This year’s holiday season is in full swing. Lights are shining bright, stockings are stuffed, and Santa Claus has sorted his naughty and nice list. Christmas is upon us, as is Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights celebrated by the Jewish community.
Hanukkah and Christmas will share a special connection as the Jewish Festival of Lights begins on Christmas Day December 25th. This marks only the fifth time since the 1900s that the two holidays have overlapped.
Hanukkah History
The word Hanukkah means “dedication”. The holiday is also known as the Festival of Lights. This celebration is observed in the Jewish community. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd Century BCE and the Maccabean (Hasmonean) victories over the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who reigned from 175-164 BCE.
It is celebrated for eight days, beginning on Kislev 25 on the Hebrew calendar, and usually takes place in November or December. The Hanukkah menorah, or Hanukkah menorah, has nine candles to represent the eight days, plus one risen to light the rest. Jews celebrate by lighting the menorah. Each night it is lit, adding one more candle to the night before, playing dreidel, and eating special foods such as Briskets, Latkes, and Rugelatch. Some Jewish community members sing or exchange gifts after lighting the menorah.
This year, the celebration begins at sundown on Wednesday, December 25th, and lasts until sundown on Thursday, January 2nd, 2025. Jews from all over the world will be celebrating this monumental holiday on the same day Roman Catholics celebrate the birth of Jesus this has only happened five times over 114 years.
Belize – Multicultural, racial, and religiously diverse
According to the World Meter, Belize is home to 417,072 people. This country, the size of Massachusetts, is a potpourri of cultures, including the Maya, Garinagu, Creole, Chinese, East Indians, Mennonites, and Mestizo. They belong to different religious groups throughout the country, including Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Pentecostal, Seventh Day Adventist, and Judaism.
Belize has welcomed international guests to be a part of its unique lifestyle. Many visitors are return guests who revisit after falling in love with the people’s and Belize’s natural charisma.
Chaa Creek’s Message is one of hope
The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s founders, Mick and Lucy Fleming, are no strangers to the Belizean people’s diversity and welcoming nature. When they came to Belize in 1977, the country was still a colony of England, making its way to Independence.
The Flemings started by finding a parcel of land on the banks of Macal River in Belize’s Cayo District and farming. In 1981, Chaa Creek Cottages opened its doors to welcome guests under its first dirt floored, Bay leaf thatched cottage.
Since then, the Flemings have nurtured a flourishing community where hundreds of Belizeans have found career growth, and thousands of guests have been enticed by its kind people, wild residents, and bountiful flora.
2024 has been a momentous year where the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve has increased to 500 acres where wild animals roam freely. Hope has also been delivered to our nearby communities thanks to guests who have contributed to our Pack a Pound program. Peace has reigned, helping to calibrate the positive energy we need in this most joyous time of the year.
As we reflect on the once-in-a-lifetime celestial combination of celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah on the same date; we wish for love and peace.
We have lived with the collective unity of diversity in Belize and truly believe this diversity strengthens our communities.
Happy Holidays to all, from our Chaa Creek Family to yours.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!