December: A time to celebrate

EMILY BRAY

With Christmas fast approaching, many of us are rushing to buy stocking stuffers, set up our trees, and pose for pictures with Santa. Yet for others, December is a time to partake in different traditions.

Canada has earned a reputation as one of the most multicultural nations in the world, and thus it may come as no surprise that Canadians partake in a diverse range of cultural traditions every year. According to the most recent national census, the province of Ontario alone is populated by people from over 250 distinct ethnic backgrounds whose families hail from a vast range of countries and practice countless world religions. This vibrant diversity can also be seen right here in Guelph where residents report belonging to over 200 different cultural groups and more than 20 per cent of the city’s population self-identifies as a recent immigrant.

So this month, prepare to see your friends and neighbours gearing up for their own celebrations that may look a little different from yours.

If you’re unfamiliar with someone’s holiday, the best thing to do is ask them about it! But for those who might not have the opportunity to do so, we’ve prepared a handy guide outlining some of the more popular celebrations taking place this month.

Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration that takes place over the course of eight days and eight nights. The holiday begins on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which falls in November or December on the Gregorian calendar.

Hanukkah commemorates a successful Jewish uprising against the oppressive Seleucid Empire that took place in 166 BCE. After two years of imperial occupation, the local Jewish population regained control of Jerusalem and recovered the city’s holy Second Temple, which the Seleucids had captured and defiled. The temple was purified and its menorah—a golden candelabra—was relit. However, according to the Talmud, a foundational Jewish text, the menorah miraculously burned for eight days and nights despite only having enough oil for a single day, thus inspiring the eight-day festival of Hanukkah.

Today, the menorah is still featured in Hanukkah celebrations. It holds nine candles – eight to represent the eight days of Hanukkah, and a ninth that is used to light the others. Each night, families kindle one additional candle, until all of the candles are lit on the final day. Menorahs are often displayed in windows or other prominent areas of the home.

Other Hanukkah traditions include playing dreidel games, exchanging gifts, and eating foods cooked in oil to pay homage to the oil that miraculously kept the Second Temple menorah alight for eight days.

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African heritage that takes place from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. It is a relatively new holiday, with the first Kwanzaa celebration taking place in 1966.

Kwanzaa lasts a total of seven nights, during which families gather together and celebrate through song, dance, storytelling, gift giving, and shared meals. Each day is dedicated to one of the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles) of Kwanzaa, which are based on traditional African values meant to help build and uplift the community. These values are also represented by the seven candles placed in the Kinara candle holder, which families come together to light each night.

The holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Black Studies at California State University. Karenga was deeply affected by the Watts Riots of 1965, during which thousands of Black Americans were killed, injured, and arrested for protesting police brutality and systemic discrimination. This motivated him to create Kwanzaa as a way to bring Black Americans together and to help them feel more connected to their African roots.

Over 50 years after its creation, Kwanzaa is celebrated by many Black Canadians across the country, and its message of Black unity remains just as relevant as ever.

Yule is an ancient celebration that takes place on the winter solstice of each year. Although Yule has its roots in pre-Christian Germanic paganism, it is still celebrated today by people of many beliefs, including Wiccans and Druids.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice usually takes place on Dec. 21 when the North Pole is tilted at its furthest point away from the sun. It marks the first day of winter as well as the longest night of the year, after which the days gradually lengthen again. Those who participate in Yule gather on this night to celebrate the return or “rebirth” of the sun and connect with the natural world through activities such as singing, feasting, and socializing around bonfires.

During the Christianization of Europe, many aspects of Yule were incorporated into Christmas celebrations. However, the recent proliferation of neopaganism has revived many of the original traditions of the holiday, allowing modern celebrators to reconnect with the practices of their ancient ancestors.

Like Yule, Yalda Night is a winter solstice celebration with roots stretching back to the ancient world. However, Yalda originated with the ancient Persians who believed that a battle between good and evil occured on the longest night of the year, when darkness is at its peak. Today, it is celebrated by their modern Iranian descendants across the globe.

During Yalda Night, families gather together and stay up through the night socializing, singing, dancing, and playing games. It is also customary to feast. Fresh fruits like pomegranate, watermelon, and grapes are often served on Yalda, along with nuts, dried fruit, sweetmeats, soups, and other traditional dishes. According to the Encyclopædia Iranica, many of these foods have symbolic importance, such as watermelon, which is said to protect against disease during wintertime.

Poetry reading is also a highly important feature of the holiday. A copy of The Divan of Hafez, a collection ofpoems written by the Persian poet Hafez in the 1300s, is often read onYalda. Although the poems are primarily a source of entertainment, they may also be consulted as a form of divination, providing guidance to celebrators for the months ahead.

Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday that commemorates the enlightenment of Prince Siddhartha Gautama. On this day over 2,500 years ago, Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha—meaning the “Awakened One”—after a long period of meditation under a sacred fig tree. The holiday derives its name from the Sanskrit word “bodhi,” meaning awakening and enlightenment.

Although the traditional date of Bodhi Day is determined according to the lunar calendar, many Buddhists in the Western world observe the holiday on the fixed date of Dec. 8 in the Gregorian calendar.

Bodhi Day celebrations take different forms across different groups of Buddhists. However, meditation consistently plays a central role in the holiday. Bodhi Day is celebrated in a quiet and peaceful manner, often at a temple or in the home. A meal of rice and milk may be served, as this was the first meal that the Buddha ate after reaching enlightenment. Moreover, some observers of the holiday may also bring fig trees into their home and hang up strings of lights to represent the many different paths that can be taken to achieve enlightenment.