A Festival of Lights: Celebrating Winter Holidays at Newman
BOSTON MASS, As winter break approaches, Newman students display the importance of community by coming together to share and celebrate a variety of winter holidays. Each celebration has its own unique significance and traditions for Newman students, however they all encourage a sense of community among different faiths and religions.
Christmas
Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays among Newman students bringing together both students and faculty. Each year, Newman faculty and parents work to create a festive environment inside the Newman building by setting up a Christmas tree in the front room, where Newman students are encouraged to contribute to decorating the tree. The decorations allowed the Christmas spirit to be seen and enjoyed all throughout the Newman community as people shared their excitement for winter break.
Christmas, observed on December 25th, marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Ella Babka, class of 27’ shares her family's traditions for celebrating Christmas. “Every Christmas eve, I go to mass which is always a great way to spend time with my family.” She says, “I get to learn more about my religion in ways I don't always have a chance to do throughout the school year.”
Other sophomore students including Charlotte Erwin agreed that celebrating Christmas opened the opportunity to spend time and connect with family. She specifically enjoys her family's tradition of holding an annual secret santa with her cousins. However, Charlotte comments on the importance of recognizing that Christmas is not just all about gifts, she concludes,“As a family, we all go to midnight mass together. This encourages me to learn the importance of Christmas and not just become distracted by all the materialistic things that come with the holiday.”
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light, is another significant holiday for Newman students. The celebration commemorates the recovery of the temple in Jerusalem after a group of Jewish fighters (The Maccabees) were liberated from foreign forces. The central tradition of Hanukkah lasts 8 nights, usually observed by lighting the candles on a hanukiah, adding a candle each night.
Bea Samuels 27’ shares her family's traditions as they celebrate Hanukkah each year. This includes, “Lighting the hanukiah each night, making sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts) and latkes, gifts, and attending a community lighting of the menorah at the state house” she says. Apart from this, Bea continues to make new memories and traditions, such as helping younger kids learn the dreidel song” (A fun song about the traditional game played on Hanukkah involving a dreidel).
Madeline Parker 25’ shares similar traditions to Bea’s family, adding that, “Some nights we play family games like rummikub.” Similarly to Christmas, Hanukkah allows Newman students to cherish the time spent with their families throughout the season.
Diwali
Lastly, Diwali is celebrated by many Newman students in the winter. Diwali is observed for various reasons including the celebration of Lord Krishna over Narakasura, or the recognition of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Above all, the holiday symbolizes the triumphs of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
Students celebrating Diwali honor the holiday by lighting lamps, home decorating, fireworks, prayers, gifts, and the gathering of families.
As students throughout Newman celebrate a variety of holidays, the Newman community comes together to share the spirit. Every year, Newman's Festival of lights ceremony is hosted at the South church in Boston. It allows students, whether they are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, or another holiday to share their practices and strengthen the Newman community’s spirit of inclusivity.
