Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25. The word Christmas comes from the Middle English word Cristemasse, which is derived from the Old English word Crīstesmæsse. Cristemasse was first recorded in 1038. The word Cristes-mæsse was first known to be recorded in 1131. It means Christ’s Mass and celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Not everyone celebrates Christmas on Dec. 25, though. The Orthodox Church celebrates this special day on Jan. 7.
Hanukkah, sometimes called Chanukah, falls on the 25th day of the month of Kislev and goes through the second day of Tevet in the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, so Hanukkah does not always fall on the same day each year the way Christmas does on the Gregorian calendar that most people use today. Hanukkah lasts eight days. It is a holiday that remembers the Jewish people’s struggle for religious freedom.
Kwanzaa was started in 1966 by Dr.Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. The word Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase matundaya kwanza meaning first fruits. Kwanzaa lasts seven days and celebrates a different principal each day. These principals are: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Kwanzaa is from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1.
