12/23/21: One Detroit - Wigilia, Mochitsuki, Northern Lights Photography

This episode originally aired on December 24, 2020.

This Week on One Detroit:

Wigilia: A Polish Christmas Tradition

It’s a holiday tradition bigger than Christmas Day itself. The Polish Christmas Eve dinner celebration known as wigilia has been around for centuries, and it’s celebrated right here in metro Detroit. The Polish holiday tradition, which calls for those celebrating to lightly fast before the evening meal, features 12 different Polish foods including perogies.

The One Detroit team gets invited into the Wayne State University Polish Club‘s wigilia celebration at the Polish Village Cafe in Hamtramck to learn more about the tradition’s history and cultural significance, and how wigilia has helped Polish people find deeper connections to family and their heritage.

Mochitsuki: The Art of Pounding Rice

This prominent Japanese tradition involves pounding in the New Year with fresh mochi, rice smashed into a gooey paste and molded into round cakes, then eaten for good luck. The One Detroit team takes a trip to a metro Detroit community center where the Japanese American Citizens League of Detroit hosts their second annual mochitsuki party. One Detroit learns about the history of this Japanese New Year’s tradition and how making mochitsuki has changed with time and advancements in technology.

Shooting Superior Skies: Photographing the Northern Lights

Photographing Michigan’s night skies since 1998, photographer Shawn Malone, of Lake Superior Photo, knows a thing or two about photographing the northern nights and other auroras. In this Great Lakes Now featured story, Malone takes viewers on a journey through her experiences capturing from film cameras to using digital cameras now to create time lapses over Lake Superior. She unveils what people should be looking for, the challenges that can come with photographing at night, and why Michigan is one of the best places in the lower 48 states to see the northern lights.

Plus, we catch up with Nick Lake, the manager of theater experience and presentation for the Adler Planetarium, to talk about his weekly “Skywatch Wednesdays” YouTube series and how he makes the northern lights accessible to those unable to take a trip north at the planetarium.