December is a busy time for Kids ‘R’ Kids. Next week our kids will be learning about other cultures and traditions like Christmas, Hanukkah, St. Nicholas Day & Kwanza. Click Here to Check out our December Events Calendar.
Christmas
Christmas is traditionally a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth to Mary and Joseph. Many religious celebrations of Christmas around the world include reenactments of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter on the eve of Jesus’ birth or nativity scenes that represent Jesus’ birth in a stable. The holiday is also celebrated through gift exchanges, family gatherings, and special religious services or masses. There are many beautiful and unique Christmas traditions observed around the globe.
In Portugal, friends and family honor loved ones who have passed away on Christmas Eve with a traditional dinner called Consoada. Usually, a chair is left empty at the table for the souls of the dead or “alminhas a penar” to inhabit. Leftovers are left out overnight for any hungry ghosts who might stop in to enjoy the holiday celebration.Finland has a similar Christmas Eve tradition. Families visit the graves of loved ones and light a single candle in the snow next to the grave. It’s a symbol of peace and resurrection. If you’d love to learn about other Christian Christmas cultural traditions, check out WorldHolidayTraditions.com. (http://www.worldholidaytraditions.com/)
Many people in the U.S. and around the world celebrate Christmas as a non-religious holiday centered around good food, family and exchanging gifts. Holiday decoration, Santa Clause and KFC are the focus of Christmas celebrations in Japan where it is primarily celebrated as a secular holiday.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah or Festival of Lights is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated between late November and late December (the exact dates change slightly every year since it’s based on the Jewish lunar calendar). It’s an eight-day celebration that commemorates when the Second Temple, in Jerusalem, was rededicated in 165 B.C.
At that time, the Jewish people had successfully gained control of their temple after revolting against a ruler who had outlawed Judaism and taken possession of their temple. To cleanse the temple and rededicate it, oil had to burn in a menorah (or candelabra) for eight consecutive nights. Even though they only had enough oil for one night, it burned all eight days. Hanukkah is a celebration of this miracle.On each night during Hanukkah, Jewish families that observe the holiday light a candle on their menorah. All eight candles in the menorah are lit on the last evening.
Exchanging gifts and playing games after the nightly candle is lit is part of this holiday tradition. The most popular game that’s played during Hanukkah is ‘dreidel’ (Yiddish) or ‘sivivon’ (Hebrew).
St. Nicholas Day
St. Nicholas’ Day or the Feast of Saint Nicholas is observed on December 6th in Western European nations and the United States. In Eastern European nations, it’s usually celebrated on December 19th. It honors the life of the third-century saint who is one of the inspirations for modern-day Santa Claus.
In many Central European nations, this holiday is centered around gifts more than Christmas. Children usually leave their shoes outside their door on the days leading up to St. Nicholas Day. If they’ve been good, in the morning, it’s filled with sweets.
In Austria and Hungry, Saint Nicholas has a devilish assistant, Knecht Ruprecht. While Saint Nicholas gives sweets and goodies to good kids, Knecht punishes naughty kids. He traditionally carries chains and a basket for whisking away bad children. There are Krampusnacht parties and Krampus Runs where revelers romp through town in beastly Knecht costumes.
Kwanzaa
Kwanza is the last major holiday that’s celebrated this month. It’s observed between December 26th and January 1st. It’s primarily celebrated in the U.S. and other nations of the African diaspora in the Americas. This young holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, an activist, and professor of African studies, in 1966. Dr. Karenga’s vision for Kwanza was that it would be a celebration of African and African American unity along with the values of self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. It has become a beloved celebration for many as a way to honor their African ancestry. Families and friends celebrate together by exchanging gifts, dancing, singing and enjoying a large feast with each other.
What a diverse range of holidays and traditions! Whether you are celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa, quality time with loved ones is at the heart of the holiday. We hope that you and your kids are finding time to enjoy each other’s company as you celebrate your holiday traditions!