What Christmas Is About in the United States

Christmas is not just a holiday or just a time when you get presents. It's about when Christ was born. We exchange gifts because the 3 wisemen brought gifts to the baby and because we are celebrating Jesus's birthday. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th in the United States. We decorate with Christmas trees, pine branches, and poinsettias. We use lots of lights too. The pine represents everlasting life and the lights show that Jesus is the light of the world. You go to sleep on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th and when you wake up your stocking is filled and there are presents under the tree. Who delivered them, Santa Claus. A jolly, fat man with a white beard, who wears a red suit. He travels in a sleigh pulled by 8 flying reindeer. He lives at the North Pole.

Christmas is also a time for families to get together to talk and to eat. The people in the United States come from many different backgrounds so Christmas is celebrated with many different traditions and kinds of food. We eat lots of ham, turkey, and Christmas cookies.

Merry Christmas,
Taylor

KWANZA in the USA

KWANZA is another holiday we celebrate in the United States in December. Kwanza is a seven day African American Festival beginning on December 26th and continuing through New Year's Day. The holiday was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and has been celebrated by more than 18 million people worldwide. Ther are seven symbols of Kwanza: the mat, the unity cup, the crops, the candleholder, the seven candles, the corn, and the gifts. These gifts symbolize unity, self determination, responsibility, cooperation, purpose, creativity, and faith. There are several traditional foods that people eat which include cornbread and sweet potato pie. Kwanza isn't meant to replace Christmas but rather to celebrate African devotion.

Had you heard of Kwanza before you read our report?

Kadijah and Summer

What is Chanukah in the United States?

The Hebrew word Chanukah means "dedication." In the 2nd century BCE, the Syrian-Greek regime of Antiochus sought to pull Jews away from Judaism, with the hopes of assimilating them into Hellenism--Creek culture.

In response, a band of courageous Jews took to the hills of Judea in open revolt against this theat to Jewish life. Antiochus sent thousands of well-armed troops to crush the rebellion--but the Maccabees succeeded in driving the foreeigners from their land.

Jewish fighters entered Jerusalem in December, 164 BCE. The Holy Temple was in shambles, defiled and desecrated by foreign soldiers. When it came time to re-light the Menorah, they searched the entire Temple, but only one small jar of oil bearing the pure seal of the High Priest could be found. Miraculously. the small jar of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply of oil could be brought.
Jacob

From then on, Jews have observerved a holiday for eight days in honor of this historic victory and the miracle of the oil.

Today, the observance of Chanukah features the lighting of a special Chanukah menorah with eight branches (plus a helper candle) , adding one new candle each night. Other customs include spinning the dreidel (a top with Hebrew letters on the sides) , eating "oily" foods like potato latkes (pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) , and giving Chanukah gelt (coins) to Children.