As we move through the traditional holiday season which seems to start in early November and end with the start of the New Year I thought it would be nice to showcase just a few of the holidays we all share during this magical time. These holidays are represented by kindness to each other, wonder in the young and young at heart and by joy in the simple things in life – sharing food, time and laughter with each other.
Some of the most common celebrations at this time of year are
Hanukkah – this is an eight day and eight night Jewish celebration of the original rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The date is moving due to the calendar it follows so this holiday can be celebrated anywhere from late November to late December.
Christmas – Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th – it is a joyous occasion; civil holiday and an integral part of the holiday season. The name comes from Christ’s mass. Gift exchange and a feast are all important parts of this holiday.
Kwanzaa – created in 1966 this is a week long celebration to honor African heritage – it is observed from Dec 26th to Jan 1st and ends with a feast and an exchange of gifts.
Eid-al-Adha – the Feast of the Sacrifice is an important Islamic holiday honoring the prophet Abraham. It can fall from October to December and traditionally includes eating and celebrating with family and friends.
Diwali – also called the Festival of the Lights, this is a 5 day Hindu festival celebrating the victory of good over evil. The lighting of small clay lamps, fireworks and new clothes are all part of this holiday.
Part of the magic of the season is the giving and generosity that seems to happen more frequently and spontaneously at this time of year. We are happy to have participated in Operation Christmas Child again this year sending shoeboxes to children all over the world. The boxes are filled with toys and love and we filled almost 40 this year. Our annual visit from the children from the Florence Fuller Development center remains hands down our staff’s favorite day. 20-25 little ones arrive in a bus and after serenading us and a visit from Santa tear into their gifts. Joy and wonder indeed! We close the year with our annual Cans for Cash to benefit another favorite of ours Boca Helping Hands. I know it is hard to believe that there are hungry people in Boca but there are and they need our help. Lastly our monthly Military Boxes get a few extra holiday items to help bolster the spirits of those who live to protect us.
At Sklar Furnishings we know that our business has many words that start with the letter “F” – furniture, fun, family, finesse, friends, financial, and more. That being said we believe the most import word in this list is Family. To that end since we opened our doors 13 years ago we have closed for both December 24th and 25th to allow our staff a chance to have at least two days with their loved ones.
As “the Holiday Season” continues we wish that however you celebrate and whatever you call your “holiday” that it is filled with family, friends, kindness, joy, wonder and most of all laughter.
