Thursday, December 10, 2009 — It was a cold, snowy night in Millsberry. Walking the streets, I might have been mistaken for a bear because of my oversized furry coat, hat, and snow pants. I knew I'd soon be inside and warm, but the walk to Mayor Wright's home felt like miles. Beneath the noisy wind, I could hear voices singing Christmas carols. I love the sound of carolers—especially when they distract me from the cold!

On this special night, I planned to attend Mayor Wright's Kwanzaa dinner, Laslo Balint's Hanukkah shindig, and Carla Robbins's Christmas bash. I was on a mission to observe the traditions of each holiday!

When I arrived at Mayor Wright's home, the festivities had already begun. Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration of African culture, community, and family, is observed from December 26th to January 1st. Wright decided to throw his party a few weeks early, before everyone's schedules got too busy. His home was so festive, with symbols of the holiday on display—like fruits, nuts, and vegetables; and black, green, and red candles. The meal consisted of savory dishes like sweet potatoes, spicy, Jamaican jerk chicken, and collard greens. We enjoyed our yummy feast on traditional straw place mats. Then, guests started telling stories about people who have inspired them. This is one of the many traditions practiced during Kwanzaa, of which I've grown very fond.

Next, it was off to Laslo's party. This year, Hanukkah starts at sundown on Friday, December 11th, but Laslo planned to be away on vacation by then—so he decided to hold his get-together a few days early. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated over eight days. The festival is celebrated by lighting a candle on the nine-candle menorah (eight candles for each night, and one called the shamash, to light them all). As soon as I arrived, I was handed a bag of chocolate gelt (which means money in Yiddish—a language of German Jewish origin). Candy gelt is wrapped in gold foil to resemble golden coins, and is given to children during Hanukkah, to be used in the traditional game of dreidel. The dreidel—a four-sided top—is passed from player to player, with each person giving it a spin. Depending on how it lands, you either win or lose points—or gelt. After a few rounds, and losing all my gelt, I had a delicious latke (Yiddish for potato pancake, a traditional Hanukkah snack) and said goodbye.

Luckily, Carla Robbins lives near Laslo. I walked in to find a beautiful children's choir singing my favorite Christmas carol, "Silent Night". This must have been the singing I'd heard earlier! And, since Christmas (the holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus) is December 25th, Carla was asking her guests to help decorate her tree. As we trimmed the tree with blinking, multicolored lights and silver tinsel, everyone enjoyed fresh gingerbread cookies.

And then it was time to brave the cold once again. But, when I walked outside, I was pleasantly suprised. The air was quiet and still, except for the soft snowflakes gently falling from above, and I felt at peace.