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Townsend Chronicles
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December Holidays By Alex Van Dame… There are several religious holidays celebrated in December such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. These holidays are internationally celebrated. They all occur during or around Townsend’s Winter Recess. The Winter Recess goes from December 22-January 2. Christmas is a Christian celebration. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. It is recognized as the birth of Jesus Christ to the virgin, Mary. Jesus Christ was the son of God. He was known as the Messiah. Jesus sacrificed himself for all of the sinners in the world to absolve for their sins. The tree that Christians use represents life. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. Hanukkah is celebrated on a different date each year. This year, it begins on December 21st and will end on the 29th. It celebrates the military victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian tyrant, Antiochus IV. It also celebrates the taking back of the temple that the Syrians had desecrated. The Jewish people relit the “eternal flame” of the temple and only one day’s worth of oil was found, but it miraculously lasted eight days until more oil was brought to the temple. The Jewish use the menorah (a candle holder) to represent the seven channels of spiritual self expression. Each candle represents a days worth of oil. It is, over all, a celebration of survival and religious freedom. Kwanzaa is an African - American holiday. Kwanzaa takes place from December 26 - January 1. It focuses on values like family, community teamwork, and self improvement. It doesn’t have anything to do with politics or religion, contrary to common belief. The kinara, like the menorah, is also a special candleholder. The colors are red, green, and black which represent the African flag. During Kwanzaa, people use the kinara to symbolize their African roots in Africa. Even though it is not a religious holiday, New Year’s Eve is a widely celebrated holiday in America. New Years Eve is a holiday that many Americans celebrate and it is the biggest bash in the world. The government actually recognizes the holiday as New Year’s Day. New Year’s Eve is December 31st every year. These holidays are all parts of people’s lives and everyone can learn something from a different culture. Holidays like Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, and Christmas are times of happiness and fun but are also times of reflection and kinship. Maybe you could find something new about yourself from a new experience. |
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November 2008 520-232-7900 http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/townsend |
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2120 N. Beverly Tucson, AZ 85712 |
