December is a well-known holiday season. People love to enjoy this season by shopping, traveling, eating delicious foods, spending time with family or taking rest. And December is a time for people of several faiths and cultures to celebrate important holidays.
Although each of the holidays pursue their own spiritual principles and values, celebrating them makes us more humane and gives us joy, happiness and peace.
We asked some CBE students to share their holiday observances and traditions.
As a Christian, accounting major Aaron Remeniuk (Accounting major) celebrates Christmas and says he most enjoys helping his family decorate their house to celebrate the holiday.
“But, the most valuable part about Christmas is caring about one another or giving to others,” he says.
For business major and Towson Hillell Student Board President Natasha Baum, this December marks the start of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah (which means “dedication” in Hebrew) and celebrates the rededication of the Jewish Temple.
“After the battle, they found the only one thing that survived, a Menora,” she says. “And only a one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days. The miracle of Hanukkah.”
In addition to celebrating the miracle by lighting one of eight candles in the Menora each night, accounting major Lyle Wilson says his family eats traditional foods and plays games.
“I love playing ‘Dreidel’ with my family every night of Hanukkah” he says. “It spinning means that a miracle happened.”
In December, accounting major Alpha Barry celebrates the cultural holiday Kwanzaa, which celebrates and honors African heritage in African American culture.
“Kwanzaa reminds us of the most important values African people share in our culture,” says Barry.
Shamyra Snowden, a business major who also celebrates Kwanzaa every year says, “The holidays are being commercialized. We honor our ancestors and African culture through Kwanzaa.”
By Jin Park, Professor, Department of Accounting
This story is a part of the college’s monthly CBE Celebrates Diversity Series, which highlights student, faculty and staff stories from our diverse community.