Holiday’s Happenings

A Christmas Tradition

In many parts of the world Christmas is observed on Dec. 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The earliest celebrations are believed to originate from Roman and European feasts that observed the end of the harvest and the winter solstice. In 1870 President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill making Christmas a U.S. federal holiday.

Over time Christmas has evolved into a day when family and friends gather for a festive meal, enjoy fresh baked cookies, pies, homemade tamales and exchange gifts. Prior to Christmas many families shop for matching pajamas to wear in their Christmas picture and to wear while opening gifts. Christmas trees are decorated and lights are strung outside the home. Advent calendars are used to count down the days until Christmas and children wait patiently in line to talk to Santa and have their photo taken with him.

Santa Claus derives from the name ‘Sint Nikolaas’ which is Dutch for St. Nicholas. In the late 18th century St. Nicholas first entered American pop culture. Today some Americans of German heritage celebrate St. Nicholas Day, which is on Dec. 6. On St. Nicholas Eve, children leave their shoes by the door. If they have been good all year, they will awake to find candy and small gifts in their shoes. 

Some families add their own traditions during Christmas. They might exchange one gift on Christmas Eve, sing Christmas Carols, leave milk and cookies out for Santa and read “A Visit from St. Nicholas”  also known as “Twas The Night Before Christmas.” Among the greetings you may hear are Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad (Spanish) and Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian). 

The Miracle of Hanukkah

The first night of Hanukkah is Dec. 14 this year, and it ends at sundown on Dec. 22. Last year, Hanukkah lasted through January, so there are two Hanukkahs in 2025! 

This eight day festival of lights commemorates the victory of the Maccabees against the Syrian Greek Army and the rededication of the Holy Temple. The miracle of Hanukkah tells that one vial of oil, enough to light the Temple lamp for one day, lasted for eight days. 

Celebrating the holiday includes lighting candles on the menorah, adding one additional candle each night. The Hanukkah menorah, or Hannukiah, has a central candle, the shamash, and four branches on each side. It MIMICS the menorah of the Temple from 2000 years ago. That menorah had seven branches—a central flame and three on each side. Some menorahs use oil instead of candles.

Kids may play with dreidels, receive gifts and Chocolate gelt (coins) and sing Hanukkah songs. People sometimes eat special foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts, both foods prepared by frying in oil!

The dreidel is a four sided top. Players put pieces in the pot and take turns spinning the dreidel. Depending on how the dreidel lands, a player will put or take pieces in the pot. The four letters on the sides stand for the phrase “Nes gadol haya sham” which means “a great miracle happened there.” In Israel, one letter is changed as the phrase is “a great miracle happened here.”

It’s Winter Solstice!

The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. It happens on Dec. 21 this year and normally falls on Dec. 21 or 22. It happens in June for the southern hemisphere!

Many culture celebrate the solstice as the turning point from cold long nights to longer, warming days. For instance, in Christianity, it is a prelude to the nativity and a foretelling of light to come. Some pagan cultures would gather to watch the sunrise and reflect on nature’s cycles and celebrate the return of the sun.

One of the enduring symbols of these celebrations is the Christmas tree. It was originally a part of the winter solstice, a tree of rebirth representing new beginnings.

Germanic peoples have a holiday called Yule, a winter festival and celebration of light. Yule is a solstice festivity that predates Christianity. In some European countries the word Yule, Jul or Jol, is the word for Christmas. Many Yule traditions and symbols have been adopted and are probably familiar to you as time-honored Christmas customs.

This year Yule goes from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, 2026. Yule symbols also include evergreens, mistletoe, wreaths, bells and a Yule log. The Yule log started as a full tree, brought into the house and burned from the bottom or cut into pieces and burned for 12 days.

New Year’s Day—Hoo

The New Year is celebrated in different ways all around the world. Many people attend parties or feasts to ring in the New Year and some cities celebrate with fireworks or even a countdown to midnight including a ball drop. The famous ball drop in New York’s Times Square is watched by people all around the U.S.

When the clock strikes and the New Year begins, some folks will sing the traditional song “Auld Lang Syne.” This song is from a Scottish poem and ballad and roughly translates to “for old time’s sake.” It is a call to remember past times and old friends.

Besides participating in New Year’s Eve festivities, people often ACKNOWLEDGE the New Year by reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the new one. You might write down your hopes for the New Year and make a wish that they come true.

There are folks who have superstitions about the New Year and will or won’t do certain things or eat particular foods. There are some who eat black-eyed peas, red beans and rice or 12 grapes for good luck. Some avoid eating lobster or chicken, because lobsters scuttle backward and chickens have wings. Those who follow this superstition don’t want their luck to head in the wrong direction or fly away!

What are some of your hopes for the New Year? Do you have goals you want to achieve, skills you want to learn or improve upon or friends or family members you want to spend more time with in 2026? Is there a special wish that you hope comes true for you or your family? Pick up your pen or pencil and complete the activity at the bottom of this page.

The Colors of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a seven day celebration of African American culture that begins on Dec. 26. The word Kwanzaa comes from Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means first fruits. It refers to harvest festivals found in communities throughout the African continent and African communities around the world.

This holiday promotes the values of Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). These seven principles of Kwanzaa are meant to unify and empower communities.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga to celebrate history, heritage, family and community. It has its roots in celebrations from many cultures across Africa. Like many holiday, special foods are often eaten at family gatherings. On the sixth day of Kwanzaa, Dec. 31, there is a large feast called Karamu. 

The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green. A mishumaa saba with seven candles may be on the holiday table. Three candles are red to represent struggle, three candles are green to represent hope, and one candle is black to represent people of African descent. Kwanzaa is a secular, cultural holiday, and many people celebrate both Kwanzaa and Christmas.