With fall coming to an end and the chill of winter beginning to set in, there’s one thing on many people’s minds: Christmas. Red and green decorations crowd store windows, lights line the roofs of nearly every house, and Mariah Carey can be heard over the speakers of nearly every place of business. Christmas is a dominating force every December, but despite how it’s been adopted into the mainstream, Christmas is a Christian holiday at its core. So, for those of different religions and denominations, what celebrations do they have during the winter season?
Freshman Lilith Ellison does celebrate Christmas, but as her family is Greek Orthodox, her Christmas traditions look different from the December 25th celebration many would think of.
“We celebrate everything on a different calendar, we celebrate it on the Julian calendar, which that ends up putting our Christmas around like January 7th,” Ellison said. “We celebrate it on Christmas, December 25th, but we also celebrate on January 7th.”
The leadup to Christmas is also different for Ellison than other Christians. From Dec. 15-24, Ellison and her family fast, abstaining from foods such as wine, oil, dairy, and meat, including fish. As part of the fast, participants give money or food to those in need, as well as saying certain prayers.
Freshman Yasmeen Issah and her family are Muslim, and don’t celebrate Christmas at all. While they don’t celebrate any holidays in December, Eid al-Fitr is celebrated according to a lunar calendar, so dates may vary, but it often falls in February or March, just as winter turns to spring. Similar to how Ellison’s family fasts in the lead up to Christmas, Issah and her family fast in the lead up to Eid al-fitr.
“You start your fast when the sun rises, and you break your fast when the sun sets,” Issah explained.
The fast is broken on Eid al-Fitr, with families enjoying a massive feast to celebrate the end of their fast. The holiday is about appreciating the things you have, and what you may take for granted.
“You notice how much you have, y’know, there are other people who go days without eating,” she said.
Junior Ibrahim Hamed is also of the Muslim faith, and celebrates Eid al-Fitr. While Hamed doesn’t celebrate Christmas himself, he still has an appreciation for the holiday.
“My friends, they all celebrate Christmas and stuff, I still get them gifts and everything,” Hamed said. “I like the Christmas vibe myself, like, it’s like a cozy and chill vibe. I like the Christmas holiday… the snow, like, the Christmas movies.”
