HAPPY HOLIDAYS

No matter what religion you are, I hope that you are having wonderful celebrations at this time of year.

The Christian faith will be celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ

The Jewish faith will be celebrating Chanukah, or Hanukkah, which lasts for eight days, beginning the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev (November-December). It celebrates the victory of Judah the Maccabee over the Syrian tyrant Antiochus over 2100 years ago.

The Islam faith will be celebrating Ramadan, which marks the month the prophet Mohammed is believed to have had their holy book, the Koran, revealed to him by God.

The Kwanzaa is a cultural festival during which African Americans celebrate and reflect upon their heritage as the products of two worlds. It begins 26th December and lasts for seven days.

In the Hindu faith the 25th December also is considered to be the birthday of the Hindu god, Krishna, as well as Mithra, the Greek god of light.

In the Wicca faith the annual Tree Festival, which had long been celebrated in Northern Europe before the Christian era, is still celebrated among nature-based faiths such as Wicca.

No matter what faith you are or aren’t, I hope that this time brings you joy with your family or friends. A time for remembering those that have departed and a time to celebrate your beliefs.