Happy Holidays from Yonkers Public Library! No matter what holiday you celebrate, this time of year is filled with joy, laughter and loved ones. Take a little time to learn about the history of the traditions for the three major holidays this season: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.
Christmas
The United States made Christmas a federal holiday in 1870. However, the history of Christmas has roots in ancient times. Mid-winter celebrations exist in many cultures, like the Norse celebration of Yule in Scandinavia or the month-long celebration of Saturnalia in Rome.
The modern Christmas we know today was first imagined by authors like Washington Irving and Charles Dickens who envisioned Christmas as a warm-hearted holiday to bring people together. In “A Christmas Carol”, Charles Dickens emphasized the importance of charity and good will towards all people. These stories and some religious traditions have led to many of the Christmas traditions you may have today, such as decorating trees, sending holiday cards, and giving gifts.
Santa Claus comes from the Dutch tradition of honoring Saint Nicholas. The image of Santa Claus as a jolly old man in a bright red suit is credited to cartoonist Thomas Nast who began drawing Old Saint Nick for Harper’s Bazaar in 1863.
From Hallmark movies to Macy’s Letters to Santa charity campaign, Christmas has become a huge part of American culture. Ice-skating, cookie decorating, movie watching, gift giving, hot chocolate drinking, craft making, charity fundraising, ugly sweater wearing, and card writing are just some traditions that many families have during the Christmas season. But the heart of the holiday, coming together and spreading good cheer, remains the same.
Hanukkah
The evening of December 25th marks the first day of Hanukkah. The eight-day celebration commemorates the successful revolt of the Maccabees defending the Jewish people against Greek-Syrian oppressors. To celebrate their success, they lit a menorah in the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Even though there was only enough oil to burn for a single night, the menorah burned for eight nights.
Traditions for Hanukkah include playing dreidel, eating latkes (fried potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts), and giving gifts. However, lighting candles on the menorah and reciting blessings is perhaps the most important. A menorah is typically placed in front of a window.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was first created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University. Dr. Karenga sought to unite African Americans as a community in the face of violent race riots. The holiday is a celebration of African ancestry and draws inspiration from African harvest celebrations. This year, Kwanzaa takes place from December 26th to January 1st.
Kwanzaa has a lot of important symbolism. Each day is dedicated to one of seven important principles: Unity (umoja), Self-determination (kujichagulia), Collective responsibility (ujima), Cooperative economics (ujamaa), Purpose (nia), Creativity (kuumba), and Faith (imani).
There also are seven symbols of Kwanzaa: Fruits, vegetables, and nuts; a straw mat; a candleholder (kinara); ears of corn (maize); gifts; a communal cup signifying unity; and seven candles in the African colors of red, green and black, symbolizing the seven principles.
Each day the family comes together to light a candle on the kinara and discuss the principle being recognized that day. Some celebrants wear traditional African clothing. Other traditions include a daily Karamu feast with foods from the African diaspora; expressing artistic creativity through dance, poetry and drumming, and giving gifts with cultural value to children to teach them about their African heritage.
Alison Robles is a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she is currently pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.