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A Feast of Festivals
The Christmas music, decorations, and advertisements are well underway – for some retailers it began before the end of October! The following is a snapshot of the similarities between various celebrations; however, it is not exhaustive. There are additional celebrations at this time of year, and much more depth to those listed.
Christmas
History: Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ though actual date of Christ’s birth is disputable and it has been suggested that the date is a replacement for pagan traditions celebrating the winter solstice. Current North American traditions of family and peace initiated in the Victorian era. Christmas is celebrated with various different traditions around the world.
Date: December 25th
Gift Tradition: Gifts are brought to children by some version of Santa Claus, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, etc. and gifts are exchanged between family members and friends. Candles: Originally a Lutheran custom from Eastern Germany, four candles are placed in an Advent wreath and one is burned each week during Advent.
Kwanzaa
History: Started in 1966 in California, this celebration is celebrated by many African-Americans/Canadians, in fact up to eighteen million participants worldwide. It is not a substitute for Christmas but rather focuses on the traditional African values of community responsibility, family, commerce, and self-improvement. There is one principle for each of the seven days of the celebration.
Dates: December 26 – January 1
Gift Tradition: Gifts, especially homemade, are given on the seventh day, particularly to children to promote and reward accomplishments and commitments kept.
Candles: Red and green candles representing the principles are lit each day, alternatively starting from left to right.
Chanukah (Hannukah)
History: Commemorates the miracle of one day’s worth of oil burning continuously for eight days after the Jews defeated the Syrian armies to rededicate the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. Celebrated for eight days and eight nights.
Date: Begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (which falls in November-December on the Gregorian [Western] calendar).
Gift Tradition: Gifts are exchanged each of the eight nights.
Candles: The first candle is lit on the Menorah on the first night. Subsequent candles are lit from left to right on each of the successive nights during Chanukah.
Ramadan
History: A holy month marking the day fourteen centuries ago when the Holy Spirit began transmitting God’s message to the prophet Mohammad. Muslims around the world observe a month of fasting, spiritual reflection, and community and family bonds.
Date: Ramadan is based on the Islamic calendar, which is lunar and is off-set from the Gregorian calendar. The month is 29 to 30 days in length (as with most lunar months) and may occur in summer or winter.
Gift Tradition: Part of the traditions involves serving others and the community including donations of time and/or money. Ramadan ends with a three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Fast-Breaking) where celebrations are made with family and friends and gifts are exchanged (particularly for children).
Wording can be especially exclusive at this time of year. Remember that wishing someone a Merry Christmas is not necessarily accurate at best and may be offensive at worst. Hosting a Christmas lunch leaves out any employees not celebrating that particular holiday as well. Your choice of words goes a long way in demonstrating the respect you have for other’s cultural practices, including the agnostics.
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Heather Colquhoun is the Director, Training & Development at Kaleidoscopic Consulting, a training and consulting company specializing in elevating organizations to peak performance through conflict management, diversity awareness, and teambuilding. She can be reached at 416. 238.7454, by email at Heather@kscopic.ca or via the Web site at www.kscopic.ca.
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