan Africanis. "Truly a cultural holiday that like Christmas and Hanukkah to remind people where they come from."
The seven principles of Kwanza were Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Symbols of the holiday included an mkeka, (mat), the Kinara, (candle holder), and Kikombe cha Umoja (unity cup). Corn was the main food eaten. The greeting for Kwanzaa was Joyous Kwanzaa. Different activities took place each day to demonstrate the principle they were celebrating. The holiday ended with a Kurumo or feast.
In the Caribbean they had dances and hung banners in red, black, and green. They also enjoyed potluck dinners. In Senegal the woman dressed in traditional bright dresses and headwear. In Great Brittan there were several organizations that spread the message of Kwanzaa while having several different celebrations. Overall Kwanzaa sounded fun.
On a table was a paper on the debate of certain Islamic holidays and how they were contested by the different denominations. It seemed that the Sunni strongly believed in celebrating Mawlidu n-nabiyyi or the prophet Muhammad birthday while the Salafism found it unnecessary and against Islamic law. In fact it was forbidden in Saudi Arabia and Qatar to celebrate it.
The holiday had already passed; occurring between the twelfth and the seventeenth according to the lunar calendar, but that didn't deter her from thinking about having her own small holiday festival. According the paper the holiday was celebrate between those days because some denominations believed it was on the twelfth and others on the seventeenth.
In the countries it was celebrated in the holiday celebrations were based on a carnival theme that had everything going on at once. There were street processions and the mosques were decorated. People handed out food and clothing following Muhammad's belief in charity. Poetry about the prophet was recited to children.
In Pakistan the celebrations started with a thirty one gun salute. In Tunisia they sang hymns and prepared Assidat Zgougou. It was originally made out of honey, smen and semolina, that dish is now known as "εasida turki." It sounded delicious. In other countries the holiday was a day of praying.
Reading another paper on religious holidays she came across a Hindu one that ran between the sixteenth to the start of January called Dhanu Yatra. It was a celebration of Lord Krishna visit to Mathura. Each location that celebrated holiday read different puranic texts and did good deeds based on the text. Hindus would follow the different performances offering sweet rice flakes to Lord Krishna. Also married woman and girls would fast while they sang and dance. Young girls would pray to find good husbands and the married women prayed to ensure their husbands lived long and prosperous lives.
The computers let out a little beep alerting her that they had finished their search for December holidays. Yuletide sounded very interesting to her. A celebration of the winter solstice and the rebirth of the Great horn hunter god. A natural celebration of nature and its beauty.
Making wishes on the Yule log before setting it on fire. The wishes were carried up in the smoke as fire kept them warm throughout the night. Sacrifices, what used to be animals or blood, now were simple gifts from nature made up the offerings. A bountiful feast and plenty of drinking was common as gifts were exchanged. Wreath and sprigs of evergreen plants were brought into homes or decorated to match a pentacle.
"I wonder if Trixx ever went to one of these. She would really love the ritual part of the celebration, including calling on the elements and casting spells of protection, health, and fertility. She'd been having a merry time."
Her computer also showed her a calendar of weird and wacky holidays. "Oh this is so funny. December twenty first not only was the solstice, it was also crossword puzzle day. Oh and the next day is regifting day. The twenty ninth was international cello day! A day all about an instrument. I wonder if there's a day for cheese or cookies."
Now that she had read everything about the different holidays and traditions from all over the globe, she was right back where she started. How did she choose something to celebrate and make her bunker home, more festive as it was? What to do, what to do? Suddenly an idea went off in her head as she headed to her undercover work room. It was time to use her knowledge of the secret passageways around the building to help her celebrate.
It was the December twenty second by the time she managed to gather everything she needed for her celebrations, late or future. Since Ning's DNA belonged to the whole world she decided to invent her own holiday. Multicultural December Holiday. Taking the best of each holiday and having it on day in between holidays. Thanks to her disguises as different members of the UN, she managed to liberate some decorations and items for her private holiday.
A small Christmas tree decorated with red and green lights with golden ornaments took up one corner of her living room. A book of carols lay on a nearby stand with some hand bells. She had found an old Bible in one of the office that wasn't in use anymore and was planning on reading the story of Jesus's birth later that night.
Her coffee table had been decorated with symbols from the Judaism fate. A print out of the prayers, along with a menorah and dreidel sat on the table. The candles were unlit for now. She planned to light them later with some coconut oil she found. The menorah would stay lit from today to the end of the actual holiday.
Hanging above her TV was a huge black and red banner with the seven principles of the holiday listed on them. Beneath the TV was a stand with a mat holding the Kinara on it. Caribbean music played from her speakers and she had put on a traditional Kwanza dress.
She had turned her office/library room into a mini Mawlidu n-nabiyyi celebration with toys set up to look like a miniature carnival was going on. Her old clothes sat in a neat pile ready to be donated. Tapped to the wall was the poetry that spoke of Mohammad life.
The other half of the room had been decorated for Dhanu Yatra including a small statue of him that she had been gifted with from a delegate from a Hindu country. A model of Krishna's journey sat on a bookshelf along with a few puranic texts and good deeds inspired by them. She planned on doing a poem about the celebration to share with Master Fu.
Now she didn't have a fireplace for the Yule Log so she had to find a substitute. In her bunkers there was a small incinerator to get rid of her trash and such. Altering the setting so it didn't burn as quickly, she placed a good size log inside it to burn. She already made her wish. She hoped to make more friends and become a better individual. Once the log was lit she adjusted the pentacle wreath so it wouldn't catch fire.
Dropping of some crossword puzzles in her bedroom, she headed to the kitchen. She was going to feast alright. She was preparing different dishes from each of the holidays. In the oven she had a fat ham cooking as she boiled corn on the cob while flipping rice flakes. Deserts were baking as while her blender mixed the ingredient for her natural alcohol drink. What a feast she have tonight, with enough leftovers to last her until the end of January. Everything was perfect.
She was so busy making her feast she almost missed the light alerting her that someone was coming down to her bunker. Shutting the kitchen down for a few minutes she put a clean shirt and waited at the foot of the stairs for the person to arrive.
It was the French Representative from the Security Council. She kept her neutral expression, however inside she was worried. "Hello sir. Is everything alright? Does the Council need my services?"
The man shook his head. "No, everything is calm for now. Actually, I came to deliver these to you. My office shipped them in overnight airmail. Apparently your first team of peace keepers decided to include you in their holiday celebration." He handed her four small wrapped gifts.
She had never thought that anyone would be sending her gift. This was a first. Thanking the Representative she placed the presents under her tree. She get to them after she finished cooking her feast. Hurrying back she turned on the appliances once more. The feast wasn't going to cook itself.
Later that night, she settled down on her couch. She had eaten a bit of her feast that night and earlier had dance and sung before doing a crossword puzzle. She had just finished her prayers and lit some of the candles. Now it was time to open her gifts.
The first gift was from Marinette. Her heart warmed over when she saw what it was. It was a completely hand sewn winter coat, gloves, scarf and hat. It must have taken Marinette ages to make this ensemble for her. Each article was a blend of different colors with tiny symbols decorating the edge. Marinette had made it all come together.
Adrien's gift wasn't handmade, he was the chosen of bad luck and destruction after all. Still it was very touching. An expansive photo album to store her memories in. Even with her photographic memory it would be nice to have a visual aid. He had already inserted a picture of him and Marinette kissing until the mistletoe wishing her a happy holiday. A smile appeared on her face.
The third gift was from Master Fu. It was book of quotes from around the world and different time periods. He had signed it with a special message. "To my dearest granddaughter and apprentice. I hope this book continue to inspire you on your journey to find yourself." Ning had to wipe away some tears when she read that.
The last gift was of course from the different Kwamiis. She had no doubt what it was. She was not disappointed. "Ah Camembert cheese, chocolate chip cookies, some baby carrots and two packs of yogurt. They must have added the yogurt to include Nooroo despite him not being there. Oh I love them all. This is the best holiday celebration ever."