RACHEL DEANDREA, Contributing Writer
The winter season is a busy time for everyone, filled with many holidays that celebrate various cultures and religious beliefs. Many people celebrate popular holidays such as Christmas and New Year's, but there are also holidays like Hanukkah and Lunar New Year that are less widely known despite their traditional roots and significance.
Christmas, a Christian holiday celebrated each year on December 25, began with the Romans in the 4th century as a way to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Many Christians celebrate Advent, a four-week season leading up to Christmas, which celebrates the arrival of Jesus.
Christmas has since grown in popularity and is celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians. It is known for being a time to spend with family, give and receive gifts, and enjoy lots of food and desserts.
As Christmas became more secular, new traditions and aspects of the holiday emerged, the most popular being the mythical figure of Santa Claus, who, on Christmas Eve, delivers presents to children all over the world. Whether you focus on the religious or secular side, Christmas is a fun and festive holiday to celebrate.
Mackenzie Gangluff, a junior at NBTHS, says, "Around Christmas, my church has a lot of celebrations. The children's ministry presents songs and dances, there is a Christmas Eve service, and one on Christmas Day." She adds that she celebrates Christmas by "decorating the house. My family and I put up a Christmas tree and garland, and other fun decorations. I also celebrate Christmas by giving gifts to my close friends and family."
Hanukkah is an 8-day-long Jewish celebration held each year, usually between late November and December, with the date based on the Hebrew calendar. The holiday celebrates a time when, over 2,000 years ago, the Jews won a battle against the Greeks, gaining the ability to practice their religion freely.
During the battle, the Jewish temple was destroyed. After their victory, the temple was quickly restored, and once completed, they held a celebration in which an oil lamp was lit. The lamp only had enough oil to last a day, but it stayed lit for 8 days. Now, each year, Hanukkah is celebrated over the course of 8 days, consisting of a nightly menorah lighting, playing dreidel, singing songs, and sharing meals. Many families give each other 8 gifts, one for each day, in celebration.
New Year's is a very well-known and widely celebrated holiday by people of all religions and backgrounds. It takes place each year from December 31 into January 1, as people gather to celebrate the coming year. There are many different ways people celebrate New Year's. Thousands travel to New York City to attend the huge New Year's celebration. They watch the ball drop and count down from 10, while millions more watch it on TV. Many people also attend or host parties, gathering with friends and family to count down into the new year. When the clock strikes midnight, everyone cheers, some drink champagne, and others share a New Year's kiss.
Finally, Lunar New Year is celebrated each year by people of different cultures all over the world. The exact date varies, as Lunar New Year is a broad term used for many different New Year celebrations. It is celebrated on different days depending on the culture. The Islamic New Year is determined by the Islamic calendar, while celebrations in East and Central Asia, such as Chinese New Year, are based on the lunisolar calendar. Celebrations in places like Korea and Vietnam tend to fall near or on the same date as Chinese New Year, as their dates are based on the same calendar or slight variations of it.
Lunar New Year has many unique traditions, such as receiving red envelopes with money, lighting fireworks, and eating meals together. Annie Yin, a junior at NBTHS, says that Lunar New Year is a celebration that brings her whole family together. "We eat dinner together and enjoy time with cousins. The elders give the youth red envelopes to wish us a good year. After dinner, we eat dumplings with coins inside!"
Comments