December: A Month with a World of Holidays

 

December is truly filled with a "World of Holidays"

Happy Holidays to my "Youth Fairy Squad"! I found it interesting how many multicultural celebrations this month has. Here are some of the different ways December is celebrated around the world that I have particularly noted. I hope you enjoy learning about some of the traditions as much as I have. CHRISTMAS: Christmas traditions can vary greatly depending on where you are. In the US, Christmas trees covered in white, fluffy snow and snowmen are the norm; while in Australia December falls in the summer and so beach, sand and camping are what's on the agenda. Children in the US leave milk and cookies for Santa; while in the UK mince pies and brandy are left for Father Christmas. And in Ireland, they have not 1 but 13 Santas known as "Yule Lads". HANUKKAH: the 8-day Jewish celebration of the Second Temple re-dedication in Jerusalem. The witnessing of the miracle of the menorah candle lighting, traditional foods such as potato pancakes and jam filled donuts fried in oil are favorites. Gift exchanges and dreidel play are also always a hit. KWANZAA: Created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 after the Watts riots in L.A., this celebration centers around different harvest festivals in Africa. Kwanzaa comes from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili. Festivals often include song, dance, African drumming, storytelling, and poetry. For 7 nights children light 1 of 7 candles of the Kinara and discuss 1 of the 7 principles or values of African culture. The Karamu, or African feast is held on December 31st. BOXING DAY: held on December 26th, was started in the middle ages. Alms boxes, or collection boxes for the poor and kept in the church were opened and distributed and this practice continues today. It is celebrated in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a few other countries. ST. STEPHEN'S DAY: celebrated in Ireland and is their form of Boxing Day. They partake in a tradition called "The Hunting of the Wren", where boys hook a fake wren to a pole and parade it through the town. JUNKANOO: celebrated in the Bahamas, this is the parade through the town to celebrate Boxing Day. OMISOKA: In Japan, New Year's Eve is considered the 2nd most important day of the year, with New Year's Day being the first. Families gather together one last time in the old year to have bowls of noodles. The eating of these long noodles toshikoshi-soba or toshikoshi-udon symbolize the cross over from one year to the next. HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER? I will be spending this year at home on Zoom calls with my family back in Illinois over Christmas day. However you celebrate, please have a safe, healthy and happy holiday season! We will see you all in 2021. Warmest Smiles, Dr. Angela Boehler