For most Southern Californians, December is a happy, spiritual month, a time marked by a wide range of vibrant celebrations growing out of the region's many ethnicities and religions. It brings the holy time of Christmas, Judaism's Hanukkah and the African American Kwanzaa.
In the nine days before Christmas, Latinos celebrate the age-old ritual of the Posada, in which the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem is reenacted. One group of participants symbolically seeks lodging, singing outside a room. Another, portraying innkeepers, answers with verses from within the room, first rejecting the request and then complying, joyously, when it is realized that Mary and Joseph are among the pilgrims. The door is opened and all participants join for food, the breaking of the pinata and more singing.
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Dec. 17. This eight-day festival, also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates the rededication of the temple at Jerusalem by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 BC. According to legend, only a small amount of consecrated oil was available for the perpetual lamp, yet miraculously it lasted for eight days. During Hanukkah, menorah candles are lighted each night. It is a time to celebrate with games, plays, gifts and meals.
