'Tis the season to celebrate more than Christmas

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Christmas is traditionally a Christian festival, celebrated annually by billions of people religiously and culturally. For most, what comes to mind: is gift giving, caroling, Christmas music, an advent calendar, pine trees, bright lights and big turkey meals. Kissing somebody under the mistletoe and having a cup of eggnog after? Scratch that! For some, none of this is relevant during the winter holiday with the many alternative holidays that take place around the world. Households are decorated with art, colourful traditional cloth and fresh fruits. Musical performances are popular especially during this celebration, drumming and artistic performances being two of the many creative celebrations.

DIWALI October or November

India, being an agricultural society, celebrates Diwali as a harvest festival, marking the last harvest of the year before winter. People seek blessings from the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, for an upcoming successful year financially. This five-day festival marks the victory of good over evil and is also known as the festival of lights. Indians celebrate with family gatherings, clay lamps, fireworks, bonfires and the distribution of sweets. On the first day of Diwali, celebrators take the time to clean and renovate their homes and shop for gold. Diyas, or clay lamps, are used to decorate homes along with design patterns on floors called rangoli using coloured powders or sands. The lights symbolize the inner light that protects people from spiritual darkness. The main day of the festival is the third, when families gather together for a prayer to goddess Lakshmi with feasts and firework shows following. The fourth day marks the beginning of the new year, which entail families and friends visiting each other in their homes, bringing gifts and well wishes. On the final day, brothers visit their married sisters for a warm meal together. In 2017, Diwali will be celebrated on 19th of October.

FESTIVUS December 23rd

This occasion was given meaning through the sit-com Seinfeld, and is celebrated as a parody holiday for those who do not wish to participate in the festive pressures and commercialization of Christ-mas. The original appearance of this holiday came from the 1997 episode, “The Strike”. On Seinfeld, celebrations included a dinner, a plain naked aluminum pole in replacement of the usual Christmas pine tree, and engaging in practices such as the “airing of grievances”, “feats of strength” and identifying easily explainable events as “miracles”. The airing of grievances takes place after dinner and en-tails each participating member to release through ranting all their disappointments of the year, including of others and the world. Feats of strength take place immediately after the head of each household selects one person and challenges them to a wrestling match. The Festivus holiday does not come to a conclusion until the head of the household has been pinned.

HANUKKAH November-December

People of the Jewish faith celebrate this holiday to commemorate the historical triumph of faith and military courage when Israelites stood up for their right to be Jewish. It is about God’s protection of the Israelites and the miracles that took place in history during that day. During the rebellion, history has said that the Holy Temple was purified and the wicks of the traditional nine-branched candelabrum, the Hanukkah, burned for eight days despite the fact that there was only enough sacred oil for one day’s worth of lighting. Therefore this holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication, is eight nights and days, and begins on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. Dates can fall any time between late November to late December. The festival is celebrated by lighting candles on the menorah, burning an additional light each new day. Special songs are sung, the Hallel prayer is recited and cultural foods that are popular during the special occasion are oil-based foods such as latkes and doughnuts. It is important to know that Hanukkah is not considered the “Jewish Christmas”.

KWANZAA Dec. 26 to Jan. 1

African Americans celebrate this week-long festival to honour their culture through a large feast and gift-giving. The Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles of Kwanzaa, has been practiced during this special holiday as a way to be mindful of the world by giv-ing identity, purpose and direction. A child lights a candle on the candleholder, the Kinara, each night of the week as the family gets together and discuss-es a new principle each night: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith). Each principle follows concepts to contribute in building community among African-Americans, such as believing that a better world can be created for current communities and those in the future under the final principle, Imani. Households are decorated with art, colourful traditional cloth and fresh fruits. Musical performances are popular especially during this celebration, drumming and artistic performances being two of the many creative celebrations.

PANCHA GANAPATI Dec. 21 to 25

Created in 1985 by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a Western convert, Pancha Ganapati is a modern five-day Hindu festival celebrated in honour of Lord Ganesha as a Hindu alternative to December holidays such as Christmas. The significance of the holiday is in reflecting on the importance of a new beginning and mending of past mistakes. A shrine is created in the main living room of participating homes, featuring a large wooden or bronze statue of Lord Ganesha. Banana leaves, flashing lights, tinsel and colourful hanging ornaments may be added as decoration. The Ganesha is dressed in different colours each day: golden yellow on Dec. 21, royal blue on the 22, ruby red the following day, emerald green on the second last and orange to end off. The five colours also represent his powers, also known as shaktis.

RAMADAN May 27, 2017 - June 24, 2017

On the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when the Quran, a symbol of mankind’s guidance and the criterion of right and wrong was revealed, people of the Muslim faith participate in Ramadan. The month is spent by fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. While fasting, Muslims are encouraged to refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, engaging in sexual relations and con-ducting behaviour that could be considered sinful, such as lying or cursing. Food and drinks are served before dawn and after sunset. This celebration is viewed as a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased worship. The act of fasting is done as a way to redirect the heart away from harmful impurities by teaching self-discipline, self-control and empathy for those less fortunate.