Beyond Christmas

The holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to connect with loved ones, share gifts, and spend time with family and friends… And while everyone is celebrating their own traditions, why not take advantage of the occasion to discover the holiday customs of other cultures?

Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration that recalls the reclaiming of Israel in 164 BC and is celebrated starting on the 25^th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (in 2007, this falls on December 5^th). Hanukkah means “dedication“. After three years of fighting in refusal to worship the Greek religion imposed on them, the Judean army entered Jerusalem and re-dedicated the Holy Temple. They did so by lighting a menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum, with pure olive oil blessed by a priest. The menorah was to remain lit day and night, but the Jews were only able to find enough olive oil capable of keeping the menorah lit for one day. In a miraculous turn, however, the menorah remained lit for a full eight days, giving them ample time to search for more oil.

The number eight is the holiday’s magic number and olive oil holds a sacred significance even today. The lighting of the menorah remains a Hanukkah tradition—it is also known as “the festival of lights”—with eight candles being lit with the use of a ninth candle, one on each day for a span of eight days. During Hanukkah celebrations, many fried dishes are consumed, including potato pancakes, as well as doughnuts filled with marmalade.

Kwanzaa
African-Americans celebrate Kwanzaa to reaffirm their traditions, their origins and their hard-earned civil rights. The holiday was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, an African-American professor and ardent defender of Black American rights. Kwanzaa is widely-spreading throughout the United States—according to the New York Times, more than 18 million Americans celebrate it annually! It doesn’t rely on any religion or politics, so it avoids many family quarrels during reunions.

Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 22nd to January 1st, when people offer gifts and decorate their homes with African imprints in red, green and black—the official colours of the holiday. The goal? To re-acquaint oneself with African customs and values. The celebrations lead up to an enormous family feast on the night of December 31st.

Canadian Christmas
In Canada, Christmas has a quaint, old-time feel to it. Most families decorate the outside of their homes with twinkle lights that sparkle in the winter night, as well as streamers and balls hanging from the Christmas tree indoors. In Quebec, the Catholic religion gave way for the custom of midnight mass, which is now held at around 7 or 8 p.m. Mass attracts non-practicing people and celebrates the transition of darkness to light.

On the menu, Canadians often eat turkey stuffed with ground meat and cranberry sauce. Traditions, however, vary between provinces. Did you know that in Newfoundland and in Nova Scotia, people dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for candy, like on Halloween? In British Columbia, smoked salmon comes with the turkey, in Quebec, chocolate cake comes in the form of a Yule log, and in Labrador, residents go fishing and profits go towards the less fortunate.