In the United States and around the world, there are many different religions, meaning that everyone has different holidays to celebrate. Even here at the University of Idaho, there are people who come from different countries and cultures, so they have different traditions to observe every year.
To begin, Christmas is one of the most common holidays to celebrate, especially in communities such as Moscow that host a larger Christian population. Every year, people put up and decorate Christmas trees, customizing them to be real or fake depending on their personal taste. Listening to festive music, watching Christmas movies and specials, making gingerbread houses, and exchanging gifts with family and friends are also common traditions.
“Every year, my family watches ‘Rudolph’,” freshman Anya Carpenter said. “My dad has a rule that we can’t watch it before Christmas Eve, and the whole family has to watch it together.”
“Rudolph” is a classic Christmas movie. Other Christmas-themed movies include “The Grinch”, “The Polar Express” and “Elf”. These movies have become classics through annual audience viewing, fitting well within the holiday spirit due to their messages of love, friendship, generosity, spirit, and kindness.
“Every year, my family watches ‘Rudolph.’ My dad has a rule that we can’t watch it before Christmas Eve, and the whole family has to watch it together.”
Besides Christmas, there are several other holidays that students and families celebrate annually.
Freshman Rowan Zerza celebrates Wicca, which is a paganist holiday.
“I don’t necessarily celebrate it as a religious holiday,” Zerza said. For her, more of spiritual recognition and celebration.
According to Encyclopedia Brittanica, Wicca is the largest-recognized Pagan or Neo-Pagan religion. Wiccans, as they are known, identify primarily as “witches” and draw inspiration from the pre-Christian religions of Europe.
The day after Christmas is Boxing Day, which is celebrated in countries such as Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Originally, Boxing Day served as a day to give presents to low-income people in a community, but it is now known as a shopping holiday among the citizens of these countries.
Soon after Christmas and Boxing Day is New Year’s. This includes New Year’s Eve, the last calendar day of the year, and New Year’s Day, the first calendar day of the coming year. On New Year’s Eve, people will typically stay up until midnight, and many people set goals for themselves to complete in the new year, known as resolutions, such as eating healthier and drinking more water, exercising more, and spending time with friends and family.
Another holiday that people celebrate is Hanukkah. Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication. This celebration, also known as the Festival of Lights, lasts for eight days, and a candle on the menorah, a traditional candlestick in Jewish culture, is lit for each night. According to Life in Messiah, Hanukkah recognizes the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the Second Century B.C. Gifts are exchanged every night of the holiday. Practicing Jewish people also play the dreidel game for entertainment and make various traditional foods such as latkes, kugel, brisket and sufganiyot (jelly filled donuts).
Though it is more of a cultural holiday than religious, Kwanzaa is celebrated by many individuals around the globe. People who celebrate Kwanzaa come from different religious and cultural backgrounds- especially African cultures throughout the continent. The holiday lasts for seven days, wherein those celebrating will light candles (one for each night that it lasts, similarly to Hanukkah) and eat delicious food, such as catfish, collards, and macaroni and cheese, as well as jerk chicken, gumbo, and accras.
“The holiday lasts for seven days, wherein those celebrating will light candles each night… and eat delicious food…”
As described by Food Network, “Kwanzaa gets its name from the Swahili (East African) phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits of the harvest.” It started in the late ‘60s as a holiday of cultural affirmation inspired by sub-Saharan African harvest festivals. Over the decades, as the holiday entered the African-American mainstream, African foods got less emphasis, and celebrants increasingly turned to more familiar foods of the African diaspora.”
Muslims, or those who practice Islam, celebrate Ramadan, which is a sacred holiday. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, where people fast from dawn to sunset every day during the entire month. Prayer, reflection and community are all important aspects of Ramadan. According to Islamic sacred texts and history, Ramadan recognitions began when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the Quran, the Islamic holy book. That revelation, Laylat Al Qadar—or the “Night of Power”—is believed to have occurred during Ramadan.
The University of Idaho has several students originally from Nepal. A holiday that Nepalis (and Hindus elsewhere in the world, such as Myanmar) celebrate is Dashain. Dashain is a time for families to spend time together and exchange gifts and blessings, and there is a festival to celebrate the power of good over evil. As stated by Nepal Tourism Board, Dashain honors the Goddess Durga, who was created out of the shakti or energy of all the gods, armed with weapons from each of them.
There are also many students at UI who are from India. Just one of the many holidays celebrated in India is Diwali, which is also known as the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs, followers of Hinduism and Sikhism respectively, and it is one of the most important festivals in the country. According to National Geographic, the festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness.
While there are many religious students on campus, some people may be atheists or not affiliated with a religion. They may celebrate non-religious holidays such as New Year’s and Thanksgiving or participate in traditionally religious celebrations without recognizing the more faith-based aspects and practices of these religions and holidays.
No matter what religion you belong to, if any at all, there are holidays and traditions for everyone to recognize and celebrate this year.