December 17, 2013 December 17, 2013Close-Up 6 Hawk Talk Hawk Talk 7Close-Up

22%said shoes

21%said money

20%said clothes

13% said some sort of Apple product

9%said the Xbox One

9%said some sort of pet

6%said the Playstation 4

DIFFERENT STYLES OF CELEBRATION AT SOUTHWESTWish Lists

Menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day. Mi-raculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. The Jewish holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory; followers of Judaism articulate often that they are against the glorification of war. HumanLight

HumanLight is a festive holiday that is entirely secular, and is not based on any su-pernatural religious beliefs or theistic concepts. Like Kwan-zaa, it is a modern invention, and was established by the New Jersey Human-ist Network in 2001. HumanLight cele-brates and promotes a positive vision of a better future, and

takes place on Dec. 23, 2013. In the past,

HumanLight celebrations have taken place all over the United States (including Lincoln), Canada, and in the U.K. As the celebration becomes more well-known, HumanLight enthusiasts are excited to see what comes of this non-traditional holiday. Kwanzaa

A week-long holiday celebrated every year start-ing Dec. 26 is Kwanzaa, which means “first fruit of the harvest” in Swahili. It is a time to focus on the traditional African values of family and is based upon the celebration of seven principles called the Nguzo Saba. The seven principles can be trans-lated into unity, self-determination, collective work

By Natasha NaseemOver the span of the winter months, many dif-

ferent systems of beliefs celebrate holidays. Both religious and secular groups have traditions in their practices, and many students at LSW participate in these yearly festivities. The following are different religious and non-religious celebrations that take place in the winter months (listed in order of their occurrence in 2013-2014). Diwali

In Hinduism, many festivals are celebrated among followers of the religion. Diwali, the festival of lights, is considered the greatest and brightest celebration of all Hin-du holidays. Diwali lasts four days, and celebrates the idea lighting the darkness, and the victory of good (the light) over evil (darkness). In 2013, Diwali began on Nov. 3. Other major Hindu celebrations are Holi (the festival of colors), Durga Puja (prayer to honor goddess Dur-ga), Raksha Bandhan (celebra-tion of love between brothers and sisters), and various win-ter festivals that celebrate har-vesting season. Upcoming Hindu festivals include Lohri, the bonfire festival of North India, and Uttarayan, the kite festival of West In-dia. Hanukkah

Hanukkah is an eight-day-long festival celebrat-ed by followers of Judaism that began on Nov. 27. Known as the festival of rededication, and to some as the festival of lights, the significance of the holiday lies in remembering the rededication of the Temple after it was defiled by the Greeks in second century B.C. According to tradition, at the time of the re-dedication there was very little oil left that had not been spoiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the

and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Kwanzaa is celebrated through decoration of homes, lighting of Kinaras (candela-brum), and celebratory drumming and dancing. It is celebrated in the U.S. and portions of Western Africa. It was created by Ron Karenga in 1966 to celebrate African-American heritage, and is not con-sidered a religious celebration. Eid Milad (Mawlid) an-Nabi

Eid Milad (Mawlid) an-Nabi celebrates the birth-day of Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. It is fixed as the 12th day of the month of Rabi-ul-Aw-wal in the Islamic lunar calendar, which falls on Jan-uary 13, 2014 in the coming year. The term “Eid” translates to “festival” or “holiday” in Arabic, and among the different sects of Islam, there are six cel-ebrations of Eid in the Islamic year. Some celebra-tions of Eid are more festive than others, depend-ing on the event being commemorated. Though Eid Milad-an-Nabi is not as widely acknowledged in the U.S., many celebrations take place in Pakistan, In-dia, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania and the U.K., where Muslim populations are high.

Students who celebrate these holidays, as citi-zens of America, are still often immersed in the spirit of Christmas. Many enjoy the season despite their own celebrations differing in time and meaning throughout the year.

“I like the atmosphere of Christmas and getting together with friends and family. Though we don’t formally celebrate the holiday, families in the Indian community in Lincoln get together during the sea-son, and enjoy the cohesive feelings of the season,” said junior Swetha Tatineni.

Members of religious systems outside of Christi-anity only make up roughly 4.5 percent of the U.S. population, however many religious holidays are celebrated even in Lincoln.

“In America, we stress cultural diversity, and when we celebrate other holidays, it reinforces the importance of such diversity,” said Tatineni.

Festivities Enjoyed By AllCompiled By Breyanna Hellrich

Whether they are only meant for Santa and his elves or for the viewing of parents, holiday wish lists consist of things that we hope to get this season. Not all are the same, which begs the question: “What’s on your wish list?”

In Pakistan, mosques like this one are illumi-nated to celebrate Eid Milad- an-Nabi

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‘Tis the season to not be freezin’. In order to protect themselves from the icy tundra that is outside, students show off their favorite holiday sweaters. By Liz Uebele

Sophomore Angela Di-etel shows

off her Charlie Brown holiday

sweater.

Junior Amanda Nelson

poses in her cat sweater

holding a kitten.

What could be cuter?

SeniorMichael

Clinch gets in the

hoilday spirit in his Santa Claus

sweater.

Freshman Jonah Payne

shows off his (itchy)

Snoopy sweater.

By Karsyn Schkolnik

”I am not doing much, just staying home.”

-Sierra Hotchkiss (11)

What are you planning to do during

winter break?

”I want to go ice skating at the new

ice rink downtown.”-Alyssa Lee (9)

”I am planning on working on my

house.”-Zoe Hamilton (10)

”My favorite part of winter break is

playing in the snow.” -Natalie Horne (9)

“My favorite part of winter break is

spending time with my family.”

-Brianna Krambeck (9)

Junior Sophie

Cunning-ham sports her Husker sweater,

great for chilly games.

You want what!?Bizarre gift confessions of LSW students

1. 24 pack of Mountain Dew

2. Ball Python3. New Hotel4. Dylan5. A Hot Tub6. $1,800 worth of books

7. Gucci jumpsuit8. Skyhawk airplane

9. A Rock10. Premier Parking

Compiled By Breyanna Hellrich

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