It’s now the most happiest season of all…..Christmas!  It’s a well known Christian holiday that’s celebrated by a variety of different people, Christian or not.  There is, however, many people of other religions that either don’t celebrate it or celebrate something else, even students in our own school.

Greenwood High School students/sophomores Willa Cipolla, Zack Carini, and Sam Carini are Jewish and celebrate the holiday Hanukkah.  Sam and Zack Carini have the opportunity to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, because their dad comes from a Christian Background.  Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is an eight day festival of light that begins on the eve of the 25th of the Jewish month Kislev.  It celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, purity over adulteration, and spirituality over materiality.  More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Syrian-Greeks, who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of God.  After the victory when they sought to light the temple’s menorah (the seven branched candelabrum) they found a single cruse of olive oil, Jews who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. This wondrous event inspired the Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival.  In modern time, to celebrate Hanukkah there’s a lighting of the menorah each night of the eight day celebration.  The basic elements of a menorah are eight holders for candles and an additional holder set, which is set apart from the rest, for a candle called shamash.  The shamash is the candle used to kindle the other lights.  The lights can either be candle flames or oil-fueled, since the miracle happened with olive oil an oil menorah is preferred, and so are cotton wicks because they produce a smoother flame.  The candles should be arranged in a straight, even line, no zigzags.  The menorah, either oil or candle, should have enough/ be big enough to burn for at least thirty minutes on the weeknights and up to one-and-a-half hours on Friday evening.  Usually there is a gift given each night of Hanukkah.  This year Hanukkah starts on Sunday, December 6 and lasts until Monday, December 14.

There are also students at Greenwood that might not celebrate a holiday at all.  Dania Khan, who is a muslim, doesn’t celebrate Christmas because it’s not in her religion to.  Dania, however, quite enjoys the holiday season.  Even though they don’t celebrate it they might do festive things or travel, around Christmas time.  She says that sometimes they’ll drive around their neighborhood and look at all the Christmas lights put up, which she says is a lot of fun.

Whatever people might celebrate, I think they all agree that the holiday season is filled with happiness and is a great time to just relax and to come together with family and friends no matter what religion.