Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah

In honor of the Winter Holidays, please enjoy this repost of a holiday classic

by Jordin Lim and Ava-Ray Pributsky

The History of Christmas

by Jordin Lim

     Christmas, celebrated on December 25th of each year, is a religious holiday that people around the world have been observing through both religious and nonreligious traditions for over two millennia. Christians celebrate Christmas to commemorate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings formed the basis of Christianity. Those who are nonreligious may also celebrate Christmas, whether it be through the exchange of gifts, making gingerbread houses, or decorating a Christmas tree.

The Beginnings of Christmas

The inception of the Christmas holiday begins from both pagan and Roman cultures. 

    In Rome, whose winters were not as bitter as those in the far north, Saturnalia was celebrated, which is a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The celebration of Saturnalia began in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continued for a full month, during which the Roman social order was turned upside down: the festivities that ensued gave the enslaved temporary freedom and treatment as equals. Establishments, including businesses and schools, were shut down during this time to ensure all were able to participate in the holiday’s celebrations. 

     On December 25th, the Romans celebrated the birth of their sun god, Mirthra, in a celebration known as Juvenalia. Juvenalia, like Saturnalia, was celebrated through raucous, drunken parties. 

     In December, during which the shortest (and hence darkest) day of the year falls, many pagan cultures lit bonfires and candles to keep the darkness at bay; this practice was incorporated into the celebrations of the pagan Saturnalia festival.

    During the spread of Christianity across Europe, the Christian clergy were unable to fully curb the pagan customs and celebrations. As the clear date of Jesus’ birth was not mentioned in the Bible, Pope Julius I decided the pagan rituals were to be incorporated into a celebration of Jesus’ birthday, which was decreed to be celebrated on December 25th. By deciding Christmas be held at the same time as other traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances of Christmas being popularly embraced, but could no longer dictate how the holiday was to be celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced the pagan religions throughout most of Europe.

     

 

Common Ways Christmas is Celebrated

1. Decorating a Christmas tree

     Historically, in many countries, evergreen trees were believed to keep away witches, ghosts, and evil spirits, as well as illness. Although ancient Egyptians, early Romans, and ancient Celts did use trees as religious symbols, Germany is credited with the Christmas tree tradition as we know it, starting in the 16th century, when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. The 16th century Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, is believed to have first added lighted candles to the tree, in an attempt to recapture the brilliance of the stars twinkling amidst evergreens for his family.

2. Gingerbread houses

    Not only is Germany credited with the tradition of the Christmas tree, but baking of gingerbread houses is also said to have originated in Germany during the 16th century. The gingerbread house became popular in Germany after the publication of the fairy tale collection by the Brothers Grimm, including the story of “Hansel and Gretel,” in which a house made of candy was elaborately described. German bakers, inspired by the story, began to craft small decorated houses from lebkuchen, spiced honey biscuits.

 

3. Exchange of gifts

   
     According to Christian tradition, gift-giving is a symbolic representation of the Three Wise Men bestowing gifts on the infant Jesus. Along with the story of Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop and gift-giver, the giving of gifts became a popular Christmas tradition in countries such as the United Kingdom, especially after Charles Dickens further popularized the tradition in A Christmas Carol.

 

 

 

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HANUKKAH by Ava-Ray Pributsky

This year, Hanukkah is from December 18th to 26th. Hanukkah, meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, is also known as the Festival of Lights and the celebration of an important story from the Old Testament. From playing fun games to eating delicious food, here is all you need to know about Hanukkah. 

 

The Story of Hanukkah

The story of Hanukkah describes the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV outlawed Judaism and erected a statue of Zeus in the Temple. The Jewish people considered this an unholy defilement of their Temple, and in 164 BC, a band of Jewish fighters called the Maccabees, under the command of Judah, defeated the Seleucids. When Judah and his compatriots reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and sought to re-light its menorah to cleanse the Temple of its desecration by the Greeks, they found only enough purified oil to keep the menorah lit for one day. However, the oil kept the menorah alight for eight days, which is considered to be a miracle. This historical event is commemorated during the Festival of Lights. 

Traditions during Hanukkah

During Hanukkah, families light a menorah, a candelabrum with nine candles: one for each of the eight days of Hanukkah and a center candle used for lighting the others. Every night, you light the shamas, or the center candle, and use that to light candles representing the number of days of Hanukkah. For example, on the 3rd night of Hanukkah, you would have three lit candles as well as the shamas. While lighting the candles, you say the following blessings:

 

• • Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. 
    • Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.

• • Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz’man hazeh. 
    • Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.

After lighting the menorah, families play games and exchange gifts. Dreidel is a traditional game played on Hanukkah. The dreidel is a spinning top with four sides. Each side of the dreidel has a Hebrew letter written on it and each player must perform the following with their pieces of gelt, which are chocolate coins:  

Shin – put one piece of your gelt into the pot

Nun – receive nothing

Hey – receive half the pot of gelt

Gimel – receive the entire pot of gelt

 

 

Traditional Foods during Hanukkah

After exchanging gifts, playing games, and reciting blessings, Jewish families have a big feast. During Hanukkah, you traditionally eat foods fried in oil to represent the oil that lasted eight days. Here are some of the most common items found at the dinner table during Hanukah:

 

• Latkes, or potato pancakes, are thin pancakes made with potatoes, eggs, and flour, and are then fried in hot oil. They are traditionally served with applesauce, sour cream, or vanilla yogurt. 
• Sufganiyot, or “spongy cake”, are deep-fried jelly-filled doughnuts. 
• Kugel is a type of sweet noodle dish that can include eggs, raisins, cottage cheese, sugar, cinnamon and other spices, made with egg or potato noodles.