LibGuides: Virtual Displays: December Displays

December Virtual Displays

The virtual displays for December are Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

The following sections have a variety of topics regarding both displays. Physical displays can also be found by the main circulation desk in the John E. Robbins Library.

Christmas

This holiday commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ from Christian religion as well as theming around family gift giving and feasting on December 25th. Santa Claus and his elves are said to deliver presents to children worldwide during this holiday.

Hanukkah

This holiday is held on 25th of Kisev (a month in the Hebrew calendar) over 8 days. Typical customs include lighting 1 candle on a menorah each day, playing dreidel, singing Hanukkah songs, and special foods or gifts.

Kwanzaa

This holiday is held December 25th - January 1st to commemorate African-American culture. Its seven principles are Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).

Christmas

America's Favorite Holidays by Bruce David Forbes
ISBN: 0520960440
Publication Date: 2015-10-27
America's Favorite Holidays explores how five of America's culturally important holidays--Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving--came to be what they are today, seasonal and religious celebrations heavily influenced by modern popular culture. Deftly distilling information from a wide range of sources, Bruce David Forbes reveals often-surprising answers to questions about each holiday's traditions. Appealing and insightful, America's Favorite Holidays satisfies our curiosity about the origins of our holidays and the fascinating ways in which religion and culture mix.
The Christmas Truce by Terri Blom Crocker; Peter. Grant (Foreword by)
ISBN: 9780813166179
Publication Date: 2015-11-10
In late December 1914, German and British soldiers on the western front initiated a series of impromptu, unofficial ceasefires. Enlisted men across No Man's Land abandoned their trenches and crossed enemy lines to sing carols, share food and cigarettes, and even play a little soccer. Collectively known as the Christmas Truce, these fleeting moments of peace occupy a mythical place in remembrances of World War I. Yet new accounts suggest that the heartwarming tale ingrained in the popular imagination bears little resemblance to the truth.
Inventing the Christmas Tree by Bernd Brunner; Benjamin A. Smith (Editor)
ISBN: 1283742314
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
A colorfully decorated Christmas tree, lit with twinkling lights, provokes awe and delight. We understand the lighted tree as a central symbol of the Christmas season, but what are the roots of the tradition? Who first thought to bedeck a tree, to bring it inside? How and where did the local activity grow into a widespread tradition, and how has the Christmas tree traveled across time and continents? Bernd Brunner's brief history--enriched by a selection of delightful and unusual historical illustrations--spans many centuries and cultures to illuminate the mysteries of the Christmas tree and its enduring hold on the human imagination.

Christmas in North Korea by Adnan I. Qureshi (author)
ISBN: 1527555704
Publication Date: 2020
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is perhaps one of the least-visited places in the world. Geopolitical issues have often denied historians and travelers an opportunity to fulfill their aspirations of visiting this nation. Perhaps the greatest loss is the lack of opportunity to get to know the 25 million people in North Korea as people with emotions, families, traditions, and most of all, a desire for friendship and hospitality. This book introduces the reader to some of these aspects through rarely seen photographs and descriptions acquired during the author's own travels.
The Miracle of the First Poinsettia by Joanne F. Oppenheim; Fabian Negrin (Illustrator)
Call Number: PZ8.1. O57M57 2003
ISBN: 9781841482453
Publication Date: 2003-10-01
The Miracle of the First Poinsettia is a beautiful alternative to the traditional nativity story. In this extraordinary collaboration, Fabian Negrin brings his warm, glowing scenes to Joanne Oppenheim's thoughtful narrative, transporting readers to Old-World Mexico as a young girl's trust leads her straight into a miracle.
The Public Work of Christmas by Pamela E. Klassen (Editor); Monique Scheer (Editor)
ISBN: 9780773556782
Publication Date: 2019-06-15
Christmas is not a holiday just for Christians anymore, if it ever was. Embedded in calendars around the world and long a lucrative merchandising opportunity, Christmas enters multicultural, multi-religious public spaces, provoking both festivity and controversy, hospitality and hostility. The Public Work of Christmas provides a comparative historical and ethnographic perspective on the politics of Christmas in multicultural contexts ranging from a Jewish museum in Berlin to a shopping boulevard in Singapore.

Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas by Elise Primavera (Illustrator)
Call Number: PZ7. P93535A86
ISBN: 9780152024413
Publication Date: 2002-10-01
It's getting toward Christmas at the Bing Cherry Hotel, and Auntie Claus is preparing for her annual "business trip." Just before she is ready to leave, her favorite nephew, Christopher Kringle, begins to have doubts about the family business. To settle the matter, Auntie Claus summons Chris for tea, but like any self-respecting Kringle, Chris decides to take matters into his own hands: He plans to get on the Bad-Boys-and-Girls List on purpose! Even after his older sister, Sophie, reveals that their great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is really Santa's sister, Chris needs to see for himself, in order to believe.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; Shona McKellar (Abridged by); Andrew Wheatcroft
ISBN: 9780789420701
Publication Date: 1997-10-01
A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future. Illustrated notes throughout the text explain the historical background of the story.
The Christmas Coat by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve; Ellen Beier (Illustrator)
Call Number: PS3569. N474Z46 2011
ISBN: 9780823421343
Publication Date: 2011-07-01
Virginia's coat is too small and hardly protects her from the frigid South Dakata winter. As Christmas approaches, all the children on the Sioux reservation look forward to receiving boxes full of clothing sent by congregations in the East. Virginia spots a beautiful gray fur coat but holds back tears as it is claimed by one of her classmates. Later, virginia can't believe what Mama brings home. Based on an event from the author's childhood, this picture book captures the true spirit of Christmas.
Circle of Wonder by N. Scott Momaday
Call Number: PS3563. O47C57 1999
ISBN: 9780826321497
Publication Date: 1999-08-01
Circle of Wonder centers upon a world that is so dear to the author as to be engraved on their memory forever. The night sky was radiant; the silence was vast and serene. In all the years of my life I have not gone farther into the universe. I have not known better the essence of peace and the sense of eternity. I have come no closer to the understanding of the most holy.

Hanukkah

And You Shall Tell Your Son: Identity and Belonging As Shaper by the Jewish Holidays by Yitzhak. (Itzik) Peleg
ISBN: 1644698323
Publication Date: 2022
This book explores the cycle of Jewish holidays, which reflects a sense of identity with, and belonging to, the Jewish people, while simultaneously shaping that identity and sense of belonging. Throughout the generations, observance of the holidays has developed and changed, thus enabling generations of Jews, in their various communities, to define their own national identity and sense of belonging.
Chanukah by David F. Marx
Call Number: BM695. H3M37
ISBN: 0516271520
Publication Date: 2000-09-01
Following the well-known and much-loved Rookie Books format, these fun and informative books introduce early elementary-school children to the basic facts about major holidays. Each book explains the development of the holiday and how it is celebrated today, and includes holiday games, traditions, crafts, and foods.
The Hanukkah Anthology by Philip Goodman (Editor)
ISBN: 9780827613188
Publication Date: 2018-07-01
Back by popular demand, the classic JPS holiday anthologies remain essential and relevant in our digital age. The Hanukkah Anthology delves into the stories and messages of Hanukkah as they have unfolded in Jewish literature over the past two thousand years: biblical intimations of the festival, postbiblical writings, selections from the Talmud and midrashim, excerpts from medieval books, home liturgies, laws and customs, observances in different nations, stories and poems, art, and recipes.

Hanukkah in America by Dianne Ashton
ISBN: 1479819719
Publication Date: 2013-01-01
For the past two hundred years, American Jews have been transforming the ancient holiday of Hanukkah from a simple occasion into something grand. Each year, as they retell its story and enact its customs, they bring their ever-changing perspectives and desires to its celebration. Providing an attractive alternative to the Christian dominated December, rabbis and lay people alike have addressed contemporary hopes by fashioning an authentically Jewish festival that blossomed in their American world.
The Menorah: Evolving into the Most Important Jewish Symbol by Rachel Hachlili
ISBN: 9789004375024
Publication Date: 2018-08-21
The Menorah, the ancient seven-armed candelabrum, was the most important Jewish symbol both in the Land of Israel and the Diaspora. The menorah was the most important of the Temple vessels and it also came to symbolize Judaism, when it was necessary to distinguish synagogues and Jewish tombs from Christian or pagan structures. This book is a continuation of Hachlili's earlier comprehensive study, The Menorah, the Ancient Seven-armed Candelabrum: Origin, Form and Significance. Brill, 2001. It entails the compilation and study of the material of the past two decades, presenting the theme of the menorah, focusing on its development, form, meaning, significance, and symbolism in antiquity.

All the Lights in the Night by Arthur A. Levine; James E. Ransome (Illustrator)
Call Number: PZ7. L57824A5
ISBN: 0688101070
Publication Date: 1991-10-01
Moses and his little brother Benjamin find a way to celebrate Hanukkah during their dangerous emigration to Palestine.
Hanukkah by L. L. Owens; Holli Conger (Illustrator)
Call Number: BM695. H3O94 2010
ISBN: 9781602706033
Publication Date: 2009-09-01
The Cultural Holidays illustrated nonfiction book Hanukkah teaches young readers about the background, traditions, foods, and celebrations of the Jewish holiday. Easy-to-read text combines with colorful illustrations to provide entertainment and facts for even the youngest audience.
The Hanukkah Mice by Maggie Kneen (Illustrator); Ronne Randall
Call Number: PZ7.R1584H36
ISBN: 9780811836234
Publication Date: 2002-09-01
In the tradition of the best-selling The Christmas Surprise and The Golden Egg comes this sweet story of the Hanukkah mice. With flaps hiding shiny foil suprises, readers will find a different Hanukkah tradition on each page, until the very end when they finally discover the beautiful menorah, with all eight candles burning bright.
Northern Lights by Diana Cohen Conway; Shelly O. Haas (Illustrator)
Call Number: PZ7. C76842N67 1994
ISBN: 9780929371795
Publication Date: 2004-01-01
When a storm grounds their plane, Sara and her dad celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with a Yupik Eskimo family. By the light of an oil lamp, they share stories, eat fried bread, and witness the colorful glow of the Northern Lights...a Hanukkah celebration after all. Warm, wonderful watercolors illuminate this eloquent story.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa by Molly Aloian
Call Number: GT4403. A46 2008
ISBN: 9780778742845
Publication Date: 2008-09-30
Kwanzaa is an African American festival that celebrates family, community and culture. It began in 1966 and based on various African harvest festivals in an attempt to bring African Americans together and remind them of their roots.
Kwanzaa by Keith A. Mayes
ISBN: 9780415998543
Publication Date: 2009-07-29
Since 1966, Kwanzaa has been celebrated as a black holiday tradition - an annual recognition of cultural pride in the African American community. But how did this holiday originate, and what is its broader cultural significance? Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition explores the political beginning and later expansion of Kwanzaa, from its start as a Black Power holiday, to its current place as one of the most mainstream of the black holiday traditions.
Rookie Read-About Holidays: Kwanzaa by David F. Marx
Call Number: GT4403. M37
ISBN: 0516222074
Publication Date: 2000-09-01
Introduces the history, customs, meaning, and celebration of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa and Me by Vivian G. Paley
ISBN: 9780674505858
Publication Date: 1995-02-28
All these white schools I've been sent to are racist, Sonya says. I'd have done better in a black school. I was an outsider here. These are hard words for Vivian Paley, whose own kindergarten was one of Sonya's schools, the integrated classroom depicted by Paley in White Teacher. Confronted with the grown-up Sonya, now on her way to a black college, and with a chorus of voices questioning the fairness and effectiveness of integrated education, Paley sets out to discover the truth about the multicultural classroom from those who participate in it.
A Very Special Kwanzaa by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate; Debbi Chocolate
Call Number: PZ7. C4462V47
ISBN: 0590848623
Publication Date: 1996-11-01
Charlie's school is holding a Kwanzaa Festival, and he doesn't want any part of it. Last year, he was chosen to stand in front of the entire class wearing a dashiki, beads, and sandals- in the middle of winter! When the class jerk decided to crack jokes about Charlie's outfit, he became the clown of the third grade. This year he just wants things to be normal. But Charlie soon learns that Kwanzaa is a celebration of creativity and caring.

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Kwanzaa by Carolyn Otto
Call Number: GT4403. O88 2008
ISBN: 9781426303203
Publication Date: 2008-10-14
Celebrate Kwanzaa continues the spectacular Holidays Around the World series by focusing on this African-American holiday, which falls during the festive, gift-giving season and is celebrated by families, communities, and schools throughout America. With succinct, lively text and beautiful photographs, the book celebrates African-American culture and helps us to understand and appreciate this special holiday.
Kwanzaa by Sheila Anderson; Holli Conger (Illustrator)
Call Number: GT4403. A52 2010
ISBN: 9781602706040
Publication Date: 2009-09-01
The Cultural Holidays illustrated nonfiction book Kwanzaa teaches young readers about the background, traditions, foods, and celebrations of the African-American holiday. Easy-to-read text combines with colorful illustrations to provide entertainment and facts for even the youngest audience. Looking Glass Library is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group. Grades P-4.