Category: Lanterns and Lights
The Yule Log and La Bûche de Noël
At Christmas time, people all over France and Belgium serve the “Bûche de Noël” – a cake shaped and decorated to look like a tree trunk. In Anglo-Saxon cultures, many people still burn a “yule log” in their fireplace at Christmas. There is even a television station in New York that shows a [...] Read More »
Chanukah (Hanukkah or Hanukah), the Jewish Festival of Lights
Chanukah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, begins on the evening of Kislev 25, in the 9th month of the Jewish calendar. Similar to other festivals centered around lanterns, candles or lights, the holiday celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and of spirituality over materialism.
At the heart of the festival is the nightly [...] Read More »
Lucyfest: Santa Lucia’s Festival
On December 13th, one of the shortest, darkest days of winter, Sweden celebrates Lucyfest, in honor of Saint Lucia, the Queen of Lights, in a festival that also has roots in Italy, Germany and Norway. Traditionally, each village had its own Santa Lucia: a young woman, dressed in a white gown, wearing a red [...] Read More »
Yuletide: The Viking Origins of Santa Claus
The word “yuletide,” referring to the Christmas season, was passed to the British through the Vikings. The word originated with the Viking god Odin, whose persona associated with the month of December was Jul, and the month of December was called “Jultid.” The Vikings believed that Odin would come to earth during the [...] Read More »
All Souls’ Day (Defuncts’ Day)
All Souls’ Day is a Roman Catholic holiday celebrated on November 2nd. (If that day falls on a Sunday, then All Souls’ Day is moved to November 3rd, since it is not permitted to wear black clothing on Sundays.) Like All Saints’ Day (November 1st), it is celebrated in many countries, including Belgium, [...] Read More »
The Origin of the Halloween Jack-o-Lantern Tradition
In America, families carve jack-o-lanterns – lanterns made from carved pumpkins and display them to celebrate Halloween.
The Legend of Stingy Jack
The tradition was brought to America by Irish and Scottish immigrants. It originated in an Irish legend about a man named “Stingy Jack” who tricked the Devil. First, he invited the Devil [...] Read More »
The Origins and Traditions of the Five Days of Diwali (Deepavali)
Diwali is a major festival celebrated in India and communities around the world.
Each of the five days of the Diwali festival has specific customs and traditions:
1. Dhanteras: Dhan means "wealth," and this is an auspicious day for shopping. In some regions, this day is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. [...] Read More »
Diwali (Divali, Dewali, Deepavali): The Festival of Lights
Diwali is a five-day festival that typically falls in October or November on the Gregorian calendar. It occurs either in the middle of the lunar month of Ashwayuja, or at the end of that month and the beginning of the lunar month of Kartika, depending on which version of the Hindu calendar is prevalent [...] Read More »
Halloween: Spirits, Costumes, Bonfires, Apples and Jack o’ Lanterns
On October 31, Americans celebrate Halloween, which has become an extremely popular holiday. In the evening, children dress in costumes and go trick or treating – walking from house to house, knocking on doors and receiving candies as rewards for their costumes. The costumes range from the stand-by ghosts and witches, to costumes resembling popular [...] Read More »
Make Holiday Lanterns from Cheese Containers
Here’s another easy way to make a lantern that you can light with a tea candle (careful!) or glow stick for festivals such as the Harvest Moon Festival or St. Martin’s Day. This will give you a cylindrical lantern that is easy to decorate in many different ways.
You’ll need: a cheese container -- the round, [...] Read More »
