Amidst towering stress from college applications and growing tensions of the midterm exams, Spartans are craving a distraction now more than ever. And what better distraction than the many upcoming festive holidays and their merry celebrations? Let’s embark on a tour to discover the diverse and thrilling celebrative activities of the two major winter holidays of Canada: Christmas and Hanukkah.
Christmas:
The Christmas spirit is in the air, so go and take a break from studying and bring up the cheer! Try something new or something that you’ve always wanted to do this Christmas. Make it the best time of the year! Here are some different activities to do during the winter season.
Cut a Christmas Tree (Or two):
One of the most adventurous activities during Christmas that’s fun for the whole family is cutting your own Christmas tree. Sure, the local hardware store might have a fake, plastic tree or a pre-cut Christmas tree, but nothing beats going to the tree farm or even the forest to select and cut your own tree. Some tips before going to the forest is to check with BC regulations for Christmas tree cutting before you head out. A Free Use Permit for Christmas trees is needed and has to be signed by the appropriate authority for the region. Here are some tree farms that are open for 2023: Murphy’s Christmas Tree farm in Maple Ridge and Aldor Acres Christmas Tree in Langley. These tree farms all offer u-cut trees, which means that it is possible to select and cut the tree yourself, a fun experience for sure! So remember to check their regulations and be ready to bring any equipment to the farm. Also, Scouts Christmas trees are now open in West Vancouver. Although it is not u-cut, but they’re much closer to home!
Go Sledding or Tubing:
On a sunny day in the middle of winter, wouldn’t it be fun to go outside, and sled? Buy a foam sled from Canadian Tire for thirty-five dollars, and take it out for some excitement. The great thing about sledding? Any plot of sloping land with ample snow on it is a track, meaning, you can sled just about anywhere (as long as it’s safe!). The greatest recommendation, however, would be a known area where you know there are no hidden dangers when a thick blanket of snow has covered everything. A sloping driveway downwards would be a perfect fit! Sentinel does not have the perfect sledding spot, but you can always visit another school close by to your house and get a good sense of your sledding spot beforehand. The Grouse Mountain Sliding Zone is another perfect place to go; however, it’s for a small fee. One tip: test out the snow beforehand to see if it has the perfect density. The snow should be not too dense and not too fluffy. Remember, sliding down a well trodden path will be much quicker than a fresh powdery one!
Build a Snowman:
Another activity to do during this cold winter season is building a snowman. If Vancouver ever gets some thick snow before Christmas, head out and build a snowman! Here are the materials needed: a lot of snow, a carrot, some sticks, some black marbles and an enthusiastic mindset! To those who have never built a snowman before (just in case), here’s how to build one. First you find a place with some nice snow, not too powdery, not too dense, just perfect. Then you make a small ball out of snow and roll it on the ground until it gets bigger and bigger. The size can be anything, from tiny fist-sized balls to nearly 125 feet of snow. Then roll a second ball in the same way until it is a little bit smaller than the first. Make sure it is possible for the second ball to be on top of the first ball. Then, decorate it however you wish. You can add sticks for arms, olives for eyes, a carrot for a nose, and even dress it warmly with a scarf or cap.
Make some Christmas Treats:
If you are an indoor person, try baking Christmas treats! There are a variety of treats to choose from, from the most popular Christmas cheesecake, to country favourites, such as the Pavlova from Australia—a meringue-based dessert, Mince pies from the UK, and the Christmas/plum pudding from Canada. There’s tons of great online recipes you can follow!
Some other activities that are unique to Vancouver include visiting the PNE Winter Fair, Christmas lights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge and VanDusen Festival of Lights, and the Christmas Winter Market.
Hanukkah:
The jolly, Jewish holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the miracles of liberty and the miraculous candles of Hanukkiah. Together, we will dive into the cherished traditions and stories of Hanukkah through a brief look on its origins, celebrations, and culture.
Holiday origins :
The historical origins of Hanukkah and the ancient struggles of the Hebrew people under different imperial regimes is a grueling tale of struggles and determination. The Jewish people lived with relative freedom under the rule of the Persian Empire and later the Egyption Greeks, practicing their religions and culture. However, when King Antiochus IV came into the picture, he banned their religion and forced them to worship the Greek gods instead. His ban of Judaism was enforced under the threat of severe penalties and death; The Holy Temple, the spiritual symbol of the Hebrew, was filled with statues of foreign gods. In protest, a small-scale Jewish rebellion effort named the Maccabees decided to rise against their oppressors; after a three year war, the Maccabees claimed victory and won back the holy city of Jerusalem. This was recorded as a result of the combined grit and will of the people, and of the wit and strategies of their commander, Judah.
In the holy temple of Jursalem, after clearing out the statues of Greek Gods, the people light the iconic 8 candles Chanukiah. Despite the candles being projected to only last a single day due to the lack of oil, in some form of divine miracle, they burned for eight days and eight nights on end. To celebrate this miracle and the Maccabees that liberated the Hebrews, Jewish people all around the world come together to celebrate the eight-days-holiday of Hanukkah on the 25th day of Kislev, Hebrew Calendar. This year (2023) specifically, it is from the evening of Thursday, December 7 to Friday, December 15.
Celebrational Activities :
Among the numerous different ways families may celebrate Hanukkah, there are three that are especially important and widespread. The first of which is unsurprisingly the lighting of the Chanukiah that is the eighth candle light with one Shamash Candle in the middle to use to light the others. One candle is lit on each day at nightfall from left to right until fire dances merrily on all eight, signifying the final night of Hanukkah. It is also key to not mistaken the Chanukiah for Menorah, the difference being that one is the eight candled light that is Hanukkah specific while the other being the seven candled light that is a symbol to Jewish beliefs in general.
The second common activity during Hanukkah is the telling of stories of the origins of Hanukkah and those of Torah (Hebrew Bible), typically to younger generations. This serves the double purpose of both exciting and entertaining children while also passing down the rich history and culture of the Jewish people. These wholesome family moments beside the fireplace characterized by the telling and receiving of tales are remembered with fond memories throughout the generations, passing down as a tradition to remember the legend of Judah and his brave soldiers.
The third of the common celebrations is simply the general act of merry making. The most significant of which is a traditional game of gambling played with a dreidel; a spinner that acts as a dice. There are four possibilities: either one may do nothing, add to the pot , take half the pot, or take the entirety of the pot. The pot or bow or whatever instrument of containment used within the game of Dreidel is used to hold bets that were placed. These bets may take the form of money, gelt(golden tin wrapped chocolate coins), acorns, toys, etc. The holiday atmosphere is also brimming with the sound of music. Songs both traditional and religious, modern and animated alike are present in the merry making of Hanukkah. Within recent years, the habit of gifting presents also worked its way into the celebrations of Hanukkah under the influence of Christmas and has now become a part of this blissful holiday.
Dishes :
Another integral aspect of Hanukkah is undoubtedly its unique and exquisite dishes. The Latkes are fried potatoes shaped in the form of a pancake. Their crispy outer layer hinting saltiness gives away to a contrasting soft mushy inside. They are an iconic part of the Hanukkah holiday dinner table. The Sufganiyot is a roundish frosted donut that encases a mix of fillings that varies from chocolate to jelly. It is also a key aspect of the food traditions. Here it is important for us to acknowledge that a large portion of traditional holiday food of Hanukkah is fried; this is due to their celebration of the miracle of the candles and shortage of oil. Foods are based on oil in memory of this divine event. The last of the iconic foods is the Gelt, which is a coin shaped chocolate that is wrapped in gold colored tin. The Gelt is often given to children and used as fake currency for the dreidel games.
The miraculous winter season is bustling with exciting events and holidays, with Christmas and Hanukkah being just two among them. From the stories of Santa Claus that we were all hoodwinked by, to the magical tale of the eight candles, we have gone on a journey across these festive holidays and glimpsed into the celebrations behind them. Though our time here was brief and our conversations one-sided, we hope that you have discovered something new and fascinating about these familiar holidays around us and how different people may spend their winter times. We wish you a happy holiday!
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