With the fall quarter coming to a close, the much-needed distraction we’ve all been waiting for is finally upon us; “The Holiday Season”. Time for family and friends, ceremonies and festivities, for gathering and celebrating, a time for reflection and resolutions; but that looks a little different for everyone! As I made arrangements for my season’s festivities, I wanted to find out what the holidays mean to my fellow Bulldogs*!
Halloween
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st with very diverse meanings and traditions throughout the history of its observance. Halloween in the U.S. today is largely celebrated by dressing up in costumes for parties, or trick-or-treating. “My fondest memory of Halloween was painting pumpkins with my parents each year and then going house to house in our neighborhood for candy,” says Emily R., who studies Mechanical Engineering.
As a college student, Emily doesn’t trick or treat anymore, but she dresses up and helps give out candy to kids at her church’s trunk-or-treat event where “cars park in a circle and we decorate the trunks for the kids and hand out candy in a safe environment”. Check out these ways to decorate a pumpkin to join in on the fun: https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/entertaining/our-favorite-pumpkin-ideas-for-halloween-pictures
Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead
Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is actually observed for three days beginning October 31st. Mia G. explains that “it’s a celebration of the lives of our dead family members and friends, but it’s not sad, because they are here with us”. Día de los Muertos is observed by parades and festivals in areas with large populations that observe the holiday such as Mexico, and Los Angeles. “We set up an altar for the dead that we are trying to honor based on their personalities and likes and dislikes during life,” says Mia, a Biology major.
Individuals celebrating Día de los Muertos paint their faces to resemble calaveras, or the colorful skulls we associate with the Holiday, but “it’s not really a costume,” Mia elaborates, “and I don’t think people always understand what it means to us when people use it as a Halloween costume”. Mia explains that for someone observing Día de los Muertos, “it’s more like our way of making the whole idea more lighthearted and not being sad, because that’s not what our loved ones would want.”
Yule, Winter Solstice
Yule, also known as the Winter Solstice, is observed in the Northern Hemisphere on the shortest day of the year. In the U.S., Yule marks the first day of Winter. Gavin J. elaborates, “is a celebration of the moon, as well as the rebirth of the sun”. Yule is an opportunity to take a pulse on yourself and your life and as the season changes, evaluate how you would like to move forward into the next chapter of your life.
Gavin, an Architecture major at LA Tech, describes his celebration of Yule “as a time of reflection … I meditate and reflect on a specific aspect of myself I don’t like, and how I can better myself in the future. It is similar in nature to a New Year’s resolution”. In our busy lives, taking time to reflect can be a tremendous step in our lifelong journeys of self-growth. As for who can celebrate Yule? Gavin says, “Anyone can choose to, there are not really any set ceremonies or traditions, and is largely up to the individual”. To calculate the time and date of the Winter Solstice depending on your location, visit https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/seasons.html and enter the nearest major city!
Hanukkah
Hanukkah lasts eight days and begins at sunset on the 25th day of Kislev, based on the Hebrew Calendar. Hanukkah “actually means dedication and is a celebration of our dedication to Judaism and our culture and making sure it can be passed on and stay alive for our kids and so on,” explains Abigail F., an Agricultural Education major. One significant tradition observed during Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah. “We light one candle each day and there are specific prayers that go along with that,” Abigail describes, “it’s fun to teach the younger kids who are excited like we were when we were their age”.
Abigail would like her friends who are not Jewish to know that “Hanukkah is not just ‘Jewish Christmas’, and is really focused on maintaining and preserving the uniqueness of Judaism”. Although not an original part of the ceremonies, gift-giving is also practice in many families – including Abigail’s. She “loves receiving Hanukkah gifts” from her friends and returning the favor to those who celebrate Christmas. For more on the history of Hanukkah, visit https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah.
Christmas
Christmas is observed on December 25th each year and marks the birth of Jesus Christ in Christian religions. Christmas is a “time for family, and joy, and being together,” says Aaron M., an English major. “The main ways [that we celebrate] are by giving gifts to loved ones, going to church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and trying to be kind in the community,” Aaron explains. She loves Christmas because “the whole season is a great time to talk to people about Jesus, since it’s so happy, and we can really reach out to people during the whole Christmas season”. There’s a lot “more than just the presents,” Aaron elaborates, “it’s all about the reason for the season”.
One of the best ways to learn more about these holidays and others is to ask your peers right here on campus who will be observing and celebrating in the months to come! I wish you hope, happiness, reflection, and quality time with loved ones this holiday season!