The holidays are right around the corner and the teachers here at Lively are just as ready for the break as we are. Around this magical time a collection of holidays and traditions are celebrated by our teachers from Christmas to Hanukkah, opening presents to playing dreidel with your family, or baking cookies to lighting sparklers in your backyard. These traditions root us into our culture and are a great way to connect with our loved ones.
One of the most popular winter holidays in Texas, and the US as a whole, is Christmas. To some, Christmas is a time to sing carols and make not so pretty gingerbread houses while for others it’s a time to dive into your religion and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas has been celebrated since 336 CE and was first celebrated by the Catholic Church in Rome, on the 25th of December. A few traditions that are rooted into Christmas are picking out and decorating a tree, hanging up stockings, and of course writing letters to Santa Clause.
Dr. Green, a Special Ed Inclusion teacher, celebrates Christmas and told me that the Saturday before Christmas he celebrates with a large delicious breakfast in the morning, then followed by ice skating and hot coco in the afternoon, and then wrapped up at the end of the day with a dinner at a restaurant where he and his loved ones will exchange goals for the new year.
Another widely celebrated winter holiday is Hanukkah. Hanukkah began after a group of Maccabees ( Jewish people) that were discriminated against and were persecuted and a traditional temple that the Jewish people would go to pray and observe was raided and Hanukkah is the story of the Jewish and their resilience despite the attack on their place of worship. There are 8 days of Hanukkah and every night you light a candle on a menorah. A menorah is a candelabrum used in Jewish worship, it has 7 branches and a central socket (so 8 over all) used to hold the candles for lighting. On the first night of Hanukkah one candle is lit and on the second day you light 2 until the end and you have a full menorah that is lit. Traditionally the menorah is a sign of resilience to put the menorah in a window or a place in your home to show off your religion and be proud.
Mr. Zimmerman, a 7th grade ELA teacher here at Lively, said that growing up in his family it was a tradition for the youngest in the family to light the menorah first, all the kids in the family had their own menorah as well as the family one. This tradition has been passed down to his nieces and nephew. Another tradition he has is he makes a traditional Jewish food potato lanka ( fried potatoes) with his grandmother every Hanukkah.
While we at The Falcon Cry recognize that Kwanzaa and other holidays are celebrated around this time of year, I dont know of any teachers or staff here at Lively who I could talk to and ask about what these holidays mean to them or any traditions they may have. I don’t think getting my information from a website or online would be appropriate because I didn’t know if it would accurately represent the wonderful holidays and the people who celebrate them.
As the end of the year approaches, so does what many people might say is the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas. Everyone across the world, from children to adults are preparing for Christmas festivities, and of course, writing their wish lists. Have you written yours yet? At Lively MS, many students have most likely already begun to think about what they’ll want for Christmas, but what about teachers, what do they want this year?
Mrs. King – Mrs. Kings Wish List
Dr. Green – Dr. Green’s Wish List
