Blogmas: First Day of Hanukkah

I don't know how many of you belief in Judaism, if any at all, but today is the first day of Hanukkah, and I wanted to give another little history lesson. I'll try not to make this incredibly religious for those of you who don't share the same beliefs. Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is an 8 day celebration during the second century B.C. of the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah's literal translation is "dedication" in Hebrew.

History of Hanukkah
The events that inspired the Hanukkah holiday took place during a particularly turbulent phase of Jewish history. Around 200 B.C., Judea—also known as the Land of Israel—came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.

Hanukkah Traditions

The Hanukkah celebration revolves around the kindling of a nine-branched menorah, known in Hebrew as the hanukiah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown; the ninth candle, called the shamash (“helper”), is used to light the others. Jews typically recite blessings during this ritual and display the menorah prominently in a window as a reminder to others of the miracle that inspired the holiday.In another allusion to the Hanukkah miracle, traditional Hanukkah foods are fried in oil. Potato pancakes (known as latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are particularly popular in many Jewish households. Other Hanukkah customs include playing with four-sided spinning tops called dreidels and exchanging gifts. In recent decades, particularly in North America, Hanukkah has exploded into a major commercial phenomenon, largely because it falls near or overlaps with Christmas. From a religious perspective, however, it remains a relatively minor holiday that places no restrictions on working, attending school or other activities.

Facts found on http://www.history.com/

Blogmas: The History of the Christmas Tree

As the first week of December is coming to an end, I'm sure a lot of you have started decorating for Christmas. One of the biggest decorations, which seems to be quite impossible to forget about, is the Christmas tree. I know a lot of my posts include the process involved with holiday decorating (and there will be many more to come). However, this post is to get a better sense of the background of the Christmas tree. It is something that has become such an important part of our lives each year, and most of us barely even know what it symbolizes or where it came from.

People tend to connect the idea of the Christmas tree with Christianity based solely on the fact that it is called the "Christmas" tree, and Christmas is a Christian belief (try saying that five times fast!). However, the Christmas tree has been around long before the advent of Christianity. Plants that were green year-round held a special meaning to the local villagers. They symbolized hope and new beginning as well as growth during the winter solstice. These were a sign that their Sun God was getting well again after being ill during the cold winter season. The villagers would hang evergreens around their huts just as we do in our homes nowadays. Not only were they used for religious beliefs, they helda strong supernatural belief as well. In many countries, it was believed that evergreens could keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

Germany is credited for the origin of the tradition of the Christmas tree. Beginning in the 16th century, Christians brought decorated trees into their homes to show a sign of respect to God. Many people built pyramid-based structures of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles. Christmas trees were frowned upon, for the most part, as they resembled Paganism. Because of this, the first Christmas tree wasn't displayed until the 1830s by a group of German settlers in Pennsylvania.



In 1659, New England's Puritan's second governor, William Bradford, wanted to use the tree to mock Pagan beliefs, and passed a law that any view on December 25 (which was non-religious) was a penal offense, and those who hung decorations were fined. This continued until the 19th century when the German and Irish undermined the Puritan legacy. In 1846, English rulers Queen Victoria and her German prince, Albert, were sketched in a local newspaper with her subjects around a Christmas tree. By the 1890s ornaments were arriving from Germany and the idea of the Christmas tree spread like wildfire.


Although the Christmas tree is a symbol used throughout the world, the most famous tree is the Rockerfeller tree in New York City. The tradition started during the Depression Era in 1931. Now, the whole country comes together when the tree is lit for the first time, as it is broadcasted on live television with many performers singing, dancing, and getting people in the Christmas spirit. The tree was most recently lit this past Wednesday, December 3, with over 45,000 lights. I love the idea of such a simple thing, like a tree, bring people together not just for religious beliefs, but based on everyday life. It really does make a difference when people put aside their differences and join for the holidays!