For many people around the world, December is celebrated as a season of giving, reflection and spending time with loved ones. In the spirit of the holidays, the teams at our corporate headquarters, our stores, and our manufacturing facilities and distribution centers have dedicated this season as a time to giving back. From hosting canned food drives to donating toys and volunteering at local food pantries, our teams are grateful to be able to give back to the communities where we live and work.
This year's toy drive at our corporate headquarters and Dallas distribution center benefitted Community Partners of Dallas.
The Container Store also joins this celebration by acknowledging the many holidays happening throughout the month. These holidays include:
Hanukkah
Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after its defilement by Antiochus of Syria. The first day of Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which is the third month of the civil year in the Jewish calendar. This year, Hanukkah will be celebrated December 18 - 26.
Each day of Hanukkah, a candle on the hanukkiah (a nine-branched candelabrum) is lit as blessings are pronounced and festive songs are sung. Families, friends and loved ones also celebrate by sharing foods like latkes (crispy potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts) and playing a game called dreidel. A dreidel is a spinning top that depicts four Hebrew letters--nun, gimel, hey, and shin--which, collectively, stand for the phrase "A great miracle happened there."
Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice is celebrated on December 21. This day represents the end of fall and the beginning of winter. During this time, we experience the shortest day and longest night.
The celebration of Winter Solstice dates back as far as neolithic times. By using the sun, people were able to determine the change in season which taught them when animals would begin mating and when crops were ready to be planted or harvested.
For many people, Winter Solstice is more than just an astronomical anomaly, and on this day, they celebrate the rebirth of the sun. This rebirth represents life, death, and human connection to the earth. Those who celebrate Winter Solstice typically do so with cultural rituals, lantern making, dancing, and sometimes gift-giving.
Christmas
Christmas is both a religious and cultural holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated annually on December 25 through special church services, displays of nativity scenes, helping those in need, enjoying feasts and exchanging of gifts with loved ones. Other Christmas traditions include decorating private and public spaces with lights, garland, wreathes and trees, sending greeting cards, and singing Christmas carols.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration observed in the United States (December 26 - January 1) that honors African heritage in African-American culture. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," which means "first fruits."
The holiday is defined by seven principles (Nguzo Saba) which include: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). Each day is dedicated to a specific principle, marked by the lighting of a new candle on the kinara, a seven-branched candelabrum.
Celebrations often include singing and dancing, storytelling, poetry reading, African drumming, and feasting.
Three Kings Day
Three Kings Day (or Epiphany) is celebrated on January 6th and marks the close of the Christmas celebration for many Christians. On this day, people celebrate the visit of the magi to the Christ child.
Three Kings Day is primarily celebrated in Latin America, Spain, and the United States. The celebrations include gift giving (primarily to children), music, and a large meal traditional foods and desserts. In Spain, children leave their shoes outside for the Three Kings to place gifts into them. Just as those who celebrate Christmas leave out milk and cookies for Santa, children in Spain leave out grass and other snacks for the camels that the Three Kings ride in on.
As we celebrate with our employees and customers around the world, let us remember to extend kindness to each other and seek to understand the heart behind the holidays and why they are so important.
From all of us at The Container Store--we wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
