I can’t wait to decorate the tree. I’m so excited to bake cookies and write letters to Santa. I just can’t wait for Christmas!
These have to be the most popular phrases as the temperatures drop.
As the vibrant, warm colors and crunchy, golden foliage of the autumn season transforms into the chilly, frost-bitten winter, people often search for light to guide them through the cold and dark season. Apart from the shivering complaints about how cold it is, another popular topic of conversation is how eager everyone is for Christmas to come.
During the cold season, we are all surrounded by the festivities of Christmas–the winter holiday that seems to outshine the rest.
Despite its religious upbringing, Christmas seems to hold a special place in many people’s hearts, no matter what they believe in. This may be attributed to Christmas evolving into this universal holiday that veers farther and farther from its origin.
Candles, cups, coffee: these are just some of the tangibles that have become more representative of Christmas as a holiday than the celebration of Jesus Christ.
And if you think about it, everyone kind of has their own version of a holiday they celebrate on December 25. It is just often categorized under the title “Christmas” despite its lack of religious celebration.
While the widespread idea of Christmas cheer has illuminated the beauties of the Christian holiday, in the process, it has also concealed the the celebrations of other religions and cultures. With everything revolving around Christmas, the recognition of other holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, is quite rare.
In a society that supposedly claims to value diversity and inclusion, we are failing to acknowledge the holidays that are actually more oriented towards commemorating religion and culture.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that honors the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after previous foreign occupancy. It is celebrated for eight nights, this year from December 25 to January 2, to reflect the oil lamps that brought forth light in the temple. They were supposed to last a day but miraculously burned for eight.
And Kwanzaa is a seven-day holiday that celebrates African-American and Pan-African culture. Taking place from December 26 to January 1, families and communities spend time together, sharing a feast, honoring their ancestors, and reflecting on one of the seven principles each day.
Although Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are lesser known than Christmas, they should not be valued less.
If this much effort is put into the anticipation of a Christmas–a holiday celebrated for a single, day or two days at most–is it so hard to shed some light on those winter holidays that are several days long and delve deep into the roots of a culture or religion’s history?
