Merry Christmas
The joyful holiday, Christmas, is a commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and commencement of the Christmas season. It is primarily celebrated by Christians, as December 25 marks the birthday of their savior, Jesus Christ; however, Christmas is celebrated by 45 percent of people worldwide and 82 percent of Americans. Those who are not Christian, choose to celebrate Christmas for cultural purposes and to enjoy the widespread traditions during the season that often unite family and friends. Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24 and is considered a partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day. Christmas can be celebrated anywhere with friends or family; many choose to travel abroad to experience the spectacular and unique celebrations of Christmas in different countries.
The most common traditions of the Christmas season include setting up and decorating Christmas trees (which symbolize life during winter), having a feast on the eve or day of Christmas, enrobing one’s house with red and green Christmas lights and festive decor like wreaths, singing carols or saying prayers, watching Christmas movies, buying gifts for one another, building gingerbread houses, and participating in the cultural traditions of Elf on the Shelf and Santa Clause.
There are also various ways to celebrate Christmas around the world. In Mexico, Las Posadas is a nine day celebration, which includes candlelight parades, Catholic hymns, and tamales. In Ethiopia, Christmas is celebrated with an advent fast, white clothing, and church mass on Christmas Eve. In France, Christmas is celebrated with a visit from St. Nicholas who bears small delectable gifts on a donkey, Nativity scenes, and a Yule Log cake called the Bûche de Noël.
“As a Christmas devotee and Christian, my favorite part about Christmas is sitting by a fire, with hot chocolate, on Christmas Eve, while carols play on the TV.” – Kayla Moore ’26
“My favorite time of the year is Christmas, so when Christmas rolls around I enjoy spending time with my family and sitting around the dinner table while the sounds of holiday music spread throughout our house.” – Bela Bock ‘25
Happy Hanukkah
For eight cherished nights and days each year, Jewish individuals gather with family, exchange gifts, and enjoy delicious food to celebrate Hanukkah—the Festival of Lights. Meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE by the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors. Upon reclaiming the Holy Temple from the Greeks, the Maccabees sought to light the menorah — a religious candelabrum — using oil. However, they only had enough to sustain the light for one day. The oil ended up lasting for an astonishing eight days, which is why Hanukkah lasts for eight nights. Hanukkah is more than just a remembrance of this miraculous event; it represents the Jewish people’s freedom from oppression and honors their determination.
According to the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev, although the date varies when following the Gregorian calendar of the US. The holiday commences between November and December, but this year, it begins on December 25th and ends on January 2nd.
A centerpiece of Hanukkah is the customary lighting of the menorah. Every night, friends and family unite to set aflame one of the eight candles of the menorah, reciting prayers and stories. Hanukkah is an opportunity for loved ones to come together and strengthen bonds while partaking in traditions such as playing dreidel, passing out gelt, and feasting on oil-based foods to acknowledge the centrality of the oil miracle. These fried foods typically include latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts). People also delight in eating challah, brisket, kugel, matzo ball soup, and other delicious dishes that hold cultural value.
Millions of Jewish people around the world celebrate Hanukkah. From closed schools in Israel to the public lighting of menorahs in major cities such as Chicago, New York City, London, and Sydney, there are many different ways to partake in the holiday — depending on personal and cultural preferences. Still, the core values of Hanukkah remain the same regardless of how it is observed: resilience, community, rededication, and family.
As a Jew, I love Hanukkah because of its emphasis on family and community. Getting to slow down and spend time with loved ones is something that I always look forward to. — Charley Gopin ‘26
Happy Kwanzaa!
Kwanzaa was created by activist and author Maulana Ron Karenga in 1966, following the Watts Riots. The Watts Riots was a series of riots in predominantly African American neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California that occurred as a result of police brutality and discriminatory systemic policies that hurt many Black communities. Ron Karenga was active in the Black Power movement and created Kwanzaa as a way to celebrate African American culture. At first, Kwanzaa was mostly celebrated in black nationalist groups, however it gradually began to be celebrated on a broad scale in the 1990s. In 1997, Bill Clinton presidentially declared Kwanzaa a holiday. Since then, the holiday has grown beyond being an African American tradition, extending to the Caribbean and other countries where there is a large amount of African descendants.
The purpose of this holiday is to unite people of African descent to each other and their culture, against racism and oppression. Political activist and teacher, Amiri Baraka, explained the importance in an interview, “We looked at Kwanzaa as part of the struggle to overturn white definitions for our lives.” This celebration celebrates the shared cultural heritage, regardless of religion. Kwanzaa brings this unity through celebrating the seven main principles which were derived from the community values most-widely practiced across Africa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). All of the concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in Swahili, one of the most common spoken languages across Africa. These principles are devoted to each of the seven days of this celebration with the kinara (candleholder) also representing the principles by holding seven candles, one being lit each day. There are three red candles (symbolizing the blood that was lost while fighting for liberation), three green (conveying black liberation in the future), and one black candle (representing “the people”). From December 26th to January 1st, feasts are held, stories are shared, gifts are exchanged, and traditional African clothing is worn.
There are many resources for people to celebrate in Chicago. Malcolm X College hosts live performances and daily food vendors each day; Bronzeville Children’s Museum hosts storytelling, crafts, music, and face painting; The Chicago Public Library is hosting beading Kwanzaa crafts and many more places in the city offer spaces to celebrate this holiday. While this holiday is a time for the African American community to come together and celebrate their culture, the main principles that are celebrated— unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith—are also important for all Americans to take time to value.
