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Tis The Season Design
Tis The Season Design
W
hen crisp coldness permeates through the air, red and green lights hang over frosted windows, and you cross
your fingers behind your back hoping for a snow day, it can only mean one thing: winter is finally upon us.
Wintertime’s title as the holiday season is no understatement; it’s full of countless celebrations and traditions.
Though Christmas may be the most well-known seasonal holiday in our community, many other religious
holidays, secular celebrations, and cultural traditions are enjoyed and honored every year by people all around the
world. Here is a look at some of these holiday traditions, their origins, and how they are celebrated around the world.
C hr i s t ma
The headliner of the winter holidays, Christmas, originated
as a commemoration of the nativity of Jesus Christ in
s
Kwanzaa
Coming from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits”, Kwanzaa
is a weeklong celebration held from December 26 to January 1
that honors African-American culture. It is based on African
harvest festival traditions. Each night of Kwanzaa, participants
hold a candle-lighting ceremony. Every candle represents one
of Kwanzaa’s seven principles: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-
determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa
(cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity),
and imani (faith). Kwanzaa culminates on the sixth day with a
communal feast called Karamu.
a s Posad
Las Posadas is celebrated throughout Mexico and Central America.
L
as
Spanish for “the Inns”, the holiday commemorates Mary and Joseph’s
journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a refuge where
Mary could give birth to Jesus. The nine-day festival starts on
December 16 and ends on December 24. Two people dressed up
as Mary and Joseph, often accompanied by angels and shepherds,
go door to door asking for a place to stay. When they reach the
designated “inn”, the couple comes into the home to pray. After the
procession, a feast is held, carols are sung, and a star-shaped pinata
is broken in honor of the one which led the three wise men to the
nativity scene.
Soyal
The winter solstice ceremony of the Zuni and Hopi Native
tribes, Soyal, begins on December 22, the shortest day of
the year. It then lasts 16 days. The festival is full of prayers,
supplications, stories from elders in the tribe, and a
concluding feast. During the feast, tribe members dress up
and dance in special masks and costumes to represent the
Kachina spirits who are believed to protect the community.
Traditionally, the goal of the holiday is to lure back the sun
god who traveled away from tribes during the winter.