Four Holiday Traditions to Celebrate With Your Family
There are a number of traditions that people follow during certain holidays. These include the Chinese New Year, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. There is also a tradition for Labor Day. You can learn more about these traditions by checking out the links below. These traditions are important for people of all backgrounds and can help make the holiday more meaningful for your family.
Traditions of Kwanzaa celebration
A Kwanzaa celebration is a time to celebrate the African American heritage. It begins on December 26 and lasts until the new year. It honors the traditions of the African people called the Nguzo Saba, including unity, self-determination, cooperative economics, and creativity. The celebration was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966.
The Kwanzaa celebration is a time of year when families come together and remember the significance of their past. The celebration traditionally begins with the lighting of a kinara, a candle holder that holds seven candles. These candles represent the seven principles of the holiday. During the celebration, the family will discuss the significance of each of these principles. They will also read poems and recite quotes by leaders of the Black community. The celebration also involves dancing and feasting.
Traditions of Hanukkah
The holiday of Hanukkah is one of the oldest and most popular Jewish holidays. It commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Seleucid Empire in 165 BCE. The first day of Hanukkah, the day of lighting the menorah, is similar to Christmas Day. This day is special for many Jewish people, and there are many traditions that can help you celebrate the holiday in the most meaningful way possible.
Other customs associated with Hanukkah include eating fried foods, playing dreidels, and giving gifts to children. Many of these practices share similarities with their German counterparts. Children often receive presents such as gelt, which are small chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. Many children also receive dreidels, which are four-sided tops that are filled with gold foil and usually contain an initial or word in Hebrew.
Traditions of Chinese New Year
As the name suggests, Chinese New Year is a time for celebration. Many Chinese families make elaborate preparations for the celebration, starting months before the actual date. During this time, they buy presents, food, clothing, and decorations. The day before, a massive clean-up is undertaken. Houses are scrubbed from top to bottom to remove any bad luck. They also apply red paint to the window-frames and doors. New clothing and shoes are also purchased for the festivities, and red paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases are placed throughout.
Traditional Chinese New Year celebrations begin on the evening before the New Year, with the house being thoroughly cleaned and no brooms being picked up on New Year’s Day. The festival reaches its climax about 15 days after New Year’s Day. It includes folk dances and lantern shows. Food is a major part of the celebration, and Chinese New Year dinners are filled with rice dishes, including tangyuan, a ball-shaped dumpling that is boiled in water.
Traditions of Labor Day
In the United States, Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September. The holiday is an unofficial end to summer, bringing long weekend weather and the opportunity for barbecues and get-togethers. Labor Day is also a popular time for travel, with many taking advantage of the last opportunity for vacations before summer ends. Its origins can be traced back to 1882, when New Yorkers began celebrating the holiday on a public holiday.
Labor Day celebrations were originally intended to honor the hard work of American workers. They included a parade and picnics. Later on, speeches by prominent figures became part of the celebrations. Today, Labor Day celebrations often feature speeches by union leaders, industrialists, and government officials.
Traditions of St. Lucia’s Day
The tradition of celebrating St. Lucia’s Day stretches back centuries. The eldest daughter of the family dresses in white, and serves coffee and baked goods. Gingerbread cookies and saffron bread are traditional food items. Local churches also host Lucia trains, which allow the public to take in the festivities.
In Sweden, children and teenagers wear white costumes, and a procession is held in honor of St. Lucia. In the past, elections and contests were held to decide who would be chosen as St. Lucia, but now it is determined by a lot of luck. The procession is followed by attending maidens, star boys, elves, and gingerbread people. Many towns also have children dressed as tomtar (celebrity figures), and local television often airs live Lucia procession or concerts.
Traditions of Saint Lucy’s Day
The tradition of celebrating Saint Lucy’s Day dates back to the early Middle Ages. Its origins lie in the battle between light and darkness, which is a common theme of Scandinavian folklore. The day is often celebrated with a variety of customs, prohibitions, and divinations. It is also considered the beginning of Christmastide. Many believe that Saint Lucy is associated with the eye and is the patron saint of the blind and those who suffer from eye ailments.
The day is often celebrated in Italy, particularly Sicily. Saint Lucy is also celebrated in the coastal region of Dalmatia in Croatia. Some towns plant wheat grains in honor of Saint Lucy, as a symbol of the Nativity. Candles are also placed near the plants.
Traditions of Mardi Gras
There are many traditions related to Mardi Gras. The parades often involve a king or queen, who leads the procession. The king or queen may be on horseback, a convertible, or a special float. The king or queen is followed by a float and officers. Doubloons, which are coin-like objects bearing krewe’s insignia on one side and the theme of the parade on the other side, were introduced in 1960. These objects are made of aluminum and have a gold, silver, or cloisonne finish. also read about escorts in Lahore
Mardi Gras has a complicated history, ranging from ancient festive customs to modern pre-Lenten revelry. In its early years, it was associated with religious rituals associated with the god Dionysus, a pagan deity. Over time, these customs were incorporated into Judeo-Christian traditions. They were also transplanted from Europe during the colonial era. Over time, the festival developed into an internationally recognized spectacle.