Celebrating Faith and Culture Backgrounder December 2015 The Peel District School Board is a mosaic of many cultures and faiths from all over the world. To commemorate this diversity, the board recognizes special faith and culture days of our communities. December 2015 has several special faith and culture days to celebrate and remember: December - Luut'aa in Aboriginal Spirituality Luut'aa is observed by Nisga'a people of the Nass Valley in Northwest British Columbia to commemorate the winter season when the river freezes solid and the land sleeps as it gets blanketed in snow. Sunset of December 6 to 14 - Chanukah in Judaism The word Hanukkah or Chanukah means "dedication" and is the Jewish festival of lights. It starts at sundown on the 25th day of Kislev and is celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a candle for each of the eight nights on the first evening, one candle is lit and by the eighth night, all eight candles are lit. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah (or sometimes called a chanukkiah) that holds nine candles: one for each night, plus a shammus (servant) at a different height. This candle-lighting commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple following a three-year war with Syria in 165 BCE. As part of the rededication, a menorah was lit and, although there was only enough oil to light the menorah for a day, it stayed alight for eight days. It is traditional to eat fried foods on Chanukah because of the significance of oil to the holiday. Another tradition of the holiday is playing dreidel, a traditional Jewish game. December 8 - Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) in Buddhism On this day, Buddhists celebrate the birth of the founder of their religion. Siddhartha Gautama was born in the sixth century BCE, a prince of a northern kingdom in ancient India. According to Buddhist scriptures, he was so concerned about the inequities of human life that when he was 29, he gave up his royal position, left home and strove to live a virtuous life. At age 35, he attained enlightenment and became Sakyamuni Buddha.
He died at the age of about 80, and left a number of his students who continued to study and spread Buddhism over the world. Buddhists celebrate this day by visiting temples to pray and make offerings of incense, fruits, flowers and donations. Sunset of December 11 to 30 - the month of Masa'il in Bahá í In the Bahá í calendar, there are nineteen months of nineteen days each. Each month represents an attribute of God. Masa'il, signifying contemplation (questioning), is the 15th month. The Bahá í day starts and ends at sunset. The first day of each month is known as a Feast Day. December 13 - Birthday of Imam Agakhan in Islam This day commemorates the Birthday of the Imam (spiritual leader) Aga Khan. The Nizari Ismaili Shia Muslims celebrate this day for Aga Khan IV who is the 49 th hereditary and present Imam of the group. He was born on Dec. 13, 1936 in Geneva, Switzerland. December 21 - Maun Agiyaras or Maunajiyaras in Jainism Maun Agiyaras falls on the 11 th day of the fortnight of the waxing moon in the month of Magshirsh (2 nd calendar month). This is an important day for Jains on which they observe total silence, fast, meditate and worship God. Eve of December 21 to 22 - Yule in Wicca The Winter Solstice, or Yule, celebrates the rebirth of the sun to the earth, and the solstice itself is the longest night of the year. Yule is a time of awakening to new goals and leaving old regrets behind. Yule is celebrated by fire and use of a Yule log. Traditionally the log would not be bought. It would either be harvested from the homeowner's land or be received as a gift. Many followers keep this log (or a piece of it) for the duration of the year and use it to light the next year's log.
December 22 - Tohji-taisai in Shinto Tohji-Taisai is the Grand Ceremony of the Winter Solstice, celebrating the end of the "yin" period of the sun, when it declines in strength, and the beginning of the "yang" period, in which the sun increases in strength. The celebration recognises the central importance of the sun in Japanese culture, by honouring the sun goddess Amaterasu. Followers of the faith cleanse their homes, visit shrines dedicated to the goddess and offer prayers and dances. Eve of December 22 to 23 - Milad-un-Nabi in Islam Milad-un Nabi or Maulid (Mawlid) is celebrated by Muslims as Eid-e Milad, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. This is also anniversary of his death. The celebration begins the evening before with reading from the Quran, followed by poetry and songs in praise of the Prophet. There are also lectures and story-telling about his life and teachings. In some big cities of the Muslim world, the day is marked with processions. On the day of Milad, the Prophet's teachings are repeated, the Quran is read and religious discourses are conducted in the mosques. December 25 Sanghamitta Day in Buddhism Theravada Buddhist followers observe this day as the anniversary of the arrival of Sanghamitta, daughter of King Asoka from India to Sri Lanka with a branch of the Bodhi Tree and founding an order of nuns in the country. The observance is held on the full moon day in December. December 25 - Christmas in Christianity and Canada Christmas is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth, but Christians following Gregorian calendar observe Christmas on December 25. On this day, many go to church, where they take part in special religious services. During the Christmas season, they also exchange gifts and decorate their homes with lights, holly, mistletoe, and Christmas trees. The word Christmas comes from Cristes maesse, an early English phrase that means Mass of Christ. Christians following Julien calendar observe the holyday in January. Christmas is a statutory holiday in Canada.
December 26 - Boxing Day in Christianity and Canada The day after Christmas is the Feast of St. Stephen, who was the first Christian martyr. The day is also known as Boxing Day, a term which may come from the practice of opening of church poor boxes that day. In Canada as in many western countries, the day is observed as a public holiday. The day is celebrated by many in giving or purchasing gifts. It is also customary to hold sporting activities on the day. December 26 Zarathosht-no-Diso in Zoroastrianism On December 26 each year, Zoroastrian followers of Fasli Calendar commemorate the anniversary of the death of Prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), the founder of their faith. Scholars say he lived between 1500 and 1000 BCE in northeast Iran. December 26 to January 1 - Kwanza in African-Canadian communities Named after the Swahili phrase, "matunda ya kwanza" meaning "first fruits," Kwanza has its origins in African first-harvest celebration. The Pan-African, African-American and African-Canadian communities celebrate Kwanza. It was established in 1966 as a sevenday cultural festival focusing on family, community and culture. The five fundamental activities of Kwanza are ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment and celebration. During the festival, a place in the home is chosen for Kwanza. The spot/table is spread with a piece of African cloth and a straw mat is placed on it adorned with ears of corn, fruit, vegetables and a unity cup. Each day, a candle is lit and placed in a seven-cup candelabrum called a kinara. There is one black, three red and three green candles. Black is the symbol for the people, red for the struggle and green for future and hope. The black candle is lit the first night. The seven candles represent the seven principles that are important and valued. These are: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (co-operative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). On the final night, friends and family gather for a feast known as Karamu. December 27 - Amitabha Buddha's Birthday in Buddhism Mahayana (practised in Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Taiwan) Buddhist followers celebrate Amitabha (celestial) Buddha's Birthday on this day. Followers of the
faith believe that he attained supreme enlightenment and now presides over the Pure Land (western paradise) - a land of ultimate bliss. December 28 - Birth of Guru Gobind Singh in Sikhism Guru Gobind Singh was the 10 th and final guru (1666-1708) in the Sikh faith. He created the Order of Khalsa and declared the scriptures, the Adi Granth, as the only guru after him for people of the Sikh faith. Sikh adherents following the Nankshahi calendar observe the Gurpurb on this day. Gurpurbs are festivals associated with the lives of the Gurus. Sikhs celebrate Gurpurbs, like the Birth of Guru Gobind Singh, with an akhand path, a complete and continuous reading of the Adi Granth, which takes 48 hours and finishes on the day of the festival. December 31 to January 4 - Ghambar Maidyarem in Zoroastrianism This five-day winter festival known as Ghambar Maidyarem celebrates the creation of animals and is a time for an equitable sharing of food. December 31 to January 18 - the month of Sharaf in Bahá í In the Bahá í calendar, there are nineteen months of nineteen days each. Each month represents an attribute of God. Sharaf, signifying honour, is the 16th month. The Bahá í day starts and ends at sunset. The first day of each month is known as a Feast Day. Ideas for celebrating special faith and cultural days in your school. If you have a colleague who celebrates one of these days, don't forget to offer them best wishes! If you have students in your school who are followers of any of the listed religions: - Make sure the dates are included in your school calendar - Have your principal or teacher announce the day over the PA system - Hold an assembly to talk with students about the importance of these days - Include a mention of these days in your school newsletter - Include information on your school website - Display student artwork announcing these days or depicting their ideas about these days
- Invite a member of a local faith group to come in and discuss the significance of this day with students - Have class discussions about these days - Ask some of your students who celebrate certain holidays to write a short essay on how they celebrate this day at home. Have them read it to the class to share this celebration with the other students. - Have parents offer a cultural session Questions? If you would like any more information on how to celebrate these days, please call Varsha Naik, Community Liaison Coordinator at 905-890-1010, ext. 2573 or e-mail her varsha.naik@peelsb.com