With the end of December approaching fast and the new year right around the corner, there’s always lots to look forward to. For many, this time of year is filled with lots of excitement, especially for all the upcoming holidays. While many different holidays fall around this time they all seem to share a common theme: families uniting over food. So no matter what culture or country you come from, we all share the love for uniting over a meal with family and friends.
Christmas –
One of the most commonly celebrated holidays around this time, Christmas, takes place on December 25th. Christmas, which is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, is observed by nearly 90 percent of people in the U.S. and nearly 96 percent of Christians worldwide. For many, this holiday is a joyous time right before the new year, where gifts are exchanged, trees are strung with lights, and meals are shared. Some of the most common foods enjoyed around this time include turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pie, and Christmas pudding. But Christmas dinner is more than just the food; for many, it’s a time to foster a sense of community, bring family together, and take a moment to give thanks.
Christmas is also an important holiday for many students here at Millbrook. Sophomore Stella Cox says of Christmas that she could be doing “anything but there’s something special about that once a year time with your family.” For Junior Marie Falkenrath, it’s also about family and tradition. She says that her favorite thing to do around the holidays is to “make pies every year from a family recipe.”
Hanukkah –
Celebrated around the same time as Christmas, Hanukkah is a Jewish religious holiday that takes place over 8 days. Often referred to as the “Festival of Lights,” the holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem by lighting a candle on the Menorah each night of the holiday. The Menorah is a candelabra and is a significant symbol in Judaism. Aside from the many traditions done over the 8 days, many culturally important foods are feasted on, such as latkes. Latkes are traditional shredded potato pancakes that are crispy on the outside with a tender inside. Aside from latkes, some other commonly eaten foods include Brisket, Kugel (sweet egg noodle casserole commonly served as a side dish), and Sufganiyot (deep-fried dough filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar).
Lunar New Year –
Another holiday that falls a couple of weeks after December, around the end of January or February, is the Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year is fifteen days long and widely celebrated around the world, with many celebrating in the U.S, but the holiday’s main celebrations take place in China. For those who observe this holiday, it marks the arrival of spring and the start of the new year on the lunisolar calendar. The holiday is thousands of years old and has traditions dating back centuries. Releasing lanterns, wearing red, and buying new clothes are some of the most common. But aside from just these traditions, one of the main ideas of this holiday revolves around gathering on New Year’s Eve for a family reunion dinner. At these dinners you can expect to see many families enjoying dishes such as fish, noodles, chinese dumplings, and more. Though for the families celebrating, this is more than just food and a purpose to get together, these dishes all symbolize different things and are believed to influence your year ahead. For example, meals like noodles are meant to symbolize longevity and happiness, while fish and dumplings represent prosperity and wealth going into the new year.
So no matter how you’re celebrating, remember: while across the world and the U.S, many holidays are celebrated this time of year, we all still seem to share a common theme: honoring tradition and uniting families and friends alike through food.
