The Holidays

Thanksgiving is over and the winter holidays are upon us. In chronological order they are:

•   December 7-15—Hannukah. (Jewish)
  •   On eight consecutive nights, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah candelabra    to commemorate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish       fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.
•   December 8—Bodhi Day. (Buddhist)
  •   It marks the day Siddhartha Gautama reached enlightenment after meditating under a Bodhi tree for 49 days. After his     enlightenment he became known as the Buddha.
• December 13—Santa Lucía Day. (Scandinavian Christian)
  • Saint Lucía Day, festival of lights celebrated in Sweden, Norway, and the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland, in honor of Saint Lucía, one of the earliest Christian martyrs.
• ;December 21—Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere.
  • The shortest day of the year. Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rituals. It marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the sun; the gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and it begins to grow again.
• December 22—Tohji-Taisai (Shinto)
  • The rite honoring Sun Goddess Amaterasu.
• December 24 and 25—Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. (Christian)
  • The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336, during the reign of Emperor Constantine, to commemorate the birth of Christ Jesus.
• December 26-January 2—Kwanzaa. (African diaspora)
  • A nonreligious holiday inspired by West African harvest celebrations. For seven day the principle of Nguzo Saba—unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith—are reflected upon.
• December 31—New Year’s Eve
• January 1—New Year’s Day. (Fairly universal)
• January 6—Epiphany (Three Kings Day). (Christian, especially Hispanic)
  • Three Kings Day—a.k.a. Epiphany, a.k.a. Día de los Reyes—commemorates the Biblical story of the three wise men (kings) who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child. It marks the official 12th day of Christmas.

Wow, that’s a lot of holidays in just four weeks. It’s truly THE SEASON OF HOLIDAYS. Each has its own traditions and rituals, and special foods. Most also feature lights to brighten the dark days around Solstice—candles, and in the last century-and-a-half, electric lights. Music is an important element in most. And gifts play a significant role in most of these winter holidays.

Holidays are special. Children look forward to them eagerly as adults knock themselves out preparing for them. We cook and decorate and shop and create their wonderfulness. A lot of our most treasured memories are wrapped up in them. They’re generally happy times and we want to share the merriment. We wish friends and acquaintances—strangers, even—a happy holiday.

In the last couple of decades, some among us have claimed ridiculously that they are being persecute—prohibited, or at the very least, inhibited, from saying ”Merry Christmas”. They try, just as ridiculously, to intimidate the rest of us from greeting others with anything but ”Merry Christmas” in this season of holidays. Somehow, ”Happy Holidays” was an affront to their religious sensibilities. They chose to feel picked on and discriminated against if everyone didn’t wish them a ”Merry Christmas”. They even call it a ”War on Christmas”.

They shouldn’t take it personally. In addition to those of a different religious persuasion, more and more people don’t identify with a religion at all. However, enjoying the season’s atmosphere of good cheer, they may feel the urge to extend holiday greetings to others.

If someone greets me with a smile and good wishes of any sort, I am happy they cared enough to share the season’s good spirits with me. Although I am not religious, I grew up in the culture of Christianity, so I often wish people, ”Merry Christmas”. It’s more about the season than religiosity. If I know someone is Jewish I wish them ”Happy Hannukah”. If I meet a Black friend I greet them with ”Happy Kwanzaa”. If I know you’re not religious, I might wish you ”Happy Solstice”. Or I may just use the catch-all, ”Happy Holidays”.

So, to all of you, I wish you the happiest of holidays, whatever your faith, or non-faith. Happy Hannukah, Bodhi Day, Santa Lucía Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Tohji-Taisai, New Year, and Three Kings Day. May your holiday season be filled with love and peace and joy.

 

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