Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep223: Summer in December? Really?

Transcript

Ep223: Summer in December? Really? · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  cats. Daily starts yours.
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  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today we're talking about a topic that might surprise you,
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  countries where summer happens in December.
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  That's right, while many of us are bundling up in scarves and
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  jackets, getting ready for the cold winter months, and maybe
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  dreaming of snow, there are places in the world where people
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  are heading to the beach, eating ice cream, and celebrating the
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  warmest time of the year. Let's start at the beginning.
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  Have you ever wondered why seasons are different in
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  different parts of the world? The answer is all about the
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  Earth and how it moves. Earth is shaped like a ball and
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  it spins or rotates around an imaginary line called an axis.
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  But here's the cool part. The axis isn't straight up and
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  down, it's tilted. The Earth is tilted at an angle
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  of about 23.5°. This tilt is the reason we have
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  seasons. As the Earth moves around the
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  sun during the year, sometimes the top half of the planet,
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  called the northern hemisphere, is tilted towards the sun.
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  Other times the bottom half, called the southern hemisphere,
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  is tilted towards the sun. When you're half of the world is
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  tilted towards the sun, you get more sunlight and it's warmer.
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  That's summer. When your half is tilted away,
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  you get less sunlight and it's colder.
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  That's winter. Most kids listening to this
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  podcast probably live in the northern Hemisphere.
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  That's where countries like the United States, Canada, most of
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  Europe, and much of Asia are found.
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  In those places, December is usually cold and wintry.
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  But let's take a trip to the other side of the world, the
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  Southern Hemisphere. That's where the seasons are
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  flipped. When it's winter up north, it's
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  summer down South. Let's talk about some real
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  countries where people celebrate summer in December 1st let's
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  visit Australia. Australia is a massive country
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  and it's famous for its beautiful beaches, unique
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  animals like Kangaroos and koalas, and the Great Barrier
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  Reef. In Australia, December is the
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  start of summer. Instead of building snowmen,
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  kids are going surfing, swimming and having barbecues outside.
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  Schools in Australia usually have their long summer holiday
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  from December to late January or early February.
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  So December is a time for lots of outdoor fun.
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  Did you know that in Australia some people even have their
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  Christmas celebrations at the beach?
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  Imagine opening presents in your swimsuit and enjoying a picnic
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  under the sun. Next, let's travel to New
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  Zealand. It's a group of islands
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  southeast of Australia. New Zealand is known for its
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  beautiful mountains, forests, and amazing wildlife like Kiwis,
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  which are flightless birds. In New Zealand, summer also
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  starts in December. Many families go camping,
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  hiking, or spend time at the beach during the holidays.
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  Since December is so warm, people often eat cold foods like
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  salads, seafood, and even ice cream for their Christmas meal.
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  Now, let's fly across the Pacific Ocean to South America.
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  Several countries here have summer in December too.
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  Let's stop in Brazil first. Brazil is the largest country in
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  South America, and it's famous for its rainforests, soccer, and
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  big cities like Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, December is hot and
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  sunny in most places. Many people go to the beach to
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  cool off. In Rio, there's a huge fireworks
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  show every New Year's Eve, and millions of people gather on the
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  sandy beaches to watch. Some wear all white because it's
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  believed to bring good luck. Argentina is another big country
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  in South America with December summer.
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  In Argentina, December is the end of the school year and the
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  start of the long summer break. People enjoy outdoor sports,
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  swimming, and going on vacations in Buenos Aires, the capital
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  city. Parks and swimming pools are
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  very busy in December because everyone wants to cool down.
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  Let's not forget South Africa. South Africa is located at the
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  southern tip of the African continent.
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  It's known for its wildlife like lions, elephants, and zebras, as
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  well as its beautiful coastlines.
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  In South Africa, December is a popular time for families to
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  travel to the beach or go on safari trips to see animals in
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  the wild. Many people have picnics and
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  barbecues, which they call Bryce.
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  Schools are out for the summer holidays, and cities are filled
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  with music and festivals. Now you might be wondering, are
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  there other places where summer happens in December?
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  Yes, some other countries in the Southern Hemisphere include
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  Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay in South America, as well as
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  Namibia, Botswana and Madagascar in Africa.
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  All of these places have warm weather in December.
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  Let's talk about holidays. You've probably heard a lot
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  about Christmas and winter, with snow, hot chocolate and warm
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  fires. But in the Southern Hemisphere,
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  Christmas is a summer holiday. People might decorate palm trees
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  instead of pine trees, and they might eat cold desserts instead
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  of hot ones. In Australia, there's a popular
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  Christmas song called 6 White Boomers, which is about Santa
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  Claus using Kangaroos instead of reindeer to pull a sleigh in the
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  hot Australian summer. In South Africa, people often
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  have outdoor feasts and play games outside.
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  In Brazil, Christmas lights and decorations are everywhere, but
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  instead of snow, you'll see sand and sunshine.
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  Here's a fun Did you Know moment.
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  In New Zealand, there's a special tree called the
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  Pohotagua. It blooms with bright red
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  flowers in December and people call it the New Zealand
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  Christmas Tree. Families have picnics under its
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  shade during the holidays. Now, you might be curious about
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  how people in these countries stay cool during the hot
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  December days. In Australia, many homes have
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  swimming pools and public pools are very popular.
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  People wear light, comfortable clothing like shorts, T-shirts
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  and flip flops. In Brazil, people eat refreshing
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  foods like acai bowls, which are made from a purple fruit that
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  grows in the Amazon rainforest. In South Africa, frozen treats
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  like ice lollies are a favorite snack for kids.
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  Let's explore how schools are different, too.
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  In the Northern Hemisphere, students usually have their long
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  summer vacation in June, July and August.
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  But in countries like Australia and New Zealand, the big break
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  is in December and January. That means their school year
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  starts in late January or early February and ends in December,
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  just before the summer holidays begin.
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  Sports are also different in the summer months.
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  In Australia, December is a big month for cricket, which is a
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  popular sport there. Instead of playing in the cold,
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  kids and adults are out on sunny fields playing under blue skies.
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  In Brazil, soccer is played all year round, but December matches
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  are often held in the evening to avoid the hottest part of the
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  day. Now let's talk about nature.
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  In the Northern hemisphere, plants and trees often lose
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  their leaves in winter, and animals might hibernate or slow
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  down. But in the Southern hemisphere,
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  December is when flowers bloom, trees are green, and many
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  animals are busy raising their young.
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  For example, in Australia, it's common to see baby Kangaroos
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  called Joey's poking their heads out of their mother's pouches.
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  You might be wondering, if you traveled to one of these
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  countries in December, would you feel the difference right away?
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  The answer is yes. If you left a snowy city in the
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  Northern hemisphere and flew to Sydney, Australia, you could
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  step off the airplane and find yourself in bright sunshine with
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  people wearing shorts and sandals.
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  The time difference would be big, too, because Australia is
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  many hours ahead of North America and Europe.
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  You might feel jet lagged, but you definitely notice the summer
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  weather. Here's another Did you know
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  moment. Penguins live in the southern
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  Hemisphere, too. In places like South Africa,
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  Argentina, and even Australia, you can find Penguins enjoying
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  the summer sun in December. Not all Penguins live in icy
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  places. Some live on warm, sandy
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  beaches. Let's review some of the most
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  important things we've learned today.
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  The reason some countries have summer in December is because of
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  the way the Earth is tilted as it moves around the sun.
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  When it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it's summer in the
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  Southern hemisphere. Countries like Australia, New
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  Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa all have their
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  warmest season during December. People in these countries
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  celebrate holidays like Christmas and New Year's with
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  summer traditions like going to the beach, having barbecues and
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  eating ice cream. Schools have their long summer
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  holidays in December and January.
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  Plants, animals, and sports are all active during this time,
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  making it a season full of life and fun.
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  So next time you hear about someone celebrating Christmas at
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  the beach or having a summer birthday in December, you'll
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  know why. The world is a big, amazing
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  place and there's always something new to discover.
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  Thanks for listening to Kid Cast daily.
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  Stay curious and keep exploring Grab.
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  Your breakfast feeling fine, adventures waiting?
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  Don't be late. Today's the day we celebrate.
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  Kid Cast daily starts your day.