Conversation 28

Happy Holidays to all in the HSN Community. 🎈

Good Morning Peeps and Merry Christmas in the HSN Community. 🎈😎

Happy Hanukkah and keep warm and safe to all.

Enjoy the ride. 🎈

A’PHABET DAY OR NO “L” DAY

A’Phabet Day or No “L” Day on December 25th brings a pun to Christmas Day. The play on words is a pun on the word Noël, which is especially notable during Christmas because it means “to be born.”

NATIONAL PUMPKIN PIE DAY

On December 25th, National Pumpkin Pie Day dishes up the slice many Americans are looking for around the dinner table. As they enjoy time with family or friends, they also take the opportunity to honor the ever-humble and often favored pumpkin pie.

CHANUKAH

Chanukah also spelled Hanukkah and known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah (Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה, usually spelled חנוכה pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, also romanized as Chanukah or Chanuka), is observed for eight nights and days. According to the Hebrew calendar, it starts on the 25th day of Kislev, which may occur from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

Chanukah

Hanukkah is less religiously significant than other Jewish holidays.
The menorah holds nine candles. In the center stands the shamus or servant. The shamus lights the eight other Hanukkah candles.
The Hanukkah candles are strictly for pleasure. They are not to be used for any useful or productive purpose. The shamus is available, so the Hanukkah candles are not accidentally used to light a fire in the fireplace or for another useful purpose.
Gift-giving is not traditionally a part of the Hanukkah holiday.
Playing dreidel is a gambling game popular during the Hanukkah holiday.
Fried foods are traditional during the holiday, representing the oil used to light the lamps.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Every year on December 25th, over 2 billion people around the world celebrate Christmas Day. Traditionally, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Nonreligious people and those of different faiths celebrate the day as a cultural event.

Also known as Christmas Day, this holiday is derived from the Old English Crīstesmæsse which means Christ’s Mass. Today, Christmas is a public holiday in most countries. Only about a dozen countries do not recognize Christmas as a public holiday. Christmas traditions vary around the world and have evolved over time. They borrow from other traditions and cultures, too. Over time, beliefs and customs blended as peoples migrated and attitudes changed.

One of the most popular Christmas customs is gift-giving. This custom has its roots in the Magi who brought gifts to Jesus shortly after his birth. Unfortunately, the gift-giving aspect of Christmas has led to its commercialization. On average, Americans spend $700 on Christmas gifts and goodies. Altogether, this equals $465 billion. In recent years, there has been a call to simplify the holiday and to get back to the “reason for the season.”

Happy Holidays to all the HSN Family. 🎈😎