Celebrating Light in 2024 – Christmas and Hanukkah

Photo by Maria Densley
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This year has been an interesting one with many ups and downs throughout the year. Sometimes it seems the bad is highlighted in the news and workplace conversations. This can make finding the light in everyday life a bit difficult.

With holiday celebrations upon us it seems there is a bit more happiness in the air. While it can be stressful to find the perfect gift or plan the perfect gathering, the light shines a little brighter this time of year.

As December comes around my town-known as Christmas Town (and many others around the world)-lights up as houses and streets line with strings of lights.  The usual dimness of the small-town streets is brightened by the light of Christmas as the sun goes down.

Traditionally I grew up celebrating Sinterklaas Day and Christmas. Sinterklass celebrations were a tradition brough to us by my great-grandmother who moved to the USA from the Netherlands. Every December 5th, we would put one shoe out in front of the Christmas tree, and we would hear the story of Sinterklass and his companion Black Pete. If we were with my grandparents they might act out the story.  The next morning, we would wake up to a small gift and treat in our shoe.

Christmas celebrations started on Christmas Eve at my house when before bed we would act out the story of the birth of Christ as found in the New Testament, and open one gift. The next morning, we would wake early to find Santa had visited.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus North Pole, Alaska, photo taken by Maria Densley

Both days were filled with joy and family.

We focused on the goodness, and finding the light.  My family being Christians focused on the light of Christ, and what it meant to carry it in our lives. Yes, as children we were more focused on gifts, but we grew to understand the deeper meaning of the season.

One December in the early 2000’s my younger brothers heard the Adam Sandler Chanukah song and decided to learn it and sing it around the house on repeat.  Much to the annoyance of my sister and I, we thought a good way to stop this was to tell my brothers they couldn’t sing the song because we weren’t Jewish. My mother thought the struggle funny and shared it with her mother. My grandmother than informed us that she had been doing some genealogy research and found that we did in fact have a distant Jewish relative. Unfortunately for my sister and I my brothers went wild singing the song loud and on repeat after that news.

Photo taken by Barbara Keer

We didn’t celebrate Hanukkah but were a little familiar with it.  Hanukkah is the festival of light. It is a way to remember how oil that should have only lasted one night burned for eight straight nights when the Jews were able to re-dedicate the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in around 200 BCE after their victory against the Greeks.  It is a time spent with family, lighting one candle on the menorah each night until all eight are lit. The center candle on the menorah is known as the “helper” or “servant” candle and is used to light the eight other candles each night.

Families often get together and recite traditional blessings or sing songs. Gifts of money, treats, small items and such are often included each night. Children play with a dreidel, and food such as latkes (potato cakes) or sufganiyot (jelly donuts) are enjoyed.

The beautiful thing about Hanukkah and Christmas is they both abound in light. Both have family gatherings, and both have an element of giving. I find it is easy to find joy and light in life as I put myself aside and find ways to help others. Darkness, doom, gloom and such will always be present in life, but as we search for light, love, and goodness we can each make this life a little brighter.

Even if you don’t celebrate holidays, I hope you take a moment as the year ends to reflect on the good things in your life. Search out the goodness in the world and bring hope and cheer to those conversations you have with others.

May this year end in light as we prepare for a new year!

Photo by Maria Densley

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