Tis the Season

A look at different winter holidays

by MADALYNAHMAD | Staff Writer

W
hen 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.

C hr i s t ma
The headliner of the winter holidays, Christmas, originated
as a commemoration of the nativity of Jesus Christ in
s

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 is one of the oldest winter holidays ever recorded in

Yule
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.

16 | November 2021 // GOLDENFLEECEONLINE.COM Graphics & Design | Madalyn Ahmad

 anukkah
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
H
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.

a s Posad
Las Posadas is celebrated throughout Mexico and Central America.
L

as
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.

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.

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