Celebrating Faith and Culture
December 2015
December
Sunset of December 6 to 14
December 8
Sunset of December 11 to 30
December 13
December 21
Eve of December 21 to 22
December 22
Eve of December 22 to 23
December 25
December 25
December 26
December 26
December 26 to January 1
Luut'aa
Chanukah
Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)
the month of Masa'il
Birthday of Imam Agakhan
Maun Agiyaras or Muanajiyaras
Yule
Tohji-taisai
Milad-un-Nabi
Sanghamitta Day
Christmas
Boxing Day
Zarathosht-no-Diso
Kwanza
December 27
December 28
December 31 to January 4
December 31 to January 18
Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday
Birth of Guru Gobind Singh
Ghambar Maidyarem
the month of Sharaf
Aboriginal Spirituality
Judaism
Buddhism
Bahá’í
Islam
Jainism
Wicca
Shinto
Islam
Buddhism
Christianity and Canada
Christianity and Canada
Zoroastrianism
African-Canadian
communities
Buddhism
Sikhism
Zoroastrianism
Bahá’í
Celebrating Faith and Culture Backgrounder
December 2015
The Peel District School Board is a mosaic of many cultures and faiths from all over the
world. To commemorate this diversity, the board recognizes special faith and culture days
of our communities. December 2015 has several special faith and culture days to
celebrate and remember:
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December - Luut'aa in Aboriginal Spirituality
Luut'aa is observed by Nisga'a people of the Nass Valley in Northwest British Columbia to
commemorate the winter season when the river freezes solid and the land sleeps as it
gets blanketed in snow.
Sunset of December 6 to 14 - Chanukah in Judaism
The word Hanukkah or Chanukah means "dedication" and is the Jewish festival of lights. It
starts at sundown on the 25th day of Kislev and is celebrated for eight days.
Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a candle for each of the eight nights—on the first
evening, one candle is lit and by the eighth night, all eight candles are lit. The candles are
arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah (or sometimes called a chanukkiah) that
holds nine candles: one for each night, plus a shammus (servant) at a different height.
This candle-lighting commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple following a
three-year war with Syria in 165 BCE. As part of the rededication, a menorah was lit and,
although there was only enough oil to light the menorah for a day, it stayed alight for
eight days.
It is traditional to eat fried foods on Chanukah because of the significance of oil to the
holiday. Another tradition of the holiday is playing dreidel, a traditional Jewish game.
December 8 - Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) in Buddhism
On this day, Buddhists celebrate the birth of the founder of their religion. Siddhartha
Gautama was born in the sixth century BCE, a prince of a northern kingdom in ancient
India. According to Buddhist scriptures, he was so concerned about the inequities of
human life that when he was 29, he gave up his royal position, left home and strove to
live a virtuous life. At age 35, he attained enlightenment and became Sakyamuni Buddha.
He died at the age of about 80, and left a number of his students who continued to study
and spread Buddhism over the world. Buddhists celebrate this day by visiting temples to
pray and make offerings of incense, fruits, flowers and donations.
Sunset of December 11 to 30 - the month of Masa'il in Bahá’í
In the Bahá’í calendar, there are nineteen months of nineteen days each. Each month
represents an attribute of God. Masa'il, signifying contemplation (questioning), is the
15th month.
The Bahá’í day starts and ends at sunset. The first day of each month is known as a Feast
Day.
December 13 - Birthday of Imam Agakhan in Islam
This day commemorates the Birthday of the Imam (spiritual leader) Aga Khan. The Nizari
Ismaili Shia Muslims celebrate this day for Aga Khan IV who is the 49th hereditary and
present Imam of the group. He was born on Dec. 13, 1936 in Geneva, Switzerland.
December 21 - Maun Agiyaras or Maunajiyaras in Jainism
Maun Agiyaras falls on the 11th day of the fortnight of the waxing moon in the month of
Magshirsh (2nd calendar month). This is an important day for Jains on which they observe
total silence, fast, meditate and worship God.
Eve of December 21 to 22 - Yule in Wicca
The Winter Solstice, or Yule, celebrates the rebirth of the sun to the earth, and the
solstice itself is the longest night of the year. Yule is a time of awakening to new goals and
leaving old regrets behind. Yule is celebrated by fire and use of a Yule log. Traditionally
the log would not be bought. It would either be harvested from the homeowner's land or
be received as a gift. Many followers keep this log (or a piece of it) for the duration of the
year and use it to light the next year's log.
December 22 - Tohji-taisai in Shinto
Tohji-Taisai is the Grand Ceremony of the Winter Solstice, celebrating the end of the "yin"
period of the sun, when it declines in strength, and the beginning of the "yang" period, in
which the sun increases in strength. The celebration recognises the central importance of
the sun in Japanese culture, by honouring the sun goddess Amaterasu. Followers of the
faith cleanse their homes, visit shrines dedicated to the goddess and offer prayers and
dances.
Eve of December 22 to 23 - Milad-un-Nabi in Islam
Milad-un Nabi or Maulid (Mawlid) is celebrated by Muslims as Eid-e Milad, the birthday of
Prophet Muhammad. This is also anniversary of his death.
The celebration begins the evening before with reading from the Quran, followed by
poetry and songs in praise of the Prophet. There are also lectures and story-telling –
about his life and teachings. In some big cities of the Muslim world, the day is marked
with processions. On the day of Milad, the Prophet's teachings are repeated, the Quran is
read and religious discourses are conducted in the mosques.
December 25 – Sanghamitta Day in Buddhism
Theravada Buddhist followers observe this day as the anniversary of the arrival of
Sanghamitta, daughter of King Asoka from India to Sri Lanka with a branch of the Bodhi
Tree and founding an order of nuns in the country. The observance is held on the full
moon day in December.
December 25 - Christmas in Christianity and Canada
Christmas is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No one knows
the exact date of Christ's birth, but Christians following Gregorian calendar observe
Christmas on December 25. On this day, many go to church, where they take part in
special religious services. During the Christmas season, they also exchange gifts and
decorate their homes with lights, holly, mistletoe, and Christmas trees. The word
Christmas comes from Cristes maesse, an early English phrase that means Mass of Christ.
Christians following Julien calendar observe the holyday in January.
Christmas is a statutory holiday in Canada.
December 26 - Boxing Day in Christianity and Canada
The day after Christmas is the Feast of St. Stephen, who was the first Christian martyr.
The day is also known as Boxing Day, a term which may come from the practice of
opening of church poor boxes that day.
In Canada as in many western countries, the day is observed as a public holiday. The day
is celebrated by many in giving or purchasing gifts. It is also customary to hold sporting
activities on the day.
December 26 – Zarathosht-no-Diso in Zoroastrianism
On December 26 each year, Zoroastrian followers of Fasli Calendar commemorate the
anniversary of the death of Prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), the founder of their faith.
Scholars say he lived between 1500 and 1000 BCE in northeast Iran.
December 26 to January 1 - Kwanza in African-Canadian communities
Named after the Swahili phrase, "matunda ya kwanza" meaning "first fruits," Kwanza has
its origins in African first-harvest celebration. The Pan-African, African-American and
African-Canadian communities celebrate Kwanza. It was established in 1966 as a sevenday cultural festival focusing on family, community and culture. The five fundamental
activities of Kwanza are ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment and
celebration.
During the festival, a place in the home is chosen for Kwanza. The spot/table is spread
with a piece of African cloth and a straw mat is placed on it adorned with ears of corn,
fruit, vegetables and a unity cup. Each day, a candle is lit and placed in a seven-cup
candelabrum called a kinara. There is one black, three red and three green candles. Black
is the symbol for the people, red for the struggle and green for future and hope. The black
candle is lit the first night. The seven candles represent the seven principles that are
important and valued. These are: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima
(collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (co-operative economics), Nia (purpose),
Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). On the final night, friends and family gather for a
feast known as Karamu.
December 27 - Amitabha Buddha's Birthday in Buddhism
Mahayana (practised in Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Taiwan) Buddhist
followers celebrate Amitabha (celestial) Buddha's Birthday on this day. Followers of the
faith believe that he attained supreme enlightenment and now presides over the Pure
Land (western paradise) - a land of ultimate bliss.
December 28 - Birth of Guru Gobind Singh in Sikhism
Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th and final guru (1666-1708) in the Sikh faith. He created
the Order of Khalsa and declared the scriptures, the Adi Granth, as the only guru after
him for people of the Sikh faith. Sikh adherents following the Nankshahi calendar observe
the Gurpurb on this day.
Gurpurbs are festivals associated with the lives of the Gurus. Sikhs celebrate Gurpurbs,
like the Birth of Guru Gobind Singh, with an akhand path, a complete and continuous
reading of the Adi Granth, which takes 48 hours and finishes on the day of the festival.
December 31 to January 4 - Ghambar Maidyarem in Zoroastrianism
This five-day winter festival known as Ghambar Maidyarem celebrates the creation of
animals and is a time for an equitable sharing of food.
December 31 to January 18 - the month of Sharaf in Bahá’í
In the Bahá’í calendar, there are nineteen months of nineteen days each. Each month
represents an attribute of God. Sharaf, signifying honour, is the 16th month.
The Bahá’í day starts and ends at sunset. The first day of each month is known as a Feast
Day.
Ideas for celebrating special faith and cultural days in your school.
If you have a colleague who celebrates one of these days, don't forget to offer them best
wishes! If you have students in your school who are followers of any of the listed
religions:
- Make sure the dates are included in your school calendar
- Have your principal or teacher announce the day over the PA system
- Hold an assembly to talk with students about the importance of these days
- Include a mention of these days in your school newsletter
- Include information on your school website
- Display student artwork announcing these days or depicting their ideas about these days
- Invite a member of a local faith group to come in and discuss the significance of this day
with students
- Have class discussions about these days
- Ask some of your students who celebrate certain holidays to write a short essay on how
they celebrate this day at home. Have them read it to the class to share this celebration
with the other students.
- Have parents offer a cultural session
Questions?
If you would like any more information on how to celebrate these days, please call Varsha
Naik, Community Liaison Coordinator at 905-890-1010, ext. 2573 or e-mail her
varsha.naik@peelsb.com