Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa have very different origins, traditions and focuses, but there is something abstract and expansive unites them: humanity.
Themes universal to mankind percolate through these three celebrations, irrespective of religion, spirituality, faith in a Higher Power, ethnicity, country or continent of origin, philosophy, background, or any other thing that sits at the surface level, relative to what makes us human. Our minds, our hearts, our essence – these are things that exist even without a co-signature from a structured concept, whether that be a belief system, the geopolitical boundaries determining a country, the social strata born of population heterogeneity, or any other thing more complex than purely existing.
It is at that level, one that is both above all of us and deep within each of us, that these three holidays are honored indistinctly among all peoples. Here are four examples of that.
Background: The Basics of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza
Christmas
Author’s Note: Although Christmas is both a sacred Christian holiday and a secular, commercial holiday, for the purposes of this article’s focus, Christmas is addressed here exclusively in the context of Christian faith.
Christmas is Christians’ celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, honored as the incarnation of God, according to John 1 (particularly in the original Greek text) and Revelation 19 (John’s vision) in the sacred Christian text, the Holy Bible:
John 1:1, 14 (NIV) [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. | From the Amplified Bible: In the phrase at the end of Verse 1, “God” appears first in the Greek word order, emphasizing the fact that “the Word” (Christ) was God – so “God Himself.”
Revelation 19:13b, 16 (NIV) [13b] His name is the Word of God. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Thus, Christmas is a time of Christians’ gratitude for God’s incarnation into the world, brought to life by a tradition that emerged in the third century. Although no official date of birth was registered in the Holy Bible, the dates Dec. 5, Dec. 25, Jan. 6 and/or Jan. 7 are symbolically reserved for Jesus’ birthday celebration. In Western Civilization, the majority of Christians hold Christmas on Dec. 25, the date set by Pope Julius I to coincide with (and later usurp) dates of pagan holidays. As History.com explains:
“By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion.”
Regardless of the date, however, the intent of Christmas is to emphasize the importance of Jesus’ birth. Extending from that, the holy day reiterates to Christians that they are expected to follow the example of Jesus as one who proclaimed love, peace and justice.
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on Christmas, honoring the arrival of the man they believe was God in the flesh.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, also written as Chanukah (the spelling preferred by Ashkenazi Jews), celebrates two miracles that happened in Judea (modern-day West Bank in Israel) in 139 B.C.: The Jewish Maccabees beat the Syrian-Greek invaders; and a small jar of oil burned for eight consecutive days in the temple menorah instead of just one day. The latter miracle is one of the reasons why the holiday lasts eight days; another reason has to do with the significance of the number 8 in Kabbalah.
The holiday has multiple interpretations as to its origin. To many Jews, it commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. There, the Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. The word “hanukkah” means “dedication” in Hebrew, the language of the Jews.
Some Jewish scholars, however, describe the first Hanukkah as a belated celebration of Sukkot, which the Jews had not had the chance to observe during the Maccabean Revolt. One of Judaism’s most important holidays, Sukkot consists of seven days of feasting, prayer and festivities.
Another interpretation, a very recent one put forth by modern historians, is far more complex:
“Jerusalem under Antiochus IV had erupted into civil war between two camps of Jews: those who had assimilated into the dominant culture that surrounded them, adopting Greek and Syrian customs; and those who were determined to impose Jewish laws and traditions, even if by force. The traditionalists won out in the end, with the Hasmonean dynasty—led by Judah Maccabee’s brother and his descendants—wresting control of the Land of Israel from the Seleucids and maintaining an independent Jewish kingdom for more than a century.”
Because the events that inspired the holiday occurred after the Torah had been written and biblical canon had closed, Hanukkah does not appear in the Jewish Bible. (It does appear in the Christian Bible though, in John 10:22-23, when Jesus attends the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem.) Also, it is covered only briefly in the Talmud. Menachem Posner explains why:
“Although the Chanukah menorah does merit a few scattered mentions in the Mishnah, Rabbi Judah the Prince, the compiler of the Mishnah, did not dedicate a portion of his work to this holiday. Why is this? … [T]he same question could be asked about many other very central mitzvahs that are only minimally and obliquely discussed in the Mishnah. … There’s a good historical reason for this. Initially, it was forbidden to transcribe any part of the oral tradition. Only after the Temple was destroyed, and the Jewish infrastructure was in a precarious state, was it decided to collect the traditions and laws in an extremely concise form, so that they not be lost forever. It was only because of the pressing need that the laws, which had been transmitted orally for generations, were allowed to be committed to writing. But which laws? Only those that might otherwise be lost. Those laws and customs over which there was no such concern were to remain a purely oral tradition. … [T]he Chanukah miracle had happened not long before the Mishnaic period, and the events as well as the observances were still fresh in the minds of the people. In addition, there were a number of works, such as Megillat Taanit and Megillat Antiochus, which contained the laws and lore of the holiday, and were available to the masses. As such, not only would including Chanukah in the Mishnah be superfluous, it would be forbidden—since the prohibition against writing down oral tradition would still apply in such a case. It was only much later, with the redaction of the Babylonian Talmud, that a wider discussion of Chanukah and its laws was included in Tractate Shabbat.”
As such, rather than being a biblical holiday, Hanukkah is a rabbinic holiday, implying flexibility in terms of traditions and restrictions, such as being permitted to work and attend school. Also, this holiday’s date aligns not with the solar Gregorian calendar adopted throughout much of the world, but with the lunar Jewish calendar. For that reason, although the date – 25 Kislev – is the same every year for Jews, it appears to move around to those unfamiliar with the holiday, falling in November or December in the Gregorian calendar.
Jews reflect on two miracles in Jewish history on Hanukkah, which emerged as the Feast of Dedication and Festival of Lights after the Jewish Bible had already been written./Photo by cottonbro studio/pexels.com
Kwanzaa
The Official Kwanzaa Website describes Kwanzaa, from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” (“first fruits”), as:
“an African American and pan-African holiday that celebrates family, community and culture … [and] reminds us to hold to our ancient traditions as a people who are spiritually grounded, who respect our ancestors and elders, cherish and challenge our children, care for the vulnerable, relate rightfully to the environment and always seek and embrace the Good. … [It is] an ancient and living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people’s culture.”
Kwanzaa begins on Dec. 26 and ends on Jan. 1, and friends and family gather all seven days for gift exchanges, feasts and other festivities. The biggest celebration is Karamu (kuh-RAH-moo), a feast held on Dec. 31 with African-style clothing, music and dancing. The next day is quiet and calm, dedicated to self-reflection. Participants ask and answer soberly and humbly the three Kawaida questions: Who am I?; Am I really who I say I am?; and Am I all I ought to be? They then recommit themselves to “the best of what it means to be both African and human in the fullest sense.”
Affiliated with no religion, Kwanzaa was created in the United States in the late 1960s in the immediate aftermath of the Watts Rebellion in Oakland, California. The creator, Dr. Maulana Karenga, a Black Power activist and professor of Africana Studies, wanted to not only rebuild the neighborhoods torn apart by riots that injured over 1,000 people and had 34 fatalities, but also encourage pride within the Black community.
As part of his plan, he created a holiday to:
“reaffirm the communitarian vision and values of African culture and to contribute to its restoration among African peoples in the Diaspora, beginning with Africans in America and expanding to include the world African community.”
Karenga also created and introduced the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles) in African values:
- Umoja (oo-MO-jah) (Unity): Strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
- Kujichagulia (koo–gee–cha–goo–LEE–yah) (Self-Determination): Define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
- Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) (Collective Work and Responsibility): Build and maintain our community together, and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and solve them together.
- Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) (Cooperative Economics): Build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and profit from them together.
- Nia (nee-YAH) (Purpose): Make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
- Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) (Creativity): Do always as much as we can, in the way we can, to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than it was when we inherited it.
- Imani (ee-MAH-nee) (Faith): Believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Kwanzaa was not created as an alternative to Christmas or any other religion-specific celebration; in fact, by emphasizing Imani (Faith), it encourages such celebrations. Rather, according to the Official Kwanzaa Website, the holiday “offers a clear and self-conscious option, opportunity and chance to make a proactive choice, a self-affirming and positive choice as distinct from a reactive one.” What matters is mindfulness. Moreover:
“Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but a cultural one with an inherent spiritual quality, as [is the case] with all major African celebrations. This inherent spiritual quality is respect for the Transcendent, the Sacred, the Good, the Right. Thus, Africans of all faiths can and do celebrate Kwanzaa, e.g., Muslims, Christians, Black Hebrews, Jews, Buddhists, Bahai and Hindus, as well as those who follow the ancient traditions of Maat, Yoruba, Ashanti, Dogon, etc. … [W]hat Kwanzaa offers is not an alternative to their religion or faith, but a common ground of African culture which they all share and cherish. It is this common ground of culture on which they all meet [and] find ancient and enduring meaning, and by which they are thus reaffirmed and reinforced.”
Also, Kwanzaa doesn’t focus on any particular country. In fact, the ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language specifically because Swahili is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. As a pan-African language, it “reflects African Americans’ commitment to the whole of Africa and African culture, rather than to a specific ethnic or national group or culture.”
Kwanzaa honors and celebrates African heritage, combining centuries of traditions from countries in Africa with organic African American culture in the United States.By photo by Christopher Myers – U.S. Government, Public Domain
1. A Profound Reverence for a Higher Power
Christmas. This concept is summarized excellently by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, from the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham:
“The real Christmas message … heralds the entrance of God into human history. It is Heaven descending to Earth. … I believe it can be summed up in three words: a cradle, a cross, and a crown. On that first Christmas night, the Bible tells us about the angel coming to those fearful shepherds and saying, ‘Fear not, I bring you good news’ (Luke 2). This is the true meaning of Christmas – the Good News – that God sent His only Son to Earth to save people from their sins.”
Hanukkah. Each night of Hanukkah, Jews say two blessings that end with “who has sanctified us with His commandments and instructed us to light the Hanukkah lamp,” and “who did miracles for our parents in those days in this time.” On the first night, they also say the Shehechiyanu blessing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽינוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה
Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, shehechiyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higianu lazman hazeh.
Blessed are You Eternal Spirit who has given us life, sustained us and allowed us to arrive in this moment.
Kwanzaa. The “first fruits” addressed in the holiday’s name harken back to spiritual harvest celebrations in ancient Egypt and Nubia – ones that persist today in Africa’s empires, kingdoms and smaller societies, too. At these, the expression of African spirituality, as explained on the Official Kwanzaa Website, is:
“[I]ntense emotional and rational appreciation for the highest ideals and values of humankind, i.e., the transcendent and ultimate. Thus, the people gather together to give thanks to the Creator for a good harvest and a good life. They give praise and pray for the good and long life of all. … [T]he priest prays that the year may be peaceful and successful, and that the year’s celebration may usher in an era of joy, prosperity and longevity.”
In addition, the colors of the Kwanzaa flag – red, black and green – pay homage to a Higher Power both directly and implicitly. Red is the color of Shango, the Yoruba god of fire, thunder and lightning. Black is the people, the earth and the source of life, representing hope, creativity and faith, and the opening and closing of doors. Green represents the earth that sustains lives and provides hope, divination, employment and the fruits of the harvest.
Celebrants of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all express a deep veneration for their Creator and Provider.
2. Good Will Toward Others
Christmas. The well-known Christmas axiom “peace on Earth, and good will toward men” is taken from the KJV translation of Luke 2, in one of the Holy Bible’s recounting of Jesus’ birth. This particular phrase is sung out while an angel is announcing the Savior’s birth to shepherds.
Luke 2:8-14 (KJV) And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Contemporary translations of the Holy Bible tighten the specificity of “men” in that sentence. In the NIV translation, for example, Luke 2:14 is, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Nevertheless, even secular celebrants of Christmas are likely to agree that “good will toward men” sums up the holiday’s innate feeling – one of togetherness, family and being considerate of others.
Hanukkah. In Shabbat 31a of the Talmud, Jewish sage Hillel summarized the Torah as: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation.” The Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center provides supporting commentary on this holiday that builds on Hillel’s insight:
“Always increase in matters of goodness and Torah observance. Sure, a single flame was good enough for yesterday, but today needs to be even better. … Chanukah is unique in that its primary mitzvah is observed in public. It’s not enough to be a Jew at heart, or even at home. Chanukah teaches us to shine outwards into our surroundings with the G-dly glow of mitzvahs.”
Kwanzaa. Gift exchanges for Kwanzaa are neither obligatory nor superficial. These are done on the seventh day of the holiday, when Imani (Faith) is the focus, and the act is deeply intentional. In “The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest,” author Dorothy Winbush Riley explains:
“[W]e give meaningful zawadi (gifts) to encourage growth, self-determination, achievement, and success. We exchange gifts with members of our immediate family, especially the children, to promote or reward accomplishments and commitments kept, as well as with our guests. Handmade gifts are encouraged to promote self-determination, purpose, and creativity and to avoid the chaos of shopping and conspicuous consumption during the December holiday season. … Accepting a gift implies a moral obligation to fulfill the promise of the gift; it obliges the recipient to follow the training of the host. The gift cements social relationships, allowing the receiver to share the duties and the rights of a family member. Accepting a gift makes the receiver part of the family and promotes Umoja [Unity].”
Celebrants of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all seek to benefit their fellow man, especially in service of a greater good.
3. Perseverance Under Persecution
Christmas. Although arguably not a central theme of the holiday, this is actually at the core of Jesus’ birth – the reason for the holiday in the first place – in Matthew 2. Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, had to flee the country with their infant after being warned that King Herod was hunting them down to kill their child. Herod had learned about the birth of a “king of the Jews” from three magi (wise men) who were in search of this king to worship him in Bethlehem.
Herod pretended to want to worship this king himself, and he ordered the wise men to report back to him once they had found where this infant was. They agreed, but then outsmarted him and never returned. After two years had passed, Herod figured out that he had been fooled, and he ordered all male children age 2 and younger in and around Bethlehem to be killed, just to make sure that the king of the Jews was killed too. Under those conditions, as political refugees, Joseph and Mary – and Jesus, for that matter – had to persevere under persecution.
Hanukkah. In the second century B.C., Jews were ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs instead of mitzvah observance and belief in God. Leah Kadosh of Kveller summarizes the Jews’ perseverance under persecution in her article on Hanukkah:
“Hanukkah … encourages us to continue to fight for religious freedom. … The actual Hanukkah miracle is that the small, ill-equipped Jewish army — the Maccabees, led by Mattathias and his five sons — were able to defeat the grand, experienced Syrian-Greek army.
“The timing of this conflict is something of a miracle, too: The Maccabean Revolt lasted exactly three years, beginning on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev in 168 BCE and ending on that same date in 165 BCE. Similar to the American colonists, who beat the mighty British Army in order to win our independence, the Jewish fighters were passionate, unrelenting warriors and fought bravely to preserve their (our) right to practice Judaism. Their victory was documented in First and Second Book of Maccabees, as well as by Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews.”
The article “Hanukkah 101” on My Jewish Learning elaborates on that by explaining the revolt:
“Beginning in 167 BCE, the Jews of Judea rose up in revolt against the oppression of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire. The military leader of the first phase of the revolt was Judah the Maccabee, the eldest son of the priest Mattityahu (Mattathias). In the autumn of 164, Judah and his followers were able to capture the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been turned into a pagan shrine. They cleansed it and rededicated it to Israel’s God. …
“Like Passover, Hanukkah is a holiday that celebrates the liberation from oppression. It also provides a strong argument in favor of freedom of worship and religion. In spite of the human action that is commemorated, never far from the surface is the theology that the liberation was possible only thanks to the miraculous support of the Divine.”
Kwanzaa. The Official Kwanzaa Website explains that the holiday was created “as an important way and expression of being African in a context in which African identity and culture had been devalued and denied.” It was established amid the Black Freedom Movement in the United States, constructed as an “expression of recovery and reconstruction of African culture that was being conducted in the general context of the Black Liberation Movement of the ’60s and in the specific context of The Organization Us.”
The Black Movement was defined by its thrust to “return to the source” and “go Back to Black.” It stressed the “rescue and reconstruction of African history and culture, redefinition of [African Americans] and [their] culture, and a restructuring of the goals and purpose of [their] struggle for liberation and a higher level of human life based on an Afrocentric model.” This was a unifying approach to perseverance under persecution.
Celebrants of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all possess a confident determination not to be stopped by anyone or anything.
4. Compassion and Charitable Giving
Christmas. Although occurring much later than the birth celebrated on Christmas, Jesus’ teachings emphasized looking out for those in need many times. A few examples are:
Acts 20:35 (NIV) In everything I [the Apostle Paul] did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Luke 12:33-34 (NIV) [Jesus speaking] “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 5:38-42 (NIV) [Jesus speaking] “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Matthew 19:21-24 (NIV) Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Tying this more directly to the holiday, from “Christ is the Center of Christmas”:
“Emulating [Jesus’] directive of serving others pays homage to His teachings and imbues the holiday season with a more profound meaning. By reaching out to those in need, we can love others as He loved us, reflecting the true essence of Christmas. … Embodying these teachings, especially during your Christmas celebration, can bring about tangible hope and joy. … Service to others was a cornerstone of [Jesus’] life and teachings. He exemplified this by washing His disciples’ feet and healing the sick. As He said in Matthew 20:28, ‘the Son of Man [referring to himself] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’
“Embodying [Jesus’] teachings isn’t a one-time event, but a lifelong journey. The Christmas season, focusing on love, compassion and giving, provides a perfect backdrop for us to practice these teachings. As we do so, we honor [Jesus’] legacy and contribute to making the world warmer and kinder.”
Hanukkah. There is a longstanding custom to give cash (“gelt”) to children on Hanukkah, especially as a reward for Torah study. This incentive program began when new generations of Jews under Greek rulers had been discouraged or prohibited from studying the Torah and needed to acquire (or reacquire) the habit. As Chabad.org explains:
“In his record of the Hanukkah events, Maimonides writes: ‘The Greeks laid their hands upon the possessions of Israel.’ The Greeks invaded the possessions of Israel in the same spirit in which they defiled the oil in the Holy Temple. They did not destroy the oil; they defiled it. They did not rob the Jewish people; they attempted to infuse their possessions with Greek ideals, so that they be used for egotistical and ungodly purposes, rather than for holy pursuits.
“Hanukkah gelt celebrates the freedom and mandate to channel material wealth toward spiritual ends. This includes donating part (10%) of the gelt to charity and using the remainder for kosher, wholesome purposes. Gelt giving is a great opportunity to teach your kids about this important Jewish value.”
In addition to rewarding positive behavior and devotion to Torah study, the cash gifts give the children the opportunity to give tzedakah (charitable donations), such as ensuring that a poor Jew can purchase candles.
Kwanzaa. Day 4 of Kwanzaa focuses on the value Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), part of which is an obligation of generosity to the poor and vulnerable. In his book “Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt,” Karenga explains:
“In the Book of Ptahhotep we are taught, ‘Be generous as long as you live. What goes into the storehouse should come out. For bread is made to be shared.’ Moreover, Ptahhotep informs us, ‘Generosity is a memorial for those who show it, long after they have departed.’ This, of course, is the ancient African ethic of care and responsibility which informs the concepts of generosity and shared social wealth. Such an ethic is expressed in one of its earliest forms in the Book of Coming Forth By Day, which defines the righteous on one level as one who has ‘given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked and a boat to those without one.’
“In fact, throughout the sacred teachings of ancient Egypt in particular and Africa in general, the ethic of care and responsibility is expressed in the concept of shared social wealth and service to the most disadvantaged. This, of course, finds its modern philosophical expression in our social thought and struggles, as a people, around and for social justice. And this struggle is not simply to be generous to the poor and vulnerable but ultimately to end their poverty and vulnerability so that they too can live a decent, undeprived and meaningful life. For only in such a context will they be able to pursue the truly human without the limitation imposed by poverty, deprivation or the debilitating struggle for just life’s basic necessities. To share wealth and work, then, is to share concern, care and responsibility for a new, more human and fulfilling future.”
Celebrants of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all recognize a responsibility to share what they have with those who have little or nothing at all.
Conclusion
Celebrants of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are united in embracing values that transcend any differences among their religions, heritage or anything else. Whether derived from a built-in moral compass, a nurtured conscience or anything that simply defies explanation, to be human is to honor something bigger than yourself, treat others as you wish to be treated, survive stubbornly when challenged unjustly, and protect and care for the most vulnerable among us. If you do these things – or at least strive to (no one’s perfect) – then you’re woven into the most beautiful part of the fabric of humanity. Reflect on that this holiday season; own and cherish it.
From Head to our wonderful readers, happy holidays!
Kathleen Hearons is a writer, editor, linguist and voice over actor from Los Angeles. She specializes in creative writing and research-intensive analysis and reporting.
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