Holiday History

By Riley Firenze

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for eight days during the winter months. The history behind it is that after a three-year battle to stop the desecration of a Jewish temple, Judas Maccabeus went into the temple to find only a day's worth of oil, but by miracle that small amount of oil was able to light the temple for eight days. In modern times, Jewish people celebrate by lighting eight candles on a Menorah which symbolizes the eight days the Temple’s oil lasted. They also celebrate by playing with dreidels, a top game, and eating latkes, a traditional potato fritter.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is the Black Friday of England and the Commonwealth. It is the day after Christmas, December 26th, and people celebrate it with Rugby and shopping. People also used to hunt foxes on Boxing Day, but that has been banned and restricted in many of the countries where Boxing Day is celebrated. The origins of Boxing Day came from St. Stephen's Day, a Saint who was dedicated to helping the poor. Servants who were needed for Christmas celebrations in the old days used to get the 26th off to celebrate for themselves and their employers would give them bonuses. Kwanzaa Unlike many of the winter holidays, Kwanzaa is not a solely religious holiday. It was created in 1966 by a Californian professor to celebrate African American values. It lasts seven days from December 26thJanuary 1st. Each day is dedicated to a different principle. These principles are unity, selfdetermination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. On December 31 there is a community feast where Black Americans join with other Black Americans wearing clothes of their ethnic background.