As we all prepare for the rapidly approaching commercial juggernaut of the year, we tend to be preoccupied with several affairs such as making sure we hit all the big sales and indulging in as many Christmas traditions as possible. However, as a result of the gigantic hype surrounding Dec. 25, there are a couple holidays that are being neglected.

For starters, how about some love for Hanukkah? After all, Hanukkah has been around a lot longer than Christmas. Although it wasn’t highly celebrated by North American Jews until the 1920’s, Hanukkah has been around for over 2,000 years. Christmas wasn’t celebrated until the 400’s . In fact, Christianity itself has only been established since the second century while Judaism has roots that can be traced back over 3,000 years. Believe it or not, the first Christians were Jews. Jesus himself was a Jew. Without Judaism, Christianity could have never come to be.

Also, one should bring into account the horrible treatment the Jewish people received over several centuries with heavy anti-Semitic behavior being present throughout the world in the early stages of the 20th century. The Festival of Lights has been said not only to be a time to celebrate a miracle that occurred more than 21 centuries ago, it also is a moment of reflection on the triumphs and horrors faced by the Jewish community. This includes events such as the founding of the international state of Israel to the deadly massacre that has become known as the Holocaust. By celebrating this holiday, Jews solidify their identity as followers of their religion and remember why they should have to feel shame for their religious beliefs. To all the Christians out there, pay some respect to your ancestors and wish someone a happy Hanukkah this year.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the only holiday that gets neglected as a result of this Christmas monopoly. Kwanzaa has also taken a back seat to Christmas since its creation in 1966. The holiday was designed to promote Pan-Africanism, the belief in African unity across different nations. Even though we aren’t exactly fighting to repeal Jim Crow laws, it still holds a great deal of relevance in today’s modern world. There is still a lot of discrimination that occurs everywhere you go whether you are African American or Muslim. Just look at what the Black Lives Matter movement is promoting. Their primary goal is to enhance the presence of African American community and to prevent police violence inflicted on black Americans. This 7-day festivity allows Africans to come together and realize that there is still hope for their people to gain the respect they deserve. 

Finally, you can’t talk about December festivities without mentioning New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Eve should be the highlight of the month but tends to be overshadowed by the desire to give and receive presents on Christmas. It is a time when people should be celebrating all the great things that occurred over the course of the year as well as looking towards the future to what may be in store for them. People should be getting ready all month long by reminiscing over the year’s best moments, thinking about all of the things they accomplished and of course, be checking Spotify to see what songs they listened to the most this year. When all of that is finished, there is only one other thing that can be done and that is to make a New Year’s resolution in order to have something to aspire to and reach for in the upcoming year. Who wants to miss out saying goodbye to the old and saying hello to the new? We might as well celebrate while we can. Moreover, we don’t have to be any certain religion or race to partake in New Year’s celebrations, it’s an all-inclusive festivity and something we could use during these trying times. 

Well, Americans, are you going to go the traditional route and spend too much money buying stuff people don’t need? Or, are you going to celebrate something more personal and lasting? Whatever it is you choose to celebrate, have a happy holiday!