When you think of the word holidays, you probably think of a certain holiday, maybe Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving.  Other students at Day Creek Intermediate School might think of additional holidays like Hanukkah, Ramadan or Kwanzaa. Students at Day Creek should be open to growing in their awareness of these holidays. 

In December, Judaism celebrates one of the most known holidays, Hanukkah. Jews celebrate Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, on December 15. There are lots of fun things to do at the Festival of Lights. 

According to Jewish Holidays, “Interactive art experience, games, art & crafts, bounce houses, rabbi Lavey’s Joyous Table: Hanukkah Edition, shababa Tot Zone, glow-in-the-dark treat room, Wine Tasting (21+), Candle lighting, and of course: Latkes, latkes, latkes!”

Hanukkah is celebrated because it celebrates the rededication of a temple in Jerusalem. 

According to Jewish Holidays, “Hanukkah, or the Festival of Rededication, celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its defilement by the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE. Although it is a late addition to the Jewish liturgical calendar, the eight-day festival of Hanukkah has become a beloved and joyous holiday. It is also known as the Festival of Lights and takes place in December, at the time of year when the days are shortest in the Northern hemisphere.”

Ramadan is a famous holiday for the religion of Islam. Ramadan is celebrated in different months according to the year. In 2019, Muslims celebrated Eid-al-Fitr on May 6. This holiday is the mark of the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting.

According to Ramadan, “Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar—that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about eleven days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays “move” each year. In 2016, the first day of Ramadan is June 6.”

According to what is What is Ramadan? by Rachel Ross, the holiday is “the most sacred month of the year in Islamic culture. Muslims observe the month of Ramadan, to mark that Allah, or God, gave the first chapters of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad in 610. During Ramadan, Muslims fast, abstain from pleasures and pray to become closer to God. It is also a time for families to gather and celebrate.”

Kwanzaa is a very popular holiday in Africa, America, and Canada. It celebrates life. 

What is Kwanzaa? says, “Kwanzaa is an African-Americans celebration of life from 26 December to 1 January.” There are several common values that make this holiday special.

“Five common sets of values are central to the activities of the week: ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment, and celebration.”

All of these celebrations mean something to students at Day Creek. While some of us are not aware of these holidays, because we are comfortable with Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s, we should aim to develop an understanding of other holidays as well.