Holidays AROUND THE WORLD

CHRISTMAS

Noah Garcia & Aulona Xhindi

Christmas is a Christian celebration celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was, in many Christian-based religions, the son of God sent down to earth to live with man for the purpose of dying for all of their sins. December 25th, when Christmas is celebrated, is widely accepted as Jesus’s birthday. However, there is a high likelihood that it is not. Over time, during and after the Renaissance, Christmas started to evolve into what we know today. Such as adding the customs of putting up trees, candles (which turned into lights), wreaths, and much more. People also tell stories of a mysterious Santa Claus who, every Christmas Eve (December 24th) night, flies through the sky in a sled led by flying reindeer and delivers presents to well-behaved children worldwide under their Christmas trees for them to open on Christmas morning (December 25th).

HANUKKAH

Noah Garcia & Aulona Xhindi

Hanukkah (חנוכה), also spelled Chanukah, Chanukkah, or Hanukkah, is a Jewish celebration taking place over the course of 8 days; normally celebrated between late November and December, there is no exact date on our calendars depicting when Hanukkah must be celebrated. This is because it is celebrated based on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah means “dedication” in English because it celebrates the rededication of The Second Temple of Jerusalem. The Temple was rededicated after a three-year-long battle against the Greek, Seleucid Empire by the Maccabean Revolt, a Jewish rebellion, who were also the first Jews to defend their beliefs with their lives. After the victory by the Maccabeans, the Jews rededicated the Temple and created the celebration Hanukkah, to honor their victory against the Greeks. The most famous tradition of Hanukkah is the Menorah (חנוכייה). The Menorah is a candle holder with 8 places for candles. The story goes that, during this rededication, the menorah only had enough oil to keep a flame burning for a day. However, the flame continued to burn over the course of eight days. Each night, a candle is placed in the spot for it, going right to left, and is lit by one candle, the “Shammash(שמאש)” or servant candle, from left to right. There are many other traditions celebrated that are both connected to Judaism and also not related to religion, ranging from food to songs.

WINTER SOLSTICE

Spencer Castillo

Winter Solstice (also known as Hibernal Solstice) is the two moments during the year when the path of the sun is farthest south of the northern hemisphere and farthest north of the southern hemisphere. These moments are typically on December 21st or December 22nd and June 20th or June 21st. During the Winter Solstice, the sun travels the shortest path throughout the sky, causing there to be shorter days and longer nights. When the Winter Solstice occurs, the North Pole slightly tilts away from the sun, causing the sun's rays to be shifted southward. Winter Solstice lasts until the vernal equinox. Following the end of the Solstice, the days get longer and many many cultures celebrate this as the ‘time of rebirth.’ People can celebrate and decorate for Winter Solstice by decorating trees with food for animals, making lanterns, and by reflecting on setting intentions for the new season. Some particular treats that people make during the Winter Solstice are wassail (a spiced cider), venison pie, molasses spice cake, beef, Guinness pie, and so much more.

ŌMISOKA

Aulona Xhindi and Tre'von Watson

Ōmisoka (大三岡), also known as the Japanese New Year’s Eve, is celebrated on December 31st. It’s meant to commemorate the last goodbye to the old year before January 1st (shōgatsu or 正月), the most important day of the year. The date’s morning is dedicated to performing ‘rituals’ that will help prepare for the new year. Many people will begin by cleaning their houses top-to-bottom as a means to removing the clutter of the old year. Families will get together on Ōmisoka and eat together, usually eating bowls of toshikoshi-soba (年越そば) or toshikoshi-udon (年越うどん), being that Japanese people believe that eating long noodles on Ōmisoka promises a long, healthy life and a good entrance to the new year. Many people visit shrines or temples, where the bells there are rung once for each of the 108 earthly desires believed to cause suffering. This act is called joya-no-kane (除夜の鐘).