Season's Greetings, clubbers! This time of the year is exciting and meaningful to many people for many reasons – it's a time to put up festive decorations, watch holiday movies, share gifts with friends and family, and eat tasty sweets (cookies, candy canes, and chocolates come to mind)! This month is even more special because it gives us a chance to celebrate with loved ones. Did you know that three important holidays are celebrated in December? Each of these holidays has its own unique history, traditions, and customs.
Hanukkah, November 28, 2021 – December 6, 2021: Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) is the Jewish Festival of Lights that lasts for eight days and celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees (a group of Jewish freedom fighters) in the second century BC. Families celebrate by lighting a menorah (an eight-branched candelabra with one candlestick in the middle, called the shamash) each of the eight nights of Hanukkah.
Christmas, December 25, 2021: Christmas is a Christian holiday that was first celebrated in 325 AD when Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor, enacted a feast on December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is celebrated worldwide with different traditions, festivals, feasts, church services, and more.
Kwanzaa, December 26, 2021 – January 1, 2021: In 1966, an African American scholar named Maulana Karenga decided to combine many African customs and traditions into one memorable holiday called Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa means “first fruits” in Swahili, an African language. Many families worldwide observe Kwanzaa, which lasts for seven days.
You can learn more about these holidays in the coloring and activity pages below. Click the image or the download button to get started!
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