When it gets colder, it is instinctive that one should make preparations for the two most celebrated holidays in America; Christmas and Hanukkah. 
 Both are celebrated around the same time and have deep meanings to the Jews and Christians who celebrate them. The actual basis for celebrating Hanukkah, however, is not so much religious as it is historical.

“Hanukkah commemorates the occasion when the Jews defeated the Greeks,” junior Paul Lisker said. “This basically commemorates that fact and how they rebuilt the temple. Hanukkah means dedication, so that’s basically what the holiday is about.”

Sophomore David Iken adds that Hanukkah was a miracle and a great triumph in the Jewish faith because, without the help of God, it would have been impossible for them to win the battle against the Greeks.

Because Hanukkah is more historical than religious, it is more relaxing than the other Jewish holidays.

“It’s important to note that, in terms of Judaism, Hanukkah is not the most important celebration,” Lisker said. “It’s rather minor. It’s also not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament. Because of that, for Orthodox Jews it doesn’t compare in importance to other major holidays such as Passover. Reform Jews strike a comparison between Hanukkah and Christmas, elevating the importance of Hanukkah to a major holiday. Ultimately the tradition of the celebration remains relatively constant–that of lighting the candles each night.”

Sophomore David Iken adds that Hanukkah is not like the other Jewish holidays where one goes to Synagogue to pray. 
Hanukkah is a more laid back celebration where one can get together with family and light the Hanukkah menorah.

“Ever since I was a kid it was one of the holidays where I could see all of my family and extended family,” Lisker said. “It was just very happy holiday. I keep with tradition and religion. It’s always a fun time. It’s a great way to relax.”

Iken agrees with Lisker that it Hanukkah is a great time to relax and have fun.

“You eat, get presents and hang out with your family,” Iken said. “There’s also the ceremonious lighting of the menorah. A menorah is like a long candleholder with nine places for the candles. As each night progresses you light each candle with the candle in the middle in accordance with which night it is.”

As with most holidays eating is a huge part and is usually the part that is most looked forward to.

“My favorite part is the food,” Lisker said. “The food has to be cooked in oil which pays tribute to the oil in the temple that lasted for eight days. I particularly enjoy jelly donuts and latkes, which my family makes with apples instead of potatoes.”

Iken also enjoys latkes, a popular food of the holidays.

“My mom makes latkes which are potato pancakes,” Iken said. “You can eat it with sour cream or applesauce on top.”

That being said, it is evident that no Jewish family is alike and different denominations have their own separate traditions to celebrate Hanukkah.

“Some reform Jews don’t always light the candles,” Iken said. “Some have electric menorahs. One tradition in our family that we have is that we use olive oil. Since the oil lasted for eight days in the temple during Hanukkah, we chose to light olive oil instead of candles. It gives the celebration a little more meaning.”

Even though it has been established as a tradition to give gifts, this custom did not come about until centuries after the holiday originated.

“Giving presents is more of a secular tradition,” Lisker said. “It has nothing to do with the Hanukkah celebration at all. In fact it’s more of a myth than reality. If you talk to a lot of Jews you’ll find out that not everyone gives gifts everyday. My family has never given a gift everyday. Actually most of the people I know do not follow that tradition.”

Like every holiday, Hanukkah is a way to spend time with one’s family and perhaps get closer to one’s faith.

“Hanukkah, like many festivities, does bring me closer to the culture and the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation in my family,” Lisker said.

Christmas, on the other hand, is the one holiday that is and has been acknowledged and materialized by almost all Americans, including Macy’s, Wal-Mart, Target and, of course, Toys R Us. However, few people who celebrate it know the actual true meaning of Christmas.

“I’m a born and raised Christian, so Christmas has always meant that it was the birth of Jesus Christ and all of the events that lead to that, including Isaiah’s prophecy in the Old Testament,” senior John Holland said. “Christmas is the start of the perfect love story. Jesus came to earth to die for all people, so that we might be forgiven and have eternal life. He did this because he loves mankind and does not want us to be forsaken.”

That being said many traditions such as getting together with family and giving gifts has always been associated with Christmas for various reasons. However, different denominations do have different aspects on how the tradition started.

“Christians give out presents because the wise men gave gifts to Jesus,” junior Taylor Kloha said. “They travelled to Bethlehem guided by a star, which is also why we put stars on top of our Christmas trees, and once they reached the stable where Jesus was born they gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold because he was the king of kings, frankincense because he was the priest of all priests and myrrh because he would be the atonement for the world.”

“To my knowledge we began giving presents because it displayed a distribution of generosity,” Holland said. “But we mainly give gifts because Jesus was God’s gift to the world. That’s how I always thought of it.”

Another varying tradition with Christian denominations is the celebration of advent.

“I really like the season before Christmas,” Kloha said. “In the church we call it advent. I like the anticipation. At church we light the advent wreath and at home we set out our manger scene and start putting our tree and decorations up. Our parents also try to do devotions with us, which are short bible studies that you do every day leading up to Christmas.”

Since Christmas is the largest holiday for Christians to celebrate, Church is always incorporated somehow into the festivities, though this too differs among families.

“I go to an Evangelical Presbyterian Church and what I like about that is that there is still a structured ceremony, but it’s not as scripted or as legalistic as a Catholic ceremony would be,” Holland said. “It’s more relaxed and enjoyable that way.”

“I know that most Christian families go to church on Christmas Eve,” Kloha said. “It’s tradition to go to a church service sometime during the holiday. My family goes on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.”
Along with religious traditions, there are also traditions that are unique in how one spends time with their family.

“My entire mother’s side of the family lives in the St. Louis area, so it doesn’t take that much for us to get together for holidays,” Holland said. “We spend the entire week together. We never have to travel very far. We always read the Nativity story from the book of Matthew every year. It’s tradition for most Christian families to do that. Since my family is so close it’s nice to have a full week solely focused on family. We’re all really close.”

Along with getting together with family, Christmas morning is the one event that is anticipated by everyone.

“The first Christmas present my sister and I would open when we were young was the baby Jesus from our manger scene,” Kloha said. “My mom would wrap up the baby Jesus and we’d open that one first. The nametag would always say ‘From: God. To: The World.’”

Even though the basis for Christmas is religious, when Santa Claus came into the picture many misconceptions about Christmas arose, such as the overemphasis of gifts and perhaps even giving for the wrong reasons.

“Christmas in America has become really secular,” Kloha said. “It was originally a Christian holiday and still is, but now it’s all about making money and it’s become really commercial.”
Holland adds that while the purpose of Christmas is religious, Wal-Mart is obviously not celebrating Jesus.  Christmas is ultimately a holiday where one can set all material objects aside and get closer to one’s family. For Christians especially it is an opportunity to get closer to one’s faith as well.