During the holiday season, many people find themselves celebrating in a plethora of ways, whether that is Christmas on Dec. 25, Hanukkah between Dec. 14 and Dec. 22 or a different religious holiday. Each holiday has its own values and traditions all stemming from historic pasts.
The first recorded celebration of Christmas was in the fourth century, in the city of Rome, though after the birth of Jesus, many people would celebrate with different festivals and such. Its purpose was to celebrate the birth of Jesus and integrate different religious festivals into the holiday. The integration of such festivals is why Christmas is celebrated with feasts, gift giving, decorating and greenery. With different traditions being added into the Christmas holiday, more and more ideas have accumulated over the years, which is what makes celebrating Christmas diverse.
People who celebrate Christmas are not limited to each of the original values created back in the fourth century; rather, people are able to add their own ideas to the holiday and celebrate it the way they prefer. The holiday season is filled with a variety of other traditions that incorporate different customs and beliefs.
“Every year for Christmas, my family goes over to my grandma’s house to bake a ton of cookies for our family,” Trinity Vojtko (12) said. “ We also have my mom’s side of the family Christmas a week early so that they can pack up and head to Florida for the rest of the winter.”
Everyone has their own way of celebrating during the holiday season. Some people travel across counties, or even countries, to celebrate with family or friends. Others indulge in traditions on Christmas Eve as well, allowing for more time to embrace the holiday season. Those who partake in gift-giving throughout the holiday season sometimes incorporate different ways to give their gift in the form of a blind-gift giving, secret Santa, white elephant or a grab bag.
“We have some fun traditions in my family, such as ugly salt and pepper shakers, and we play a fun bag game where we can trade, but we can not see what is in the bags until the end,” Riley Beegle (12) said.
Those who do not celebrate Christmas still celebrate the holiday season, but in different ways, such as Hanukkah. Hanukkah, otherwise known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that is a blend of ancient rituals and modern family traditions. This year, Hanukkah was celebrated on Dec. 14 through Dec. 22, where each night, families light a nine-branched candle called a hanukkah. Eight of the candles represent the eight nights of Hanukkah, while the ninth candle is used to help light the others. A blessing is usually recited before the lighting of each candle.
Those who celebrate the Hanukkah tradition usually participate in gift-giving, as seen in most other holidays during the season. Usually, on each night of Hanukkah, children are given a small gift or a small sum of money. While it is not officially part of the celebration, most incorporate this as their own way of celebrating.
No matter what religion someone identifies with, almost everyone finds themselves celebrating one way or another during the month of December. Each household finding traditions specific to their family makes celebrating this holiday even more important and special.