Santa may get most of the attention during December, at least among good boys and girls and greedy retailers, but people have all kinds of reasons for celebrating in December that have nothing to do with sleighs, elves or “A Christmas Story” marathons.
Eid al-Adha: Dec. 8
Although it isn’t tied to a date on the Roman calendar, the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha falls during December this year.
Eid is marked on the 10th day of the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims celebrate it to honor the sacrifice of the prophet Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, to God, according to the Koran.
Abraham didn’t kill his son; when God saw the man’s faith and obedience even in the face of extreme sacrifice, he relented and told Abraham not to kill Ishmael, said Masumah Amil, accounting junior.
Eid is celebrated the day after the period of time set aside for Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that draws millions of Muslims from around the world to the holy city. This year, Hajj began Dec. 6 and lasted until Dec. 9.
Amil said the observance of Eid requires Muslims to donate 2.5 percent of their post-tax wealth to charity. They also go to mosques to pray, often with their families.
Although Eid technically lasts for three days, most families formally celebrate on the first day. After prayers, families sacrifice a goat, cow, camel or lamb to God and then enjoy a holiday meal together, Amil said.
Amil said Muslims find it important to keep the purpose and message behind the celebration of Eid al-Adha in the front of their minds.
“[We] realize that no matter what happens in our lives, it isn’t as bad as what the prophets went through,” Amil said.
Hanukkah: Dec. 21-29
There’s more to the eight-day Jewish holiday called Hanukkah than Adam Sandler would lead you to believe.
Hanukkah, while popularly explained as a celebration of a miraculous provision of oil, actually commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from Greeks in 200 BC, according to OU history professor Alan Levenson.
The word “Hanukkah” means “rededication,” and it refers to the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
To celebrate Hanukkah, Jewish families light a candle in an eight-branch candelabra called a menorah every night for eight nights and recite blessings related to the event.
Although the most popular story about the origins of Hanukkah, which has it that a lamp in a Jewish temple miraculously stayed lit for eight nights, isn’t actually the source of the holiday, it still plays a part in modern Hanukkah celebrations.
Because the miracle of the lamp was related to a search for oil to fuel the lamp, traditionally families “celebrate the miracle by basically frying food,” Levenson said. “Not very healthy, but very tasty.”
Christmas: Dec. 25
Although the folks at the mall might beg to differ, Christmas did not begin as a celebration of capitalism or commercialism. It began with a baby and a manger.
Many of the symbols associated with the day, including stars and angels, are related to the holiday’s history as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, who, according to the Christian Bible, is the son of God.
“I celebrate that Jesus was born because He saved me and died for my sins,” said Faith Oldenburg, film and video studies senior.
Oldenburg, whose family attends a Christmas Eve service at church every year and then goes to the movies together on Christmas Day, doesn’t have many specific Christmas traditions.
“It’s more about being together and celebrating Christ,” Oldenburg said. “Also, being appreciative of what we have.”
Although Christmas has religious roots, its celebration in the United States has become closely tied to a range of secular traditions that have made it popular among Christians and non-Christians alike.
Anthropology sophomore Evan King said he celebrates both sides of Christmas.
“I kind of celebrate American Christmas and Jesus Christmas separately,” King said.
King opens gifts and eats a big meal with his family every year to celebrate Christmas. Gabe Campbell, botany and Spanish sophomore, does too, even though he doesn’t share King’s religious beliefs.
“Jesus was a great person to look up to, but I don’t think of him as the Son of God,” Campbell said.
But Campbell celebrates Christmas anyway and said he sees it as a great time to count his blessings.
“I’d say Christmas is a good thing,” Campbell said. “It brings a lot of unity, especially in the family.”
Kwanzaa: Dec. 26-Jan. 1
Kwanzaa, meaning the first fruits of harvest, is an African-American celebration that focuses on the traditional African values of family, community, prosperity and responsibility, said Docri Martins, petroleum engineering sophomore.
“We celebrate it because it’s a way of keeping the connection of the African-American community with African culture,” Martins said.
People who celebrate Kwanzaa light a candle every day of the week to remember who they are as a people, said Barbara Boyd, director of outreach for OU’s religious studies department. There is no particular day set aside for the celebration of Kwanzaa because its focus — family and community — is expected to be a part of people’s daily lives, Martins said.
Kwanzaa is considered a cultural celebration, not a religious holiday.
Kwanzaa excludes no one and allows those who celebrate Kwanzaa to maintain their own traditional religious beliefs, Martins said.
The term “Kwanzaa” is derived from biggest river in Angola, where people find fish, vegetables, and other goods, said Martins, who is from Angola in West Africa. The river is also a means of transportation and source of electricity, so it is considered a significant source of prosperity.
Despite the fact that Kwanzaa is typically celebrated during the United States’ main holiday season, Boyd said not many students know much about the holiday.
Martins said she didn’t celebrate Kwanzaa until she came to OU.
Every year, the OU Black Student Association hosts a Kwanzaa ball that features a scholarship competition, a dinner and performances of traditional African dances.
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flutterby 3 years, 5 months ago
Actually, a good majority of Christmas traditions and symbols are derived from the Roman-Pagan festival Saturnalia, which was turned into a Christian holiday during the conversion of the Romans.