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Happy Festivus?

2018/12/17

SPEAK EASY

Most of you are familiar with Christmas. However, many cultures around the world celebrate this time of year with their own special event. In this post, let's take a trip around the world and discover other winter traditions.

Happy Diwali

Diwali is a five-day festival of lights. It is part of the Hindu religion and is celebrated every year in Autumn. This year, Diwali was celebrated in early November. The word "Diwali" means "row or line of lights". This religious festival marks the victory of good over evil. During this time, people clean their homes and decorate them with many kinds of lights, including candles and lamps. They also draw beautiful designs called rangoli. Families exchange presents and enjoy delicious sweets and meals together.

Happy Hanukkah

Another festival of lights that you may be familiar with is the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is an eight day festival usually held sometime in November or December. This year, Hanukkah will be held from December 2 to December 10. Two distinct or special things about Hanukkah are the menorah and the dreidel. The menorah is like a candlestick with nine candles. Using the center candle, one candle is lit every day. During Hanukkah, children often play a game with a traditional toy called a dreidel, which is like a four-sided top. People eat delicious food, especially food cooked in oil and give many small presents (including money!) to their children.

Happy Ramadan

Unlike the previous two holidays, the Muslim celebration of Ramadan is a time of eating less. Ramadan is a one-month (usually 30 day) festival when Muslims stop doing things that cause harm to themselves and others. This includes saying bad words, talking badly about other people and fighting. It is also a time of fasting. During this time, Muslims fast (do not eat) every day from sunrise to sunset. This is very special time for Muslims who use it to examine their faith and strengthen their relationships with family, friends and community.

(Happy) Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an interesting holiday because, in reality, it is not a real holiday. In 1966, Dr. Karenga, a black activist, decided to create a holiday when people of African descent can celebrate themselves and their ancestry. This "holiday" starts on December 26 and lasts until New Year's Day. The word, "kwanzaa", comes from the Swahili word meaning "first fruits". Though it is not a "real" holiday, some people say that more than 18 million people of African descent around the world celebrate kwanzaa.

Happy Festivus (フェスティバス)

Christmas can be a difficult and busy time for people. There is a lot of pressure to spend Christmas with a partner, to buy presents, to visit family members etc. Many people often want to hide from the holidays in their homes and not deal with all the hassle. Festivus was an idea that came from a popular TV series called Seinfeld. Festivus is a secular holiday, which means that it is not connected to any religion. It is also anti-commercial, which means that it encourages people not to spend money on gifts. For example, rather than having a Christmas tree, people put up a Festivus pole. Though it is not serious, Festivus helps us remember that a merry Christmas does not come from presents and cakes; rather friends make our Christmas merry!

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