Origins of the Major Holidays

by

Flora M. Brown, Ph.D.

People around the world have long celebrated during the middle of winter. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, the creation of Kwanzaa or the invention of Thanksgiving, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter.

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration because most cattle were slaughtered at the end of the year so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.

Christmas

Although the Bible does not mention a date for birth of Jesus Christ, Pope Julius I chose December 25 as the day we’d celebrate as Christmas. It is one of the most popular and most widely celebrated holidays around the world. Although it mainly celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, many traditions from around the world have been mingled into Christmas celebrations.

The legend of Santa Claus, for example, can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. Admired for his piety and kindness, he became the subject of many legends because he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (which is November-December on the Gregorian calendar).

On each night of Hanukkah, the menorah (a candlelabra) is lit to commemorate a miracle which occurred after the Jews proclaimed victory over the Syrian armies in 165 B.C.E. When Jews came to rededicate the Temple —which had been defiled by the Syrians--they found only one small flask of oil with which to light the menorah. This flask contained only enough oil for one day, yet the lamp burned for eight days (by which time a fresh supply of oil was obtained).

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a non-religious African American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. It is celebrated for seven days: December 26 - January 1. Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University , Long Beach , created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles , Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African-Americans together as a community. He created Kwanzaa to reaffirm the African Americans roots to Africa , to serve to bring African people together to reaffirm their bonds, and to reaffirm the importance of African traditions and values of family, community and culture. Kwanzaa encourages the exchange of meaningful gifts among the family, preferably handmade. Although Dr. Karenga discourages the exchange of commercially-bought gifts, companies have rolled out a wide variety of Kwanzaa gifts, textiles, housewares and stationery.

American Thanksgiving

In 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is now known as the first Thanksgiving. We've changed the way we cook and the recipes, but we still enjoy Thanksgiving with the same spirit of celebration and overindulgence. The Thanksgiving we celebrate today, however, doesn't originate from this one event. It is based on the New England Puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England .

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