Holiday History

The holidays look different for everyone, whether it’s spending them alone, or celebrating them with family and friends. Every country and home has its own holiday customs. There’s Christmas, Hannuka, Kwanzaa, and many more that people celebrate all around the world. Festivities can vary dramatically depending on what country your in, and what your background is. No matter where you are, holidays are an integral part of human history. The holidays are perfect for spending time with loved ones and eating delicious food.
For Christmas, people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on December 25th, it is a Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. They celebrate this by putting Christmas lights up, stockings and even Christmas trees. They spend the whole month of December spending time with family and buying presents to open on Christmas day.
“When I’m with my mom, we all go to my nana’s and celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve,” Sophomore Tiffany Stokes said.
“For me, this year me and a whole bunch of my family members will be going to aunt suzanne’s for christmas,”Sophomore Katie Petersen said.
For other holidays like Kwanzaa, people celebrate in many different ways. Kwanzaa starts Thursday, December 26th and ends Wednesday, January 1st. It is a week long celebration held in many nations. It is to honor African heritage in African-American culture. Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which is speaking about the best of what it means to be African-American.
“My favorite part about the holidays is the food and spending time with my family and seeing everyone together and happy,” Junior Lizzie Quattlebum said.
Hanukkah begins Sunday, December 22nd and it ends on Monday, December 30th. The name Hanukkah derives from a Hebrew verb that means dedicate and it celebrates the rededication of the holy temple. It is the eight-day wintertime “festival of lights.” To celebrate, people light a nightly menorah, say special prayers and enjoy fried foods. For many people, no matter what the holiday, it’s all about the food.
“My favorite part about the holidays is cooking and baking with my mom,” Sophomore Monique Madrid said.
There are many holidays that are celebrated all around the world that other countries celebrate. It depends on what country you are in, or what your ethnic background is.