Tag Archives: hanukkah

National Cupcake Day

13 Thursday Dec 2018

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The past few weeks, we’ve taken a more in-depth look at several December holidays.

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Photo Credit to Bakerella

Two weeks, ago, we learned more about the Celebration of Lights, and just last week, we met St. Nicholas of Myre. This week, we’ll again look at an event that is a little more light-hearted in nature – National Cupcake Day. Unlike Hanukkah and St. Nick’s Day, National Cupcake Day, which is taking place on Saturday, December 15, is an unofficial national holiday, but we thought it’d be fun to celebrate everyone’s favorite portable dessert with a brief history and less-known facts to impress all of your friends.

Although cakes have been around for centuries, the child dessert has much a “shorter” history. The idea of the cupcake arrived in the United States in 1796 after making its debut in Amelia Simmons’ cookbook. At that point, it did not have a unique name
but was sometimes known as the 1-2-3-4 cake. One of the most significant advantages of this recipe was it was easy to remember; it merely called for 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs (plus 1 cup of milk and 1 spoonful of baking soda.)

The word, “cupcake” did not come to be until the recipe was first documented by Eliza Leslie in her 1828 called “Receipts.” Of course, the rest is history. Today, there seems to be a cupcake available in every theme, color and flavor. But did you also know?

  • The first cupcakes were not frosted, but instead flavored with dried fruits and spices.
  • The cupcake industry first started gaining popularity when Hostess began mass-producing their famous cream-filled “Cupcake” in 1919.
  • The world’s largest cupcake weighed over 1200 pounds and contained more than two million calories.
  • The Food Network has a show dedicated exclusively to cupcakes called “Cupcake Wars,” and has over 1.6 million viewers.

There’s just no denying that people love cupcakes. The best way to observe this unofficial holiday is to bake a batch and share them with people you care about. It’s just one more way to make life a little sweeter.

Happy National Cupcake from Lions Pride!

The Story of Hanukkah

29 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in Giving Tips, Holidays, Special Events

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Thanksgiving has come and gone, then without skipping a single beat, it seems that Jewish holiday hanukkah celebration with vintage menorahChristmas has arrived. Now, we are being bombarded with TV commercials, online ads and emails letting us know that December 25 will be here soon. While there’s no denying Christmas is one of the most popular holidays celebrated in the United States, it’s important to remember that there are several other celebrations also taking place in December. In the next series, we will explore a handful of the holidays – starting with Hanukkah.

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is an eight-day celebration of light takes place this year from December 2 to December 10. The story dates back thousands of years ago to 200 BC. At that time, the land of Israel was under the control of Antiochus III and the Syrian Greeks. During his reign, Antiochus allowed Jewish people to continue practicing their religion, but when his son, Antiochus IV assumed power, he outlawed Judaism and forced the Judeans to worship Greek gods.

In 168 BC, soldiers of Anthiochus III invaded Jerusaleum where they killed thousands of people and destroyed the city’s sacred Second Temple. Within the temple’s holy walls, soldiers slaughtered pigs and erected a statue of Zeus. After the desecration, a Jewish priest named Mattathias started the Maccabean Revolt. Immediately following his death in 166 BC, his son Judah took charge of the rebellion. Finally, after three long years of battle, the war came to an end, and the Judeans successfully drove the Syrians out of Israel.

Following the victory, Judeans wanted to light the menorah to rededicate the Second Temple but discovered that they only had enough oil to keep the candles burning for one day. They decided to take a chance and light the candles. Then a miracle happened. The candles continued to flicker for the following eight days, leaving them plenty of time to find a fresh supply of oil. Jewish sages then proclaimed an annual eight-day festival.

Today, the Hanukkah celebration is centered on the lighting of the menorah. After sundown each night, another candle is lit. The menorah is then displayed in the window to remind others of the original miracle.

A common question that many people ask is whether or not Chanukkah is a gift-giving holiday. You may be surprised to learn that there are no biblical or Talmudic roots connected to the idea of giving gifts during the Hanukkah season, but there is a timeworn tradition of instilling the value of charity. Many families have adopted the tradition of giving gelt (or money) to their children each weeknight of Hanukkah. Children then give a portion of their gift to charity. What an inspiring concept!

This year, let’s make an effort to remember all of the December celebrations, not just Christmas. We may not have the same beliefs or traditions as our neighbors, but it’s our differences that make our world all the more interesting.

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!

 

A Holiday Wish from Lions Pride

22 Thursday Dec 2016

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winter-sceneThe spirit of Christmas is all around us. With the big holiday only days away, we continue to see it in store windows, on light posts and underneath the tree.

Although we are all excited to celebrate America’s “favorite” holiday, it’s important for us all to remember that Christmas is not the only holiday taking place this time of year. Here at Lions Pride, we thought there was no better time for us to look at several other celebrations happening throughout the month of December:

  • The Feast of Our Lady Guadalupe took place on Monday, December 12. Each year, the festivity honors the belief that Jesus’s mother Mary appeared to a man in Mexico City on two different occasions in 1531.
  • St Lucia’s Day (or St. Lucy’s Day) is one of the biggest Swedish holidays and recognizes the bravery of St. Lucia who was one of the earliest martyrs who was killed because of her religious beliefs in the year 304. The celebration takes place each year on December 13.
  • Hanukkah is the festival of lights that commemorates the Jewish people’s successful rebellion against the Greeks in the Maccabean War. This year, Hanukkah falls on the same day as Christmas. The last time the two holidays occurred on the same date was in 1978.
  • Kwanzaa is the African American weeklong holiday that honors family, community and culture. The celebration honors African heritage with a feast and gift giving, and is observed from December 26 to January 1.
  • Boxing Day also takes place on December 26 and is a holiday celebrated in a few countries connected to England (Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. During the Middle Ages, one day out of the year was designated to open church collection boxes and distributed to the poor. Today, some churches still open these boxes.

Rather than simply spreading Christmas cheer this month, remember to consider all of the other holidays taking place. There are many reasons why they call it the most wonderful time of the year, and we’d like to think diversity is one of the best.

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!

Holidays Taking Place in December (Not Including Christmas)

03 Thursday Dec 2015

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It’s that time of the year Decemberagain! Lighted trees are showing up in picture windows, homes are being decorated from head to toe with lights and the spirit of giving is in the air. In Wisconsin, December has become synonymous with Christmas, when in fact, there are many religious and non-pagan holidays occurring. Let’s take a look at a few together:

Saturday, December 5, marks the first day of Hanukkah, also known as the “Festival of Lights.” This eight-day celebration commemorates the miracle that happened in the Jewish temple during a religious war. Temple candles only had enough oil to burn for one day, yet they continued to burn for eight. According to a 2014 population, there are 28,255 Jews in Wisconsin.

On Tuesday, December 8, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day, the day that Buddha achieved enlightenment. The Buddha was born as Siddharta Gautama, into a privileged household, but retreated into the woods at age 29 in search of answers related to his suffering of old age, sickness and death. He found enlightenment under a fig tree after 49 days of continuous meditation at the age of 35. Buddhists celebrate by meditating, studying the Dharma, chanting Sutras and performing acts of kindness.

You may be surprised to learn that there are 51 Buddhist temples located in Wisconsin!

On Saturday, December 12, Catholics of Mexican heritage typically celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. The celebration commemorates the day St. Juan Diego encountered the Virgin Mary in 1531. Legend says that Mary appeared to Juan and told him to ask the bishop to build a church on Tepeyec Hill. The bishop agreed to the request if he could prove that the incidence was indeed a miracle. Juan returned to the location to find roses in a spot that had previously been cacti. A church was built in honor of the event.

Monday, December 22, marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. This holiday celebrates the rebirth of the sun beginning of winter. In the early days, winter solstice traditions gave people optimism that sunny days were ahead, even during the coldest and darkest days. Over time, Christian leaders found ways to relate the holiday to Christmas. In multiple languages, people have traditionally compared the rebirth of the sun with the birth of the son of God. Many of our Christmas traditions including gift giving, wreaths and feasts can be traced back to winter solstice rituals.

Although the majority of us celebrate Christmas this year of the year, it’s important to remember that it’s not the only holiday happening. Do you know of any other special holidays taking place in December?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Lions Pride! Please consider Lions pride in your annual year end giving.

 

 

Fun Facts You Might Not Know About Christmas

25 Thursday Dec 2014

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Christmas TreeWe’re wrapping up our blog post series about the holidays of Christmas. The first week, we explored the traditions of Hanukkah, and last week, we looked at the customs of Kwanzaa. Today, we’re going to finish up with the most popular holiday here in Wisconsin, Christmas.

Since you already a great deal about this merry holiday, we thought it might be fun to compile a list of fun facts that you might not know (until now, of course!)

  • You are familiar with Santa’s reindeer. They all have male-sounding names such as Comet, Cupid and Donner. However, male reindeer shed their antler around Christmastime, so the reindeer pulling the sleigh are likely to be female.
  • According to data analyzed by Facebook, two weeks before Christmas is one of the most popular times of the year for couples to break up; however, Christmas Day is the least favorite day to split.
  • Typically Christmas trees grow for 15 years before being sold.
  • One of the main reasons we give and receive presents at Christmas is to remind us of the presents given to Jesus by the wise men.
  • It wasn’t until June 26, 1870 that Christmas was declared an official holiday in the United States.
  • Renowned environmentalist, President Teddy Roosevelt banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1901.
  • The first Christmas postage stamp was issued in the United States in 1961.
  • The first printed reference of the Christmas tree was in Germany in the year 1531.
  • Spiders and spider webs are common Christmas trees decoration in Poland because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus.
  • The first artificial Christmas tree was made out of dyed goose feathers in Germany.
  • According to UNICEF, there are approximately 2,106 million children under the age of 18 around the world. If there are an average of 2.5 children per household, Santa will have to make 842 million stops.

There you have it, a list of fun facts about Christmas. We hope you learned something new and can share it with your family at this year’s get-together.

The Lion Pride office will be closed Thursday and Friday of this week. We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!

Sources:

http://www.funology.com/facts-about-christmas/

http://warm1069.com/50-festive-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-christmas/

http://facts.randomhistory.com/christmas-facts.html

http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/presents.shtml

The Kwanzaa Celebration

18 Thursday Dec 2014

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Kwanzaa PrinciplesLast week, we explored the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, in an effort to learn more about the different holidays being celebrated during the month of December. Today, we move on to the next holiday called Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is quite different from both Christmas and Hanukkah because it doesn’t have a religious background; instead it is a celebration of culture.

California State University professor, Dr. Maulana Karenga, created the holiday is 1966 to encourage the indispensable need to “preserve, protect, continually revitalize and promote African American culture.” (The first part sounds awfully familiar to us.)

Kwanzaa takes place from December 26 to January 1 each year. The names comes from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanzaa” which means “first fruits.” The first-fruits was a celebration that date back to societies in ancient Egypt and Nubia. Everyone would come together in reverence to commemorate, recommit and celebrate their culture.

The celebration is built on 7 principles:

  • Unity (Umoja) – to strive for and maintain unity in family, community, nation and race.
  • Self-Determination (Kujichagulia) – to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves
  • Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima) – to build and maintain our community together and to make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together
  • Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa) – to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together
  • Purpose (Nia) – to make own collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to traditional greatness
  • Greatness (Kuumba) – to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it
  • Faith (Imani) – to believe with our heart in our people, our parents, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle

Throughout the week of Kwanzaa, African Americans come together to celebrate with a profound respect for its values, symbols and practices. They dress up in festive clothing, decorate with beautiful art and cloths and feast on fresh fruits and vegetables.

As we were learning more about Kwanzaa, we couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the celebration and our own organization as well as an importance of culture.

The Lions Pride Endowment Fund‘s efforts to preserve, protect, continually revitalize and promote the Lions of Wisconsin’s culture of serving others through Lions Camp and the WLF projects.

Certainly we can all agree that these are special projects that we can be proud of and want to ensure we can continue to provide for future generations.   The Lions Pride Endowment Fund is “Today’s Help, Tomorrow’s Hope” for all those served by Lions Camp and all WLF statewide projects.

This holiday season, we hope that you keep your own culture in mind and be inspired to preserve, protect and provide for others though a donation to Lions Pride.

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!

Source:

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml

The History of Hanukkah

11 Thursday Dec 2014

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This time of the year, it seems the only topic we hear about is Christmas. Although it Menorahis one of the most popular December holidays here in Wisconsin, it is important to remember that there are other holidays happening simultaneously around the country and the world. For the remainder of the month, we will explore all of these holidays beginning with Hanukkah.

Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is an eight-day celebration of light that begins this year on December 17th. The story dates back to 200 BC; the land of Israel was under the control of Antiochus III and the Syrian Greeks. At that time, Antiochus allowed Jewish people to continue practicing their religion. When his son, Antiochus IV assumed power, he outlawed Judaism and forced the Judeans to worship Greek gods.

A rebellion, led by Jewish priest Mattathias, broke out after soldier desecrated the city’s Holy Temple and built a statue of Zeus. Mattathias died in 166 BC, and his son Judah took charge. Finally in 165 BC, after three years of battle, the war came to an end; and the Judeans were able to drive the Syrians out of Israel.

To rededicate the Second Temple, they wanted to light the menorah, but soon found that they only had enough olive oil to keep the candles burning for one day. They decided to light the candles and; then a miracle happened. The candles continued to flicker for eight days, leaving the Judeans plenty of time to find a fresh supply of oil. Jewish sages then proclaimed an annual eight-day festival.

Today, the Hanukkah celebration is centered on the lighting of the menorah. Each night of the celebration, another candle is lit after sundown. The menorah is then displayed in the window to remind others of the past miracle.

People often wonder whether or not, Chanukah is a gift-giving holiday. Surprisingly, there are no biblical or Talmudic roots connected to the idea of gift giving. However, there is a timeworn tradition to give children the gifts of gelt, also known as money, to teach them the value of charity in addition to keeping the environment festive and happy. Many families have adopted the tradition for every weeknight of Hanukkah.

This holiday season, don’t forget to remember all of the December holidays, not just the ones celebrated in your family. Happy holidays from all of us at Lions Pride!

Sources:

http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/449706/jewish/Is-Giving-Chanukah-Presents-a-Non-Jewish-Custom.htm http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Hanukkah/History.shtml?p=1