Festivals of Light
Post categories: Staff blog
| 15:31 UK time, Thursday, 22 December 2011
Hello again.
In my previous blogs I have written about preparations for Christmas in the UK.
Some of these preparations involve lighting candles because Christians believe that Jesus is the light of the world and the birth of Jesus is celebrated at Christmas. I mentioned the tradition of making an Advent Wreath.
Another tradition in the UK is that many Anglican (Protestant) churches have Christingle (Christ light) services on Christmas Eve (24 December in the UK).
A Christingle
A Christingle is a symbol of Christ's light given to children during the service. It consists of an orange with a candle pushed into its centre, a red ribbon around the outside, and sweets or dried fruits stuck into the orange with cocktail sticks. The orange symbolises the world, the candle represents Jesus Christ (the light of the world), the red ribbon represents the blood of Jesus and the fruits represent the fruits of the earth.
Other religions also celebrate festivals of light at this time of year. Diwali, the festival of light celebrated by Hindus, takes place between mid-October and mid-December. This year Diwali was on 26 October. The festival involves lighting small clay lamps for five days and nights to signify the triumph of good over evil. Firecrackers are also lit to drive away evil spirits.
A woman lighting clay lamps for Diwali
And this week Jewish people in the UK, and around the world, are celebrating their Festival of Light. This festival is also known as Hanukkah or Chanukah. It is an eight-day Jewish holiday, celebrated on different dates each year, in November or December.
Hanukkah commemorates a miracle which Jews believe took place a long time ago, when the Temple in Jerusalem needed to be re-dedicated after a war. There was only enough oil to light the menorah for one day but it remained lit for the eight days needed to prepare new oil. The Jewish people have celebrated this eight-day festival ever since. During Hanukkah, a nine-branched candelabrum, based on the original menorah, is lit every evening at nightfall. The ninth candle in the middle of the menorah is used to light the other candles.
A menorah - lampstand
This year, Hanukkah started on Wednesday 21 December and the first candle was lit the evening before on Tuesday 20 December. The lights are put at the window so that people passing by can see them and be reminded of the holiday's miracle. Special prayers or blessings are said before or after lighting the candles, traditional songs are sung and traditional food is eaten. Some families give each other presents on each night of the Hanukkah festival.
Whichever festival you are celebrating at the moment, I wish you many blessings and happiness as we come to the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012.
Emily
Glossary:
Tradition - the passing on of cultural practices from generation to generation
Advent Wreath - a ring of leaves, flowers, twigs, with five candles, one for each week of Advent and one for Christmas Day
Christingle - the word means 'Christ light' and is an orange with a candle pushed into the centre of the orange, a red ribbon around the outside, and sweets or dried fruits stuck into the orange with cocktail sticks
Symbol - an image or object used to represent something else
To consist of - to be made from
Cocktail sticks - thin wooden sticks with sharp ends used to put food on at parties
To symbolise/ to represent - to illustrate something using a symbol or image
Fruits of the earth - types of food which have come from plants; e.g. vegetables
Festivals - an occasion for feasting or celebration
Diwali - a festival of light celebrated in the Hindu religion
Firecrackers - a small explosive used at celebrations to make noise
Hanukkah/ Chanukah - a festival of light celebrated in the Jewish religion
To commemorate - to remember
Miracle - something that can't be explained by the laws of nature
To re-dedicate - to dedicate or consecrate something again
Menorah - a lampstand traditionally used by Jews, with either seven or nine candles or lamps
Candelabrum - a decorative candle holder which holds multiple candles
Blessings - a short prayer or wish for happiness and well-being
Comment number 1.
At 24th Dec 2011, tayyab wrote:Hello to All Readers,
Thank you Emily ,I read this all and very happy to know this information .This is the first time i am getting this information and thank you Glossary which gives meaning for words used.There are many other religions who celebrate their festival with light.I wish you many blessings and happiness on Christmas and Happy new Year.
Regards
Tayyab
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 24th Dec 2011, Discip wrote:Hello Emily.
I have never heard of some of the vocabulary you explain. Thank you for the Glossart you give us.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 24th Dec 2011, stefania wrote:Dear Emily,
thank you so much for your blog! Everytime I read it, I discover new and absolutely interesting things!! Actually, before reading this I idn't know the existence neither of the advent wreath, nor of the Christingle. You have the capability to explain things in a really clear way!!! I would like to tell you about the tradition of Santa Lucia in Scandinavian Countries. Santa Lucia is celebrated on 13 of December.She is deeply linked with the light, in some Countries she is the preserver of the light, and the night of her celebration (13 of December) is the longest one during the year. Recently, I ve been in Denmark and I stayed there during the night of Santa Lucia. Scandinavian people deeply feel the tradition of Santa Lucia and one interesting thing they do in order to celebrate this Santa is to wake up people in the house early in the morning. All the girls in he house wear a white dress and put on their head a wreath with candles( in the tradition there are 12 candels, one for each month), then they start singing a song about S. Lucia and go through all the room of the house waiking up all the member with the song and the light of the candels. Being woken up in this way has been really touching for me. Well, I wish all of you all the best for this Christmas and a happy New Year!!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 25th Dec 2011, amirelnaggar wrote:hi Emily
thank you for these important informations they were very useful to me , it is first time to know these details because i am moslim , happy christmas .
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 25th Dec 2011, Jenny wrote:Dear Emily,
Thank you for your posting! I have never heard these informations before.
I have started unstanding both Hindus and Jews custom via ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Learning English blog. Glossary is more important for me, many people belive that lighting firecrackers can drive away evil spirits during festivals.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Best Regards.
Jenny from Hong Kong
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)
Comment number 6.
At 28th Dec 2011, sanjay wrote:Dear Emily,
Thanks for the information about festive season out of the world. before it i only know about diwali which we celebrate in india. it is a great festival in of India whic celebrate every year between October & December month. I'm very happy to know about other festivel of lightes which is celebrated in all over the word.
Thanks............
Please share other great festival of world........as well as share the colourfull festivel like holi in India.........
Complain about this comment (Comment number 6)
Comment number 7.
At 28th Dec 2011, sanjay wrote:Happy New Year to every 1 in Advance::)))))))
Complain about this comment (Comment number 7)
Comment number 8.
At 28th Dec 2011, sanjay wrote:Hi Emily,
I'm great fan of your blogs..the information & the language you use in your bolgs is very knowlegble and easy to understand. Dear Emily have you ever visted to India? if No.Please come. if yes, then Please come agiain. India is a great Country with diffrent culture,tradition, languages. I'm sure you will learn so many things from hear. as well as get so many things to write in your blogs.
I always weighting for your blogs.....but I would like to request you please write something about India in your blogs.
Thanks!!
Regards.....
Sanjay
Complain about this comment (Comment number 8)
Comment number 9.
At 28th Dec 2011, Top Banana wrote:Super glossary that is really helpful.
Many thanks
Complain about this comment (Comment number 9)
Comment number 10.
At 29th Dec 2011, navi wrote:Dear Emily,
I am new in this community and found your blog very interesting,you have described to much about festivals which is celebrating all over world. I am from india and i have celebrated Christmas couple of days ago....yet still i know only about Christmas and diwali but through your blog i found a new festival Hanukkah, according to your blog it's looks like diwali.......... which is a biggest festival in india.
Dear emily i Kindly request to you that please write again about different cultures & festival........
Thanks! & Regards,
Naveen
Complain about this comment (Comment number 10)
Comment number 11.
At 1st Jan 2011, nojir wrote:Hello Emily,
This is me from Bangladesh. It is very interesting, that you explained about the use of light in various festival. I had some idea about the Christian's and Hindu's use of light. But using the light by the Jewish in their religious festival is completely new to me. Your art of explaining things is excellent. It is crystal clear to me the using of light what you explained.
I want to give a new information for our beloved learners. The Buddhist community uses light in their religious festival. They make big box with paper and attach gas balloon with that box. Then they put a candle inside the box. They lit the candle inside and throw the box to the sky. The candle-light box fly in the sky and once it disappears. The Buddhist community do it in the memory of their ancestors. The festival is called "Buddha Purnima". Purnima means full moon time. The festival occurs in the Purnima once in a year.
My English is poor. If anybody don't understand clearly what I explained, I am sorry for that.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 11)
Comment number 12.
At 2nd Jan 2012, Tereza wrote:Hi Emily,
thank you for the information about Chanukka. I knew the name of the feast but I had no idea what it is. But I know it now.
Happy new year!
Tereza
Complain about this comment (Comment number 12)
Comment number 13.
At 3rd Jan 2012, Varisha wrote:Hi Emily,
Hope you had a good break. Your post was very informative and I enjoyed reading it. As I live in the UK and therefore know a little about the way Christmas is celebrated but you pointed out things which I never knew before like Christingle. So thanks for that. You seem to know a lot about other traditions in the world as well and I enjoyed reading about them too. Even though I knew about Dewali but you explained it really well. Looking forward to your next blog
Cheers
Varisha
Complain about this comment (Comment number 13)