Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and more holidays are all celebrated in December, but what’s the difference? Each holiday has different meanings and origins and signifies something inside their religion.
Christmas is a Christian holiday that is celebrated by many. “It is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity,” as stated in an article by Winona Health. Most celebrate Christmas on December 25, but most celebrate it on January 7 by Eastern Orthodox Christians. They celebrate by hanging decorations, spending time with family, giving charity, and other common traditions. Families often spend time together opening presents, watching movies, and eating family dinners. Many of these traditions can be traced back to The Bible as a way to honor the birth of Jesus. Christmas is the most well-known holiday in the United States today.
Another winter holiday is Hanukkah, known as “The Festival of Lights.” It is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem. They celebrate the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by lighting candles on a menorah each day of the festival. It usually occurs in late November and December. The dates of the holiday change each year, as it is always the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. It lasts eight nights and days. Hanukkah festivities include singing songs, playing the game dreidel, and eating oil-based and dairy foods.
Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. When celebrating, they decorate their households with colorful art and traditional clothes. It is customary to add children to the celebration, and help them learn about their culture and traditions. A communal feast, named Karamu, is typically held on the sixth day of Kwanzaa. Maulana Karenga, an American black separatist who created Kwanzaa in 19.
Many other holidays are celebrated, such as Boxing Day and Lunar New Year. Boxing Day is mostly celebrated in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It is held the day after Christmas. Boxing Day was created in the 1600’s. During this day, people would give away gifts to the tradespeople, employees, the poor, servants, and others as a way to help them celebrate the holidays as well. The Lunar New Year’s date is determined by the new moon between January 21 and February 20. It marks the beginning of a new lunar year, determined by the lunar/lunisolar calendars. It is celebrated in many countries, with names such as Chinese New Year, Vietnamese Tet, Korean Seollal, and more. During this holiday, people clean their houses and change the colors of their clothes. People as a whole see it as a tradition to buy brand new clothes in the color of red to celebrate the next Lunar New Year.
