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| Robert Dilenschneider |
The holidays this year will arrive in a joyful confluence. The national celebration of Christmas comes, of course, on December 25th. Hanukkah begins when the sun sets on Christmas Day, lasting until sundown on January 2nd. And Kwanzaa starts, as always, on the day after Christmas, continuing through January 1st.
There are many special things about these holidays. Here are some fun facts:
• Kwanzaa is an American-created holiday, designed to strengthen Black unity while honoring traditional African values.
• It was established in 1966 as a cultural, not a religious celebration. The name is derived from the Swahili word for “first.”
• As with Christmas and Hanukkah, gifts are given during Kwanzaa, a wonderful feature of these special holidays.
• The word Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew for "dedication." The eight days and nights of this Festival of Lights celebrate the reopening of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C.
• The menorah which is such a prominent feature of Hanukkah gets its name from the Hebrew word for "lamp," which is why it has come to symbolize for many universal enlightenment.
• The dreidel is another Hanukkah tradition. Legend has it that ancient Jews used the spinning top as a study aid while memorizing Torah passages to outwit Greek authorities who had outlawed such learning.
• Although Christmas is celebrated on December 25th by millions around the world, there are many branches of Christianity that mark other dates — for example, January 6th for the Armenian Orthodox faithful.
• It was the Dutch during the Middle Ages who came up with a magical, gift-bearing visitor they called Sinter Klaas. The name honored Saint Nicholas, whose generosity to the poor during the fourth century inspired the idea of giving presents.
• When the Dutch established New Amsterdam in 1624, Sinter Klaas came along with them. When the British took over in 1664, the city was renamed New York and Sinter Klaas acquired his cognate English name — Santa Claus! The rest is history.
Enjoy the season and let us keep Peace on Earth and Good Will to All.
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Robert L. Dilenschneider is the Founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, an international communications firm.
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