Tag Archives: religion

The Best Time to Take Down Your Christmas Tree

07 Thursday Jan 2021

Posted by in Holidays, Special Events

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The holidays are officially behind us. Christmas and the New Year have seemingly come and gone in the blink of an eye, and now you may be wondering when the best time is to take down your Christmas décor. Many of us would like to close the chapter on 2020, but there is no denying that there is something magical about the Christmas season that several of us would like to hold on to as long as possible. So, when is the best time to put away your Christmas tree?

To us, there are two schools of thought. If you like to pay attention to the calendar, there is an easy answer. According to Christian tradition, you should keep your tree up until the 12th Night of Christmas, which commemorates the arrival of the Three Wisemen.

As straightforward as the 12th Night sounds, unfortunately, that is not exactly the case. Different religions have different starting points, which makes pinning down the 12th Night a bit more challenging. The Church of England starts the 12 Days of Christmas on December 24, but the Catholic religion starts it on December 25, making January 6 (Epiphany) the 12th and final day of Christmas. If you were waiting for the ideal time to take down your decorations, that day has arrived.

But, as we mentioned time and time again; however, these past nine months have been unlike any other period many of us have seen in our lifetimes. To cope with the uncertainty, many people decided to put up their Christmas decorations earlier than they would have in the past, which brings us to the second theory.

If the sight of twinkling lights and beautiful ornaments still brings you joy on January 7, we would encourage you to leave your tree up as long as you wish. Arguably, the most magical part of the holidays, is the kindness that people associate with the season, so who are we to say when that feeling should end?

From all of us at Lions Pride, we hope you’ll keep the spirit of the holidays alive as long as you can, regardless of when you decide to take down your Christmas tree.

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

Posted by in Holidays, Special Events

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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!