Cultural Celebrations

Leigh-Anne Brown Arizona Daily Wildcat (left to right) Kareen Thermil, John Ryan, Dr. M. Smith Omari, Shalawna Howard and Kamaria Saunders discuss the different holidays celebrated at this time of year at the third annual Holiday Fest held at Manzanita-Mohave last night. Seven different holidays were featured at the celebration, and information was given on the customs of each holiday.

Behind tables decked with symbolic decorations and traditional food, student representatives described their interpretations of seven major holidays marking the third-annual Holiday Fest. In previous years it was held at La Paz Residence Hall.

"We wanted to do something educational and multicultural," said molecular and cellular biology junior Saad Nasim, who organized this year's event.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is 5,000 years old and is the most prominent Chinese holiday. The five-day celebration recognizes the Kitchen God, Tsao-Chun, who is believed to return to heaven at this time to report all the happenings of the past year.

Families feed honey to statues of the god in hopes that he will bring good fortune. They gather to clean the house for purification, rid the area of knives to protect the god and decorate with white narcissus and peach blossoms for luck and longevity.

Boiled dumplings called "po-po" are baked and eaten as gifts are exchanged.

"Children give mandarin oranges to their parents as gifts symbolizing family unity and prosperity," said material science and engineering junior Will Betush, who lived in Singapore, where the holiday is celebrated.

Darkness is met with extravagant fireworks to scare away evil spirits.

The Lantern Festival ends the season with colorful lamps lending brightness to the dark skies as people search for heavenly spirits looming.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits," is a five-day African celebration beginning after the yearly harvests on Dec. 26.

The festival was founded in 1966 and is the only of the seven major winter holidays without a religious basis. The holiday centers around seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith, said chemistry junior Kamaria Saunders, whose Kenyan family celebrates the holiday.

The Kinara, a candelabra, is lit each night in recognition of the principles. Fruit representing hard work and labor is eaten, corn is displayed symbolizing the growth of children and family members drink from the same goblet while speaking the name of a dead loved one.

"In celebrating Kwanzaa I get to learn about the African culture which is a part of me," Saunders said. "It brings the family together."

Ramadan

The ninth month of the Muslim calendar is Ramadan. During the 30-day holiday, traditional believers fast from dawn until dusk and break the fast at night with dates and buttermilk.

Although Ramadan falls during a different month each year, it takes place during the winter this year.

The holiday commemorates the emigration of the Muslim prophet Mohammed and his followers in 622 AD, who left Mecca to avoid persecution, said Nasim, who lived in Saudi Arabia.

Muhammed later returned with reinforcements and took control of the holy city.

The fasting serves to remind Muslims of discipline, generosity and kindness.

"It is a spiritual time to get the family together and exchange gifts," Nasim said.

The fasting ends with a celebration called Eid al-Fitre, when people adorn themselves with traditional garb and pay homage to Allah at the mosque.

Diwali

Diwali, a Hindu holiday celebrating winter, takes place in November. The holiday's roots are based on the ancient story of Prince Rama, who defeats a demon king and, after a 14-year exile, saves his wife.

The holiday is known as the festival of lights because thousands of oil lamps led the king and his wife to safety in their royal city, said pre-dental sophomore Karishman Sheth.

During the five-day holiday, Hindus adorn doors with flowers and wreaths. People buy new clothes, send cards and enjoy fairs with music, dancing, jugglers and snake charmers.

Small pottery oil lamps are lit and placed in window cells, on roofs and along walkways for good luck.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is an eight-day festival to remember to the Jewish defeat of the Hellenistic Syrians in 165 BC for religious freedom. When the Jewish army forces reclaimed their temple, they found only a one-day supply of oil.

Still, the lamp's flickering light lasted eight days, keeping the temple lit until more supplies arrived.

While the Jews hid from their persecutors, the children kept busy playing with dreidels - small toys engraved with Hebrew letters.

Today, dreidels are used to play games. Each day the menorah is lit as family members recite blessings, read from the Torah while opening gifts and enjoy traditional foods.

"I like Hanukkah because of the lights, decorations, and games," media arts sophomore Amanda Feuerman said.

Winter solstice and Christmas

The winter solstice is a seven-day celebration starting Dec. 21 or 22, when the northern hemisphere experiences the shortest day of the year. Originally, the festival's purpose was to rejoice in the seasonal changes and abundant harvest. People decorated with green pines and mistletoe symbolizing hope, lit candles and exchanged gifts.

Midwinter festivals were common in Northern Europe among Celtic and Teutonic tribes.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ on Dec. 25. Christians who celebrate Christmas believe Jesus is the savior of humankind.

His birthday is celebrated with religious services, family gatherings, Christmas carols, decorated trees, bright lights and gift giving by family and friends.

Popular belief holds that Christmas evolved from the winter solstice to recognize the eternal light of Jesus' birth amid the darkness of the solstice.

Genevieve D. Cruise can be reached via e-mail at Genevieve.D.Cruise@wildcat.arizona.edu