Welcome to a new year and we hope that everyone enjoyed the holiday season and rang in 2023 surrounded by friends and family. The new year brings new opportunities to learn and grow and it is in this spirit that IMPACT wishes everyone in the Kipu family a very Happy New Year!
Happy New Year
Since we rang in the new year, Kipunians have received a special gift, from the heart of our IMPACT committee. Lydia Pakpahan, Kipu client success manager and IMPACT’s chairperson, along with the rest of the incredible group committed to the Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging initiative at Kipu chose to gift Kipunians a blanket.
Born in Sumatra, Lydia is Indonesian and was raised in California. Northern Sumatrans are called Batak people. They are rich in traditions, cultural ceremonies, and an extremely tight community that dates back 2,500 years.
The most sacred, and Lydia’s favorite tradition, is the ulos ceremony. An ulos is a decorated cloth given to the subject of the ceremony – a couple on their wedding day, a family purchasing a new home, an individual graduating college, and other life-altering events such as losing a parent. An ulos is a gift of love. During ulos ceremonies, different family members wrap ulos around the subject of the ceremony, like a blanket, and speak words of encouragement, love, hope, and peace.
In 2022, we welcomed many new Kipunians and wished others well in their new paths. We failed and learned, yet we thrived! We hope 2023 will bring everyone prosperity. Through challenges and lessons, we hope you will show up and persevere. We hope you take time to rest and feel peace. We hope you are surrounded by family and friends that fill your emotional cup. We hope joy finds you on the most eventful days as well as the quiet ones. We have many goals to accomplish in 2023, and we are grateful to all our Kipunians. May 2023 be our best year yet! What is your favorite tradition to bring in the new year? Please share with us….
Lunar New Year
In addition to New Year’s Day on January 1, January 22 marks the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in China, begins on January 22 and lasts until February 9 this year. The holiday is recognized by many cultures, such as North and South Korea and Vietnam. Celebrations include praying to one’s ancestors, setting off fireworks and firecrackers, exchanging gifts, and eating dumplings – all in spirit to call in luck and prosperity into the new year.
The festivities conclude with a beautiful lantern festival. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, more specifically, the Water Rabbit. These Rabbits had financial hardships during youth but can turn unfortunate events around. This should be a year full of excitement, prosperity, and surprises that run in both directions – anything but boring for dear Rabbits! To learn more, check out this website!
Thank you to all Kipunians who shared your new year’s resolutions with IMPACT – watch for more on that in this space!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
We hope that you all enjoy the upcoming long weekend commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Considered radical at the time, Dr. King’s nonviolent fight for racial equality and justice transformed the fabric of this nation. There is still much to be done in this regard and Kipu honors his legacy by recognizing Monday as not just a holiday but a calling. We encourage you all to take time out of your day to reflect on its meaning as well as Dr. King’s life and legacy, and maybe find a way to serve your community to deliver on his message, which resonates just as loudly in 2023 as it did in 1963:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this country.
Here are 3 ways you can commemorate MLK Jr’s life and accomplishments.
- Educate yourself
Spend some time getting to know MLK in greater detail. To find out more about this incredible man and the stories he told, read his writings as well as those of his family. - Support the Black community and racial justice
Don’t simply give yourself a day off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Spend some time learning about civil rights and the problems that communities of racial and ethnic minority, as well as supporting them. - Have a conversation
It’s important to start a conversation and hold discussions regarding racial injustice. We aim to build a better future by educating one another and exchanging experiences.
Self-Care Month
This month, in honor of Self-Care Month, our IMPACT members will lead a self-care activity followed by Heart Chakra Sound Bath with self-care mantras! It’s important to remind ourselves that self-care is a priority. Let’s make sure we are taking care of ourselves so we can take better care of others.
Happy New Year again to everyone – here’s to making 2023 the best year yet!
