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Hanukkah (Chanukah)

The Jewish Festival of Rededication/ “Festival of Lights” is an eight-day holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple in Jerusalem), which began about 2nd century BCE at the time of the Maccabean Revolt led by Judah Macabea against Greek oppression under King Antiochus IV.

This best known of Jewish holidays, with gift-giving and decorating (but with no relation to Christmas), celebrates when, according to Jewish scripture, the temple custodians ran out of the holy oil used to light the sacred menorah, but a miracle kept the menorah candles lit for eight full days.

This year Hanukkah begins the evening of December 25, 2024, ending the evening of January 2, 2025.

Kwanzaa

Created in the 1960s by activist Dr. Maulena Kanenga to celebrate and reaffirm pan-African heritage, Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26 to January 1, and was named from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits”linking it to ancient African harvest festivals.

Not a religious celebration, per se, Kwanzaa is based on Karenga’s “seven principles”: unity, self-determination, collective work/responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith and is celebrated by millions worldwide in Africa, America, and the Caribbean.

Several US presidents (Obama, Clinton, G.W. Bush) have wished constituents a “Happy Kwanzaa.” The U.S. Postal Service has issued Kwanzaa stamps since 1977.

Diwali

Wintertime and Winter Solstice festivals and traditions were never limited to the Western hemisphere. Deepavali (meaning “a garland or row of lights”) is a 2500-year-old Hindu festival, celebrating the annual victory of light over darkness and is one of India’s (and the Indian diaspora’s) most celebrated holidays. It is not just for adherents of Hinduism, but also celebrated within Jainism and Sikhism - a billion people worldwide.

Following the Hindu Lunar Calendar, Diwali was celebrated at the end of India’s harvest season for approximately five days. This year, it began on November 10, 2024.

In Hindu and related cultures in southern Asia, Diwali marked the return of Lord Rama, avatar of the god Vishnu, from 14 years of exile and the killing of the demon Narakasura by Lord Krishna, another manifestation of Vishnu, a god who preserves and protects the universe.

Diwali is traditionally celebrated on the night of a new moon when the goddess Lakshmi visits newly cleaned and well-lit houses painted in colorful, intricate designs (rangoli).

Gifts of books and pens are given to children to cultivate their “thirst for knowledge.”

The 2024 Democratic Party candidate for U.S. president, Kamala Harris (who is of Asian-Indian Christian descent), referenced Diwali publicly in 2021, encouraging others to “Remember to honor the light within one another” – a customary Diwalian cultural hope and sentiment.

In conclusion, given both the nearly worldwide history of wintertime festivals and celebrations - and on account of this writer’s own background in teaching historyhere are a few additional winter celebrations and customs that readers might want to research.

• Winter Solstice / “Dangzhi”: What shortage may have prompted feasting?

• Three Kings Day: What is a “theophany”?

• Los Posadas: Why did Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem from Nazareth?

• St. Lucia Day: Why is Lucy of Syracuse venerated as a saint?

• Yule: Which folklorist “brother” wrote “Deutscheshe Mythologie” in 1835?

• Lunar New Year: Why do dates vary year-to-year?

Several reliable sources (but not always with identical dates, spellings, facts, and attributions) were liberally and appreciatively used to research this article. Please forgive any unintentional inaccuracies, inconsistencies, misrepresentations. Corrections are gratefully received.

Happy Holidays! … and to all a good night.

Sources: space.com; judaism101@jew. faq.org; britannica.com; goodhousekeeping. com; npr.org; wikipedia.org; Times of India; hinduamerica.org; livemint.org; Quora; monroenews.com; mg.co.uk; christianhistory. org; ABC11; USA Today; Washington Post; YouTube.com; African Center at University of Pennsylvania; study.com