Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Photos By Katie Morris

One campus, many holidays

By Katie Morris

kemorris@vwc.edu

In the United States the holiday season often immediately forms images of flying reindeer, mistletoe, and packed stores with huge sales. However, this isn’t the only picture. This time of year, holidays are celebrated differently throughout the world and in different religions. Most of the United States and Virginia Wesleyan College community are Christian, and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the Messiah. However, there are several people who are of another religion such as Judaism or Buddhism in our country and on our campus, too. Also, some are foreign, which contributes to their different cultures during the holidays.

Like the United States itself, most members of the VWC community are Christian. The main holiday is Christmas. This is the day the Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth. Many decorate evergreen trees, give gifts to one another, sing carols, and go to church. There are also many Christmas specials, such as “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown,” “A Christmas Story,” and “The Grinch.” This is based on the animated classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” which is in turn based on the classic Dr. Seuss tale. These and other specials have now become classics and are run every year.

Freshman Nakita Henzell from Trinidad is Roman Catholic. Where she is from, the day after Christmas, called Boxing Day, is also celebrated.

Another foreign student at Wesleyan is junior Ulli Wernitz, from Germany. Though she claims not to be very religious, she says most Germans are Catholic. Wernitz celebrates Christmas and New Year’s Eve and said that the main thing that is special to her about the holidays is the fact that her family gathers together for a meal.

VWC student Cat Cludinski is a practicing Wiccan and celebrates the Winter Solstice, also called Yule. Solstice can falls between Dec. 20 to 23, depending on the cycle of the year. It’s the longest night of the year and is a turning point in the winter season. It’s celebrated as the birth of the light half of the God, which balances out the death of the dark half. The Pagan/Neo-Pagan holiday celebrates the upcoming spring and the warmth and light it brings and recognizes how important the dark, cold period of the year is to the balance of all things.

To celebrate the return of the light God, known symbolically in rituals and rites as the Oak King, this is usually played out in a narrative or read about in a poem. The Oak king defeats the Holly King at Winter Solstice, and the Holly King Defeats the Oak king in six months at the Summer Solstice. This symbolizes the seasons. Each of the Kings represents the light and dark halves of the God, creating balance.

Several Pagan festivities are celebrated during the holiday. One is the traditional Yule log, a log of Ash or Oak, which was burned during the Yule evening.

“Traditionally, a small piece was cut off of the log before it was burned on the evening of solstice to warm the longest night,” Cludinski said, adding that it was lit by the piece of last year’s Yule log to symbolize the cycle of all things.

Cludinksi said that the Yule log was replaced by a Yule tree, which was decorated by burning candles.

“While some believers still complete this tradition in the form of a bonfire,” said Cludinski, “many other practitioners choose to decorate a Yule tree with symbols of the season as opposed to burning candles for practical and safety purposes.”

During Solstice, holly, evergreen, and mistletoe boughs are used to decorate the home. Junior Suzie Lazarowitz, who is Jewish, will be celebrating Chanukah, also called Hanukah. Known as the “celebration of lighhts,” it celebrates the miracle of the priests’ oil lamp lasting eight days instead of one and the rededication of their temple after it was restored to them at the end of the succesful Maccabean revolt. Hanukah traditions include going to synagogue and eating dinner with her whole family. Her favorite Chanukah food is the latke, or potatoe pancakes, which are fried and served with sour cream and applesauce. To commemorate the miracle of the oil lamp, a menorah is lit for eight days. A menorah is a special kind of candelabra. A prayer is said while lighting it.

Another significant holiday is that of Kwanzaa, a week long celebration that falls on Dec. 26 every year and lasts until Jan. 1. Kwanzaa commemorates African-American heritage. Much like Chanukah, candle lighting is involved, as well as gift-giving and libations. The holiday culminates in a gathering and a feast. The holiday was first celebrated from Dec. 26, 1966 to Jan. 1, 1967 and was founded by Ron Karenga.

These are some of the many cultures and religions in the world and also here on our Virginia Wesleyan Cmpus. Happy holidays to all.