Karla celebrates Winter Holidays celebrated across the world and the US.
PHOTO CRED: McCormick Early Childhood Center
Christmas, which falls on December 25, is a time when people gather and spend quality time with one another. However there are various other holidays celebrated throughout December besides Christmas, notable examples include Kwanzaa (Monday, December 26 to January 1, 2022) and Hanukkah (Sunday, December 18 to Monday, December 26, 2022), New Years (December 31 to January 2) Therefore this article will be about the history, traditions, customs, and other aspects of these festivities.
Christmas is a federal holiday, which is celebrated by many, From December 24 to December 25. The history of Christmas can be traced back to both Roman and Pagan traditions/cultures, it is as well observed as a holy religious festival and a global phenomenon in both culture and commerce. Many people see this holiday as a way to celebrate the birth of christ though others celebrate for the reason to meet up with family and friends as well as a way to show gratitude in a manner similar to thanksgiving.
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African American Culture from December 26 to January 1. In the 1960s Kwanzaa was created. Kwanzaa was created by a Black Nationalist and subsequently college professor Maulana Karenga as a means of empowering and uniting the African American community in the years following the disastrous Watts rebellion. One of the seven Kwanzaa ideals is honored on each of the seven days, being Unity, Self-determination, Collective Responsibility, cooperative economics, creativity, and lastly faith.
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration from December 18 to December 26. Hanukkah is a celebration in which it is celebrated for 8 days in which symbolizes the number of days that the Temple Lantern blazed though its exact date changes every year as it follows the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah celebrates the Second Temple rededication in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. throughout each day families light on each candle representing the days one on the first and two on the second day and so on.
New Years is a worldwide celebration which is celebrated from December 31 to January 2. Janus, the Roman deity of beginnings, whose two faces gave him the ability to gaze both backward into the past and forward into the future, is honored by the month's name in a way to show the surviving of another year and another start to those of the past. New Years is usually celebrated on December 31 awaiting the twelve o’ clock mark, at which point people will begin to celebrate reaching January 1.
There are many other significant holidays, historical events, and national days that people celebrate/experience during the winter season, but when discussing those of the winter season, these festivals stand out more than others, even though not many are familiar with their histories.