By Alex Nash
During this time of year, when the winter months are approaching along with seasonal holidays, it is common to start offering celebrational greetings. “Merry Christmas,” or “Happy Hanukkah!” More recently, “Happy Holidays” has become popular for its inclusivity, when it comes to greeting others during this festive time of year.
However, Christmas and Hanukkah are far from the only holidays celebrated during the winter months. Christmas, as we are all familiar with, is a holiday that stems from both pagan and Roman cultures. As for the introduction of Christianity, around 200 C.E. speculation began regarding the exact birthdate of Jesus Christ. There is a lot of ambiguity over the date, and it is unclear exactly how it was ultimately decided. However, by 400 C.E., the decided date seemed to be Dec. 25.
Hanukkah, which on the Gregorian calendar falls this year from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2nd, is a Jewish festival marking the recovery of the Temple in Jerusalem from Greek colonial forces. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, symbolizing the story of the Miracle of Hanukkah. During the rededication of the recovered Temple, a small jug of olive oil was found; thought only enough to light the menorah for one day, which must remain lit at all times. However, the oil lasted eight days. The miracle is attributed to the Jewish faith in God. A popular Hanukkah tradition is the gifting of gelt, chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil, playing with a dreidel and lighting a hanukkiah.
In Germany and Eastern Europe, a holiday known as Krampusnacht is celebrated. It takes place on the eve of Dec. 5, the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas. Like Christmas, Krampusnacht originated from pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice, later becoming a part of Christian traditions in which St. Nicholas would visit good children and leave them gifts. Krampus is a mythical half-man, half-goat, and in original stories he would visit to whip naughty children. In modern depictions, Krampus’ punishment is toned down, with bad children gifted nothing but bundles of sticks known as ruten.
In current times, people often celebrate by dressing as Krampus and the nordic figure Frau Perchta, referred to as the female Krampus, and host parades and parties.
Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday, created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, as a non-Christian, African-American holiday. It is celebrated for seven days, from Dec. 26. to Jan. 1, and each night, a candle is lit to observe the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Each one of the days, and the corresponding candle, represents one of the principles: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith). The Kwanzaa candles are green, red, and black.
The black candle is meant to represent the African-American people celebrating, the three red candles symbolize blood shed in the past, and the three green candles symbolize the Earth, or the multitude of possibilities of the future.
The holiday’s name originates from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits” and corresponds with the beginning of the harvest in southern African tradition, where the seasons are opposite to the northern hemisphere. The additional “A” was added to give the name the seven symbolic letters. Families who celebrate often decorate their homes with colorful artwork and fresh fruit.
Las Posadas is a religious festival celebrated in Mexico and some parts of the United States. The festival is celebrated between Dec. 16 and 24, commemorating the journey made from Nazareth to Bethlehem by Joseph and Mary in search of a safe place to give birth to Jesus. In cities and towns across Mexico, a child dressed as an angel leads a procession across the city each night, typically made up of other children dressed in silver and gold. Adults follow along, and the procession will stop at houses to request lodging for Joseph and Mary. Traditionally, they are refused, but the hosts will provide food and drink.
Dongzhi Festival is a celebration traditionally celebrated in China and Taiwan, and typically takes place between Dec. 21 and 23. It is celebrated on the longest night of the year and is a time for people to spend time with their families. It is a victory of light over darkness, and represents the start of days growing longer, bringing back a sense of balance. In rural areas of China, the Dongzhi Festival has traditionally been associated with agricultural activities. Traditionally, the festival is a time for families to eat together. A popular food is tangyuan, or glutinous rice balls, which symbolize reunion, dōngzhìtuán, and Winter Solstice dumplings.
Across the world, cultures celebrate the winter months in a variety of ways. The Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, guides many of these celebrations, and religion leads others. There is overlap between some of the festivals, but there is beauty in their unique aspects. While all of the festivals celebrate differently, with a variety of traditions, nearly all of them center around the celebration of light on the darkest days of the year. They celebrate the return of light, the sun and the return of spring. There is a certain beauty to that. If you have not read about other winter holidays, it may be worth your time. You might learn something interesting.
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