Intellectually Curious: Holiday Season 2020

Continuing my December focus on caring and sharing, today is December 14th and the holidays are officially upon us. I am a Christian, so I will be celebrating Christmas and all that holiday means to me and my family and millions of Christians across the world.

In the spirit of being curious and exhibiting a “learner” mindset (which I believe is especially important in 2020 when we have so many “knower” mindsets out there!), I wanted to learn more about other celebrations that occur this time of year. I know Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are celebrated in mid to late December – but to be honest, I don’t truly know much about them.

 So my gift for today is some basic information and a few links about each of those holidays. Enjoy!

Our Jewish friends kicked off the Hanukkah season the evening of December 10th and the celebration runs through December 18th. A few simple things you should know about Hanukkah. First of all, there are 16 different ways to spell it…so yes, your way probably differs from mine. Second of all, the celebration dates back to 168 B.C. and “commemorates the Maccabean Revolt in 164 B.C. when a small army of Jewish fighters defeated their Greek-Syrian oppressors and rededicated the Second Temple.” The Jewish people rededicated the temple since they were previously banned from practicing their religion. I found many resources about Hanukkah including History.com, but honestly, People Magazine had a very easy to read synopsis! #dontjudgeme0

 Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26th through January 1st and is an African American and pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. The holiday was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a noted professor of African studies and has its roots in the African agricultural celebrations called the “first fruits” celebrations, which includes the practice of “ingathering of the people,” a profound reverence for the Creator and Creation and prayer and thanksgiving for a good harvest and a good life. The official Kwanzaa website has much more information about this celebration.

 No matter your faith, the next few weeks are a great time to reflect and do our best to learn other points of view, and practice peace and tolerance.