Get ready to celebrate Hanukkah starting December 22

Everything that I have written about so far has been about Christmas even before Thanksgiving happened, so I figured I should write something for some of people who do not celebrate Christmas. The most prominent of these is our Jewish brothers and sisters who celebrate Hanukkah at just about the same time as Christmas.

While, Adam Sandler has drawn some attention over the years to the holiday with his different versions of “The Hanukkah Song” many people might not be totally aware of what exactly Hanukkah is. I, honestly, was also left in the dark as to the exact details of the holiday, but hopefully more light has been shed on it.Just like everyone knows, Hanukkah is eight nights of presents marked by lighting a candle on a Menorah.  Each light marks a new night on Hanukkah.  The background for the holiday comes from Judah Maccabee and his troops using oil that could only be used for one night for eight nights in their Temple’s menorah.  The Maccabees were under seige by Greek troops at the time and a miracle was the reason for the oil lasting for as long as it did.

The Hanukkah story obviously does not have nearly as much exposure as the Christmas story has, but it is something important for us to recognize. Being college students, we should learn about different cultures during our time here, and hopefully this holiday could gain more exposure.

Just for kicks, here is the famous song by Adam Sandler

I am led to believe by the teachings of the Bible (and more credibly by many a philosopher) that we as humans have Free Will. The whole notion, the very validity of the concept of Sin (and our responsibility for our actions) is 100% based on the idea that we as free-acting agents can make choices as we see fit, be them good or evil.

Yet, if I were to walk into a church, for example, and start throwing eggs at the congregants, I am sure that they would regard the incident as an act of Satan. Keep in mind, that while Satan is very very evil, no all acts influenced by him are particularly evil. This is because all things aren’t either extremely good, or extremely evil. The gray area is wider than the universe. If I tell a child to ‘Shut the hell up,” or if I go around telling children that there is no Santa, is that evil? No. Is it wrong? Maybe (I guess it depends on when ‘telling the truth’ is regarded as wrong). Is it a sin? I dunno.

Here in lies the dilemma. If we start attributing all good to God and all bad to Satan, then many problems arise.

Can I really be held responsible for being influenced by an unseen force?…a force God created?..a force God refuses to extinguish? If my whole life is a tug-of-war between the will of God and of Satan, how am I supposed to be held responsible? How can I say that any choice I made was my own choice?

From a Christian perspective, God and Satan are essentially in a gigantic domestic dispute, and we, the children, are caught in the middle. In a broken family, you don’t blame the children for their actions when one parent coaxed them into smiting the other parent.

In my view, if there is a God, he created bird, and trees, and fruit and love, and cancer, and death, and pain and torture. This is why I blame God for any bad that happens in my life. And you should to. Because when it all comes down to it, good or evil, he started it all and that makes him responsible.

So, here is a little prayer I found that anyone can use for finals. You never know, it could help you out.

PRAYER SAID BEFORE FINALS

Now I Lay Me
Down to Study,
I Pray the Lord I
Won’t Go Nutty.If I Should Fail to
Learn this Junk,
I Pray the Lord
I Will Not Flunk.

But If I Do,
Don’t Pity Me at All,
Just Lay My Bones
In the Study Hall.

Tell My Prof
I Did My Best,
Then Pile My
Books upon My Chest.

Now I Lay Me
Down to Rest,
And Pray I’ll Pass
Tomorrow’s Test.

If I Should Die Before I Wake,
That’s One less Test I’ll Have to Take.

I saw the first installment of the new commercial when I was sitting home with my dad watching some football on Thanksgiving weekend.  There are not many other products that are able to draw the attention for the newest editions of their toy for Christmas.  The sheer fact that a toy can garner so much attention also speaks to just how much of a consumer holiday Christmas has become.  A commercial might be something that people look forward to even more than the holiday itself.

Here is the 2006 version of the Hess Truck

Of course, being a Christian family they will probably still go to services and spend the day together as a family, but to me it doesn’t seem to be the same.

I can understand leaving the presents out this year. It can get expensive and there are a million other ways to tell someone that you care about them, but Christmas without a tree seems depressing. My parents just moved (they got there today) into a new house half way across the country and the first thing we are looking forward to doing is putting the tree up in the new house since then it will really be home.

There is something about following traditions in a turbulent time that relaxes us. Having a tree at Christmas tells us that no matter how bad things are, some things will always remain the same. Luckily, most of the country agrees with me and Christmas tree sales actually go up when the economy is in recession. This year, sales are up 10% after the first weekend after Thanksgiving.

I’m as nervous about this recession as everyone else, but if it encourages people to stay home, slow down and spend more time with family, maybe there can be some positives to it. Perhaps if this Christmas there are fewer presents under the tree people will remember that this is a season about giving of oneself to family, friends and even strangers.

In case you need a little help picking your perfect tree, this is a video about some of the most popular types of evergreens.

Many things we consider Christian tradition began before Christ. Pagans of northern Europe celebrated winter solstice, called Yule. It happened on the shortest day of the year, the Winter solstice which occurs some time between December 20 and December 23 every year.

Yule logs were burned. The custom of kissing underneath a Mistletoe was a ritual. Live trees were often brought into homes during winter as a reminder that soon crops would grow again. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in Germany.

Then somehow, the traditions were usurped by Christian . And for hundreds of years, the tree was no long a symbol to worship Saturn, the God of Agriculture, as they did in Rome, or as the Pagans did later in Northern Europe, worshiping the  Sun God, Mithras. The tree was now used to worship Jesus. And the whole thing became a major pillar of Christianity.

Now, we have seen the gradual removal of religious themes from Christmas in all sects of modern life. ‘Holiday Tree,’ for example. And why? So not to offend Jews, and Muslims and Atheists who have to use our malls and schools and other public places. But most importantly, Christmas is thusly more appealing to a wider audience. More people can feel good about getting into the giving-mood without having to worry about all the Jesus stuff.As a result, there is more spending. The holiday isn’t as niche as it once was.

Christmas is now a celebration of capitalism. From Sun Gods, to Pagans, to Christ, to Capitalism.

What’s next?

Will your gifts bring anticipation under the tree?

Every year at least for me, I always encounter the dilemna about who I should buy a Christmas gift for and who I shouldn’t. Do I want to put the pressure on someone else to buy me a gift, and what would it say to someone if I did not get them one? A Christmas gifts can same many different things depending on the context they are given in. I know that my roommate is trying to make sure that the Christmas gift he buys for his girlfriend this year is the best that he could possibly find because it is their first Christmas as a couple. I, for example, will not be doing the same when I look to buy a gift for my mom. While I love her very much, I am almost certain that the gift I get for her will not negatively or positively effect our relationship.

The real question remains exactly what a Christmas gift says about you and your relationship with the person you are buying a gift for. Sometime the gift can be for business reasons, but you are never sure exactly what to get. Here are some suggestions for what to get people you work with.

There is even perhaps advice that my roommate should look at on what to get your girlfriend for Christmas. Apparently, there are different levels of ways to buy things and some gifts mean even more depending on the level of the relationship you are at with the other person.

No matter what the gift, the important thing is that there was thought put into it, and hopefully the Christian spirit of love spreads throughout all those who go out shopping. Who knows, you might get this kind of reaction when your gift is opened.

Sadly, that day isn’t exactly devoted to holiday cheer. Instead we call that day Black Friday and it is devoted to all things commercial. Instead of focusing on family or getting an early start on decorating, people spend their time waiting on lines outside of closed stores at 5 in the morning.

For the first time, I actually went out at about seven that morning. I was shocked at what I saw. Even with the economy in a recession and the forecast for the future pretty bleak, there were hundreds of people at the stores. The parking lot was packed and people were everywhere.

I know people have been raving for years that Christmas has become completely commercialized, but it really slaps you in the face when you see the mobs of people waiting for hours in line for that perfect gift when they could be enjoying their families at home.

Sales in this bleak time were up 3% compared to last year, but this came at a cost. A Walmart employee was trampled to death in the commercially fueled mayhem. Really, is this the way we want to start the holidays?

I know Christmas has become a secular holiday as well as a religious holiday, but the secular world should really think about what the season is all about. Instead of spending the most money on the greatest present, spend less money and more time with them. I guarantee the holidays will be a lot less stressful and the best you’ve ever had.

Here are 2 of my favorite stand-up comedians’ bits on religion.

Enjoy

Both types of songs spread Christmas spirit to those who hear them but they have slightly different meanings behind them depending on the audience.  I personally do not care what type of Christmas music I am listening to as long as it makes me happy and ready for Christmas to come soon.

My question to everyone else would be what kind of Christmas music you prefer to listen to, and do you think it makes a difference if you are a religiously inclined person or not? Like Buddy the Elf says, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!!”

Here are some examples to look at:

Bruce Springsteen, one of my favorite artists and fellow Jersey boy, with his famous, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

Josh Groban with “O Holy Night” from Christmas at Rockefeller Center from a few years ago.