Happy Ramahanukwanzmas

In the spirit of political correctness, I decided to wish all my friends a Happy Ramahanukwanzmis. It covers all the celebrations through out the "holiday" season. And since so many people are forbidden to say Merry Christmas for fear of offending someone, I figured I'd have my bases covered this way. Good thinking, right? Kidding aside, I decided to learn a little more about each of the celebrations covered by my greeting.

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 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays "move" each year. In 2010, Ramadan begins at sundown on August 10.

For more than a billion Muslims around the world-including some 8 million in North America-Ramadan is a "month of blessing" marked by prayer, fasting, and charity. This year Ramadan precedes Christmas and Hanukkah. But while in many places these holidays have become widely commercialized, Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to Allah (God).

FASTING
Muslims practice sawm, or fasting, for the entire month of Ramadan. This means that they may eat or drink nothing, including water, while the sun shines. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam. As with other Islamic duties, all able Muslims take part in sawm from about age twelve.

During Ramadan in the Muslim world, most restaurants are closed during the daylight hours. Families get up early for suhoor, a meal eaten before the sun rises. After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. Iftar usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost.

Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers.

EID AL-FITR
Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which in 2010 occurs on September 9. Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family.

A sense of generosity and gratitude colors these festivities. Although charity and good deeds are always important in Islam, they have special significance at the end of Ramadan. As the month draws to a close, Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques.

Ramadan Dates (beginning at sundown on the evening before the date given)
2010 August 11
2011 August 1
2012 July 20
2013 July 9
2014 June 28
2015 June 18

Hanukkah...

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar.

In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.

THE HANUKKAH STORY
In 168 B.C.E. the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This upset the Jewish people, but many were afraid to fight back for fear of reprisals. Then in 167 B.C.E. the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. He also ordered all Jews to worship Greek gods.

Jewish resistance began in the village of Modiin, near Jerusalem. Greek soldiers forcibly gathered the Jewish villages and told them to bow down to an idol, then eat the flesh of a pig – both practices that are forbidden to Jews. A Greek officer ordered Mattathias, a High Priest, to acquiesce to their demands, but Mattathias refused. When another villager stepped forward and offered to cooperate on Mattathias' behalf, the High Priest became outraged. He drew his sword and killed the villager, then turned on the Greek officer and killed him too. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked the remaining soldiers, killing all of them.

Mattathias and his family went into hiding in the mountains, where other Jews wishing to fight against the Greeks joined them. Eventually they succeeded in retaking their land from the Greeks. These rebels became known as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans.

Once the Maccabees had regained control they returned to the Temple in Jerusalem. By this time it had been spiritually defiled by being used for the worship of foreign gods and also by practices such as sacrificing swine. Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was only one day's worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days.

This is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil that is celebrated every year when Jews light a special menorah known as a hanukkiyah for eight days. One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, two on the second, and so on, until eight candles are lit.

Hanukkah Traditions

Every community has its unique Hanukkah traditions, but there are some traditions that are almost universally practiced. They are: lighting the hanukkiyah, spinning the dreidel and eating fried foods.
* Lighting the hanukkiyah: Every year it is customary to commemorate the miracle of the Hanukkah oil by lighting candles on a hanukkiyah. The hanukkiyah is lit every night for eight nights.
HANUKKAH MENORAH ~
It is customary to light the candles from left to right, with the newest candle being in the leftmost spot. This custom arose so that the candle for the first night would not always be lit before the others, which might be taken to symbolize that the first night was more important than the other nights of Hanukkah. It is also customary to place the lit hanukkiyah in a window so that passersby will see it and be reminded of the miracle of the Hanukkah oil. It is forbidden to use the light of the hanukkiyah for any other purpose – for instance, to light the dinner table or to read by.
* Spinning the dreidel: A popular Hanukkah game is spinning the dreidel, which is a four-sided top with Hebrew letters written on each side. Gelt, which are chocolate coins covered with tin foil, are part of this game.
* Eating fried foods: Because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil, it is traditional to eat fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot during the holiday. Latkes are pancakes made out of potatoes and onions, which are fried in oil and then served with applesauce. Sufganiyot (singular: sufganiyah) are jelly-filled donuts that are fried and sometimes dusted with confectioners’ sugar before eating.

Kwanzaa...

Here are the different symbols, and their significance associated with Kwanzaa.
1. TABLE CLOTH/ THE BLACK NATIONAL FLAG (BENDERA).
2. MKEKA - Straw Mat/ Symbolizes our African traditions and history.
3. KINARA - Candle Holder (for seven candles)/Symbolizes the continent of Africa, our place of origin and roots. When putting the candles in the Kinara, the 3 red candles are placed on the left side. The 3 green candles are placed on the right. The single black candle is placed in the center and is the candle which will be lit first. On each day of Kwanzaa a new candle will be lit as a symbol of the Kwanzaa Nguzo or principle of that day. The candles will be lit in alternating colors. First the black candle is lit, then the farthest left red candle, then the farthest right green candle, then the next red, then next green, then the last red, and then the final green.
4. MISHUMAA SABA - Seven Candles (1 BLACK, 3 RED, 3 GREEN)/Symbolize the seven principles of Kwanza.
5. MAZAO - Crops/ Symbolize the historical roots of Kwanzaa as a harvest-type/first fruits celebration.
6. MUHUNDI OR VIBUNZI - Ears of corn (at least one)/Symbolize the offspring the children.
7. KIKOMBI CHA UMOJA - Unity Cup/Symbolizes the First Principle of Kwanzaa and is used for pouring libation.
8. NGUZO SABA POSTER - The Seven Principles Poster/Symbolize the key role they play in kwanza.
9. ZAWADI - Gifts (African history-cultural books and/or heritage symbols) Symbolize the key role of education and culture in Kwanzaa.

The Seven Days of Kwanzaa and their meaning.
Umoja (Unity)
Kujichagulia (Self-determination)
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Nia (Purpose)
Kuumba (Creativity)
Imani (Faith)
~~~~~
UMOJA
Umoja (ooh-MOE-jah) means Unity, and it is the principle for the first day of Kwanzaa. Our families and communities need unity in order for them to be productive and to survive. On this day, we pledge to strive for -- and to maintain -- unity in the family, in the community, in the nation that we have helped to build, and with our PEOPLE.
~~~~~
KUJICHAGULIA
Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-ah) means self-determination and is the second day of Kwanzaa. On this day, we pledge to define ourselves, to NAME ourselves, to create for ourselves, and to speak for ourselves, instead of being defined, named by, created for and spoken for by others. On this day we design for ourselves a positive future and then vow to make that prophecy -- that DREAM -- a self-fulfilling one.
~~~~~
UJIMA
Ujima (ooh-GEE-mah) is the third day of Kwanzaa and means "collective work and responsibility." On this day we celebrate working together in the community to help others. For Ujima, we pledge to rebuild our communities and to help our people solve our own problems by working together to do it.
~~~~~
UJAMAA
Ujamaa (OOH-jah mah) means cooperative economics and is the fourth day of Kwanzaa. On this day of Kwanzaa, we pledge to develop our own businesses and to support them, to maintain shops, stores and industry that contribute to the well-being of our community and to drive out businesses (boycott, etc.) that take FROM our communities and give nothing back.
~~~~~
NIA
Nia (NEE-ah) is the fifth day of Kwanzaa and it means "purpose". On this day, we pledge to build and develop our communities, our schools and our families. We also pledge to provide a strong communal foundation from which our children can develop into strong and productive people.
~~~~~
KUUMBA
Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) is the sixth day of Kwanzaa, and it means "creativity." On this day, we pledge several things. We pledge to do whatever we can to make our communities and homes more beautiful and better than we found them. We also pledge to use our creative talents and energies to improve young minds and hearts.
~~~~~
Imani
Imani (ee-MAH-nee) is the seventh and last day of Kwanzaa. Imani means faith. On this day, the beginning of the new year we pledge to believe with all our hearts and minds in our people, our parents, our good and dedicated teachers and leaders, and in the greater good of the work we do with and for one another, for the community
and for the PEOPLE.

Christmas...

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

While there are many symbols for Christmas, here is a little explanation for the most common... And Santa whispered, "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas…"
* The Star: A heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.
* The Color Red: The first color of Christmas, symbolizing that Savior's sacrifice for all.
* The Fir Tree: Evergreen- the second color of Christmas shows everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.
* The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes.
* The Candle: A mirror of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star of Bethlehem.
* The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.
* The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.
* The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love… having no end.