What Our Holidays Have In Common
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HOW TO DO IT
Briefly explain some common holidays and what they have in common, such as:
- Christmas: Celebrated by Christians to mark the birthday of Jesus.
- Hanukkah: The Jewish people celebrate the miracle of one day's supply of holy oil that burned miraculously for eight days.
- Kwanzaa: Observed by Africans and African-Americans to celebrate family and the principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
What they have in Common:
- Many people celebrate holidays at the same time of the year.
- Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are celebrated towards the end of the year. While Christmas and Kwanzaa start December 25 and 26, respectively, Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, which usually falls in December.
- Holiday symbols are often alike.
Candles are symbolic in all three celebrations, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa
- Christians use electric lights on their Christmas trees, but they used to use candles to represent the stars in the night.
- For Hanukkah, eight candles are lit, one for each day of Hanukkah to remember the miracle of the eternal flame which burnt for eight days with only one day's worth of oil. The candles are placed in a Menorah.
- In the Kwanzaa celebration, there are seven candles that represent the seven principles of African culture. The Kinara, or candelabra, is placed on a straw mat called the Mkeka.
- In all three celebrations today, gifts are exchanged with an emphasis on giving to children.
- There are traditional foods eaten at each celebration, all symbolizing the reasons for the particular celebration.
- Christmas time, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are all a time for families to celebrate together.