How Do Different Cultures Spend the Holidays?
There are many different religions that spend Christmas in many different ways. How do different cultures celebrate the holiday season? In the United States, the majority of the population are Christians, and Christmas is celebrated on December 25th of every year for the birth of Jesus. The main traditions are: putting up a Christmas tree, hanging lights, and gift-giving. Also, there are special worship services held usually at midnight that use candlelight instead of electricity.
Another version of celebrating Christmas is the Jewish Festival of lights. Hanukkah lasts for eight days. It begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev, which is November-December. It celebrates the victory of Judah over the Syrian Tyrant Antiochus. Each night during the eight days, families gather around the menorah that holds eight candles. The head of the family lights one candle on the first day, the second on the second day, and so on. Gifts are given to the children every night, and some families play games with the dreidel.
Muslims celebrate Ramadan, which marks the month the prophet Mohammed is believed to have the Koran, which is their holy book. The holiday starts when the moon is first sighted. Muslims cannot eat or drink anything during the day, and can only eat when the sun sets. The holiday ends with a festival that breaks the fast.
A popular celebration is the Kwanzaa, but it is not meant to replace Christmas. This celebration lasts from December 26th through January 1st. The point of this celebration is to honor African cultures. Red, black, and green are the colors that symbolize ancient Africa, and those colors are used to decorate the walls during the seven days. Kwanzaa is a harvest festival, and the phrase that contributes to this celebration is: “first fruits of the season.”
Although these are cultures that spend a type of Christmas in their own ways, there are some countries that don’t recognize Christmas as a public holiday. Afghanistan, Algeria, Libya, and Saudi Arabia are some countries that do not see it as a public holiday. How are you going to celebrate the holidays this year?
