City of San Luis Obispo, CA
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City of San Luis Obispo Holiday Banners
San Luis Obispo is a city colored by many different cultures and traditions. This holiday season, as always we are honoring the diversity in our community by creating a series of banners featuring some end of year celebrations observed here. Anyone can download and print our coloring pages: Hanukkah, Noche Buena, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Omisoka, New Year's Celebration, Chinese New Year, Assalamu Alaikum
Hanukkah
Hanukkah is the Jewish eight-day “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting and games including dreidel, as pictured on the banner. The 4 Hebrew letters on the dreidel stand for “A Great Miracle Happened There.” L’Chaim in Hebrew is a toast meaning “to life!”
Download the printable Hanukkah coloring page (PDF)
Noche Buena 
In Latin American cultures, Noche Buena (Christmas eve) is often a bigger celebration than Christmas day. Families gather together for a special meal, and celebrate with music and dancing. Poinsettias are a popular symbol and are called “Flor de Noche Buena. Noche Buena is December 24.
Download the printable Noche Buena coloring page (PDF)
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated as a major festival holiday in countries around the world. In the United States Christmas is celebrated in many ways. Popular celebrations of Christmas include decorating a Christmas tree, caroling, giving and receiving gifts to name a few. A popular Christmas story is for Santa Clause to bring children who are deemed to be good through his "Naughty and Nice List" a gift on Christmas Eve. This banner highlights some of the traditions of Christmas. Christmas Eve is on December 24 and Christmas Day is on December 25.
Download the printable Christmas coloring page (PDF)
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration to honor African heritage, culminating in gift-giving, and a feast. There are 7 principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), Imani (Faith). Kwanzaa symbols shown on the banner include: a Kinara (candle holder), Mishumaa Saba (seven candles), Mahindi (corn), and a Kikombe cha Umoja (unity cup).
Download the printable Kwanzaa coloring page (PDF)
Omisoka
The kadomatsu featured on the banner are traditional Japanese decorations placed in pairs in front of homes to welcome ancestral spirits or kami of the harvest. They are placed after Christmas until January 7 and are considered temporary housing for kami. The characters coupled with the kadomatsu imagery deliver a message of ‘Happy New Year’. On the last day of the year, the Japanese tradition of Omisoka is observed. People often complete activities for the concluding year, such as house cleaning and repaying debts, in order to start the new year fresh. Omisoka is December 31.
Download the printable Omisoka coloring page (PDF)
New Year's Celebration
In the United States New Year traditions include fireworks, counting down to the stroke of midnight, making New Years resolutions, and singing Auld ang Syne. Featured on the banner is the Volny Heritage Clock located on the corner of Monterey and Osos streets. New Year's eve is December 31.
Download the printable New Year's Celebration coloring page (PDF)
Chinese New Year
Chinese or Lunar New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year based on the traditional Chinese calendar. Customs for celebrating vary widely around the world: families might gather together for a dinner or thoroughly clean their house to make way for incoming good luck. Often celebrations include lighting beautiful lanterns which have been featured in the design along with clouds signifying good luck. The Fú character included means fortune.
Download the printable Chinese New Year coloring page (PDF)
Assalamu Alaikum
The symbol featured on this banner, Assalamu Alaikum, is a year-round greeting in Arabic that means “May peace be upon you.” The graphic element is inspired by a Turkish architectural design.