In order to meet cultural and psychological
needs that arise at different times in the
seasonal cycle, human invention
makes, remakes, and alters the
meanings of the holidays
-Anthony Aveni
Winter
Ancient peoples were fascinated with the workings of nature. The mystery and awe of it inspired spiritual and religious feelings that evolved into elaborate communal ceremonies and rituals. These celebrations helped to give our ancestors hope, to calm their fear, and to honor the intimate balance of nature and culture.
To reach a broad audience a series of seasonal public radio short features and half hour programs on the evolution of these celebrations over the centuries will be produced and aired on Bay Area public radio stations. The series will help deepen our knowledge of our diverse cultures and help drive listeners to seasonal gatherings at the Chavez Memorial site. Here are some of the celebrations of the winter season:
OCT 31 – NOV 2
Dia de Los Muertos – The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated on Oct 31 to Nov 2 of each year. It also falls on the midpoint of the season signaling the transition from Fall to Winter, a date which is also celebrated in other cultures. On the Day of the Dead, the boundaries between life and death begin to blur. Men, women and children of all ages participate joyously in a festival that goes back nearly 4000 years. The Dias de Muertos serve as a positive affirmation of the cycle of life, allowing people to connect with the spirits of their loved ones.
… http://www.celebrate-day-of-the-dead.com/
Dec 16 – Dec 24 (2014)
Hanukkah means “dedication” and, like most Jewish holidays, has roots in a seasonal festival, the Festival of Lights. It was originally related to the gradual decrease and increase of daylight around the winter solstice. It is a memorial to the first fight for religious freedom recorded in Jewish history. Following the conquest by the Syrian empire, which ordered the extermination of all vestiges of Judaism, the Maccabees regained the Temple but found only a small amount of oil (enough for one day) with which to light the Temple’s Menorah. But through the “miracle of the oil” it lasted 8 days.
Dec 26 – Jan 1
Kwanzaa is a 7 day time for African Americans to celebrate their culture, honor their heritage and strengthen bonds with family and community (Dec 26 – Jan 1. It is not a religious holiday, but a cultural one. Its about unity and reaffirmation. Created by Professor Maulana Ron Karenga, a leading theorist of the black consciousness movement of the 1960’s. The word Kwanzaa comes from Swahili and means “first fruits”. The 7 principles address problematic areas within the community and the family — Unity, Self determination, Collective work, Cooperative economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. One candle is lighted each night and the family discusses the principle of the day. The emphasis is on the nonmaterial.
Dec 20 or 21
Yalda is the Persian winter solstice celebration. Like other Zoroastrian festivals, Yalda became a social occasion when family and close friends would get together. Nonetheless, the obligatory serving of fresh fruit during mid-winter is reminiscent of the ancient customs of invoking the divinities to request protection of the winter crop. The foods served themselves symbolize the balance of the seasons: e.g., watermelons and yogurt are eaten as a remedy for the heat of the summer. The family keeps the fires burning and the lights glowing to help the sun in its battle against darkness. They recite poetry and play music, tell jokes and stories, until the sun, triumphantly reappears in the morning.
Dec 25
Christmas is the feast of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on December 25. Christ’s birth was actually more accurately around February. The church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century. The date was chosen to counter the pagan festivities connected with the winter solstice. The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pagan, pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins. Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among the holiday has become a key sales period for retailers and businesses.
Feb 2
Groundhog Day/Candlemas – Some ancient traditions marked the change of season at the midpoint of the winter season (Feb 2), other traditions held that spring did not begin until the length of daylight overtook night at the Vernal Equinox (March 20th). So an arbiter, the groundhog was incorporated as a yearly custom to settle the two traditions. In a related belief, there was a Christian custom to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. The conquering Roman legions picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather.
Feb 19 (2015)
Lunar New Year – The Spring Festival. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the lunar month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In many Asian communities around the world, the lunar new year is the most important holiday of the year. Through centuries of China’s agrarian tradition, this was the one period when farmers could rest from their work in the fields. Family members would travel to be with loved ones in time to usher out the old year and welcome in the new. It is a time full of superstitions like no cleaning so that you do not wash your luck away. A lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day, the highlight of which is the dragon dance.