Second Day of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa

This is the second day of the twelve-day festal tide - a sacred, festive season. In some old traditions, this whole season was seen as a sort of Sabbath: Prepare ahead of time and then spend the Twelve Days doing as little work as possible. It's a good time to rest, reflect, and find peace within.

And it's also the start of Kwanzaa, a seven-day African-American cultural holiday - an American holiday inspired by African traditions. The word kwanza is Swahili for “first”, as in "first fruits", because in some parts of Africa this is the season for first fruits harvest festivals. Kwanzaa is a time of thanksgiving for the earth, but also a time to honor ancestors, and a time for African-Americans to celebrate their heritage and learn about African traditions and values.

Hanukkah 2021

It's also the first night of the eight day Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is observed beginning three days before the new moon closest to the winter solstice, at the darkest part of the moon phase and the darkest part of the sun phase.

Agenda:

1. Kwanzaa principles

2. Christmas Retreat Brainstorm for Renewal

3. Make a mind map

4. Learning plans

5. Prepare for Hanukkah

6. Make potato latkes

7. Hanukia Ceremony

1. Kwanzaa principles:
Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture, called the Nguzo Saba, which in Swahili means the Seven Principles. 

All of the Kwanzaa principles focus on community because in African philosophy a true human is always a person-in-community; this is reflected in the African saying, "I am because we are"- a good counter balance for the Me First thinking of the American culture. All of us can benefit and grow by celebrating these principles, and I like to journal and plan each year, using these principles as a focus.

The first value is Umoja (oo-MOH-jah), which is unity- the unity of working and playing together with family and community, in harmony.

What does unity mean to me? With whom do I need better unity? How can I help us find unity?

List some inspiring ways to find better unity with my family, Quaker Meeting, school, neighborhood, city community, and Earth this year. 

 

From my journal: Unity means accepting and enjoying our differences. I intend to be a better listener, and let people have different opinions. I intend to keep to keep advocating for unity with the earth. I intend to work in unity with anyone who wants to help with climate action.

2. Christmas Retreat Brainstorm for Renewal:

I try to renew all four dimensions of my life (body, mind, heart, and spirit), as Stephen Covey taught: I spend about an hour each day on a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration activities, plus work to improve my social skills and relationships. 

During this first part of Christmas I review one dimension at a time, and today I will take a deep look at my mental nurturance practices.

Mental nurturance comes in the form of life-long learning - the process of acquiring and expanding knowledge and skills throughout my life. Learning is just as nurturing as is eating good food; if you give your brain something fascinating and challenging to digest, in small bites, you will be amazed at the insights and ideas that will bubble up, and the new mental strength and clarity you will gain.

Today I ask myself: 

How can I foster my curiosity? What is my Inner Guide leading me to learn?

What new skills might be useful in the new year? What specific new skills do I need, to complete my goals, priorities, and leadings? 

What areas of study will lead me to my mission in life? What topics are of interest to me now? What topics will be a challenge to my usual way of thinking? What do I want to learn so I can teach it? 

What study will help me to understand myself better, and help me to grow? What social skills do I still need to work on? What will make me more resilient?

What are some current events or issues I should understand better?

What kinds of resources can I use (books, videos, podcasts, workshops, etc.) and what is my timeline?

3. Make a mind map:

A "mind map" is a combination of words and diagrams that engages your whole brain in a creative way. This is one way to brainstorm a comprehensive set of possible subjects of learning. 

As with many exercises like this, the process is more important than the end result. I start with a messy rough draft to get out all my ideas with no concern for how it looks, and refine it later:

1. Get a piece of paper and a pencil.
2. Write "My Mind' in the center.
3. Begin to add possible subjects of study: areas of personal interest, each of my life priorities, inner and outer areas of study, new skills, and current events. Add them one at a time in a way that seems natural and right - group them according to type or significance; connect them to each other or only to the center; add clarifying words. If anything doesn't seem to fit, put it off to the side with a question. 
4. Next add creative learning techniques, sources, and motivations: podcasts, classes, documentaries, going to a museum, attending a lecture or discussion group. 
5. Also, list some challenging projects - plan to make something I don’t know how to make or start up something I have no idea how to start- and find resources to learn how to do it along the way.

4. Learning plans:

My learning renewal plans for 2025 are:

• Discern the top 1-4 subjects of learning that will make the biggest difference in my life each month  - no more than one per week.
• Study Active Hope and resilience - and how to organize an action group.
• Study practical nature-culture (bee classes, flora and fauna ID, )
• Study the Emotional Balance Workbook, learn equanimity skills, and co-regulation techniques.
• Study simplicity and hone in on sanctuary skills.
• Study Creativity, Craftivism, and preschooler art ideas.

5. Prepare for Hanukkah:

Hanukkah commemorates a miracle that occurred in 142 BCE, when a single vial of oil kept the temple lamp burning for eight days.

An ancient Babylonian Talmud story explains that Adam left Paradise just before the time of the Winter Solstice. He noticed the days getting shorter, was worried, and decided to fast and pray for eight days to try to call back the sun. But when the winter solstice arrived, and he saw the days getting gradually longer, he said, "Such is the way of the world,” and proceeded to observe eight days of festivity.

Today I will clean up my Hanukia (otherwise known as a menorah) and check my supply of candles; we need 44 candles to last each of the 8 nights.

6. Make potato latkes:

It is traditional to eat fried foods on this holiday, because of the significance of the oil in the lamp.

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes1 small onion
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• dash of black pepper
• 1/2 c. oil
• sour cream and applesauce

Yield: About 15 pancakes

1- Peel the potatoes and the onion, and grate them together onto a towel.

2 - Squeeze out as much moisture as possible, then put into the bowl.

3- Beat the eggs and stir them into the potatoes, along with the flour, salt, and black pepper.

4- Heat the oil in a frying pan, and spoon in the batter. Fry the pancakes until crispy on both sides.

5- Drain on paper towels and serve with sour cream and applesauce.

7. Hanukia Ceremony:

 

Hanukkah is another winter festival with the theme of light and darkness, of moving from dark despair to a place of light and hope.

At sunset, I fit one candle into the Hanukia on the far right, plus a shamash (servant) candle in the center.

Then I recite a blessing. Most of the traditional Hanukkah blessings don't seem appropriate for me, being not even a little bit Jewish, so I use the Blessing of Praise (Shehecheyanu), which is for the first night of anything, or any new experience.

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh.

Blessed are You, our God, Sovereign of all, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.

For a nice recording of how to pronounce this blessing in Hebrew, look here, at Interfaith Family.

I light the shamash candle and use it to light the first candle of the menorah. We let these two candles burn all the way down tonight.

We continue the candle lighting for eight nights, adding another candle each night, from right to left. Note, though, that the candles are lit from left to right, because you pay honor to the newer thing first.