When I take my dog, Zoe, out for a brief walk in the evening, I am warmed by the burst of lights piercing the darkness on my street. Neighbors are celebrating Christmas and showcasing their joy. Wreaths hang on front doors, and various symbols of the season decorate the front lawns. My outward celebration is minimal. Festive garden flags on my front lawn bravely withstand the winds that have blown through town recently. Inwardly, I celebrate the joy I experience from the love, kindness, and hope on the faces of people I see.
The entire month of December is a time for celebrating birthdays, whether it is the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in a small town in the Levant more than 2000 years ago or the birth of a new season, such as the Winter Solstice on December 21st.
An energetic shift brings the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. We’ve moved steadily toward the Solstice, as afternoons turn quickly into evenings, causing darkness at 5:00 PM. The Solstice marks the official start of winter in the northern hemisphere, bringing the shortest day and the longest night of the year and signaling the gradual return of light.
In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight.
New life develops in darkness and emerges to bask in the light. Birthdays are auspicious beginnings of life on the planet; they have both beginnings and endings, reminding us of darkness and urging us to be grateful for the light in life. Tuesday, December 17, was the birthday of my late daughter, and today, December 20, is my grandson's birthday, giving me reasons to celebrate birth and life.
Celebrations are about love, community, and faith. Through the birth of inspiration, the miracles of existence and survival, and the power of community, life has meaning, purpose, and joy.
Christianity
Jesus came to earth to preach the Good News, to give people an understanding of the Kingdom of God and eternal hope through his divinity. He was delighted to preach the news among the impoverished, the weak, the hurting, and the rejected in society. Those who came into his presence experienced his loving kindness and compassion.
The Christian celebration of Jesus’ birth more than 2000 years ago is the birth of Love and a rededication to hope and faith. So the story goes, Love did not enter life in lavish surroundings or arrive in a peaceful political environment for Jewish people but entered life with a purpose that attracted wise people from other parts of the known world.
At first, the celebration was humble, but as Love fulfilled its purpose, the ancient world was illuminated. In the Western world, we now give gifts to celebrate, express love, and share kindness during Christmas. Acts of giving and sharing reflect a rededication to the spirit of love and compassion.
Our primary purpose in life is to be who we are: expressions of Love. Jesus of Nazareth pointed to the possibility of peace through purposeful living and faith. Those who understand whom he pointed to and what he represented experience the blessings of Love.
Judaism
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates the rededication of the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees reclaimed it from the Syrian Greeks in 165 BCE. The holiday lasts eight days, with one candle of the menorah lit each night, symbolizing the miracle where a single day's supply of oil lasted for eight days in the Temple.
Hanukkah brings light, joy, and warmth during the darkest season of the year, and celebrations often include family gatherings, singing songs, playing the dreidel game, and enjoying foods fried in oil, such as latkes and leek patties. Modern observances also emphasize charitable giving and a commitment to tikkun olam, repairing the world.
We celebrate light in the darkness, which helps us endure challenges with resilience. The miracle of life is the Loving Presence throughout our struggles and the joy that awaits us when we are mindful of the temporary nature of unpleasantness we face.
African American Heritage and Culture
Kwanzaa, a Swahili word that means “first fruits,” is a secular celebration that anyone can enjoy. Kwanzaa is a time of learning, family, and celebration. During the week of Kwanzaa, from December 26 until January 1, families and communities come together to share a feast, honor ancestors, affirm the bonds between them, and celebrate African and African American culture.
Maulana Karenga, an inspired Black activist and professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966 to preserve, revitalize, and promote African American culture; unite and empower the African American bonds of community and to reaffirm the Seven Principles.
Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the seven principles. A kinara holds seven candles, one for each principle. One candle is lit each day on the kinara during the celebration and rededication. The seven principles are:
Umoja (Unity)
Kujichagulia (Self-determination)
Ujima (Collective work and responsibility)
Ujamaa (Cooperative economics)
Nia (Purpose)
Kuumba (Creativity)
Imani (Faith)
When we connect during Kwanzaa, we celebrate the harvesting of the fruits of love, respect, resilience, and gratitude. The moral principles remind us of the unique power of community and how values bring a community together.
Celebrations give birth to love, joy, and hope. We rededicate our lives to the light that emerges from them and give thanks for the season's blessings.
To all who celebrate holy days during this winter…
May you be happy, safe, healthy, and live in harmony and peace.
With much love,
Eleanor