Hanukkah and Christmas are two very important celebrations to many cultures. Hanukkah is mostly celebrated by the Jewish, whereas Christmas is celebrated by Christians and other members of society that don't have a specific religion. Throughout, this will look at the differences between the two. These being; the religious aspects of them both, the date differences of the celebrations, the cultural background behind them and symbols that represent these celebrations. In 165 B.C., on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, the Jewish rebel forces known as the Maccabees successfully reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem from the Greek forces that had occupied it since 168 B.C. The Temple had been defiled by the worship of pagan gods like Zeus, and by practices such as the sacrificing of pigs upon the altar. Besides being non-kosher, pigs have a uniquely infamous significance under Jewish law, according to Chabad.org, and the Maccabees were intent upon the purification of the Temple. To accomplish the purification, the Maccabees wanted to burn ritual oil on the Temple's menorah for eight days, but they were only able to find enough oil in the Temple to keep the menorah lit for one day. Miraculously, the menorah remained lit for the entire eight days, and the Jews have celebrated the successful rededication of the Temple ever since.
Christmas can have many meaning to different people depending on how they interpret it. However, if looking at the Christian aspect of it. The
Christmas like Thanksgiving believe it or not, do happen to share many traits. One major factor that the two own is the warmth and love of bringing family and close friends together. It’s the few times a year that everyone has a reason to all gather around to
There is no doubt that Christmas is a religious event but nowadays Christmas becomes more commercialized, as it has been defined as a high consumption season because the gifts giving culture becomes the most important part of Christmas and the consumers want to please their children
Hanukkah is located in Israel. This year it starts on Tuesday, December 12 and ends on Wednesday, December 20. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, so it's a religious holiday. One tradition that people do to celebrate Hanukkah is to light up candles on the menorah. They also eat things like latkes, or potato pancakes which is a favorite food to eat. During Hanukkah in each of the eight nights, a candle is lit in a special menorah called a "hanukkiyah". There are nine candles lit during the hanukkiyah. Eight for every night and a special one called the shammish or servant candle to light the other candles. The shammish is often in the center of the candles and has a higher position. The eight candles symbolize the number of days that the temple latern
Each culture has its way of celebrating Christmas. Millions of people celebrate Christmas around the world. It is a very happy occasion which comes with gifts, decorations and the spirit of Christmas. There are some differences between Christmas celebrations in the U.S and Iraq. These differences include the date of celebration, the decorations and the type of food the two cultures serve on Christmas Day.
Hanukkah beings to be celebrated on the 25 Kislev of the Jewish calendar. It celebrates a great Jewish military victory. It also celebrates a miraculous supply of oil for the temple. Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights. The menorah holds nine candles, one for each night and one to light the other candles. Each night one candle is lit. It stays lit until it burns out itself.
As aforementioned, the initial true meaning of Christmas is religion - one that has now been muchly downplayed. Of course at first glance religion is only an important element of Christmas for those who are actually religious, for which then religion plays the dominant role of what Christmas is to them. However, religion means to show obligation to something through faith, it could be argued that the majority of society is actually religious. We follow a society which has
Christmas is a time of gift giving. People who love and follow Jesus give gifts to remember the true "Gift" - Jesus. Unfurling presents also remind us of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and
“I do not doubt that the population of people who are not Christian but still celebrate Christmas has some positive intentions. ….While my family still does these things, most all of us understand that the birth of Christ is exponentially more important than what the media has tried to sell “Christmas”as”.
Have you ever wondered what Christmas is really about? You may say presents, but have you ever noticed the word Christ in Christmas. This is because many years ago there was a baby born in Bethlehem named Jesus. He was born on December 25th. Christmas is all about the birth of our savior Jesus Christ, and also getting together with your family to celebrate.
However, beyond the frolics and countless ways to enjoy Christmas, it is an added joy to think a little more deeply of Jesus' Birth and His Purpose of Being in relationship to us, Christians, the main celebrants.
Christmas isn't just about getting presents, this special holiday is about spending time with your family and making memories that you will always remember. There are many Christmas traditions that people do on Christmas Eve like decorating cookies, eating a traditional Christmas feast, and leaving milk and cookies out for Santa Claus. Christmas is also very important religiously because Jesus was giving birth on this special day so we also celebrate the birth Jesus Christ. On Christmas Eve Santa Claus hops down our break chimneys and delivers small and tall presents under our Christmas Trees and fills our stockings with small toys to enjoy, then he also eats the yummy and delicious treats that we had left for him prior to us going to sleep in our warm and cozy beds.
Many families like the tradition of staying home for Christmas and enjoying the day by sitting next to the Christmas tree drinking hot chocolate, but some families prefer something a little not so traditional. They decide to take a road trip down to Disneyland. There’s many reason why you’d like to go to Disney land during Christmas. One reason is that it’s very beautiful. All the decorations and all the lights they have are truly captivating. Every inch of the castle is draped with beautiful lights that make illuminate the entire park. Also, everyone there is full very friendly and would do anything to make you smile. All ages would enjoy Disney in Christmas, so if your family is not quite sure what to do this Christmas, switch thing up and
Christmas is a holiday that has been celebrated for hundreds of years, but not in the ways you’d think. All around the world, there are different traditions revolving around Christmas, like Father Christmas in Britain and Santa Claus on the North American continent. There are also many foods related to the holiday, such as candy canes, ham, goose, and many more delectable food items from all over the globe. The modern Christmas in North America wasn’t like the ways we remember and celebrate today only a few hundred years ago, because they didn’t even celebrate it in Boston, “In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated.” (History of Christmas). The true history of Christmas is far different from what you might imagine, since Santa Claus was a widely disputed person, from him being, “described as everything from a “rascal” with a blue three-cornered hat, red waistcoat, and yellow stockings,”(Santa Claus) to him being a jolly old elf in a red suit. Even though all the history of Christmas might not be what you think it is, it can still be good to know what the true history of Christmas is. (“History of Christmas”)
Whether you celebrate the story of St. Nicholas or the tradition of Santa Clause both can be tied in to Christianity in some way. God gave us the ultimate gift by giving us his son. Here is where the word Gratitude comes into effect once more. 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7 reads “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Santa gives gifts cheerfully and Christians should too. When Jesus was first born the three wise men brought him gifts. I believe that this is where the tradition of presents first began. Although Christmas is not about
The true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate christ being born and to thank him for dying on the cross for our sins. The gifts are given and received to represent christ giving his life to free our sin. The tree was thrown in a long time ago, i'm not sure it has a meaning but i am sure that it does look gorgeous each year for Christmas. Without jesus we would not be celebrating Christmas.