From Trees to Candles to Chocolates: A Window into Winter Holidays Across Durham

BY LEANDER SHINDELL

     The Christmas tree sparkles and glows, light from the stocking-decked fireplace shimmering on the myriad of assortments. But some houses may look a little different this time of year.
     Though Christmas usually gets the spotlight, other religions and ethnicities have their own winter holidays, like Hannukah (Judaism), Kwanzaa (African/African American), Eid-al Adha (Islam), St. Lucia’s Day (Scandinavia),

PHOTO CREDIT: Yotam Ginsburg-Levin
Senior Yotam Ginsburg-Levin lights the menorah, whose 8 candles represent the 8 nights of Hannukah. It is traditional  to light one candle each night, until all 8 (or sometimes 9) are lit on the final night, eat latkes (potatoes pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts), and give gifts to family and friends.

and many others across the world. As a diverse community, Durham is home to an equally diverse array of celebrations. 
     Though a small city, Durham boasts a large immigrant community, meaning many different unique traditions await discovery by those who wish to learn about them. 
     “Christmas reminds my family of how the majority of our relatives live in Uganda… My family makes a big deal of sending letters to family in Uganda, calling relatives almost every week, and remembering the things we love about our home country during this time of the year,” Mirian Masamba, a local teen, shared.
     “In Colombia we celebrate the 9 days leading up to Christmas with a kind of prayer about Jesus' birth. We celebrate with food like natilla, buñuelos, and agua panela. On Christmas Eve we stay up until the next day partying and open presents at midnight,” Catalina Sanchez-Toloza, a Durham Catholic, expressed.
     “We celebrate Hannukah around winter time. For many Jews it's the equivalent of Christmas. My mom is Latvian and has some Russian friends so around new years we get together for the Russian noviy god, the new years (secular) with Dad Moroz (Russian for Father Frost), which is a santa-like figure, we get presents and such,” Yotam Ginsburg-Levin, Jewish DSA Senior, said. 
 

PHOTO CREDIT: Megan Dennie
Junior Megan Dennie and her older sister enjoy St. Lucia’s Day, which is typically celebrated by Christians in Scandinavian countries. Festivities typically include a procession of girls wearing lit wreaths, led by the town’s chosen ‘St. Lucia’ and traditional foods like saffron bread.

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     For immigrants, winter can be a time of homesickness mixed in with holiday cheer. However, shared experiences can bring solidarity to communities and create a strong sense of identity.
     “As an ethnic minority, I don't feel left out because of the friendships/community I have with other ethnic or religious minorities. We all either miss home or family, celebrate Christmas differently, or celebrate different holidays and those things bring us together to spend time around each other or be there to support each other,” Masamba asserted.
   In a society where the winter holiday focus is almost exclusively on Christmas, some may find enjoyment in sharing their own traditions with others, which carries the added benefit of educating the community about the experiences of minorities.
     “Around Hannukah my dad would deep fry sufganiyot, jelly filled donuts, for ourselves and the neighbors,” Ginsburg-Levin remembered. 
     Minority groups may find that some of their traditions are made fun of, such as the Colombian staple of hot chocolate with cheese. In an effort to balance the importance of diversity as well as respect for religion, schools and other communities face the challenge of creating an inclusive winter environment.
     “I think framing wintertime as a time of being together and celebrating the people in your life could make schools and other places more secular. I would like to add though that I think there is (and should) be a place for secularism AND non-secularism in schools and other places,” Masamba expressed.
     Bringing awareness to lesser-known winter holidays can aid in the arduous task of religious inclusion without taking attention from other holidays. However, the top priority of all institutions surrounding this matter should be to create a climate where all members feel respected and valued. 
     “It doesn't matter very much to me whether it (other holidays) becomes more visible or not as long as my right to engage in my own traditions is not threatened,” Ginsburg-Levin asserted.