The public is invited to attend the 2024 City of Framingham Inauguration on January 1, 2024 at 2pm in Nevins Hall in the Memorial Building.
Scheduled to be sworn in are 11 City Councilors, 9 School Committee members, 6 Library Trustees and 2 Cemetery Trustees. City Clerk Lisa Ferguson will administer the oath.
You can read the City's Press Release for more details!
- Master of Ceremonies for the Inauguration: Mayor Charlie Sisitsky
- Guest Speaker: Michael Herbert (Framingham resident and Ashland Town Manager)
- Invocation: Rabbi Sam Blumberg (Temple Beth Am)
- Benediction: Rev. J Anthony Lloyd (Greater Framingham Community Church)
- National Anthem: Elizabeth St. Louis (FHS Student, also starring as Dorothy in the high school’s upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz)
- Pledge of Allegiance: Nick Paganella (Cemetery Trustee, and eldest elected leader in the City, at age 90, a Korean War Veteran)
International Creativity Month
International Creativity Month is celebrated every year in January. Being creative in the first month of the new year can set you up for a year of success. International Creativity Month was founded by Randall Munson, a speaker, an entertainer, and a bestselling author of books such as “Creativity 102”. This month is celebrated to inspire people to get out of their comfort zones and start being innovative in their daily lives. A fresh start in the new year can go a long way in building a successful and happy future. Change is only possible if an attempt is made to do something new. Stay tuned on social media for various showings of creativity!
FHS Drama Company presents The Wizard of Oz
January 12-14 and 18 - 20
Framingham High School Theatre
115 A Street, Framingham, MA, 01701
January 1st: New Year's Day
New Year's Day was January 1 and marked the start of a new year according to the Gregorian calendar. It marks the end of New Year's Eve celebrations and offers the chance to both reflect on the previous year and think ahead to the new year.
The start of New Year's Day, at midnight, may be heralded by fireworks, parties and special events, many of which are televised around the world. In some towns and cities, parades may be held and special football games are played. The birth of the first baby in the New Year is often celebrated with gifts to their parents and appearances in local newspapers and on local news shows. Many people set goals or make New Year's resolutions to improve something in their own lives.
Source: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/new-year-day
January 6th: Three Kings Day
Each January 6th, many families around the world celebrate this religious holiday. Members of many western Christian churches, celebrate it as Three Kings Day and members of many eastern Christian churches celebrate in memory of Jesus's baptism. Three Kings Day— Día de los Tres Reyes Magos or Día de Reyes for short—also known as the Feast of the Epiphany and the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Three Kings Day has deep religious and cultural significance to the Latinx community.
To read more on Three Kings Day, Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, or Día de Reyes - please read a previous post from FPS: Three Kings Day - Around the World
January 7th: Eastern Orthodox Christmas
For much of the Western world, Christmas is celebrated on December 25, according to the Gregorian calendar. Yet in a distinction that dates back centuries, Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar and mark the festival on January 7 instead.
Read more about the history and timeline via NationalToday.com
January 15th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The third Monday in January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day (often abbreviated to “MLK Day” or "MLK Jr. Day"). It has been a federal holiday since 1986. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the civil rights movement, championing justice and equality from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. As he said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. King was also a strong advocate of change through nonviolent civil actions. He was a great speaker, and his powerful words still resonate with us today.
Source: https://www.almanac.com/content/when-martin-luther-king-jr-day
The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. While Dr. King believed the Beloved Community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action.
MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. During the last quarter-century, the MLK Day of Service has grown, and its impact increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities.
MetroWest MLK Day of Service
The MLK Day of Service event, organized by J-LOFT (Jewish Learning Opportunity for Teens), takes place on Sunday, January 14, at Temple Beth Am in Framingham (300 Pleasant St, Framingham). There are volunteer and leadership opportunities available for teens, adults, and families with young children. Kids in grade 7 and under should be accompanied by an adult.
Volunteer – Open to teens, adults, and families with young children.
- Baking lasagnas and other baked goods
- Assembling soup jars
- Building desks and bookshelves
- Decorating Stars of Hope
All products will be donated to local organizations who support people in need in our community.
Crew – Open to teens and families. CREW Members will take part in any or all of the following:
- Prepare all materials - Saturday, 6-8pm (dinner included)
- Set up, facilitate event and breakdown - Sunday, noon-4:00pm (lunch included)
- Help distribute the goods - Sunday evening or Monday morning
About J-LOFT
J-LOFT offers a variety of classes, courses, and programs (known as tracks), led by a team of local clergy members and educators. In addition to the different tracks, J-LOFT hosts a monthly program-wide gathering and is open to all teens in grades 8-12, regardless of temple affiliation, and is intended to complement, and not substitute individual synagogues’ Religious or Hebrew School programs. In fact, many students who attend J-LOFT do so in addition to their own temple’s programs.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration
The Greater Framingham Community Church is hosting the 37th Annual Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on Monday, January 15, 2024 at the Verve Hotel in Natick.
It is a hybrid event with in-person (doors open at 7:15am) and virtual (9am) attendance options. See the Program Poster PDF for Speakers, Artists, and Performers.
January 15th: Pongal / Sankranti
You can also read an article from Slurrp.com (2023), a food-focused blog and recipe aggregator website, to learn about the festival of Thai Pongal and Makar Sankranti - along with the ceremonial dish of Pongal which is cooked to commemorate the celebration: Makar Sankranti: Why The Festival And The Dish Are Called Pongal?
January 24th - 25th: Tu Bishvat
Tu Bishvat begins at sundown on Wednesday, January 24th and ends at sundown on Thursday, January 25th. Tu Bishvat or the “birthday” of all fruit trees, marks the season in which the earliest-blooming trees of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. In ancient times, this helped Jewish farmers establish exactly when they should bring their fourth-year produce of fruit from recently planted trees to the Temple as first-fruit offerings. In modern times, Tu Bishvat also serves as an opportunity for planting trees.
Source: Tu Bishvat from Chabad.org and from also from My Jewish Learning
January 27th: International Holocaust Remembrance Day
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated annually on January 27, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp and extermination center created by Nazi Germany. On this day, communities around the world commemorate the six million Jewish people and millions of other victims who perished due to the actions carried out by the Nazis and their collaborators.
