December is a busy month for religious celebrations. Here is a brief explanation of the holidays coming up in the next month.

Christmas

Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in the world.

The word Christmas means “to give up one’s very self – to think only of others – how to bring the greatest happiness to others- that is the true meaning of Christmas.”

Gifts are handed out on Christmas because it’s supposed to represent the gifts the Three Wise Men gave to Jesus when he was a baby. There have been debates about whether or not a Christmas tree is religious or not. USA Today says, “The thing about Christmas trees is, if you look at their long history, there’s a great deal of religious significance attached to them.”

Jesus Christ wasn’t exactly born on December 25th, the Bible never specified when he was born, Pope Julius chose the day.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah (means dedication) has other spellings like; Hanukka (Feast of Dedication), Chanukah (Festival of Lights), and Chanukkah (Feast of Maccabees). Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. Every day of the holiday, people who celebrate light a candle to represent the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. For 2020, The days celebrated are December 10-December 18 this year. 

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26-January 1. This holiday is an African-American and pan-African holiday. It was created in 1996 by Maulana Karenga.

They wanted this holiday to celebrate family, community, and culture. During this time, families and communities organize a bunch of activities around The Seven Principles: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work/Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. These families and communities also have feasts.