Finding Light Around Us
Diwali, a Hindu holiday, is traditionally celebrated with the lighting of diyas, which symbolize the triumph of good over evil. Hanukkah, a Jewish 8-day festival, centers around the lighting of the menorah and the story of the Maccabean revolt to reclaim the Temple in Jerusalem. St. Lucia and St. Nicholas/Sinterklaas, both figures of Christian tradition brought kindness and gift-giving in the dark of winter. Christmas, in all its variations worldwide, is a time for families to come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus, who in the Christian faith spread messages of charity and hope. Lastly, Kwanzaa celebrates Black culture and values such as collective work, creativity, and unity symbolized in the candles of the kinara.
Though stemming from different places across the globe, these celebrations have traditions of gathering, memorializing, and searching for the good in ourselves and others. My best friend and I grew up in very different religions and cultures, but we value each other and see the good in each other. She is one of the kindest and most loving people that I know and I've learned so much just by being her friend.
Light can be found in many places - in friendships, in small acts of kindness, in thoughtful words, and in sharing with our community.
As we journey through this season and to the end of 2022, I hope that you find light in each other and how our community has come together over the past year. Let us continue to learn, grow, and shine in the collective light of coming together.
Community Blurb #4: Festival of Light
With every holiday season each family celebrates in their own way. Our household, an interfaith household, has our own traditions that we partake in each holiday winter season. We usually take one night to spend with our entire family, cousins, grandparents , aunts and uncles, to eat homemade brisket, potato latkes, applesauce and donuts and exchange gifts. The significance of the greasy donuts and latkes that we eat in the present day remind us of the minuscule amount of oil that should have lasted for 1 day but miraculously lasted for 8 days in 164 BCE.
Each year our family lights the menorah and we share in the season of celebrating light in our lives in many ways. Since I was a little girl, on Christmas Eve, when many families are gathering together we always got in the car, turned on holiday music and drove through the Sauganash neighbohood to see the most spectacular Christmas light displays. This tradition has continued with my own children along with ensuring we spread light to others by packing food boxes and delivering them to families and elderly in need.
For us and our family this winter season is about celebrating with family and looking at all of the shining lights we have to celebrate in our own lives.
If you would like to learn more about the food we eat and the games we play during Hannukah please take a look here at the Glen Grove Community Project site or on PJ Library.
Have questions? Send us an email!
- Katherine Ellison, Glen Grove Principal
- Aurora Joaquin, Glen Grove Speech-Language Pathologist
- Katelyn Kelleher, Glen Grove Psychologist
- Hedy Helfand, Glen Grove English Langauge Learning Teacher
- Marie Chang-Pisano, Glen Grove Reading Intervention Associate
- Sylvia Gorski Duarte, District Title III Family Resource Teacher
- Lindsey Lurie, District Multilingual Instructional Coach
Email: GGCommunityProject@gmail.com