Heritage is known for its high diversity, and with that, comes a broad range of religions. Every holiday season, each religion has its own unique and fun way of celebrating, whether it be centered around a higher being, like Christ, or just a commemoration of life and prosperity.
For most, the holiday season is known for Christmas, the most jolly, cozy celebration only occurring once a year. Christmas is based on the birth of Jesus Christ, rooted in Christianity. The story goes that Jesus Christ was born on Dec. 25, however the Bible does not mention a set birth date. The ‘Sun’ God was said to be born on Dec. 25 by the Roman Empire, and the early Christans adopted this date as the birth of the Son of God (History.com).
In modern days, while few Christians celebrate Dec. 25 as the birth of Christ, other families take this time to celebrate with family and friends, having feasts and sharing gifts with one another.
A huge part of Jewish culture is their celebration of the holiday Hanukkah, translating to “dedication,” commemorating the “rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt,” according to History.com.
In simpler words, it credits the power of the Jewish after the battle between the Maccabean and the forces of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The whole main idea of Hanukkah is to celebrate what once was, and pay honor and respect to their history.
“Their lamps were only supposed to be lit for one day, but the oil lasted for 7 days , and there’s a lot of cultural things that go on,” said Debate Coach, Wayne Levering.
Furthermore, Kwanzaa is also a highly underrepresented holiday, being a celebration centralized around African harvest traditions and is commonly found being observed within the African-American community. It’s a week-long celebration, and it honors, similar to Hanukkah, the hard work and perseverance of a community.
An interesting fact about Kwanzaa is that each day, within the celebration period, is dedicated to different principles, which are; unity, self-determination, collective work/responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and lastly, faith.
On the basis of celebration within certain cultures, Kwanzaa can actually be celebrated by any culture/race, since the holiday focuses less on who celebrates it and more on the celebration itself and the individual’s dedication.
As years pass, each and every holiday is given their indefinite attention and devotion, routing in individual care and spirit. When talking about subjects such as this though, the topic should always be treated with respect, even with opposing yet coinciding beliefs/values.
The beauty of diversity within our school is what brings us as singular beings so close, and makes our community feel just a little smaller.
