The month of December is filled with holiday spirit. With the year coming to an end and the cold months approaching, holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa only add to the excitement. Although most of the United States population celebrates Christmas, it is important to know that not everyone does, and to be aware of the other celebrated holidays.
The least known of these holidays, Kwanzaa, is a holiday which celebrates African culture. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in a different way, but most celebrations include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading and a large traditional meal. There are seven nights of Kwanzaa and on each of the nights, the family gathers and lights one of the candles on the kinara (candleholder), then one of the seven principles (values of African culture) is discussed. These seven principles contribute to connecting the African-American community. On the seventh day of Kwanzaa, meaningful gifts are given to encourage success and growth. These gifts are also designed to reward accomplishments and commitments kept.
Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday that often falls in month of December, is the celebration of the triumph of the Jewish people from persecution of the Syrians. The story of Hanukkah states that after the Jewish people persevered against the Syrians, they celebrated by lighting candles in the temple. There was only enough oil for the light to last for one night; however, the light lasted for eight. Also called the festival of lights, Hanukkah is celebrated by the lighting of the menorah for eight nights to celebrate the miracle of their defeat of the Syrians to and the miracle that the oil lasted for eight nights to light the menorah. Families play dreidel, which is a game where players spin a dreidel (a top) and whichever side the dreidel lands on has a Hebrew letter which signifies a certain amount of chocolate coins a player receives. Hebrew letters are inscribed on different sides of the dreidel to form an acronym for a Hebrew saying which can be translated to “a great miracle happened there,” referring to the miracle which Hanukkah is centered around. Families also give gifts and eat foods cooked in oil which symbolizes the miracle of the oil lasting for eight nights instead of one.
The most widely celebrated holiday during December is Christmas. December 25 marks the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and with this holiday comes many traditions. Families decorate trees in their houses, give gifts, go to church and spend time with each other. The spirit of Christmas inspired many songs and movies to be made which are watched and listened to during the whole month of December such as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
All three of these December holidays symbolize traditions that date back many years and help many end their year on a positive note. Some people, like junior Jonathan Teitelbaum, are lucky enough to celebrate more than one of these holidays. His mother is Catholic and his father is Jewish, allowing him to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas.
“It is very important to my mom and dad that I celebrate both because they are both very involved with their religions,” Teitelbaum said.
Teitelbaum’s month of December is two times more fun than most other people’s because of the different traditions he gets to observe.
“Every year I visit my grandparents in Florida for Christmas. I like Christmas because of the Christmas songs, the food and I am always in Florida so it is really nice weather. I celebrate Hanukkah with my dad and I like Hanukkah because it brings my family together. We play fun games and light the menorah, it is really nostalgic for me,” Teitelbaum said.
Since the traditions of Hanukkah are not as well known as Christmas, Teitelbaum notices a lot of mistakes that people make when speaking of the holiday.
“The major misconception about Hanukkah that I hear people say is that it is equivalent to Christmas for Jewish people, but it is not that big of a holiday at all, it is probably the fifth most important holiday in the Jewish calendar,” Teitelbaum said.
Teitelbaum thinks the most important thing to remember is to respect each other during this season.
“I think it is important for people to respect other people’s celebrations, you cannot bully people for their religion. Culture is deeply embedded in our society so it is important to be respectful,” Teitelbaum said.
No matter if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, another holiday or no holiday, December is a perfect time to get together with family and get into the spirit of the season. This month is the perfect way to end the year and is a great chance to start the new one off on good feet.
