Editorial

The winter season is rapidly approaching, and with it, people everywhere are preparing to celebrate the winter holidays with bright lights, gifts, and warm meals. There's no doubt that Christmas in America is a huge deal; from the Rockefeller Tree in New York City to the nostalgic Christmas tunes played in retail stores.

If you're a Christmas fanatic, you're probably abuzz about how you're decorating your house this year, what your family is planning for winter break, and coordinating a Secret Santa with your close friends. But what you might not be considering is how others who may celebrate a different holiday spend their holiday season.

Christmas is everywhere; even in school. Some teachers even display Christmas decorations in their classrooms, and many of us haven't thought twice about it. Popular stores have Christmas paraphernalia out on their shelves as early as August, and shopping malls flaunt shiny tinsel and sparkling ornaments. 

Don't get me wrong-this isn't a tear-down of one of the world's most beloved holidays  (I enjoy celebrating it myself.) But when winter has been so largely associated with Christmas, maybe we should share that love and attention equally with others who celebrate differently.

 Growing up as an African American, I didn't even know that Kwanzaa was an African American cultural holiday! I was taught very little about the holiday for a very short period of time in my early years of elementary school. Although one year in school we sang a song about Hanukkah in our winter concert, I didn't understand anything about the holiday. 

In the last few years, I chose to start a new tradition in my family and celebrate Kwanzaa alongside Christmas, because I felt that it helped me connect with my identity and culture. But once I made this decision, I quickly realized how little this holiday is represented in the media, along with Hanukkah.

I noticed that decorations for these holidays were hard to come by, and when I told my friends about my new tradition, many didn't know what it was or how it was celebrated.

Despite this, according to APNorc, 5% of Americans celebrate Hanukkah, and 3% celebrate Kwanzaa. These numbers may seem small, but with America's population of 330 million, that means that over 16 million people celebrate Hanukkah and almost 10 million people celebrate Kwanzaa. 

All things considered, it's important to be mindful and sensitive toward others these coming weeks. But regardless of what holiday you're partial to, don't be afraid to celebrate the winter season as is! Activities like making paper snowflakes, sharing winter-themed baked goods, and giving back to those in need are a great way to practice the spirit of giving in a neutral way. 

As we inch towards winter break, maybe spend a minute or two in your free time doing a quick Google search of winter holidays around the world or spend time with someone who celebrates differently from you to learn more about other cultures and religions. Who knows, you might even find that you enjoy trying something new, or that you grow closer to those around you.

Although we as teens and adults aren't responsible for things like marketing or the enormous holiday season industry, we are responsible for ourselves and our actions. Choosing tolerance and empathy is a powerful step towards making the world a more inclusive and accepting place, one “Happy Holidays” at a time.