MUÃOZ Surname Meaning and Origin

MUÑOZ Surname Meaning and Origin Muà ±oz is a patronymic surname meaning son of Muà ±o a personal name that means hill. It could also be patronymic for son of Nuà ±o, meaning ninth- a name sometimes given to the ninth child. Muà ±oz is the 40th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  MÚÑOZ, MUNIZ, MUNO, MUNONEZ Famous People with the Surname MUÑOZ Rafael Muà ±oz: Famous Puerto Rican big band director and bass playerRafael Muà ±oz: a Mexican journalist, novelist, and writer of short storiesLuis  Muà ±oz  Marà ­n: First governor of Puerto Rico Where Do People With the MUÑOZ Surname Live? The surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Muà ±oz as the 287th most common surname in the world, identifying it as most prevalent in Mexico and with the highest number as a percentage of the population in Chile. Muà ±oz is the 2nd most common name found in Chile, borne by one in every eighty-six residents. It is also fairly common in Spain, where it ranks 17th; Colombia, where it ranks 18th; and Ecuador, where it comes in at 20th.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname MUÑOZ 100 Common Hispanic Surnames and Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Muà ±oz Family Crest: Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Muà ±oz  family crest or coat of arms for the Muà ±oz surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   MUÑOZ Family Genealogy ForumRead this archive of the former popular genealogy forum for the Muà ±oz  surname to find what others who have been researching your ancestors have posted. This forum is no longer active. FamilySearch: MUÑOZ GenealogyAccess over 2.5 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Muà ±oz  surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. MUÑOZ Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Muà ±oz  surname and its variations. In addition to joining a list, you can also browse or search the archives to explore over a decade of postings for the Muà ±oz  surname. GeneaNet: Muà ±oz RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Muà ±oz  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. Sources Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Winter Holiday Activities for Grades 5-12

Winter Holiday Activities for Grades 5-12 How can teachers, especially in public schools, use the December holidays to their advantage? One way is to celebrate customs and holidays from around the world with students using a variety of activities.   Here are some ideas for meaningful and educational activities for students ahead of their winter break, making use of holiday themes celebrated near the end of the year. Christmas According to Christian belief, Jesus was the son of God born to a virgin in a manger. Countries around the world celebrate this holiday in various ways. Each of these customs as described below are ripe for investigation by students. Christmas Around the World Costa Rica: The weather is warm at Christmastime. Trees are popular. Tamales and Empanadas are traditionally eaten.England: Santa Claus is known here by the name Father Christmas. Christmas trees are decorated and stockings are hung. A drink called  Wassail  is served. Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26th which is also the feast day of St. Stephen. On this day, it is traditional to give alms to the poor and less fortunate.France: A popular dessert called the buche de noel or Christmas Log is consumed on Christmas. Often, a feast occurs after Midnight Mass on Christmas eve called the rveillon. Gifts are given by pere noel which means Father Christmas. He travels with a man called Pre Fouettard who tells pere noel how the children behaved during the previous year. In some parts of France, gifts are given on both December 6th (St. Nicholas feast day) and on Christmas. Adults give gifts on New Years.Italy: Christmas is celebrated with a large feast after a 24-hour fast before Ch ristmas. Children usually do not receive their presents until January 6th, the day of the Epiphany. These gifts are brought by Le Befana, a woman who flies around on a broom. Kenya: Lots of food is prepared, especially goat. They serve a flatbread called chapatis. Groups often go singing house to house and receive gifts of some kind from the occupants. On Christmas, these singers give any gifts to their church.United States: Christmas trees, real or artificial, are put up in homes early in December. They are usually decorated with multi-color lights and various ornaments. Stockings are hung, often on the fireplace mantel. On Christmas eve, children set out cookies or other goodies for Santa Claus. On Christmas morning, children rush to the tree to see the gifts there and in their stockings. Ideas for Christmas-Themed Projects Investigate the legend of Santa Claus.Investigate different aspects of the Christmas celebration including the tree, the decorations, the stockings, the carols and more.Perform Christmas songs in either English or other languages.Investigate traditional foods for each culture and create them for the rest of the class to sample.Present skits representing each cultures customs.In many countries, Christmas celebrations are becoming more like those  in America. Debate whether the loss of the countries traditional celebrations is good or bad.Read O.  Henrys The Gift of the Magi and discuss its meaning.Students could write in their journals about numerous topics including:Worst Christmas experienceBest Christmas experienceFamily traditionsWhat Santa Claus means to themIs Christmas too commercial? Winter Solstice The Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year when the sun is closest to the earth, occurs on the 21st of December. In ancient times, this was celebrated in various ways by Pagan religions. Groups ranging from Germanic tribes to the Roman populace celebrated mid-winter festivals during our month of December. Of course today, three major holidays are celebrated in America during the month of December: Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. We can create our own festival allowing us to experience how other cultures celebrate these holidays. Method of Presentation Many methods exist for creating this festival atmosphere. These range from simple classroom stations presented by groups of students about each culture to schoolwide activities that take place in a large auditorium/cafeteria and allow for more than just static presentations. Students can sing, cook, give presentations, perform skits, and more. This is a great opportunity to have students work  cooperatively  in groups to gather information about holidays and customs. Chanukah This holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated over eight days beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.  In 165 BCE, the Jews led by the Maccabees defeated the Greeks in war. When they arrived to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem they found only one small flask of oil to light the  Menorah. Miraculously, this oil lasted for eight days. today, Chanukah is traditionally observed in the following ways: Every night for the eight days of the festival of Chanukah, lights are lit on a  Menorah  to commemorate the miracle at the Temple over 2000 years ago.While work is not prohibited, people generally refrain from work while the Chanukah lights are lit.The  dreidel  is used by families to play a game. The history behind this game played during Chanukah is believed to relate back to a ban on work while the Chanukah candles are lit.Those celebrating the holiday eat traditionally  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹oily foods to commemorate the miracle of the oil.Children are given presents and money during the holiday. Many families give out presents each day of the holiday. This relates to rewarding children for Torah study.Many different traditions exist around the world for this celebration. Ideas for Chanukah Presentations In addition to adapting the ideas listed above for Christmas celebrations, here are some ideas for Chanukah-themed projects. Students can: Research the background to ChanukahPlay  dreidel  gamesPerform Chanukah songs Kwanzaa Kwanzaa, meaning the first fruits, was developed in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. It gives African-Americans a holiday dedicated to preserving, revitalizing, and promoting African-American culture. It focuses on seven principles with emphasis on the unity of the black family: Unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. This holiday is celebrated from December 26th through January 1st. On each of the seven days of Kwanzaa, greetings are exchanged in Swahili. The question, Habari gani? is asked and each day the principle for that day is the answer. For example, the first days answer would be Umoja or unity.Gifts are given to children and include a book and a  heritage symbol.  The colors of Kwanzaa are red, black, and green.Seven candles in a Kinara are lit, one for each day of the holiday. One is black and represents the people. This candle is lit first. Three red candles are placed to the left of the black candle representing the struggle for African Americans. Three green candles are placed to the right of the black candle representing the future and hope. These candles are lit from left to right, one for each day. Ideas for Kwanzaa  Presentations Have students discuss each of the seven principles and why they are important.Students can discuss the necessity of holidays in making up group identities.Speakers can come in to discuss Kwanzaa and how it is celebrated.Students can create a  traditional Kwanzaa celebration in the classroom.The Civil Rights movement can be discussed in the context of the Kwanzaa celebration.