By Sarah G.
The question, "Why do we celebrate Christmas?" has a really simple answer. Christmas began with the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ although no one really knows when Jesus was born. the most common reason for it being in December was the day of Mary’s conception. The Virgin Mary miraculously conceived her son on March 25 (as Roman Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus would tell us), and the nine-month gestation period takes us to December 25.
The word Christmas has derived from the word “Mass of Christ”, a service celebrating the death of Jesus and His resurrection. “Christ-Mass” was only allowed to take place after sunset and before sunrise the next day. Christians shortened “Christ-Mass” to Christmas.
"Where does Santa Claus come into all this," one might ask; well “Santa Claus” is really St. Nicholas, and merged with the English character “Father Christmas” creates a mythical character known amongst the English speaking world as Santa Claus. The big question is, "Is Santa Claus real? Yes and no. Santa Claus who wears the red jumpsuit and flies a sled with nine reindeer is not real, but St Nicholas who is the origin of Santa is real and a Christian bishop of Greek descent.
"Why do we get gifts on Christmas morning that are supposedly from Santa himself?" We get them because of when Jesus was born, wise men came with gifts for the Son of God. We soon picked up on this tradition. Other parts of the world have different traditions than we have.
In Sweden, a Yule goat is the symbol of Christmas. In Japan, children are visited by 13 Yule lads for 13 nights, and in New Zealand, they celebrate Christmas in the SUMMER! Talk about a green Christmas! Some parts of the world even have a different name for Santa; for instance, in Poland, they call him St. Nicholas; in Russia, he is known as Grandfather Frost, and in Sweden, they call him Christmas Brownie. Many parts of the world have different traditions or even celebrate different winter holidays than Christmas.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated beginning on November 28th of this year, and ending on December 6th. In Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE, a historical event occurred widely known as Hanukkah. During the 2nd century of BCE, the ruling empire in Jerusalem was the Seleucid Greek empire. King Antiochus IV Epiphanes made it illegal to practice anything Jewish-related in 168 BCE; they even defiled the Jewish temple in the city. A small army called Maccabees full of Jewish people began to rebel against the religious persecution of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The Maccabees succeeded in taking back control of the temple they defiled. When they returned to the temple, they had only enough oil to light a menorah. The menorah remained lit for 8 days until another supply of oil arrived, so the modern-day Hanukkah is celebrated over 8 days relating to the candle staying lit for 8 days. A typical menorah has 9 holders for candles, and the middle candle, the Shamash is used to light the candles each night as the Shamash lights 2 candles on the first night, 3 on the second....until all 8 have been lit. A common tradition is gift-giving on the 8 nights of Hanukkah. In some households, each night after lighting the menorah a small gift is received such as books, jewelry, and even food.
Kwanzaa, the tradition of the harvest festival, is celebrated in the African American culture beginning this year on December 26 of this year and ending January 1. Kwanzaa, as we know it today, was created in the United States by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1996. The goal of the holiday is to bring African Americans together as a community. The name Kwanzaa is derived from "matunda ya kwanza" which means first fruits, or harvest, in Swahili. During this time, people celebrate by singing and dancing, storytelling, poetry reading, African drumming, and feasting. During the week-long celebration, they discuss the seven guiding principles. These principles are values of African culture, and each day one principle is discussed and one candle lit on the kinara (candleholder). On the final day of Kwanzaa, a big feast, karamu, is held along with gift-giving (usually homemade to show creativity and self-determination). The typical colors used for Kwanzaa are red, green, and black, but sometimes yellow and orange might be seen, too.
Christmas here at RCB will be very cheerful and exciting! Dec. 13 through the 21st is Spirit Week with Monday, PJ day; Tuesday, Holiday Hat; Wednesday, Dress Up As Your Favorite Holiday; Thursday, Christmas lights; and Friday, Ugly Sweater Day, Monday the 20th is PJ day again, and Tuesday the 21st is Jersey Day. Friday the 17th we have an assembly at the end of the day. All the morning classes will be shortened, and the assembly will last about one hour. The assembly will include performances from the band, choir, strings, and have additional activities that the Student Council will provide.
We are so close to winter break; make sure to spend it with loved ones. Have a great break and Happy New Year!
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