Christmas Greetings

Author: Valentina Yordanova – Accordia (Bulgaria)

Merry Christmas to everyone around the World!

The Christmas spirit has embraced us with Joy…

And even though it is Winter – let us chase away the cold,

let us welcome Love into our hearts!

Let us turn our backs on hatred, indifference, and sorrow –

let us give hugs freely, expecting nothing in return!

With good deeds from people with “golden” hearts,

let us lend a hand to the weak in need and distress!

Let us paint a radiant Christmas rainbow

from colors – gifts and fairy-tale miracles.

With Faith, let us welcome Christmas at home,

and with Hope, strengthen our destiny!

Let us wipe bitter tears from troubled faces

and light the hearth with the torch of Kindness.

May Christ’s shining star illuminate us,

may we set a festive – abundant table!

May Christmas fulfill our deepest dreams!

May it “spread” health to faraway lands!

May a miracle happen – may the sick find healing

and be reborn as healthy, new people!

Happiness, prosperity, good fortune,

love, kindness, abundance –

for every family around the World,

may warmth and comfort reign in their homes!

At Christmas, miracles do happen…

Rejoice in the little things!

Translated by Yoana Konstantinova

Let It Be Christmas!

Author: Valentina Yordanova – Accordia (Bulgaria)

Christmas is a bright and joyful holiday

for young and old, everywhere around the world.

In its embrace we will find love,

with a radiant star shining hope for us.

Christmas is family comfort and warmth!

A festive table and a gentle glance!

A friendly greeting, an outstretched hand!

At Christmas, things happen… Believe in miracles!

May everyone find good fortune beneath the tree!

May their most cherished dreams come true!

May their thoughts take flight and roam freely afar!

May they build a new and different world for themselves!

May peace and happiness blossom within it!

May their future days be festive and bright!

May Christ’s light illuminate them everywhere!

May their path be bright in dark and cloudy days!

Translated by Yoana Konstantinova

Christmas Message

Author: Valentina Yordanova – Accordia (Bulgaria)

On the white, holy Christmas night –

may our souls overflow with splendor!

Let us find and follow the path of Kindness,

opening the doors of our hearts to good deeds!

Let us extend a hand to our neighbor in need!

Strengthen their life with Power and Love!

May everyone feel warmth from someone!

Let us sow Faith and Joy along their path!

And may everyone receive, with good fortune,

all that their soul longs for, shedding tears of desire!

Christmas magic is Love! It fulfills fairy-tale miracles…

It is Hope… Through it, we will transform the world!

Translated by Yoana Konstantinova

With Hope Toward the New Year

Author: Valentina Yordanova – Accordia (Bulgaria)

Another year of our lives is coming to an end,

and each of us walked along different paths.

For some it was crystal cold – the winter season,

for others a southern breeze – spring passed by.

Some walked rocky and muddy roads.

Others laughed loudly on a red carpet.

Cries for help, pleas for health, and sorrowful prayers

crashed loudly somewhere against roadside cliffs.

Before the eyes of Happiness and Love,

people of Joy and beautiful Destiny,

visibly smiling, radiant, cheerful faces,

quietly envied somewhere by someone unseen.

Throughout the year we cried, laughed, and celebrated.

We mourned and painfully said goodbye to loved ones.

We loved, respected, and admired beauty.

We walked on and traveled to distant journeys.

Sometimes we feared the unknown of Life.

We scattered and lost glances and smiles in pain.

We were, we would be, we remained – we hoped in Fate.

We saw, waited, reached out a hand, and forgave.

We dreamed, turned away, yet strongly desired.

We were not always ourselves and sometimes gave up.

We fearlessly conquered high peaks,

but with our falls, we waved the white flag.

Helplessly, we tangled ourselves in Life’s web.

We sold our self-trust dearly.

We counted our mistakes twice before ourselves,

took stock and learned our lesson.

In past days we were forced to slow our steps,

yet toward the Future we ran tirelessly with all our strength.

And now, proudly standing before our threshold,

the New Year awaits us silently with sparkling eyes.

At midnight we will open the door for it,

hoping it brings luck and warmth.

With Hope that it will be better than the old one,

and that Happiness will be found as a gift beneath the tree.

Let us raise a toast and wish for all those things

our souls need the most!

Let us capture the moment with a lens and preserve it in a photo,

which one day, framed, will revive a memory!

May we be healthy, happy, and kind in our thoughts!

Loved, trustworthy, and with cherished dreams!

May God bless the childless with a child!

May He grant health from the heart to the sick!

May He inspire strength and courage in the weak!

May the poor never fall into hunger!

May children’s laughter carry far on the wind!

May everyone have shelter – a home of their own!

May there be Peace on Earth and calm in the soul!

May our hearts be pure – with Love and Kindness!

And may God hear our prayers… and bless us!

Let us pray in church with bowed heads!

From now on, may things go smoothly for us!

Let us believe in Life with fulfilled dreams!

To see, without pain… without bitterness…

May everything around us shine for us!

Translated by Yoana Konstantinova

The Advantages of Having a Hobby

Zamira Moldiyeva Bahodirovna,

Student of English filology faculty, UZSWLU.

Email: zamiramoldiyeva219@gmail.com

Scientific advisor: Zulxumor Bannopova

Abstract: Engaging in hobbies — leisure activities pursued for pleasure rather than for work or obligation — offers significant benefits for mental and physical health, cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and social connectedness. Empirical research indicates that regular involvement in hobbies reduces stress, anxiety and depression, improves mood and overall life satisfaction, promotes resilience, and enhances social support and community belonging. Additionally, hobbies can contribute to improved cognitive performance and long-term health outcomes. This article reviews key findings from recent studies to outline the multiple advantages of having a hobby and argues that hobbies play a crucial role in holistic personal development.

Keywords: hobby, leisure activities, mental health, stress reduction, well-being, social support, cognitive function

Introduction

In the fast-paced, stress-prone context of modern life, people increasingly seek ways to preserve mental balance, reduce anxiety, and maintain a sense of meaning and satisfaction. One of the simplest — yet most powerful — ways to achieve this is through having hobbies. A hobby is a regular, voluntary activity pursued for enjoyment, relaxation, creativity or social connection, rather than for material gain. As shown by recent research, hobbies serve as more than just pastimes; they are vital tools for mental health, emotional regulation, social bonding, and long-term well-being. This paper examines existing empirical evidence to highlight the advantages of having a hobby, focusing on mental health, stress reduction, social and community benefits, and cognitive and health-related advantages.

Discussion

1. Mental Health, Stress Reduction and Emotional Well-being

Multiple studies link hobby engagement to improved mental health and lower stress levels. For example, a recent review of empirical studies concluded that participating in hobbies is associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and with greater life satisfaction and quality of life. 

Leisure activities — whether creative (art, music), physical (sports, gardening), or social (clubs, group activities) — provide a “break” from daily pressures. According to an article from UCLA Health, hobbies help boost mental well-being, support cognitive function, and may reduce risks of chronic disease. 

A study of students in China using a daily-diary method found that on days when students engaged in leisure activities, they reported more positive emotions, even in the context of academic stress. 

Thus, hobbies act as an effective buffer against stress, contribute to emotional regulation, and help maintain mental health in periods of high demand.

2. Social Connection and Sense of Belonging

Hobbies often foster social interaction and build community, which in turn enhances a person’s sense of belonging, support network, and social well-being. A recent review on hobbies and well-being found that social interaction and community belonging are among the main benefits of hobby participation. 

Engaging in group hobbies (sports clubs, music groups, art classes, social clubs) or hobbies shared with others helps individuals build friendships, share experiences, and support one another — which is particularly valuable in reducing loneliness and improving social support. 

Such social benefits can also increase life satisfaction, improve resilience, and provide emotional support in challenging times.

3. Cognitive Function, Creativity, and Personal Growth

Some hobbies — especially those that are mentally stimulating (e.g. painting, writing, learning music, puzzles) — support cognitive functioning, creativity, and lifelong learning. According to UCLA Health, hobbies may help improve cognitive function and offer protective effects against cognitive decline.

Moreover, engaging in hobbies can foster a state of “flow” — deep immersion in an activity, associated with intrinsic motivation, enhanced focus, and satisfaction. 

Such flow experiences can enhance self-esteem, sense of achievement, and personal growth over time, supporting mental resilience and capacity to deal with stress.

4. Physical Health and Long-Term Well-being

Many hobbies — particularly physical or outdoor activities like sports, gardening, walking, dancing — contribute to physical health: improving cardiovascular health, reducing stress-related hormones, improving energy levels, and supporting overall well-being. 

In addition, by reducing chronic stress and promoting relaxation, hobbies may help lower risks associated with long-term stress exposure, such as heart disease or other stress-related illnesses. 

Thus, hobbies support both mental and physical health — an important combination for holistic personal wellness.

Conclusion

Having a hobby is more than a pastime: it is a key to better mental health, emotional balance, social connection, personal growth, and long-term well-being. Research strongly supports that regular engagement in hobbies reduces stress, anxiety, and depression; boosts mood, life satisfaction, and resilience; fosters social support networks; enhances cognitive functioning and creativity; and improves physical health outcomes. Given these wide-ranging benefits, individuals — especially students and people under stress — should be encouraged to identify and maintain hobbies that resonate with their interests. For societies and educational institutions, promoting access to recreational and creative activities can contribute to population-level mental and physical health, better social cohesion, and improved quality of life.

References:

1.Cleary, M. et al. (2025). Exploring the Impact of Hobbies on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Scoping Review. (Review of 11 studies). 

2.Zhang, J., & Zheng, Y. (2017). How do academic stress and leisure activities influence college students’ emotional well-being? A daily diary investigation. Journal of Adolescence. 

3.Pressman, S. D., et al. (2009). Association of Enjoyable Leisure Activities With Psychological and Physical Well-Being. Psychosomatic Medicine. 

4.UCLA Health. (2025, May 15). 3 Proven Health Benefits of Having a Hobby. 5.Lagunes-Córdoba, E., et al. (2022). A better way of life: The role of leisure activities on self-perceived health, perceived stress, confidence in stress management, and social support. Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Uzbekistan’s Quiet Transformation: How a Young Nation Is Redefining Central Asia

In a world that grows noisier by the day, not every transformation announces itself with fanfare. Some unfold quietly—steadily reshaping the cultural and political geography around them. Uzbekistan is one such story.

For many Americans, Central Asia remains a distant concept: a region glimpsed through brief headlines or geopolitical maps. Yet, at the heart of this vast land lies a young nation rewriting its identity with remarkable speed and confidence. Over the past decade, Uzbekistan has emerged from international obscurity to become one of the most dynamic reformers in its region. Once known primarily for its Silk Road past, the country is now building a narrative equally rooted in innovation, openness, and civic awakening.

More than 60% of Uzbekistan’s population is under the age of 30. This demographic reality is not just a statistic—it is a driving force. Across universities, research centers, cultural hubs, and digital platforms, young Uzbeks are redefining what it means to be a modern Central Asian citizen. Many of them are multilingual, globally connected, and ambitiously future-oriented. They launch start-ups, initiate community projects, lead volunteer movements, and participate in nationwide reforms. Their voices are increasingly heard in public policy, education, environmental protection, and cultural revival.

In a region often portrayed as traditional and conservative, Uzbekistan’s youth represent a bold new energy—one that challenges stereotypes and invites the world to reimagine Central Asia. Since 2016, the country has introduced sweeping reforms in governance, economy, education, and international openness. Visas were liberalized, markets diversified, civil society strengthened, and new digital platforms created to support transparency. These policies do more than modernize the state; they reshape the everyday lives of citizens—particularly young people.

Public activism is growing, with youth councils, debate clubs, environmental movements, and anti-corruption initiatives taking root. Programs such as the national “Honesty Map,” created to promote integrity in public services, demonstrate a new wave of civic consciousness rarely highlighted in global media. For the first time in decades, the world is watching Uzbekistan not as a relic of the Silk Road but as an emerging actor with its own vision for progress. Uzbekistan’s transformation is not limited to politics or economics—it is deeply cultural. Cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and Tashkent are experiencing a creative revival. Museums are being renovated, festivals expanded, and heritage sites restored with global expertise. At the same time, contemporary art, fashion, literature, and film are gaining new platforms. Young designers mix ancient patterns with modern aesthetics; filmmakers explore social themes; writers introduce Uzbek identity to wider audiences. This blend of history and innovation creates a cultural mosaic that is uniquely, unmistakably Uzbek.

For decades, global narratives about Central Asia were shaped elsewhere. But today, Uzbekistan is increasingly telling its own story—and telling it well. Its young reformers, artists, scholars, and activists are contributing to a new regional identity: one that values openness, creativity, and responsible leadership. In a century defined by chaos, uncertainty, and shifting world orders, Uzbekistan offers an alternative model of growth—slow, steady, and grounded in the power of its youth. Uzbekistan’s transformation is ,,quiet” only in the sense that it has not yet dominated international headlines.

But for those who look closely, the signals are clear:
a young nation is rising, and with it, a new vision for Central Asia. As global attention increasingly shifts toward emerging regions, Uzbekistan stands ready—not just as a country with a rich past, but as a society boldly building its future.

Dildora Khojyozova, 3rd-year student of Geography at Urgench State University named after Abu Rayhon Beruni.

    YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT

                                    Dr Jernail S. Anand

The forces of nemesis, and the furies, are moving around, looking for moral blemishes, and they spare neither the individual nor the society. -Anand

Bible says: Your sins will find your out. I think it applies to men as individuals, and the society as a whole.

As civilized human beings, we have set up courts to ensure justice to the aggrieved, and punishment to the aggressors who violate the laws of the country. Jails are overflowing with criminals undergoing sentences. Justice, it is said,  is often delayed, and sometimes,  entirely miscarried. Of late, justice eludes people due to interventions from the above, and what we come across is a jumbled face of a society which cannot recognize itself.

However, when it comes to the divine court, there are no chances of justice going astray. It may appear to be delayed, but it is definitely delivered.  While human courts take cognizance of the crimes which are reported, the supreme court of gods has a sprawling campus, and it works suo moto, and does not like excess of any kind. They carry all the data of these people with them and sometimes they punish them there and then, but most of the times, they wait for the appropriate moment.  But one thing can be said with conviction. No advocate, however pricey, can waylay the this court. No crooked wisdom can delay justice. The system is entirely blameless. Angels carry data which is up to date, and they act unbiased like machines which are innocent by all means, if there is any one to blame, it is man who operates them.

As in human courts,  parameters regarding crime and their punishment exist in divine courts also. They fix the crime of the person, and then, award him the punishment he deserves. Only this roster is not made public. As generally believed, our judgement proceedings do not start after our death. Operation scan is going on all the time. We are under the gaze of the angels. While human laws get into action when some crime has been committed, the divine court takes cognizance

of what you think, what you feel, and then, finally, what you act.

Societies are Judged as a whole

It is all about your ‘Karma’. Lord Krishna was right when he laid stress on human action which is finally considered by gods and on the basis of which, you are granted heaven or hell. Gurbani also talks of life as a ‘karma Sandra khet’ i.e. a field where your actions matter. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that men have the power over their action only. Not on the reverberations of that act. In fact, here the Newton’s third law of an action having an equal and opposite reaction also comes into the dock, because, that may be true in a physical world, but in the metaphysical world, you don’t know what will happen to your action and how gods will react to it.

Moreover, there are thousand wrong passions doing the rounds of our blood, a thousand things which we cannot do, because of fear of the law, we are always mentally busy with things which civil society does not allow, how does that impact our score in life? There are so many people who are doing wrong things, yet they are not detected, because they are not visible to the law. How are they to be accounted for?

No doubt, we matter to the cosmos as individuals. We have a dedicated account with gods. The reason is our birth is individualized. Even in our death, we die individuals, though it may be a collective grave, as the drowning of a Titanic. But, in addition to being an individual, we are part of a society.

Unified View of Society

Who is there that takes a unified view of the people as a whole?  Gods who are on mision spy, take stock of the way people behave, and then take decisions about their collective destiny.  I can elaborate it by quoting the example of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s great writing ‘Babarwani’ in which he says that the tyrannical acts which Babur inflicted on the people of Hindustan could have been averted if the people had been wiser. Guru sahib  says ‘Aape dos n deyee karta, Jam kar Mughal chadaya’ ie. the Mughal aggressed upon the people like a Yama,  all because of their wrong deeds.

Thus, when a society fails in its morals, when people as a whole become corrupt, when people stop taking interest in good, when good deeds go unrewarded, and the murders, rapes, and evil mongers  take the main space, when the society is ruled by the corrupt, and when the poor are pushed to the edge, the society as a whole is ripe for divine retribution.

The forces of the nemesis, and the furies, are moving around, looking for moral blemishes, and they spare neither individual nor the society.  A layman once stopped an angel in a dream and asked, what is the punishment for people who do not stand for their rights? Pat came the reply. “Hitler. Nero. Mussolini…and….” when the angel was going to name a few more people, the man woke up from his sleep, sweating.

Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, with an opus of 190  books, is Laureate of the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards.  His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. Anand is a towering literary figure whose work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision who heads the International Academy of Ethics. 

AUTUMN LOVE IN PRISTINA

We met in the fall,in the amphitheater you tweet

The streets of Pristina,

in the cold night,

Shoot me like a mountain fairy.

the stars were aligned

That summer evening in your tear,

we were both lost in the untouched oasis

and the lips stopped at the sounds FlokArtë.

Why did we travel, tell me whyin the cold winter and snow,

the beaming sun gave us a gift,you ray of sunshine lit me siashra.

Why did we run to the meadows, why

in the early spring fragrance of love

we pray to the flowers of the green field,

Embraced we felt exotic intoxication.

VALENTINE’S DAY 

Lora

Embroidered Valentine’s Day

on the map of love

Egnatia-Naisus street

and in passing I also took

the honey flavor

from the hot ashes

of the estinguished fire.Lora

like a blonde ladybug in the meteorite

nobody whispers

on the map of love

and the star twister out of exhausted longing

in the timeless feeling

brought the freshness of age

the kiss of the mountain like Hera from Olympus

departed in the endless today

Night.

Lora

Frozen in heat

slightly heated to the bosom of love

“I’m very cold

Lan takes me with him

tonight

I do not want flowers

a white rose

to have for Valentine’s Day!

DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH LORA 

Do not fall in love with Lora, my friend,

for she has left her heart in pledge with mine.

It beats within my chest like a wave,

Like the echo of a song across the mountain line.

You may kiss her lips,you may call her yours,

but her eyes are skies without a sun,a night without a moon,

A cloud without rain,

a flame without ember burning, yet hidden in a cold bosom.

You may hold her close,

you may call her your own,

but her love she left to me in pledge,

Through ages and through time unknown.

So fall not for her gaze, young man

she is the dream of a silent yearning.

You will have a love without hope,

for her heart remains my pledge,

forever turning.

LAN QYQALLA graduated from the Faculty of Philology in the branch of Albanian language and literature in Prishtina, from Republika of Kosovo. He is a professor of the Albanian language in the Gymnasium. Lani is the Editor-in Chief of the international cultural and artistic magazine ORFEU, which is published in many languages in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. He is also the editor of the cultural show ORFEU on TV Jupiteri7 channel on YouTube. He wrote poems, stories, drama, novels in Pristina. He has written in many newspapers, portals, Radio, TV, and Magazines in the Albanian language and in English, bangu, Romanian, Francophone, Turkish, Arabic, Italian, Greek, Swedish, Hindu, Spanish, Korean etc. 

Big and Small

There were 

Big and small moments

When he told her

That he was sorry

That she felt that way

He should have just said

That he was sorry.

Taylor Dibbert is a poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of, most recently, “On the Rocks.”

Summer Solstice, My Birthday 

Today the sun stands like a giant 

beacon in the center of the sky—it 

doesn’t walk, it doesn’t bend, it 

simply is: the heart of all that breathes. 

I was born in that instant 

when its light becomes taut and 

ready to unleash the longest day 

like an unwrapped gift. 

My body is a field of wheat 

germinating in the warmth of its gaze, 

each hair a stalk seeking the blue fire of the sky. 

I am not just another day among days: 

I am the whisper of the sun when it realizes 

it has arrived home, the space 

where time stops to take a sip of solar honey. 

The air fills with tiny shadows, like 

letters in a letter the sun writes to the earth—

and I am the last word,

the one not read but felt on the skin, 

like a warm kiss that doesn’t fade. 

My lungs are windows open to the light, 

each breath a thread harvesting the entire day, 

weaving it into the fabric of my being. 

Today the world doesn’t revolve around the sun: 

it revolves around this instant in which 

I am the point where the sun meets itself, 

where summer becomes a heartbeat, 

where birth is the reflection of all that shines. 

December 21st, my birthday

GRACIELA NOEMI VILLAVERDE is a writer and poet from Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Rios) Argentina, based in Buenos Aires She graduated in letters and is the author of seven books of poetry, awarded several times worldwide. She works as the World Manager of Educational and Social Projects of the Hispanic World Union of Writers and is the UHE World Honorary President of the same institution’s Activa de la Sade, Argentine Society of Writers. She is the Commissioner of Honor in the executive cabinet in the Educational and Social Relations Division of the UNACCC South America – Argentina Chapter.