Solid Traditions for New Generations

Do you want to know what I think of Maria when she found herself pregnant without having been with a man? A personal commitment that must live in each of us.

Little candle’s night and Hanukkah Two celebrations that were born more than 2000 years leaving behind two unbreakable traditions. It seems like a fairy tale, but it was a reality, for me she was a woman who transcends the patterns of humility, nobility, and love of all women in the entire world, a brave and sweet woman, ago and evoke the most anticipated celebrations of the year. If we go back to the time and space where a war was being forged in Israel to recover lands and the temple of Jesus and on the other hand the very difficult moment in which Maria is pregnant by the  grace of God,  a pregnancy in a time with so much stigma in the woman, we did not imagine that such long-suffering moments would leave two legacies in the cultures, It seems like a fairy tale, but it was a reality. for me Maria was a woman who transcends the patterns of humility, nobility, and love of all women in the entire world, a brave, sweet woman and she deserves be celebrated every candle night until the end of the world as the Immaculate Conception.

Although it does not have the real origin in Colombia, Little Candle’s Night is without a doubt one of the most commemorative dates in the beautiful South American country called Colombia. “For Colombians, this holiday is full of significance for religious and secular reasons” (Dominguez,2021, para. 1)

The origin of the night of candles is Greco-Roman and dates to the year 1854 when the Catholic Church postulated Mary Immaculate Conception with the recognition of “Virgin” for having carried Jesus in her womb and having conceived without sin. “In Colombia, the Immaculate Conception holiday was promoted by the Franciscans in the 19th century and has since become one of the most popular religious traditions in the country.” (Dominguez, 2021, para. 7) The story tells that in that commemoration the faithful celebrated with a vigil accompanied by candles, lights, and torches. Later, with the Jewish and Spanish migration, the celebration arrived in Colombia, becoming one of the most commemorative dates for all Colombian homes, regardless of their religious belief.

And how is the night of the candles celebrated to this day in Colombia? “Although it’s celebrated all across Colombia, the Day of the Little Candles takes on different forms depending on which part of the country you’re in” (Dominguez,2021, para. 15). On December 7, the Christmas tree in every home in Colombia must be dressed without fail to receive the night of candles. as night falls around 7 pm, many colored candles are light, and handmade lanterns are hung at the house’s doors “a competition between neighborhoods that put forth their best efforts to create the most spectacular lighting display.” (Dominguez, 2021, para 18), on their balconies or terraces, they also pray  to Jesus for health and protection, the candles are taken care of until they burn out completely, without letting them go out, it is a time to get together with family or friends and neighbors, is a party and happy time for children. Christmas music is listened to and accompanied by very traditional delights that are only eaten at the Christmas season.

Now, for Hanukkah, we could not explain this festival without knowing a little about its history. The origin is Greco-Roman and was established more than 2,200 years ago “Though it is 2,200 years old, Hanukkah is one of Judaism’s newest holidays, an annual Jewish celebration that does not even appear in the Hebrew Bible” (Lewiston,2023, p. 5), after the military victory of the Maccabees against the Seleucids in the year 164 BC. What does Hanukkah mean? It means (dedication) in Hebrew and commemorates the miracle of light that occurred when Judah rededicated the temple to God “Hanukkah should be seen as commemorating a miracle that occurred during the Maccabees’ rededication of the temple”) Lewiston,2023, p. 15), which had been taken by the Romans.

The story says that some people only left a candelabrum with oil lit to illuminate only one day because they did not have more and with the surprise that it lasted eight days, enough time for the victorious to get more oil. At that time, it became a commemorative date to give thanks to God and celebrate the victory of light over darkness. That event which they attributed as a miracle, becoming a traditional celebration for the Jews, which is still maintained until today.

Now, how are the festival lights celebrated? Jewish Families get together for Eight nights and lit the Menorah (a candelabra with eight candles and one pilot candle), lighting a new candle each night, all of them branches are lit. “with one candle lit on the holiday’s first night and an additional candle added each night until, on the final night of the festival, all eight branches are lit. The ninth candle in the Hanukkiah is used to light the others.” (Lewiston,2023, p. 17) That night They prepare traditional meals   such as latkes (fried potatoes and onion cakes), stuffed donuts and Buñuelos. They pray and sing traditional Christmas songs and the children are the true protagonists of night, they also play a game called “dreidel”. The children received chocolates and coins, and they are the protagonists of the celebration. “Hanukkah, with its bright decorations, songs, and family- and community-focused celebrations, also fulfills American Jews’ need to reengage disaffected Jews and to keep Jewish children excited about Judaism.” (Lewiston, 2023, p. 22).  The most important celebration for the Jews takes place on any day in December. Without a doubt the remarkable event that open the celebrations in Jewish Christmas and I consider the celebration of Hanukkah as a very beautiful celebration not only because has its religious foundation but also helps keep families together.

This is much more than just a parallel between two such distant and different cultures, is a memory of our ancestors, when we talk about their holidays and specifical the celebration of the Colombian Little candle’s night and the Jewish Hanukkah, I think about so many years of history that surround our ancestors. Today exposing the Night of Little Candles as the most commemorative festival of Colombians “For Colombians, this holiday is full of significance for religious and secular reasons” (Dominguez,2021, para. 1), not only in Colombia but also for the millions of Colombians who are far from Colombia, I think is the same meaning about cultural feelings for the Jews with the Hanukkah. It’s a maximum representation in the religious context. “Hanukkah should be seen as commemorating a miracle that occurred during the Maccabees’ rededication of the temple”) Lewiston,2023, p. 15), Being the two celebrations explicitly of Greco-Roman or Greco-Latin origin, we are surrounded by a common factor and that is the union of the family in same celebration, although I want to finally highlight the difference between them.

With the content of a miracle in each one, on one hand the celebration of the little candles night explicitly evokes the conception and purity of Mary the Virgin Conception for conceiving without sin and giving birth to Jesus and in Hanukkah the celebration is the liberation of the Temple of Jerusalem and the independence of the Jewish people over the Greeks. And for this reason I want to clarify that Hanukkah is very confused in American society because it is celebrated in the month of Christmas or New Year’s Eve, since for Americans it is understood as Christmas on December 25 and for Greco cultures -Greco Latinas  the Christmas season is already the entire month of December where the birth of Jesus is also celebrated, but let us remember that for the Jews the celebration of Hanukkah is eight consecutive days starting on any day of the last month of the year or month of Christmas and for the Colombians The night of candles is just one night on December 7h that also begins the Christmas festivities, so concluding both have a miracle meaning, they are religious celebrations celebrated in the same month, but on a different day, and neither of them is exactly the celebration of Christmas.

Both celebrations bring the family union “Hanukkah, with its bright decorations, songs, and family- and community-focused celebrations, also fulfills American Jews’ need to reengage disaffected Jews and to keep Jewish children excited about Judaism.” (Lewiston, 2023, p. 22)., fun aspects of the celebration “a competition between neighborhoods that put forth their best efforts to create the most spectacular lighting display.” (Dominguez, 2021, para 18) and food and gifts for children. This has been a very valuable opportunity for me since by writing about a little of my traditions, it makes me feel proud to be Colombian and have the source to celebrate the night of candles. These traditions should be preserved as a cultural heritage since they remember our origins and it is important to teach the new generations our ancestral traditions and never let them be lost in the modern world.

Fortunately, our ancestors have taken it upon themselves to leave us those traditions so that we can get together as a family and spend such beautiful moments. Although the bases of the stories are not remembered, it is so important to transmit all traditions to future generations, since these cultural roots give us a sense of belonging and hope for a happier world. As a participant in the night of the candles, I cannot imagine A December without this night, would be like a mutilated December, and I can only be grateful that my older relatives left me that resource to celebrate and leave to my son. Today I see how happy it makes my son to wait to go to Colombia on December 7 to celebrate with family and friends, so I say to myself, it’s good that we have the night of candles.

Without a doubt it is the same feeling for Jews with Hanukkah. These stories remind us of our origin and give us identity and a sense of belonging. How many stories are born in each family celebration? They are like parties with an exponential factor, creating our own stories and solid traditions.

Will it be the task of adults to protect and continue traditions in a world with so many desires and infatuation with social networks and impersonal relationships?

References

Hanukkah’s true meaning is about Jewish survival. (2023, Dec 10). Sun Journal Retrieved from http://168.156.198.98:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/hanukkah-s-true-meaning-is-about-jewish-survival/docview/2900061752/se-2.

Dominguez, L. F. (2022, August 24). Spectacular Little Candles Day in Colombia. Homeschool Spanish Academy. https://www.spanish.academy/blog/day-of-the-little-candles-in-colombia/