December is the final month of the year and the time to welcome the winter season. December can be a time of reflection on past experiences and, for others, it is a time of celebration. While everyone will have different emotions about this season, acknowledging this allow everybody to seek a better understanding of one another.
Campus community members will choose to observe different holidays or awarenesses. There are multiple, with many choosing to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa. For this year, these holidays are scheduled for:
- Hanukkah: Evening of Dec. 7 through Dec. 15
- Christmas: Dec. 25
- Kwanzaa: Dec. 26 through Jan. 1
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (also known as Chanukah) is an eight-day Jewish celebration that begins this year on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 7, and ends the evening of Friday, Dec. 15. Hanukkah, or Chanukah, is the Hebrew word meaning “dedication.” The inspiration for Hanukkah took place during a difficult phase in Jewish history. The holiday itself recognizes the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt in the second century B.C. Hanukkah is often called the Festival of Lights, which involves the lighting of the menorah (a nine-branched candelabrum), eating of traditional Hanukkah foods such as the sufganiyot (jam-filled donuts), games involving dreidels (four-sided spinning tops) and exchanging of gifts.
Christmas
Christmas, celebrated Dec. 25 of every year, was first declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870. Christmas is a Christian celebration that acknowledges the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Additionally, it includes the gift-giving from Santa Claus. St. Nicholas, a monk who donated all of his inherited money and traversed the countryside, tending to the sick and impoverished, is credited with starting the mythology of Santa Claus. Gift exchanging, Christmas tree decorating, church attendance, gathering with family and friends for meals and waiting for Santa Claus to arrive are all common customs during Christmas.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration, observed on Dec. 26 and lasting until Jan. 1, held in the United States to honor African heritage in African-American culture. Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Africana studies at California State University, first created Kwanzaa in 1966. He created this holiday in response to the Watts Riots in Los Angeles in 1965 as a way to bring African Americans together as a community. Dr. Karenga created seven guiding principles to be discussed during the week of Kwanzaa. These principles are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). A different principle is discussed each day, and a candle is lit on the kinara (candleholder).
Check out events, volunteer opportunities or educational workshops within your local community. This month is a part of The Triandiflou Institute’s Oz Inclusivity Playbook. Stay tuned for more events, programs, and information in the future and follow the institute’s social media (@ozinstitute).
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-- Submitted by the Triandiflou Institute for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Transformative Practice