by Tanya Davis
Ask any American what their biggest holiday celebration might be, and the answer is usually Christmas. But there are tons of “other” celebrations. This season, let’s take a look at some of the biggest holidays that aren’t necessarily about Santa, elves and trees, and see if we can find some traditions to adopt as our own.
HanukkahHanukkah or the “Festival of Lights” begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev; in 2007 that will be sundown on December 4. It lasts for eight days and nights and is filled with special blessings, games and food.
The first Hanukah celebration was in 165 BCE, when the Maccabees reclaimed the temple on Jerusalem’s Mount Moriah from the Greek-Syrian ruler Antiochus. This had taken them three hard years of fighting for their religious rights. The Maccabees were lighting the temple’s candle for a rededication when they discovered that there was only enough oil for one day. But the light miraculously stayed lit for eight full days.
The most important part of the Hanukkah tradition is the menorah, which is a candlestick with room for nine candles. Each day of Hanukkah, one additional candle is lit. The tall candle in the middle (the shamash) is used to light the others. The menorah represents not only the burning light in the temple, but it also marks the freedom that was won for the Jews by the Maccabees.
Hanukkah is not such a large holiday to Jewish people, but it has been brought out because of its similarity to Christmas, both in the time of year and in the tradition of giving gifts for the holiday.
Hanukkah’s most famous toy is the dreidel, but the history of it may surprise you. Jews were forbidden by the Syrians to study their Torah, so they kept the toys on hand. If they were caught studying they could pretend they had been playing. Today the dreidel games are still played, with candies or other goodies as tokens.
Traditional Hanukkah foods are cooked in oil to honor the oil that burned in the temple. Favored foods include latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiya (a jelly donut), and cheeses.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 until January 1. It is not a religious holiday; rather, it was created fairly recently – in the 1960s --to honor ancient African cultures. It is celebrated by an estimated 18 million African Americans every year. Kwanzaa is based on harvest festivals that take place through Africa. The name is taken from a Swahili phrase that means “first fruit of the harvest.”
Kwanzaa honors seven principles, one for each day: unity, self-determination, helping others, cooperation, a sense of purpose, creativity, and faith. On December 31, a feast of karamu is enjoyed with special foods, colorful clothing and decorations. Each color holds special meaning: red for the bloodshed in the attempt to gain freedom, green for the fertile African land, and black for the color of the people.
Ramadan
Ramadan is an Islamic holiday that represents the “month of blessing.” Prayer, fasting and charity are the focus of the month, as well as devotion to God.
Because Islam uses a lunar calendar, the holidays move each year in comparison to ours. So Ramadan began on September 12 for the year 2007, and will begin on September 2 in 2008. Muslims believe that during Ramadan, Allah first revealed the verses of their holy book, the Qur’an. These verses were revealed to Muhammad, who, legend says, was told by the angel Gabriel that he was chosen to receive God’s word.
During Ramadan, verses from the Qur’an are recited every night until the entire scripture has been said. Muslims also fast for the month; no one eats or drinks while the sun is shining. Restaurants are closed; a meal is eaten before the sun rises and after it sets. Muslims use this fasting to remind themselves of the poor, as well as to learn self control and to cleanse the body. Ramadan ends at the festival of Eid al-Fitr or “breaking the Fast.” People dress up, decorate their homes, and give gifts or celebrate with friends and family. They share their blessings by feeding the poor.
Advent
Advent is a celebration of the coming of Christmas. It is a time for reflection and preparation for the Christmas season. It has been around since about the fourth century. Originally the Advent season started on the day of the feast of St. Marin on November 11 and lasted until Christmas Day, but now it is usually celebrated beginning on December 1. The orthodox Eastern Church observes a similar holiday, called a Lenten season from November 15 until Christmas.
Christians make Advent wreaths and light traditional Advent candles in order to honor the season. They also use advent calendars, which have small “doors” that open to display Christmas pictures. One door is opened every day from December 1 to Christmas Eve. For children, each door may reveal a piece of candy or chocolate.
These are just a few of many holidays that occur around Christmas time. Read more about them in our holiday articles section.
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