December and Christmas go hand in hand.

Fa la la la la.

While I love the Christmas spirit, it’s important to remember that there are other holidays in December that deserve our respect and attention: Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

When I was a kid, my family celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah.

We had a beautiful menorah, and my mother made a Hanukkah banner out of blue felt that hung over the fireplace in the living room where the Christmas tree lived for the month.

My father would recite the Hanukkah prayer on the first night.

He said the words in Hebrew in his deep, rich voice. It was like he was weaving a magic spell as he held the Shamash or helper candle that he would then use to light the first candle in the menorah.

The next night, my sister or I would read the prayer in English.

And so on for the rest of the eight days.

I still remember the words…which is good because I don’t have my father’s book anymore.

I no longer celebrate Hanukkah as we did then.

Now, I simply light the candles each night, recite the prayer, and remember my loved ones who have passed.

I take a moment to remember my parents and my sister and how their faces were illuminated by the light of the Hanukkah candles.

Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev, a date in the Jewish calendar, and therefore not on the same date each year.

This year, Hanukkah is celebrated beginning at sunset on Sunday, December 18.

The other December holiday is Kwanzaa, which, I admit, I know very little about and had to research for this post.

Kwanzaa was created by activist and college professor Maulana Karenga, following the deadly six-day Watts riots in 1965.

He wanted a way of uniting the African American community and modeled his holiday on traditional African harvest festivals.

“Kwanzaa” is from a Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits.”

The extra “a” was added simply because there were seven children at the first celebration who each wanted to represent one of the letters that spell out the name of the holiday.

Kwanzaa is celebrated beginning on December 26 until January 1.

A candle is lit each day, focusing on these principles: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.

The festival culminates with a feast called Karamu on day six.

Christmas has a treasure trove of books to celebrate it and explain it.

There are plenty of middle grade novels where Christmas is the main feature.

Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, on the other hand, have very few.

While there is an ample amount of great picture books, I wanted middle grade novels.

I found these three for Hanukkah.

Dreidels on the Brain by Joel Ben Izzy

Joel is wishing for one miracle, and he’s betting everything on the eight nights of Hanukkah to see whether it’s worth believing in God or miracles or anything at all before the last of the candles burns out.

The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner

At her family’s Hanukkah party, a mysterious guest gives Sara an enormous, golden dreidel.

It comes with a warning: be careful when she spins it because she’ll be spinning miracles.

Before long, Sara spins herself into a whole new magical world.

How I Saved Hanukkah by Amy Goldman Koss

Marla, the only Jewish kid in her fourth-grade class, hates December.

But with a little effort, she turns the Festival of Lights into the biggest party in town.

As for Kwanzaa, I found two middle-grade novels.

A Very Special Kwanzaa by Debbi Chocolate

Charlie is reluctant to participate in the Kwanzaa Festival at school until he remembers the deeper meaning of the holiday.

Kwanzaa Klaus: The Night Before Christmas Is Just the Beginning by James Henry

This is a warmhearted, family-oriented tale about a down-and-out dad who screws up Christmas and tries to make up for it during Kwanzaa.

Some of these titles are fairly old.

I haven’t read any of them, so this isn’t really a list of recommendations.

It’s simply a list of what’s out there.

The two that look most promising are The Golden Dreidel and Kwanzaa Klaus.

I’m kind of shocked that there aren’t more books available with plots that center around either of these holidays.

If you come across any other Hanukkah or Kwanzaa middle-grade books, I’d love to know what you find!

This year, how ever you will be celebrating the December festivities, I wish you happiness, peace of mind, and light shining on the faces of your loved ones.

~ Gail

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