Celebrating Family, Food, Gratitude, and Sharing

Families who gather during the month of December to observe the holidays are likely to be celebrating a religious belief, time-honored traditions, cultural foods, giving to those less fortunate, and the joy of getting together with kinfolk and friends. There is something soothing about placing a cherished family heirloom on the holiday table, polishing a menorah that belonged to great-grandma, or saying ancestral prayers that have been recited for centuries. It reminds us of our past and offers hope for the future.  Although celebrations may differ in the ceremonial sense, the fundamental importance of love, respect, and family is common to all.

The Woodruff Family Celebrates Hanukkah’s Ancient Jewish Traditions

Hanukkah Traditions

During Hanukkah, the Jewish “Festival of Lights”, the Woodruffs observe an eight day celebration of the miracle that occurred in 165 BC when the Maccabees led a band of Jews in battle against invading pagans who had desecrated the Temple. Only one day’s supply of oil remained to keep the Temple’s eternal light burning, but it miraculously burned for eight days until more oil could be procured. In a well-loved tradition, the Woodruffs read the story of Hanukkah. “Over eight nights, we light the candles on our menorah (a nine holder candelabra symbolic of Judaism). The center candle is used to light the remaining eight. The kids receive a gift each night,” states Apopka resident, Sheryle Woodruff. “We eat traditional food, such as potato latkes and challah bread. We sometimes play dreidel games, and we give the kids gelt (a Yiddish word for money or chocolate coins).”

The DeRosa Family Enjoys a Countdown-to-Christmas Calendar

Christmas-traditions

The DeRosa family from Winter Garden uses a secular countdown-to-Christmas calendar similar to the Advent Calendar used in the days leading up to Christmas, a holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. The family’s calendar is made of felt and shaped like a Christmas tree and has 24 tiny felt pockets sewn on the front. Inside each pocket is a slip of paper with a family activity written on it. These activities can be as simple as walking around the neighborhood to look at holiday lights, baking Christmas goodies, or calling distant relatives to sing Christmas carols to them over the phone. “This has become a tradition for our family for about six years now,” says Jodi DeRosa. “My children range in age from 5 to 23 years and still get excited when selecting a family activity each day.”

The Naseeruadin Family Observes the Muslim Holy Day of Eid

Muslim Holy Day of Eid

Eid, the “Festival of Sacrifice”, is a joyous religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. God spared Ishmael and commanded Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead. Eid, typically observed in December, falls in mid-November this year based on the lunar cycle. The Naseeruadin family observes the holy day by spending time with family and friends, exchanging gifts, storytelling, and offering prayer and sacrifice in the form of giving the meat of a cow or a lamb to the poor. “The children either wear new clothes or sometimes traditional clothes from their native country. As dawn breaks, we eat something sweet and then go to the mosque to say a prayer,” says Iram Naseeruadin who lives in Windermere. “Then, we spend the day visiting family and friends in their homes.”

The Olakolade Family Celebrates Cultural Heritage During Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa Traditions

Kwanzaa is an African-American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates family and the African cultural heritage. The goal is to bring families together for discussion, storytelling, music, the exchange of gifts and to share the harvest. Kwanzaa begins December 26 and centers around seven principles that are taught to children throughout the year: Unity, self-determination, sharing, working together, purpose, creativity, and faith. “We celebrate Kwanzaa big,” says Olabisi Olakolade, a Pine Hills resident who comments that she has a six foot kinara, a candle holder with seven candles that represent the “Nguzo Saba”, an African value system. “Music plays a big role in African culture and our dances are thousands of years old. Our grandchildren always come to celebrate with us. Our community holds a huge celebration that drew over 400 people last year.”