It’s been a long time since I have written a post about something that drives me nuts so here it is CHRISTMAS style! Or should I say Holiday style!
Yep that’s it you guessed it. I am a full fledged Child of the King who believes that this “holiday” thing has gone way too far!
Yes I know the purpose there is also Kwanzaa and Hanukkah…then there is CHRISTMAS and New years all lumped into the space of roughly a month. For many years these holidays coincided with no trouble at all….I will admit that Hanukkah is older than the celebration of Christmas However Kwanzaa was founded in 1966..My question was what exactly is Kwanzaa? So I did a little searching and here is what it is.
DEFINITION OF KWANZAA Kwanzaa is a unique African American celebration with focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and despite some misconceptions, is not a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a time of reaffirming African-American people, their ancestors and culture. Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits of the harvest” in the African language Kiswahili, has gained tremendous acceptance. Since its founding in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa has come to be observed by more than18 million people worldwide, as reported by the New York Times. When establishing Kwanzaa in 1966, Dr. Karenga included an additional “a” to the end of the spelling to reflect the difference between the African American celebration (kwanzaa) and the Motherland spelling (kwanza).
Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance, and is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.
* Umoja (oo-MO-jah) Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, “I am We,” or “I am because We are.”
* Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community.
* Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world.
* Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.
* Nia (NEE-yah) Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community.
* Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community.
* Imani (ee-MAH-nee) Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle.
http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm
And then there is
Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה, IPA: [‘χanuka], alt. Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.
The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash, (Hebrew: “guard” or “servant”) is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher or lower than the others. The purpose of the extra light is to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud (Tracate Shabbat 21b-23a), against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah story. (The shamash is used to light the other lights.)
Hanukkah is mentioned in the deuterocanonical or apocrypha books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. 1 Maccabees states: “For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. Then Judah and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the rededication…should be observed…every year…for eight days. (1 Mac.4:56-59)” According to 2 Maccabees, “the Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah
So what exactly has created this HOLIDAY joy? Could it bee that I watched one hour of television and did not hear Christmas mentioned one time…BUT in the process I heard about HOLIDAY decorations,,,HOLIDAY gifts..HOLIDAY parties…HOLIDAY food..AND yes even a HOLIDAY tree! OR could it be that my pastor husband and I are faced with what seems like an impossible task of trying to convince our Three and a half year old that God does exist despite the fact he hasn’t seen him on TV…Santa on the other hand….does not despite the fact he is EVERYWHERE on TV!
I am ready to chuck the TV… NO not really BUT there will not be anymore Santa movies this year until Tornado is able to grasp that seeing isn’t believing.
At this point Tornado is a confused little boy. He marches around the house saying I believe in Santa but when he is asked to you believe in God he says NO but I love him>
I think that we have lost sight. Materialism and the idea of kids Needing something good to believe in has clouded our views. Christ is the only good thing we need!
AND HE IS THE ONLY REASON FOR THE SEASON!!
