By Daisy Morales Bravo, Features Editor
December is one of the most anticipated months of the year for many reasons. While Christmas is the predominant holiday during this month, there are many other holidays celebrated during this joyous month.
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Three Kings’ Day are all holidays celebrated by different groups of people, but they all have one thing in common: family and friends getting together.
While many think of Christmas trees, candy canes, hot cocoa and presents under the tree, Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Large feasts are held on Christmas Eve and children go to sleep eagerly awaiting Christmas morning, when they awake to pristine gifts under the brightly adorned tree. Santa Claus is a household name in every American household. And Christmas songs like “Jingle Bells” and “Feliz Navidad” are classics.
Many other holidays fall under Christmas, including Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day, as it is known in many Hispanic countries. It is celebrated on Jan. 6 each year.
This holiday celebrates the arrival of the three wise men to Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born. Three Kings’ Day is celebrated with a traditional bread known as a Rosca de Reyes. Families get together and have large feasts, and gifts are exchanged as well.
Gifts are also part of another important holiday: Hanukkah. This Jewish holiday is also known as the celebration of lights. It is an eight-day celebration that occurs on the 25th day of Kislev. The date is different every year because Hanukkah follows the Hebrew calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar. This year, Hanukkah will take place from Dec. 18 to Dec. 26.
It dates back to the second century BC, when Syrian-Greeks tried to force Jewish people to abandon their faith. Against all odds, a small group of people led by Judas Maccabee fought against the Syrian-Greeks and won.
Today, Jewish people celebrate this miracle through Hanukkah. In English, this translates to “dedication,” as in the dedication of the Jewish people to protect their faith and their temple.
The first day of Hanukkah starts with the lighting of the menorah (the candleholder). For each day of the eight days, a candle is lit with the shamash (the lighter candle). On the last day, the final candle is lit and a celebration follows. Gift-giving, especially to children, is common. Other traditions include playing with a dreidel and singing songs.
Special foods such as latkes, sufganiyot and Mandel bread are eaten during this celebration.
Unlike Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa is a more recent celebration. It was started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga to unite and empower the African-American community. It was based on the harvest festivals celebrated in Africa.
Many African traditions are combined on this holiday, from the Ashanti to the Zulu. In fact, Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza that in English translates to “first fruits.”
It is a week-long holiday that ranges from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 every year. Like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa has a nightly candle-lighting ceremony.
Every night, a child will light up one of the candles of the Kinara (the candleholder). The candles represent the seven days of the holiday and the seven principles created by Karenga. These principles are on topics relating to unity, self-determination, responsibility, collective economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
Foods like rice, couscous, candied yams and biscuits are often eaten during this celebration. On the last day, a large feast known as karamu is held.
Traditions in holidays vary from country to country and from family to family, but most holidays acknowledge the love and joy of uniting for a special occasion.
Senior Daisy Morales Bravo can be reached at [email protected].
