Holiday spirit in SMIC-I

December has been a busy, yet cheerful month for people of SMIC-I. With 2018 nearing its end, people prepared for the last holiday of the year – Christmas. The school was embellished with decorations such as Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, and reindeers, while many students were preparing for the upcoming winter concert.

Instead of celebrating the holiday on a magnificent scale, many students in SMIC-I enjoyed the holiday privately. Some only decorated a small Christmas tree in their house while others made some food and shared it with their neighbors. “I love watching Christmas movies. Usually it’s Elf or Home Alone” said Jackie Shen (12B). Just like this, spending time in one’s own room and celebrating Christmas in their own way is also a great way to enjoy the holiday. However, even though the featured December holiday is usually Christmas, there were still other December Holidays that were just as important to some people.

Hanukkah is a festival of lights that lasts for eight nights and days. It is celebrated by Judaists, with the purpose of commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It is “to celebrate the miracle of light,” said Ms. Sternin. During this festival, people light the candles of a menorah, a candle tree with nine branches. Every night, people light a candle on the menorah until the menorah is fully lit on the final day of Hanukkah. This is because of a story which has been handed down from generation to generation. Besides lighting the menorah, people who celebrate Hanukkah also “make food and play some games with the family members,” said Ms. Sternin. Latke, which is a pancake made of potato, is usually eaten during the Hanukkah. Sufganiyah, a round jelly donut, is also a common snack. After eating, people gather and play the game dreidle. Dreidle is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter printed on each side. Each player begins with an equal number of gelt pieces or candy, usually 10 to 15. At the beginning of each round, every player puts one piece into the center “pot.” Each player spins the dreidle once during their turn. Depending on which side of the top faces up when it stops spinning, the player gives or takes game pieces from the pot. If the player is out of pieces, they are out of the game. People who win receive chocolate coins or real money as a prize.

December of 2018 marked the end of a brilliant year, but January 2019 will mark the beginning of a brighter year.

Featured Image– Christmas tree with decorations –Photo Courtesy of Candy Park

by Candy Park