December brings a flurry of holiday cheer and the urban dictionary has recognized the season by creating the ultimate winter holiday combining Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa so no beliefs are excluded.
Happy Christmahanakwanzika!
Holiday Fun Facts:
12 Days of Christmas….8 Days of Hanukkah ….7 Days of Kwanzaa – perhaps we should all play 12-8-7 straight & box through the month of December and try to win the lottery!
- 12 Days of Christmas are the days between Christmas & Epiphany (January 6th). The tradition used to be to present a gift each day, but the tradition never caught on in America. I guess we don’t have the patience to spread out the gifts! The Italians began the tradition of putting a lump of coal in naughty children’s stockings…. way to get in the giving spirit!
- Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights & the Feast of Dedication, is an 8 day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Traditionally, it is a more subdued time, but Adam Sandler makes it sound more fun! Many traditional Hanukkah foods are cooked in oil, in remembrance of the oil that burned in the temple. Latkes anyone??!!
- Each of the 7 days of Kwanzaa honors a different principle: unity, self-determination, collective work & responsibility, cooperative economics, sense of purpose, creativity, and faith. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but was started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga – an American born in Maryland! Honestly, these principles are self-fulfilling and a great reflection at the end of the year. Perhaps positive changes and New Year’s resolutions will transpire!
While our traditions and beliefs may differ, we can surely all agree on this….
- The spirit of Santa Claus is infectious seen through the eyes of a child.
- Helping our neighbors during the holidays is appropriate. Now, if we extended that gesture throughout the entire year, what kind of society could we become?
- Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer & the Grinch – ALL ROCK!
‘Twas the night before Christmahanakwanzika and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse….. Happy Christmahanakwanzika to all, and to all a good night!
About the author
