Alternate Angles

As the New Year begins, and Christmas Trees are being hauled to the road, many people begin to shift their attention to the next upcoming holiday: Valentine's Day. For some, this is a day of joyous celebration of romance and happiness, while for others...it's not so happy. One of the biggest themes you hear the naysayers touting is referring to the day as a "Hallmark holiday," suggesting that the holiday was created by greeting card companies to boost sales. While it is no surprise that candy and card companies flourish at this time of year, Valentine's Day is no invention of theirs. In fact, the first celebration was established over 1500 years ago as a feast to commemorate a priest who was martyred. Saint Valentine Throughout history, there have been about a dozen Saint Valentines recognized by the Catholic Church. Details are quite vague, and the Saint Valentine in question may have been one man, or comprised of the stories of two or three men. Whether he was o...

The end of the calendar year is a time of celebration for many different religions and cultures. Christmas and Hanukkah often take most of the spotlight, but another significant observance is taking place around the same time as well. Many people have heard of Kwanzaa, but unless they have celebrated it, most don't know what it actually is. What is Kwanzaa? Kwanzaa is a celebration that started in 1966 in California as a way to unify African-Americans and honor their African heritage during the Black Rights movement. It was started by activist Maulana Karenga, who wanted to:  "Give blacks an alternative to the existing holiday of Christmas and give blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."  Kwanzaa lasts from December 26th to January 1st. Its derives from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits." Karenga chose to add an extra "a" to ...

As the Winter season begins, usually near the holidays one will occasionally hear the word "Yule." The word has almost become synonymous with Christmas, and can be heard in music, poems, and of course, certain traditions such as the Yule Log. But what exactly is Yule? Or rather, what was it, and who celebrated it? And what does it have to do with Christmas? What was Yule? Yule, also known as Yuletide, was a festival celebrated by the ancient Germanic peoples as early as the 4th century. The event lasted for several days, sometimes up to two months. Early Yule celebrations can be traced back to two different origins, as the Germanic tribe was large and split up. To the far north, the Scandinavians held Yule in honor of their demi-god Odin and his Wild Hunt. The Anglo-Saxons on the mainland celebrated Modranicht. Being that the migration of the Germanic people did not begin until the 4th century and the Viking Age did not occur until 8th century, there is still believed to be s...