As part of our ongoing series that celebrates the diversity across America and beyond within our Discovery Map destinations, it seems appropriate to salute Asian people at this time. The Chinese New Year is Friday, February 12 this year and we are smack dab in the period of the new moon, which this year begins January 21 and ends February 20. Also called the Lunar New Year, this period marks the first moon of the lunisolar calendars, which are regulated by the cycles of the moon and sun.

Not all Asian people are Chinese, although a good number of them are, which partly explains why Chinese New Year is a big deal to many. Other countries also celebrate the Chinese New Year, including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and the Philippines. And you don’t have to be of Asian origin to embrace this holiday time or to appreciate the Asian-influenced food, art and cultural offerings that so many of us enjoy throughout the year.

Happy new year to all! With a new year comes thoughts of realizing hopes and dreams, and often that happens through travel. Yes, we’re still in a global pandemic and our world – whether in the United States or beyond – sometimes feels downright crazy. But this ironically fuels both a desire to hunker in and batten down the hatches and alternatively to take flight. Most of us have been juggling this juxtaposition since last March yet with the COVID-19 vaccine being rolled out all over the globe, people are gearing up to head out and spread their wings. Whether plans are being made for this spring or next fall, there’s definitely a lot of pent up energy that needs to be released in terms of travel.

Part Three: Honoring Hispanic People

In the Map Geek’s last blog, Diversity in Discovery Map Destinations: Honoring Native Americans, the post ended with highlighting the rich Native American culture that’s still very much alive today in New Mexico. So this seems like a good place to start for this story.

Part Two: Honoring Native Americans

As you savor spoonfuls of turkey soup and the last nibbles of pumpkin pie, The Map Geek would like to bring to your attention some of the highlights of Native American culture located within our Discovery Map destinations.

With all that has been happening in the world these past months, we could do as the ancients did and look to the night skies for answers. Many cultures, in fact, continue traditions, founded in millennia, of turning to the heavens for guidance.

“Early studies of the sky provided stability and structure to social and political organizations,” Dr. Edwin C. Krupp, a preeminent “archaeoastronomer,” was quoted as saying in a Nautilus magazine article. “A perfect example of this is the emperor in ancient China, who was regarded as the primary intermediary between Earth and the divine force in heaven. The emperor is sacred, and that stabilized and protected the way that the Chinese culture allowed itself to be governed, he continued.” The Map Geek has recently become hooked on the Netflix series “The Crown,” which infers a similar connection between the sovereign and the divine. If you were to look at pretty much every culture throughout the ages, you’ll find some measure of desire to link themselves with heaven.

Have you figured out what you’re doing this year for Halloween? The Map Geek predicts that all is aligned to create a spooky good time. First of all, October 31st lands on a Saturday, which always means a celebration of sorts. Plus, there will be a full moon and a blue moon; the latter means that it’s the second full moon in a calendar month. Both rank as rare occurrences. (How many full moons do you recall on Halloween, let alone a blue one, which typically appears extra large and casts a ghoulish blue glow?) It’s also the night when we “fall back” the clocks. To top that off, 2020 has been so bizarre that who isn’t looking to have fun? We’ve already had the heck scared out of us!

Whether you’re young or old, there are plenty of ways to cut loose and express your creativity on this All Hallow’s Eve. And since many already packed on some COVID pounds, a little more extra candy will likely go unnoticed. The Map Geek has unearthed (uh-oh, doesn’t that already make you think of a graveyard?) a cauldron-sized collection of maps that will help you celebrate this popular holiday in a safe and unique manner.

Part One: Honoring African American Culture

Discovery Map International salutes the great diversity of our more than 130 destinations within the United States, Canada and Mexico. In view of all that has been happening in our world these past months, the Map Geek thought it would be a good idea to create a series of posts that highlight some of the Black and Brown art, heritage and culture offerings within many of our Discovery Map destinations.

Here at Discovery Map International, we love the Library of Congress. Why wouldn’t we? It is one of the world’s greatest repositories of books and maps, including our entire collection of Discovery Maps. Yep, that’s right! I think I even heard a drumroll that preceded that last disclosure.

So inevitably the Map Geek strives to tout the Library of Congress at every turn. Check out these two previous posts on the Library of Congress entitled Loving the Library of Congress and Loving the Library of Congress Online.

When you think about back to school for you or your children (or other kids in general) what kind of images pop into your head? Maybe you remember wearing a crisp new outfit the first day of school. Or maybe you’re thinking about

how it felt to lift your leg high and take that first big step back onto the school bus. Perhaps you recall the excitement of seeing friends again or the flip side of that when you felt butterflies in your stomach as you ventured out into a whole different world after enjoying the long break of a summer vacation. This year is different for most – for parents and children – although many of these same images are conjured up. Maybe some are thinking about sitting at their newly-acquired desk at home with their freshly-cleaned computer ready to lead them into the world of virtual learning. Either way, back to school is still an important time, a mile marker that allows one and all to hit the reset button and embark upon new adventures.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of a mask is as follows: a covering used to hide or disguise your face. A covering used to protect your face or cover your mouth.

That’s just Entry 1 of 2. The others go on to include such definitions as a grotesque false face worn at carnivals or in rituals, a sculptured face or a copy of a face made by means of a mold and an area (such as the one around the eyes) of an animal’s face that is distinguished by usually darker coloring; and that’s just to name a few.