Christmas History and Traditions
There are very few people in the world today who do not know what the Christmas holiday is all about. Christmas, as
we know it today, is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which happened over 2000 years ago. The word
“Christmas” translates to “Mass Of Christ”. However, we can all be sure that the celebration of the Christmas holiday
did not start right away. So how did the actual celebration of the Christmas holiday begin?
Believe it or not, many of the traditions that we observe during the Christmas holiday season began way before the birth
of Christ. Exchanging gifts, decorating trees, and the burning of the Yule log were all winter traditions that began before
Christ was born, but were eventually incorporated into the holiday that became known as Christmas, and became part
of Christmas history.
Over 4000 years ago, the Mesopotamians celebrated each new year with a 12-day festival, called Zagmuth. The
Mesopotamians, who believed in many gods, held this festival in support of their chief god, Marduk, because they
believed that he battled the monsters of chaos at the beginning of each winter. It is from this festival that the 12 days of
Christmas is believed to have originated.
The ancient Romans held a celebration each year in honor of their god Saturn. The festival, which they called Saturnalia,
began in the middle of December and lasted until the first of January. The Romans decorated their homes with
garlands, as well as trees upon which they hung candles. During the festival the citizens of Rome would visit each
other’s homes and hold great feasts. One of the theories of how the tradition of the giving of Christmas gifts came
about was from the Roman practice of exchanging gifts between family and neighbors during the festival of Saturnalia to
promote good luck.
During the winter in ancient Scandinavia there would be a certain amount of days where the sun would not shine. Upon
the return of the first sunlight, the Scandinavians would hold a festival called the Yuletide. A Yule log would be burned
in a special fire, and everyone would gather around the fire and hold a great feast. To remind themselves that the spring
and summer would surely return again, people in some areas of Scandinavia would tie apples to tree branches. The
tradition of the Christmas tree is believed to have evolved from this ritual, as well as from the Roman ritual of decorating
trees with candles during the festival of Saturnalia. Some believe that the tradition of singing carols began when people
in Scandinavia would sing celebration songs on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, which happened
around December 22nd.
One theory about the evolution of the winter celebrations to the celebration of the birth of Jesus is that the Roman
emperor Constantine, who converted to Christianity, wanted to incorporate the pagan winter rituals together with the
celebration of Jesus’ birth. In this way, Constantine hoped to help both pagans and Christians celebrate together. Many
believe that this is the reason for celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25th. It is widely believed today that Jesus
was not actually born on, or even close to, December 25th. Eventually, the Roman church became almost completely
successful in making the December celebration only about the birth of Christ, replacing any celebrations that were in
honor of pagan gods.
Though the celebration of Christmas is basically based on the same belief today, it is not celebrated in exactly the same
way in every country. In Great Britain, one tradition they observe during the Christmas season is “Boxing Day”. On
Boxing Day, the boxes containing alms for the poor are opened at every church and the alms are distributed to the poor.
An alternate theory to the origin of carols is that they originated in Great Britain and not Scandinavia. Whether or not
this is true, many of the Christmas songs that we sing and Christmas music that we hear today were written in 19th
century England.
Christians in China celebrate Christmas by decorating their homes and trees with paper lanterns, paper flowers, and
paper chains. Christians in Iran refrain from eating any animal products from December 1st until after Christmas church
services on December 25th, after which they have a traditional feast of chicken stew. In Venezuela, Christians attend
daily morning church services between December 16th and December 24th. In the capital city of Caracas, it is
customary to roller skate to these services. People in Northern Brazil celebrate Christmas with a traditional play called
“Los Pastores”, or “The Shepherds”. In the Brazilian version of this play, the shepherds are always women, and there is a
scene where a gypsy attempts to kidnap the Christ child.
It is believed that British painter John Callcott Horsley designed the first Christmas card in 1843. Horsley designed the
card for his friend Sir Henry Cole, who was the first director of the Victoria and Albert museum. The card showed a
family celebrating Christmas, and read “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You”. The tradition caught on
quickly in England, and it was not long before the first Christmas cards began showing up in the United States and other
countries as well.
One cannot talk about the history of Christmas without mentioning Santa Claus. Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna, who lived in
the 4th century A.D. in what is known today as Turkey, was a very wealthy and generous man, who especially loved
children. He was known to throw gifts into the houses of poor children in order to brighten their spirits. He was later
titled Saint Nicholas, and became the patron saint of children and seafarers. From his story evolved the legend of Santa
Claus – the jolly man who brings gifts to children all over the world on Christmas Eve. In England he came to be known
as Father Christmas, in China he is known as Dun Che Lao Ren, which means “Christmas Old Man”. Many believe that
the giving of gifts originates from the deeds of Bishop Nicholas, and not the Roman tradition of giving gifts during the
festival of Saturnalia. More likely, the tradition evolved from both practices.
Hannakah History and Traditions
Hannakah history began over 2,000 years ago when the Syrian-Greek leader, Antiochus IV, attempted to force the Jews
in Israel to assimilate completely and to renounce their religion and culture. Judah Maccabee led the revolt against the
Syrian-Greek army and was victorious, despite the fact that the Jewish army was greatly outnumbered.
The Hannakah celebration of lighting the menorah traces its origin to a miracle that occurred after the victory of the
Maccabees. The Temple in Jerusalem had been defiled by the invading Syrian-Greek army. It was traditional to light a
special lamp in the Temple, called a menorah, with olive oil, but all of the vials of oil were made impure, with the
exception of one. According to Hannakah history, the one vial of oil burned for eight days until pure oil could be
obtained for the holy Temple. In gratitude, the Jews began lighting small menorahs in their homes to commemorate this
miracle.
The Hannakah celebration began in the years following the victory, and was observed by lighting a menorah with eight
branches (to symbolize the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days) and a ninth holder for a shamash, or "servant" candle
that is meant to light the others. The Hannakah celebration is focused on the home, although nowadays there are many
large menorahs lit in public areas. The reason for these public Hannakah celebrations is to publicize the miracle.
While the candles are burning, the family traditionally sings Hannakah songs such as Mao Tzur, Haneiros Hololu or "I
Have a Little Dreidel”. Traditional foods, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly donuts are eaten. The reason foods
fried in oil are an important part of the Hannakah celebration is to commemorate the miracle that was associated with
oil. Dairy foods, such as blintzes, are eaten to commemorate the role of Judith in Hannakah history; she was the Jewish
heroine who gave the Syrian-Greek general, Holofernes, salty cheese that made him thirsty enough to drink too much
wine. Once he fell asleep drunk, she killed him with his sword.
The dreidel is a toy, like a top, that is played while the menorah is burning. It has its origin in Hannakah history;
Antiochus refused to allow children to learn their scripture and laws, so the children would play with a dreidel to
disguise the fact that they were reciting verses. The dreidel has Hebrew letters on each side, each one with the initial
letter of the phrase "A great miracle happened there" (or, for Israeli dreidels, "here")
The basic Hannakah celebration is the same all over the world, with a few slight variations. In Yemen, children
traditionally collect menorah wicks by going door to door (they also ask for candy). In Aden, children wear blue clothing
on Hannakah to symbolize the heavens. In Germany, all the leftover wicks are burned on a bonfire on the last night of
Hannakah. Different Hannakah songs are sung, depending on the country.
Since the word "Hannakah" is originally written in the Hebrew alphabet, there is no standardized spelling in English, but
common spellings are "Hanukkah", "Chanukah", "Hanukah" and "Hanuka". The name "Hannakah" is associated with the
most important aspect of Hannakah history: the rededication of the Holy Temple (Hannakah means "dedication").
Hannakah is also referred to as "The Festival of Lights".
The Hannakah celebration is one of the most joyful in the Jewish calendar. It is embraced worldwide, not just because of
its happy theme, but also because of its emphasis on light in the darkest time of the year (at least in the West), when the
days are short and the nights are long.
Kwanzaa History and Traditions
What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration that allows others to pay honor and to respect and acknowledge one’s African
American culture, heritage, and roots. Many Kwanzaa articles cite the origin of Kwanzaa as being a celebration that was
first established by a gentleman named Ron Karenga, a resident of California and the then leader of the United Slaves
Organization.
Why Was Kwanzaa Started?
Ron Karenga began the Kwanzaa tradition in ’66 in an attempt to give African Americans a holiday of their own that
would parallel Christmas but would pay reverence to the African heritage. Karenga wanted African Americans to have
the ability to rise above the traditions imposed upon them from society – to fight against what he viewed as enforced
assimilation.
The origin of Kwanzaa had complex beginnings – Kwanzaa arose during the time when African Americans were severely
oppressed and the celebration gave the black peoples a way to celebrate, appreciate, and affirm their unique identity.
Today Kwanzaa is still celebrated and many families celebrate Kwanzaa as well as Christmas. The Kwanzaa celebration
allows African Americans to pay respect to their heritage, to remember their roots, to identify with an extraordinary
culture and to keep African traditions alive. The Kwanzaa celebration is therefore a way to prevent the total assimilation
of a people and to ensure that the African traditions, stories, heritage, and culture live on in an ever-changing world.
What Traditions are Practiced in Kwanzaa?
Many Kwanzaa articles site the various traditions involved in the practice of Kwanzaa. In addition to the wearing of
Kwanzaa clothing, Kwanzaa is celebrated for a period of seven days; each of the seven days representing one of the
Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. Some of the typical Kwanzaa traditions practiced by African Americans include the act of
decorating one’s home with object significant to African heritage; African American women may wear Kwanzaa clothing
like the Uwole and African ancestors are revered and honored during the Kwanzaa celebration. Other traditions involve
special music, meditations, the offering of libations for giving thanks, and the recitation of the African Pledge.
During the Kwanzaa celebration, African Americans celebrate the fact that they are black, that their skin color makes
them unique and they spend time thinking about what it means to be a black person and how they can maintain the
African heritage in a world that constantly attempts to enforce assimilation.
Kwanzaa is a secular, week long holiday which honors the heritage of African-Americans. The holiday is observed from
the 26th of December through the First of January. Most observers are themselves African Americans within the United
States. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa features certain celebrations and ritual activities including the lighting of
candles, the pouring of libations, a feast and an exchange of gifts.
History of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was started by leading Black Nationalist and political activist, Ron “Maulana” Karenga in 1966 in California. As
he himself states, Kwanzaa was originally established as “…a Black alternative to the existing holiday [Christmas] [to]
give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant
society.” Although some people think Kwanzaa was adapted from traditional African ritual and celebration; that is in fact
not the case. Kwanzaa was constructed in such a fashion as to feel traditionally African since African-Americans, in the
opinion of Kwanzaa’s founder, would be less likely to celebrate it if they knew immediately of its American invention.
The time Ron Karenga chose for Kwanzaa’s celebration also had practical articulations, as the time between Christmas
and New Year’s Day was the height of party season for large street gangs like the Bloods.
Kwanzaa
Although Kwanzaa itself is American, the term is derived from East African Swahili -kwanza, which means ‘first fruits’. A
Swahili term was chosen specifically to accentuate the Pan-African spirit of the Kwanzaa celebration. This fact is made
more explicit when one recalls the vast majority of African-Americans are the descendents of West Africans. The term
carries other connotations as well. The extra ‘a’ was added, in part, so that every letter in the name would stand for one
of ‘Seven Principles of Blackness’.
Kwanzaa gift
One of the Seven Principles of Blackness, Kuumba, or creativity, is encouraged through the exchange of gifts. Kuumba is
particularly important among the seven principles as a sense of self-worth and self-satisfaction, individually and
throughout the community, is said to emerge from the creative and expressive (artistic) character of human labor. Gifts
exchanged during Kwanzaa are supposed to be educational or creative in nature, and in many cases are home-made
items of important symbolic relevance to Kwanzaa. In most cases gift-giving is done on the last day of Kwanzaa, but gifts
can be exchanged at any time during the celebration.
Kwanzaa Celebration
Generally a family celebrating Kwanzaa will display art objects and African cloth of rich color throughout the house.
Women will often don an Uwole, a colorful African style dress. Fresh fruit will also be placed upon a table as a
representation of African idealism. The celebration itself is supposed to include a number of ceremonial activities:
Drumming and music, libations, a recitation of the “African Pledge” and a recitation of the ‘Principles of Blackness’.
Discussion of African history and current events will also feature heavily along with the candle-lighting ceremony,
performances, and a feast. To emphasize the discursive intent of Kwanzaa (that is, to encourage African-Americans to
talk and work together to solve community-wide problems) each day of Kwanzaa is greeted with the Swahili phrase
Habari Gani, which means ‘what’s the news?’
Kwanzaa story
Kwanzaa celebrates what Ron Karenga has termed ‘The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa’ or Nguzu Saba. The concept is said
to be Karenga’s iteration of the ‘best of African thought and practice’ and how these thoughts and practices ought to
interact with the world. The seven principles constitute the Kawaida which is another Swahili terms with connotations of
tradition and reason. Each day of the seven day Kwanzaa celebration is devoted to honoring and contemplating one of
the seven principles: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa
(cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (Faith). The story of Kwanzaa is that through
living these seven principles the African-American community can, through collective effort and diligence, regain the
greatness their ancestors knew.
African American history
The Kwanzaa celebration is inextricably linked in time and origin to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. While most
of the activity associated with the civil rights movement was of a political or social-economic nature, there was a cultural
struggle waged as well. Kwanzaa helped many African-Americans reclaim and reconnect with the heritage and culture of
their African ancestry. Though originally conceived as an alternative to Christmas, to observe Kwanzaa today need not
exclude the observance of Christian ritual and belief. In many households it is not uncommon to find both a Christmas
tree and a ‘kinara’, the traditional candle holder used in the Kwanzaa celebration.
African American history fact
Although Kwanzaa was intended as a holiday specifically for African-Americans, it is a little known fact of black history
that in 1997 Ron Karenga amended this position. Kwanzaa, while still a holiday honoring African heritage, can be
celebrated by any individual of any culture or race. He uses the examples of Cinco de Mayo, and Chinese New Year as
culturally specific holidays celebrated and honored outside the cultures from which they came. Kwanzaa, like many
social movements, has slipped into a post-modern thinking that stresses both integrity and identity of a particular group
while not excluding others from other groups from participation. Indeed, this post-modern approach to identity politics
is even better exemplified by the following statement from the official Kwanzaa website which says Kwanzaa “…is not an
alternative to people’s religion or faith but a common ground of African culture.” Kwanzaa is, according to Ron Karenga,
about African-Americans coming together to make proactive and positive choices for their community instead of
reactive ones.
Famous African Americans in history
Given its focus on the achievements (past, present, and future) of the Pan-African community, Kwanzaa is also a time for
celebrants to reflect upon achievements of famous black people in history, whether political and social leaders like
Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks, or scientific and cultural leaders such as Washington Carver,
Josephine Baker, Rita Dove, Spike Lee, Maya Angelou, Alexandre Dumas (the guy who wrote The Three Musketeers),
Oprah Winfrey, or even Robert L. Johnson (the man who started Black Entertainment Television (BET)).
As can be seen, Kwanzaa is decades old; it is an evolving celebration of black identity and the solving of social problems
through cooperative action. It is estimated that over 4 million Americans celebrate Kwanzaa every year, although Ron
Karenga places the estimate much higher at around 28 million. Either way, Kwanzaa played and continues to play an
important role in black consciousness and the ongoing struggles for civil rights.