DECEMBER HOLIDAYS

In much of the world, the end of the year is a time to honor traditions, celebrate heritage and reaffirm religious beliefs. Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) recalls a Jewish victory for religious freedom and the miracle of an oil lamp that burned for eight days. Kwanzaa celebrates African culture and reaffirms devotion to family, community and self-improvement. Christmas honors the birth of Jesus and is also a time when children in many nations eagerly await the annual visit of Santa Claus. To learn more about those holidays and other winter celebrations, use the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site.

https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/

Here are the best sites for getting your schoolwork done or for just having fun.

LEVEL 1

Holiday Traditions From Around the World: Hear how people in various countries celebrate Christmas, New Year’s Day and other winter holidays.

https://www.landsend.com/spawn.cgi?hody/ HODYMAP&GRAPHIC;&NODEZERO0795;&0

Chanukah on the Net: The dreidel--a top that is spun in a children’s holiday game--has special meaning. The Hebrew letters that adorn it are there to remind Jewish youngsters that “a great miracle happened there.” Also read about the Maccabees, hear traditional songs and light a virtual menorah.

https://www.holidays.net/chanukah/

Kwanzaa--An African American Holiday: Learn some Swahili words while studying the concepts of Kwanzaa, an African American holiday in which the seven candles of the kinara are lit over the course of seven days.

https://www.afroam.org/children/fun/kwanzaa/kwanzaa.html

LEVEL 2

Worldview Christmas: Find out how different countries celebrate Christmas, what an early American Christmas was like and what the meaning is behind Santa Claus and other symbols of the holiday.

https://www.christmas.com/christmas.html

The JOI Hanukkah Web Site: The word “Hanukkah” means “dedication” to commemorate a Jewish temple that was rededicated after foreign rule. Learn about the traditions of this Jewish holiday through activities, songs and recipes.

https://www.joi.org/edutain/hanuknew

Kwanzaa--An African American Celebration: Do you know the significance of the the Kwanzaa colors of black, red and green? This site explains the many facets of the annual celebration founded in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a CSU Long Beach professor.

https://www.globalindex.com/kwanzaa/welcome.htm

LEVEL 3

The Origins of Christmas: A richly illustrated site that details the religious, historical and cultural events that gave rise to the Christmas we know today.

https://www.chin.gc.ca/christmas/presentn.htm

Virtual Jerusalem Chanukah Megasite: An extensive collection of Chanukah resources. Features include a timeline, historical perspectives on menorahs, and the transcript of an imaginary “online chat” with Judas Maccabee.

https://virtual.co.il/city_services/holidays/chanukah/

Everything about Kwanzaa: For seven days beginning Dec. 26, Kwanzaa honors the following seven principles: unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Learn how to prepare your own Kwanzaa celebration at home.

https://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This week’s column was designed by Cathy Collins, Nicole Cramer, Meg Lamb, Anna Manring and Stan Woo-Sam.

EXPLORER’S QUEST

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.

What does “Kwanzaa” mean?

Clue: See Kwanzaa--An African American Holiday

Tell Us What You Want To Know

Got a paper or project coming up? Just curious about something? Send us a topic and we’ll consider it for a future Launch Point column. Write to us at The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. E-mail us at educ@latimes.com or leave a phone message at (714) 966-4550.

Answer to last week’s Quest:

Ralph Ellison wrote “The Invisible Man.”