Welcome
Well minna it's the month of December, and you know what that means! It's time to celebrate various winter festivities! So what are some of the holidays people are celebrating you ask? Let's take a look shall we? Please feel free to add to this. 3nodding
Christmas:
From the Old English 'Cristes Mæsse' ~ meaning the 'mass of Christ' ~ the story of Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem.
It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures.
The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe.
His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre.
Hanukkah:
Also spelled: Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for 8 days.
Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, but the starting date on the western calendar varies from year to year. The holiday celebrates the events which took place over 2,300 years ago in the land of Judea, which is now Israel
The letters on the dreidel, Nun, Gimmel, Hey and Shin, stand
for the Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which means A Great Miracle Happened There.
Kwanza:
Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration of African culture, was started in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University. Celebrated from December 26 through January 1, Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest" in the African language Kiswahili, is meant to honor African heritage as well as present day life in America.
Contrary to popular belief, Kwanzaa is not a substitute for Christmas. It is a time for families to join together and pledge their commitment to fully participating in and contributing to American society, and a time to unify black Americans as a people.
Kwanzaa is based on seven principles called "Nguzo Saba": unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. During each day of Kwanzaa, one of these principles is celebrated, through gifts that reinforce the daily principle and through a daily candle lighting of the kinara. Typical gifts include books written by and about Africans, cultural and educational toys, and crafts and dolls. The kinara, a seven-branch candelabra, consists of one black, three red and three green candles, symbolizing unity, bloodshed and freedom respectively.
Kwanzaa culminates in a big feast on the last evening of the holiday, on December 31. Called Karamu, it is celebrated with festive songs, dance, toasts, prayers, and a feast of foods.
Bodhi Day:
Traditionally, Bodhi Day (also known as Bodhi in Sanskrit or Pali) commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gotama, experienced enlightenment and found the roots of suffering after sitting and meditating under a pipul tree. When Siddhartha was enlighted, he became a Buddha or "Awakened One", finally found the answers he sought and experienced Nirvana.
Bodhi Day is not as popularly celebrated as Wesak Day, both celebrating the Birth of the Buddha, or Nirvana Day, celebrating the passing of the Buddha; however, it is still observed in many mainstream Mahayana traditions including the traditional Zen and Pureland Buddhist schools of China, Korea and Japan. In Japanese Zen, it is also known as Rohatsu. In Tendai and other Japanese sects, it is called either Shaka-Jōdō-e (釈迦成道会?) or simply Jōdō-e (成道会?).
Services and traditions vary amongst Buddhist sects, but all such services commemorate the Buddha's achievement of Nirvana, and what this means for Buddhism today. Individuals may choose to commemorate the event through additional meditation, study of the Dharma, chanting of Buddhist texts (sutras), or performing kind acts towards other beings. Some Buddhists celebrate with a traditional meal of tea, cake, and readings.
Traditionally, it is celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month in East Asian countries that still observe the Chinese calendar. However in Japan, it is observed on the Gregorian date of December 8, a result of Westernization during the Meiji Restoration (1862–1869).
The word Rōhatsu (臘八) is Japanese and literally means 8th Day of the 12th Month. It is typical for Zen monks and layman followers to stay up all evening in the night before Rohatsu practicing meditation and the holiday is often preceded by an intensive sesshin.
Well minna it's the month of December, and you know what that means! It's time to celebrate various winter festivities! So what are some of the holidays people are celebrating you ask? Let's take a look shall we? Please feel free to add to this. 3nodding
Christmas:
From the Old English 'Cristes Mæsse' ~ meaning the 'mass of Christ' ~ the story of Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem.
It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures.
The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe.
His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre.
Hanukkah:
Also spelled: Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for 8 days.
Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, but the starting date on the western calendar varies from year to year. The holiday celebrates the events which took place over 2,300 years ago in the land of Judea, which is now Israel
The letters on the dreidel, Nun, Gimmel, Hey and Shin, stand
for the Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which means A Great Miracle Happened There.
Kwanza:
Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration of African culture, was started in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University. Celebrated from December 26 through January 1, Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest" in the African language Kiswahili, is meant to honor African heritage as well as present day life in America.
Contrary to popular belief, Kwanzaa is not a substitute for Christmas. It is a time for families to join together and pledge their commitment to fully participating in and contributing to American society, and a time to unify black Americans as a people.
Kwanzaa is based on seven principles called "Nguzo Saba": unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. During each day of Kwanzaa, one of these principles is celebrated, through gifts that reinforce the daily principle and through a daily candle lighting of the kinara. Typical gifts include books written by and about Africans, cultural and educational toys, and crafts and dolls. The kinara, a seven-branch candelabra, consists of one black, three red and three green candles, symbolizing unity, bloodshed and freedom respectively.
Kwanzaa culminates in a big feast on the last evening of the holiday, on December 31. Called Karamu, it is celebrated with festive songs, dance, toasts, prayers, and a feast of foods.
Bodhi Day:
Traditionally, Bodhi Day (also known as Bodhi in Sanskrit or Pali) commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gotama, experienced enlightenment and found the roots of suffering after sitting and meditating under a pipul tree. When Siddhartha was enlighted, he became a Buddha or "Awakened One", finally found the answers he sought and experienced Nirvana.
Bodhi Day is not as popularly celebrated as Wesak Day, both celebrating the Birth of the Buddha, or Nirvana Day, celebrating the passing of the Buddha; however, it is still observed in many mainstream Mahayana traditions including the traditional Zen and Pureland Buddhist schools of China, Korea and Japan. In Japanese Zen, it is also known as Rohatsu. In Tendai and other Japanese sects, it is called either Shaka-Jōdō-e (釈迦成道会?) or simply Jōdō-e (成道会?).
Services and traditions vary amongst Buddhist sects, but all such services commemorate the Buddha's achievement of Nirvana, and what this means for Buddhism today. Individuals may choose to commemorate the event through additional meditation, study of the Dharma, chanting of Buddhist texts (sutras), or performing kind acts towards other beings. Some Buddhists celebrate with a traditional meal of tea, cake, and readings.
Traditionally, it is celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month in East Asian countries that still observe the Chinese calendar. However in Japan, it is observed on the Gregorian date of December 8, a result of Westernization during the Meiji Restoration (1862–1869).
The word Rōhatsu (臘八) is Japanese and literally means 8th Day of the 12th Month. It is typical for Zen monks and layman followers to stay up all evening in the night before Rohatsu practicing meditation and the holiday is often preceded by an intensive sesshin.
