Getting through ALL the December holidays
From Hanukkah to Christmas to Kwanzaa
While Christmas is the most widely celebrated in Canada, there is no shortage of other holidays to commemorate in December. If you want to be inclusive, here’s a primer on other religious and non-religious holidays that occur during the month (in chronological order).
Hanukkah: The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah precedes Christmas every December (although it sometimes starts in November) but is not the holiest of Jewish holidays (that would be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement). Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after it was ransacked by the ruling Syrian/Greek regime. The temple was left with only enough oil to light the candles for one night, but the oil miraculously lasted eight. That’s why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights, beginning at sundown on December 21 in 2008. Traditions include lighting one candle of the menorah every night, eating fried foods such as latkes (to signify the importance of the oil), and playing the dreidel gambling game.
Watch Adam Sandler sing his hilarious Hanukkah Song.
Eid al-Adha: The Festival of Sacrifice, this Muslim holiday honours Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God. One of the two most important holidays in Islam, it follows the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and is celebrated on Monday, December 8 in 2008. People who observe this holiday dress in their finest clothes, visit family, eat festive meals, and children receive gifts and treats.
Yule: Another name for the Winter Solstice, this holiday on December 21 was celebrated centuries before Jesus Christ was born and marked a turning point in the season, when the worst of the winter was over. Animals were slaughtered so they wouldn’t have to be fed so it became a natural feast time. A live tree was brought into the home and decorated with ornaments and edible treats. Yule traditions include decorating the inside of the home with evergreens and candles, as well as traditional plants such as holly and mistletoe, and burning the Yule log for 12 days straight.
Christmas: For Christians, December 25 marks the birth of Jesus Christ (though no one really knows when he was born) and began as a “mass for Christ” (hence, Christmas). In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the “holiest” holiday, but the church decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus to focus attention away from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, celebrated through the month of December. Christmas traditions include giving gifts (just as the three wise men brought gifts to the infant Jesus), Santa Claus (derived from Saint Nicholas, a bishop who gave generously to the poor) and a festive meal. Originally this featured goose, but was replaced by turkey when Europeans colonized the Americas.
Watch Mr Bean waking up Christmas morning.
Kwanzaa: Kwanzaa (Swahili for "first fruits") is a non-religious African-American holiday celebrating family, community, and culture that was started in 1966. It is celebrated for seven days from December 26–January 1. Traditions of Kwanzaa include lighting a candle each of the seven days, family gatherings, and festive meals. Gift-giving is not a part of the Kwanzaa tradition.
Festivus for the Rest of Us: If you don’t celebrate any of the above holidays, but don’t want to feel left out, you could start commemorating Festivus, the December holiday invented by Frank Costanza on Seinfeld. Instead of a Christmas tree there is a pole, which is central to the “airing of grievances” between family members. There is also a “feats of strength” component, which could be fun. You can see clips from the “Festivus” episode on You Tube.
Written by: Reni Walker