Purim
On the Jewish celebration of Purim, Jews are allowed to conduct business and perform manual labor. This is much different than the holy days of Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah. Purim is often thought of a national holiday, rather than a religious celebration. The…
Holi
Who doesn’t want to say good-bye to winter and the cold? Spring brings sun, flowers, and fresh asparagus. Many cultures have a spring festival in March to celebrate the spring equinox. The Middle East observes Nowruz, the Persian New Year. In Japan, it’s c…
Winter Solstice
There are any number of holidays to celebrate in December. The Jews have Hanukkah. Christians remember the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Kwanzaa is a reminder of African traditions. Many non-religious individuals celebrate Saturnalia. All of these ce…
Kwanzaa
Understanding the traditions of another culture is a great way to gain insight into what is important to its members. Through this knowledge, people can come together in meaningful ways. Consider Christmas, Hanukkah, Saturnalia, and Kwanzaa. One of the unde…
Bodhi Day
Buddhists may not recognize one of the traditional Western celebrations of winter such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or Saturnalia, but that doesn’t mean the religion doesn’t have its own seasonal festival. December 8 recognizes the day when Siddhar…
Celebrating Hanukkah
During the holiday season, Jews celebrate Hanukkah, which is known as the Festival of Lights or Feast of Dedication. Although Hanukkah is not ordained in the Bible, it is still widely celebrated around the world. The dates for this eight-day ho…
Religious Displays
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve probably heard about the Starbucks red cup controversy. Christians are up in arms about the plain red cup which Starbucks uses during the holiday season. Some people think it’s a non-issue…
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of the most traditional holidays in the United States, but it can be a field of landmines when you have family members who get together with different beliefs and views. If you need some neutral topics beyond sports or shopping duri…
Evolution Day
In February, Darwin Day celebrates the contribution that Charles Darwin made to science. On November 24, 1859, he initially published his “On the Origin of Species.” To celebrate the contribution that Darwin made with the revolutionary work, Evolu…
World Freedom Day
November often seems like a month for military. Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11. This day is called Remembrance Day in other countries, and it not just honors our veterans, but it also commemorates the end of World War I. The United Stat…