What is one thing that brings people together? Holidays of course! Holidays are one of the few times when relatives and friends can get time off their job (and in most cases still get paid). While we all know and love these holidays for the food, family, and sometimes gifts, most people don’t know why we celebrate them or how they started.

Let’s start with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving started after the Native Americans helped teach the pilgrims how to grow crops in the U.S. However, it wasn’t until June 28th, 1870 till Thanksgiving was recognized as a national holiday. Families all across the nation celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday is to symbolize a time to give thanks for all the “blessings” of the past year.

Christmas, while considered a religious holiday, is celebrated by people all over the globe. Christmas is considered by Christians as the time Jesus Christ was born. This is why it is called Christmas (Christ’s mass). Whether you are a Christian or a “non-believer” most people can agree that Christmas is a time of gift giving and good will. Traditionally a family will set up a tree and gather for a dinner which can consist of anything from ham and cranberry sauce to KFC chicken.

Christmas has been important throughout history for more reasons than religion. On Christmas during WW1 there was an unofficial widespread truce along the western front. Both sides laid down their arms for one singular day to celebrate the holiday. It is recorded that British and German soldiers crossed trenches and exchanged “gifts”. They would play football and attend burial ceremonies for both sides. However, when the sun rose on the next day both sides would continue their fighting as if none of the previous day’s events had ever taken place.

Another religious celebration around Christmas time is Hanukkah (haa·nuh·kuh). Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for the retaking of Jerusalem and rebuilding of the second Temple. The holiday lasts 8 days and nights, each day the center candle of the menorah lights the other candles until all candles are lit. On each day special Hanukkah songs are sung, games are played, and traditional foods such as latkes (laat·kuhz) and sufganiyot (soof·gaa·nee·owt).

And finally, the last holiday of the year, New Year’s. New Years are celebrated across the globe (at different times). While most people take new years as just a celebration of a year ending, it is truly about ending one chapter of your life and starting a new one. New years are often celebrated with fireworks and party hats.

While holidays are different everywhere you go due to culture and religion. All of them share one thing. They bring people together. Family, friends, and sometimes even enemies. It is truly a marvel that people throughout the world and history have taken time to celebrate these spectacular times, even if the people around you were your enemies.