‘Tis the season-and we all should be very glad. Every year most of us celebrate at least one holiday during the early winter months and perhaps without a true understanding of how these holy days became our modern holidays. So this year, before you put up your decorations, head to the stores or start cooking up a storm in the kitchen, take a moment to learn how ancient events, family traditions and cultural customs have worked to form what we know as the holiday season.
First, to kick off the holiday fun is the Jewish celebration of Hanukah. This winter tradition begins on the 25th day of Kiselv on the Jewish calendar and dates back to 165 B.C. when Judas Maccabeus and his soldiers defeated the Syrian army and reclaimed Jerusalem from Antiochus IV. While Jerusalem was under Syrian rule, the temple formerly dedicated to God was used as a worship place for Zeus Olympius. After Antiochus IV and his army were defeated, Maccabeus rededicated the temple to God and celebrated eight days of festivities. According to the Talmud, a book held in high regard in Judaism, the miracle of Hanukah occurred during these festivities, when the oil that was only enough to burn for one day of the festivities burned for the entire duration of the celebration. The Menorrah, a nine-branched candelabrum, is used to symbolize these festivities, and Hanukah is celebrated with traditional songs and food to commemorate the ancient events, as well as seven days of gift giving.
Then we have Kwanzaa, one of the newer holiday traditions to hit America, with it becoming widespread and advertised about a decade ago. Although the name itself comes from the African language of Swahili meaning first fruits, the actual holiday was first established and practiced in America. Founded by Maulana Ron Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday focusing on seven principles, including unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith, and ending in a great feast that resembles the first fruit celebrations of ancient Africa.
In one of Karenga’s books, he describes the purpose of this holiday as being to “unite and to strengthen African-American communities and give blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history.” While Kwanzaa was traditionally viewed and practiced as a black-only holiday, many who practice it liken the celebration to other cultural celebrations such as Cinqo de Mayo and Chinese New Year. Although they are identified with a particular culture, they invite all cultures to participate and share in the festivities.
Then of course we have Christmas, celebrated on Dec. 25, which is a holiday observing the birth of Jesus Christ, who is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and believed to be the incarnate son of God. However, most of us are probably aware that this has become as much a secular holiday as religious with the way in which Christmas is celebrated with decorations, presents and eggnog.
It has been disputed whether Christ was actually born on this date, and many sources cite pagan origins for this date. Roman Emperor Aurelian in A.D. 274 established a celebration of the birth of the invincible sun, and many believe this is where Christians got the date from.
While the date is known not to be entirely accurate, there is also evidence that points to a Christian origin. It was the belief in ancient Judaism that prophets died on the same day as their conception. Because they calculated Jesus’ death to be March 25, they reasoned that this was also the date of his conception, and therefore nine months later was his birth date, Dec. 25. However, this celebration wasn’t observed until around A.D. 335.
The first place Christmas was celebrated in modern times was in the Massachusetts Bay colony, but the holiday was banned, probably due to the Puritans’ strict adherence to biblical scripture, which did not cite the holiday in its text.
Throughout the 19th century Christmas was not a national holiday and didn’t start to be the retail holiday until during World War II. The families of deployed troops needed to buy presents early so that their loved ones could receive gifts in time for the holiday. Thus, store owners responded to this need by encouraging and advertising to consumers to buy early, giving birth to the holiday shopping season and the Christmas shopping frenzy complete with long lists, long lines and your occasional stampede.
One other major tradition of Christmas is the origin of Santa Claus. Saint Nick, as he is sometimes called, was not the fat-bellied, red-nosed jolly old man. The real Saint Nick or Saint Nicolas was actually a real saint. During his lifetime in the early part of A.D. 350 he was known as the bishop of Myra in Lycia (modern-day Turkey). The little that is known about this saint is that he was very kind to children. Saint Nicholas Day is a Dutch holiday celebrated Dec. 6 and is the day on which they observe Saint Nicholas’ affection toward children by giving them gifts, a custom they carried with them to America. Dutch Saint Nicholas or Sinter Klaas is where we get our Santa.
Whatever holiday or holidays you choose to celebrate this season, understand that you are continuing not only a religious tradition of observation, but a tradition that has withstood the passage of many generations. Although most of the holidays we celebrate are based on our beliefs, the way we celebrate these days are a product of our own doing; probably a lot of food, drinks and songs with family and friends around us. So as you rip open your gifts or sit down to the table for a huge holiday meal, remember that holidays are our way of really celebrating and are meant to be enjoyed by all, always keeping the spirit of festivity.