Prajna Yoga & Wellness in Borrego Springs

Holiday Gift Event in Borrego Springs On Sunday, December 14 , families gathered at Christmas Circle for the annual Santa at the Circle Gift Giveaway , a holiday event organized by OLAX – Organización de Latinx de Borrego Springs in collaboration with community partners. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived at the event aboard a Borrego Springs's San Diego County fire truck , while the Grinch made an appearance in a decorated truck , interacting with children throughout the afternoon. Holiday music played during the event, creating a seasonal backdrop as families moved through the activities. The Event was Open to all Families Children met Santa and Mrs. Claus for photos, received a stuffed animal, and then walked through a decorated toy tunnel , where they selected a gift to take home. Free cookies and hot chocolate were provided for everyone. Volunteers assisted with greeting families, guiding children through each station, and supporting gift distribution to ensure that each child received an age-appropriate gift in an organized and efficient way. Volunteers included members of OLAX , Miss Borrego and the Princesses , and S-Interact students , a Rotary–Soroptimist youth service group. Their coordination helped the event run smoothly and safely. The Santa at the Circle Gift Giveaway reflected continued community collaboration in Borrego Springs, bringing together local organizations, volunteers, and families for a shared holiday tradition.

The Borrego Springs Rotary Toy Giveaway is a long-standing holiday tradition that reflects the community’s commitment to caring for one another. A Day of Holiday Giving On Sunday, December 14, the Borrego Springs Community Resource Center was filled with holiday spirit as the Rotary Toy Giveaway welcomed families from across the community. The event was organized by the Borrego Springs Rotary Club , continuing a tradition that began in 2011. Originally created to support families facing financial hardship, the Toy Giveaway has grown over the years. Today, every child in Borrego Springs is invited to participate, reinforcing the Rotary Club’s commitment to inclusion and community care. Community Volunteers and Youth Leadership Rotary members were joined by Miss Borrego, the Princesses, and S-Interact students—a Rotary–Soroptimist youth service group—who volunteered their time to help distribute gifts and assist families. Together, volunteers ensured each child received a high-quality, age-appropriate gift in a welcoming and joyful setting. A Tradition That Brings People Together Each year, the Toy Giveaway highlights what makes Borrego Springs special: neighbors supporting neighbors and organizations working together for the common good. The smiles, gratitude, and shared moments captured during the event reflect the lasting impact of service rooted in compassion and collaboration. Learn More About Rotary Events like the Toy Giveaway are just one example of how the Borrego Springs Rotary Club serves the community throughout the year. Those interested in learning more about Rotary’s work—locally and beyond—are encouraged to explore how the organization supports education, youth leadership, and community enrichment in Borrego Springs.

This one-night performance features world-class jazz artists whose careers connect decades of jazz history with contemporary expression.

A Charlie Brown Christmas piano concert with pianist, arranger, and conductor Steve Hunter at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church on December 21 at 3 PM.

Photos: Sicco Rood | Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center

Campaign fundraiser for Rebecca Jones

By Fr. Michael Plekon Every year in December we come around to a holiday that still for many is a holy day. It has different names in different languages and cultures—Yuletide, Jul, Weinachten, Noel, Navidad, Natale, Rizdvo and more. Christmas comes from “Christ’s Mass,” denoting the sacred service known in many churches and languages as the “Mass.” There are feasts of other faith traditions that often come close to the end of the year. Hannukah is the Jewish celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the restoration of the sacred lights on the menorah or candlestick in the Jerusalem Temple. Despite not being filled with enough oil, the lamps burned for eight days. There is the Hindu celebration of light in darkness, Diwali. And the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa. Christmas also has other special days associated with it. December 6 is the feast of St. Nicholas, the original Santa Claus, a 4th century bishop renowned for his generosity to those in need. In some countries this is the day of the exchange of gifts. Likewise January 6 is the feast of Epiphany or the day of the Three Magi Kings, when in Hispanic countries gifts are given. Central to Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The gospel of Luke tells the familiar story of the parents, Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem to enroll in a census. While there, lodging in a stable, their son is born, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger, a feed trough for domestic animals. Angels announced this birth to shepherds in the surrounding countryside. These herdsmen came and honored the newborn child, having heard a song from the angels: “Glory to God in the highest, peace to all people on earth.” Later, in Matthew’s gospel, three astronomers, perhaps also royalty, came from further East to visit the child, following a star which led them to where the family was. This gospel does not mention the angels, the manger or shepherds, but notes that King Herod was fearful of the newborn as a threat to his power, asking the three astronomers to report back and disclose where the child was. They did not do this and went home on another route. The male children of Bethlehem were subjected to a massacre. Thus, the birth of Jesus was not without pain and suffering also. Christmas evokes images of trees twinkling with lights and ornaments, dinner tables loaded with food, the faces of children lit up with glee, not just at their presents but also at the warmth of family and friends. Christmas is an event that was to bring peace to the world, the birth of someone who became a teacher and healer later in life, one whom his followers saw, in Matthew’s words as “God with us,” Emmanuel, God becoming a human being, part of our world, of space and time. But Jesus was born in a land under the occupation of the Roman Empire, in a society in which most people teetered on the edge of extreme hunger and poverty. The birth happened in a barn where domestic animals lived, and the first visitors were scruffy sheep herders, thought of as not trustworthy. Two thousand years later, Christmas remains a moment in a world torn apart by suspicion, hatred, violence and anger. The holiday sees millions of dollars spent on gifts, parties, decorations, and entertainment. And yet, the story of how this birth came to take place remains one that faces us with a helpless infant, loving parents, the sense of joy from heavenly beings, the welcome of very humble as well as some very elite, privileged visitors. Christmas can still stand as a sign of light in the darkness, a message of joy and goodness despite everything that might appear as opposed to this. You don’t need to be religious to see in this holiday something of hope and joy. Merry Christmas! --- The Rev. Michael Plekon, PhD Professor Emeritus: Sociology, Religion & Culture The City University of New York - Baruch College Learn More About Borrego Springs

Performance Date: January 27, 2026