Honoring your tenants’ differences

Winter Holidays

Champaign County is home to residents from 120 different countries representing a wide range of religious and cultural differences. The holidays we celebrate are one way of honoring our culture. Certainly acknowledging a residents’ preferred holiday is a way of showing them respect..

May The Light Of The Season Be With You All Year

Most winter holidays revolve around the importance of light. The bright lights on a Christmas tree, the nine candles on a Hanukkah menorah, the seven candles on a Kwanzaa kinara and the sun during the Winter Solstice are a few examples.

Cultures celebrate their holidays with special foods and drinks. Some cultures begin the season with a fast and end with a feast. Others, simply nibble their way through the entire season. Gifts are also standard fare. Those celebrating Christmas and Boxing Day receive their gifts on one day while others may receive gifts each day of the holiday season.

November

Nov 26, 2009 Thanksgiving (Harvest Festival)

The First Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to God and the Native Americans for helping the pilgrims survive the brutal winter. Although half of the pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower died; many more would have had it not been for the Native Americans teaching the pilgrims to harvest foods. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three whole days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Indians. How many will you feed this year?

November 28, 2009 Eid-Ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)

Muslims commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God.. This festival lasts three days or more and is incorporated in the great pilgrimage to Mecca. The underlying importance of this festival is the spirit of sacrifice (qurbani) and is one of two festivals whose basis comes from the Quran.

Learn about December’s Holidays in our next issue!