Season's Greetings!

     The month of December is always a joyous time due to the many holidays that take place. Whether it’s celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, it is a time where we all enjoy as we have fun and spend time with our loved ones.

     Christmas is a Christian holiday that honors the birth of Jesus Christ, a holiday that is celebrated by millions worldwide. Customs include tree decorating, exchanging gifts, caroling, cookies, drinking hot chocolate and eggnog, spending time with the family and of course setting out plates of cookies and milk for the one and only- Santa! Christmas is also an international commercial phenomenon, helping to spread some holiday cheer. This includes holiday movies, talk shows, songs, shopping sales and more! Some famous Christmas T.V. showings include Disney’s Christmas Parade and Ellen Degeneres’s 12 days of Giveaways.
http://www.history.com/topics/christmas

     Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating the victory of the Jewish people over religious persecution of the second temple in Jerusalem. Also called the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, food, games, gifts and of course- spending time with the family! The story of the Hanukkah “miracle” traces back to the second century B.C. According to the story, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews only had enough oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for only one night. However the flame continued to burn, lasting eight days, giving them enough time to find a new source of oil. Being seen as a miracle the menorah became a symbol of the Jews unwavering faith. During Hanukkah, children also play a popular game called the dreidel, a four sided spinning top with a Hebrew character on each side.
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah

     Kwanzaa was created in hopes that people of African descent would keep and share their cultural heritage. The word Kwanzaa is taken for the phrase of “matunda ya kwanza”, or “first fruits” in Swahili. Despite it being celebrated in many different ways and forms, Kwanzaa celebrations typically include music, dancing, storytelling, African drums and many traditional foods. The seven days of Kwanzaa emphasis a set of ideals (also known as Nguzo Saba) put forth by Dr. Maulana Karenga. The Nguzo Saba are values of African culture that help the communities of African-Americans and on each of the seven days, a candle is lit for each principle.
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history

     Despite the holidays all coming from different roots they all include spending time with the family and having fun!