Be Sure to Visit my new 1900 Galveston Storm Website at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootseb.com/~barnette 

INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION

 While the hype of news and advertising screams "Christmas", there are others in Houston for which the times are not about Christmas, but still about religion, holidays and festiveness. Two of those groups are the Jewish and Islamics.

 To the Jews, Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, commemorates the victory of the Maccabees, led by Judah, over the Syrians in a revolt that took place about 165 BCE (Before the Common Era).

 The Hanukkah season is celebrated over an eight day period. In Israel, Hanukkah is a very festive holiday with parties and holiday events everywhere. Children are often given gifts of money and there are prayers and  Menorah candle lightings each evening.

 An informative website describing the eight nights of Hanukkah can be found at http://geocities.datacellar.net/bnirenberg/hanuka.html

 To the Islamics, Ramadan marks the month in 610 A.D. when the prophet Mohammed received the revelations from God that would become the holy Qur'an. During the day during Ramadan the devout fast by abstaining from eating, drinking and partaking of sensual pleasures. After sunset the breaking of the fast is celebrated with a light and festive meal.

 To learn more about Ramadan, go to http://mideastfood.about.com/food/mideastfood/libr ary/weekly/aa112400a.htm

    BEGINNING GENEALOGY CLASSES

 Paula Perkins Parke will teach a three class Beginning Genealogy course at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church 11612 Memorial Drive. Classes will be held from 6:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. on Thursday January 4 and Thursday January 11. The final class on Tuesday January 16 will consist of a research trip to Clayton Genealogical Library.

 For more information and to register contact Kay Bradley at MDPC by calling 713-782-1710.

 Offered by Leisure Learning, Mic Barnette will teach an introductory course in family history. Roots of Genealogy-How To Research Your Family Tree will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday, January 10 at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond Ave campus. The following week the class will tour Clayton Genealogical Library and conduct on site census research. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.

GENEALOGICAL CRUISES

 Readers interested in mixing relaxation and travel with their genealogy may be interested in two genealogical cruises being offered next year. Two Ancestry.com online genealogical columnists, George Morgan and Drew Smith will be the featured speakers on Genealogy Cruise 2001: A Family History Odyssey.

 The cruise will sail from Tampa to Key West and return February 1-4.  For the itinerary, the workshop schedule, and complete registration information, visit the Web site at   http://ahaseminars.com/cruise/.

 The second cruise will be a seven day Alaskan Inner Passage cruise on the Princess' Regal Princess from May 27 through June 3. The featured lecturers on the cruise will be Helen Leary and John Colletta.

 For more information visit the cruise website at:  http://gencruise.com.

NEWS FROM THE BOOKSHELF

 Prolific information compiler Thomas Jay Kemp has two newly released books to his credit. The first is the long awaited fourth edition of the International Vital Records Handbook. This book is a handy book for any genealogist's bookshelf. It contains information, application forms and addresses needed for ordering copies of birth, death and marriage certificates in all fifty states, the British Isles and Europe.

 The Handbook includes current addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses and website addresses. When possible, it also includes copy fees, starting dates of records and alternative record locations.

 The International Vital Records Handbook is available for $38.45, postpaid, from The Genealogical Publishing Company, 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.

 The second of Kemp's newly released books is The American Census Handbook. This helpful guide is arranged geographically and by general topics. The geographical section indexes published print and CD-ROM censuses and census indexes alphabetically by state. Within the states counties are listed alphabetically and censuses listed chronologically within the county. A general section lists censuses and census indexes for most ethnic-cultural  groups and former or active military personnel.

 The American Census Handbook is available from Scholarly Resources, 104 Greenhill Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19805-1897. The price for paperback is $33.45, postpaid, and $93.50, postpaid, for hardcover9k