Christmas and winter holidays

 Christmas and all of the winter holidays, past and present!

Winter solstice, which we talked about yesterday, is only the beginning of the winter holidays. This year Google celebrated the winter solstice with a little doodle you can see above, that was on their website yesterday. There are many modern and ancient holidays to choose from in December, as well as the traditional Christian holiday that most of us celebrate, Christmas. As many of us know, the holiday of Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, whom many people throughout the world consider to be the savior, or a kind of ultimate super hero that gives us a way out of bad behavior called sin. Jesus was Jewish and he himself possibly celebrated another important December holiday called Hanukah. This Jewish celebration is not one of the most holy days in the Jewish calendar, but it important and does involve giving presents like Christmas. It celebrates an uprising called the Second Maccabean revolt against the non-Jewish rulers of Israel, when the Jewish people drove their rulers out of Jerusalem about 200 BC and then lit candles in their holy temple to celebrate. This is where the Menorah, a kind of candle holder, comes from. You may have seen this symbol in stores or other places. 

In ancient Rome, there was a very important holiday called Saturnalia that occurred in the week before Christmas. It celebrated the god Saturn, who was the god of agriculture. In ancient Rome during this holiday, slaves and masters exchanged roles, people had parties and gave each other the greeting "Io Saturnalia!", similar to "Merry Christmas". Another later Roman holiday around Christmas was the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which celebrated a Roman god called Sol Invictus, the 'unconquered sun'. The birth of the sun was celebrated in the later Roman empire on December 25, the same days as Christmas.

 

Saturnalia

There are and were many holidays around the world at this time. Christmas and Kwanzaa, Hanukah and soon the East Asian lunar New Year celebrated in Chinese areas, Japan, Vietnam and Korea. Some holidays are very ancient and some are newer. Hopefully this year we will be able to celebrate whichever one we choose in a safe and happy environment. 

 

Question: which winter holiday do you prefer?

 

 Hanukkah 2020: When it is and what to know (no, it's not the 'Jewish Christmas')

 

Winter Solstice Is Here: The Beautiful Astronomy of Christmas  

 

'MAS-SIVE CELEBRATION When is Christmas Day, how was the date chosen, where is Bethlehem and what are frankincense and myrrh? 

 

Saturnalia: The December Festival of Joy and Merriment in Ancient Rome