Tis the Season

● A look at different winter holidays

INTRO: When crisp coldness permeates through the air, red and green lights hang over
frosted windows, and you cross your fingers behind your back hoping for a snow day, it can only
mean one thing: winter is finally upon us. Wintertime’s title as the holiday season is no
understatement; it’s full of countless celebrations and traditions. Though Christmas may be the
most well-known seasonal holiday in our community, many other religious holidays, secular
celebrations, and cultural traditions are enjoyed and honored every year by people all around the
world. Here is a look at some of these holiday traditions, their origins, and how they are
celebrated around the world.

CHRISTMAS: The headliner of the winter holidays, Christmas, originated as a commemoration

of the nativity of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies. It remains
celebrated by many Christians for that same reason today, but Christmas can also be a cultural
holiday for non-Christians as a time to gather with family and loved ones. Typical celebratory
customs include gift-giving, Advent calendars, caroling, church services, and Nativity plays.
Christmas also has the greatest economic impact of any holiday; trillions of dollars a year are
spent on Christmas in America alone.

YULE: Yule is one of the oldest winter holidays ever recorded in history. This Pagan festival was
traditionally a celebration of the rebirth of the sun and the light it would bring back to the Earth.
However, Yule is observed during winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, so it is both a time
of celebration and festivity as well as introspection and renewal. Many Yule traditions have been
adapted by other holidays, such as the use of evergreen wreaths, holly, ivy, and mistletoe as
decor. The roasting of a Yule boar is considered to be the basis for modern Christmas dinner
hams. Exchanging nature-themed gifts, meditating, burning a yule log, spending time in nature,
and observing candlelight celebrations are all ways that Yule is still celebrated by people today.

HANUKKAH: Hanukkah - Hebrew for “dedication” - is an eight-day Jewish celebration that

commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean revolt in the
2nd century BCE. It begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev; this year it will begin
November 28 and end on December 6. Each night, one candle on the menorah - a seven-lamp
ancient Hebrew lampstand - is lit by the Shamash candle. This is accompanied by a recitation of
special blessings and traditional songs. Eating dishes such as latkes (potato pancakes) and
sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), all fried in oil; spinning the dreidel, a four-sided spinning
top; and exchanging gifts each night are all typical Hanukkah customs.

KWANZAA: Coming from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits", Kwanzaa is a weeklong
celebration held from December 26 to January 1 that honors African-American culture. It is
based on African harvest festival traditions. Each night of Kwanzaa, participants hold a
candle-lighting ceremony. Every candle represents one of Kwanzaa’s seven principles: umoja
(unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa
(cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). Kwanzaa
culminates on the sixth day ​with a communal feast called Karamu.

SOYAL: The winter solstice ceremony of the Zuni and Hopi Native tribes, Soyal, begins on
December 22, the shortest day of the year. It then lasts 16 days. The festival is full of prayers,
supplications, stories from elders in the tribe, and a concluding feast. During the feast, tribe
members dress up and dance in special masks and costumes to represent the Kachina spirits who
are believed to protect the community. Traditionally, the goal of the holiday is to lure back the
sun god who traveled away from tribes during the winter.

LAS POSADAS: Las Posadas is celebrated throughout Mexico and Central America. Spanish
for “the Inns”, the holiday commemorates Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to
Bethlehem in search of a refuge where Mary could give birth to Jesus. The nine-day festival
starts on December 16 and ends on December 24. Two people dressed up as Mary and Joseph,
often accompanied by angels and shepherds, go door to door asking for a place to stay. When
they reach the designated “inn”, the couple comes into the home to pray. After the procession, a
feast is held, carols are sung, and a star-shaped pinata is broken in honor of the one which led the
three wise men to the nativity scene.