"Lots of people celebrate Christmas and New Year’s in December. But there are a lot of less famous winter holidays from around the world that deserve a turn in the spotlight." --Alice stewart, 6th grade
Lots of people celebrate Christmas and New Year’s in December. But there are a lot of less famous winter holidays from around the world that deserve a turn in the spotlight. Some of these include St. Nicholas’ Day, Shogatsu, the Japanese New Year celebration, and Zarathosht Diso.
First up, St. Nicholas’ Day. This holiday celebrates St. Nicholas, the saint of children and pawnbrokers (among other things). According to Getting in the Spirit: The World's Most Interesting Winter Holidays | Odysseys Unlimited, it’s “celebrated on December 6 in Western Christian nations, and December 19 in Eastern Orthodox nations to commemorate the day of the saint’s death.” Several countries celebrate this holiday, including Ukraine and the Netherlands. “Dutch children leave out a clog filled with hay and a carrot for Nicholas's horse, while kids in Ukraine receive a small gift under their pillow if they've been good that year.”
Next up, we have Bodhi Day, which falls on December 8th. Bodhi Day is the day the Buddha is said to have reached enlightenment. According to this article, “celebrations can include time spent studying the Dharma (the teachings of Buddha), chanting sutras (threads of religious teaching passed down through the generations) or holding services to commemorate Buddha's achievement of enlightenment.”
Our next holiday is Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe, a holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary. According to Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe is an important Mexican celebration | WUWF, this holiday “commemorates the day when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to an indigenous boy, Juan Diego, in 1531…festivities include dance presentations representing the diverse population through Mexico, parades and fireworks.” It falls on December 12th, only a day before our next holiday, St. Lucia’s Day.
First up, St. Nicholas’ Day. This holiday celebrates St. Nicholas, the saint of children and pawnbrokers (among other things). According to Getting in the Spirit: The World's Most Interesting Winter Holidays | Odysseys Unlimited, it’s “celebrated on December 6 in Western Christian nations, and December 19 in Eastern Orthodox nations to commemorate the day of the saint’s death.” Several countries celebrate this holiday, including Ukraine and the Netherlands. “Dutch children leave out a clog filled with hay and a carrot for Nicholas's horse, while kids in Ukraine receive a small gift under their pillow if they've been good that year.”
Next up, we have Bodhi Day, which falls on December 8th. Bodhi Day is the day the Buddha is said to have reached enlightenment. According to this article, “celebrations can include time spent studying the Dharma (the teachings of Buddha), chanting sutras (threads of religious teaching passed down through the generations) or holding services to commemorate Buddha's achievement of enlightenment.”
Our next holiday is Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe, a holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary. According to Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe is an important Mexican celebration | WUWF, this holiday “commemorates the day when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to an indigenous boy, Juan Diego, in 1531…festivities include dance presentations representing the diverse population through Mexico, parades and fireworks.” It falls on December 12th, only a day before our next holiday, St. Lucia’s Day.
St. Lucia’s Day celebrates the saint St. Lucia, or St. Lucy. It is celebrated mainly in Sweden, although celebrations have also popped up in Italy, Latvia (a country in Northeastern Europe), Germany, China, and London. To celebrate St. Lucia’s Day, people sing and do processions led by an elected Lucy, who dresses in white and wears a wreath of candles (it was originally real candles, but it has now been replaced with battery-powered candles for safety reasons.) Lucy hands out gingerbread and S-shaped saffron pastries called Lussekatt, which directly translates to “fluffy cat” or “Lucy’s cat,” because of the pastries’ resemblance to curled-up cats. People drink glögg, or mulled wine, and coffee. This holiday falls on December 13th. For more information, see this article: Lucia – bearer of light, hymns and Swedish treats.
Coming up next is Las Posadas, a festival that starts on December 16th and ends on December 24th. According to Holiday Fun For Kids: Teach These 6 Holidays Around The World In December – Globally Taught, “Las Posadas is a religious festival celebrated from December 16th until December 24th that commemorates the journey that Mary and Joseph took before the birth of Jesus. It is widely celebrated in Mexico and parts of Central America.” Each evening of the festival, a large group of people, led by a small child dressed in an angel costume, visit houses and ask for lodging. Traditionally, they are refused lodging (a place to stay (they are refused lodging because when Mary was about to have Jesus, she wanted a place to stay but nobody gave them one)), but the owners of the houses often give them refreshments. According to Las Posadas | Meaning, Christmas, Mexico, Traditions, & Facts | Britannica, “At each stop, passages of scripture are read and Christmas carols are sung.” Scripture is religious literature. After the procession, Mass is held and afterwards, children break open a piñata filled with candy, toys, and occasionally money. “The piñatas are usually crafted in the form of the Star of Bethlehem, which is said to have guided the three wise men of biblical tradition to the newborn Jesus.”
Next up, we have Hanukkah. According to When is Hanukkah? | Royal Museums Greenwich, “Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days every year. Normally it occurs between late November and December, although the exact dates change every year.
This is because Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar.”
During Hanukkah, Jewish people light a menorah (a nine-branched candelabra), play a game called dreidel, where kids spin a top with Hebrew letters, and eat customary foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) sufganiyot (jam-filled donuts) and brisket. “At least one day, I celebrate with my extended family, and we usually go to my aunt’s house and light the menorah and have a meal,” says Aphrodite Avidon, a 8th-grade Literary Arts student. “Then I usually get presents for most of the days… we light the menorah every night.” Hanukkah marks the liberation of the Temple of Jerusalem from occupying foreign forces by the Jews. The Jewish fighters hid in the temple and found a tiny supply of oil, which they used to light a menorah. They thought it would burn out quickly, but it stayed lit for 8 whole days.
Our next holiday is Yule. Yule is the Neo-Pagan and Wiccan winter solstice holiday. Yule spans Dec. 21-Jan. 1, and is celebrated by burning the yule log, a special log that was thought to make the sun return. The yule log has also been folded into being a Christmas tradition.
Next up, we have Hanukkah. According to When is Hanukkah? | Royal Museums Greenwich, “Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days every year. Normally it occurs between late November and December, although the exact dates change every year.
This is because Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar.”
During Hanukkah, Jewish people light a menorah (a nine-branched candelabra), play a game called dreidel, where kids spin a top with Hebrew letters, and eat customary foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) sufganiyot (jam-filled donuts) and brisket. “At least one day, I celebrate with my extended family, and we usually go to my aunt’s house and light the menorah and have a meal,” says Aphrodite Avidon, a 8th-grade Literary Arts student. “Then I usually get presents for most of the days… we light the menorah every night.” Hanukkah marks the liberation of the Temple of Jerusalem from occupying foreign forces by the Jews. The Jewish fighters hid in the temple and found a tiny supply of oil, which they used to light a menorah. They thought it would burn out quickly, but it stayed lit for 8 whole days.
Our next holiday is Yule. Yule is the Neo-Pagan and Wiccan winter solstice holiday. Yule spans Dec. 21-Jan. 1, and is celebrated by burning the yule log, a special log that was thought to make the sun return. The yule log has also been folded into being a Christmas tradition.
Christmas falls on December 25th. It is possibly the most famous winter holiday. In fact, out of 20 surveyed Literary Arts students, all 20 celebrated Christmas. Christmas was originally a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it is now celebrated by people of all faiths. People celebrate Christmas by buying each other presents, visiting family, and cutting down a tree, decorating it, and putting it in their living room (although some people buy plastic trees). (If you want to know why on earth people put trees in their living rooms, this article is extremely helpful.)
“Christmas is a big holiday for my family,” says Ms. Amelia, a Literary Arts teacher. “I go home to San Diego to spend time with my mom and dad. On Christmas eve, my mom and I make bouillabaisse (fish stew). In the morning, I spend Christmas morning with my mom and we have bagels, cream cheese and fish. Christmas day, I spend with my dad and we go see a movie.”
“Christmas is a big holiday for my family,” says Ms. Amelia, a Literary Arts teacher. “I go home to San Diego to spend time with my mom and dad. On Christmas eve, my mom and I make bouillabaisse (fish stew). In the morning, I spend Christmas morning with my mom and we have bagels, cream cheese and fish. Christmas day, I spend with my dad and we go see a movie.”
Other holidays also fall on December 26th. One of these holidays is Zarathosht Diso. Zarathosht Diso is a Zoroastrian winter holiday. Zoroastrian is a religion founded by the Iranian prophet Zarathushtra (who lived before the sixth century BCE), or known outside Iran as Zoroaster (the Greek form of his name). “Zoroastrians honor their prophet’s death on this day, typically by visiting a fire temple and offering prayers,” according to 11 Holidays the World Celebrates in December | TIME.
Our next holiday, Kwanzaa, spans the week from December 26th to January 1st. Kwanzaa honors African-American heritage and was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966. It celebrates seven key principles: Umoja, unity, Kujichagulia, self-determination, Ujima, collective responsibility, Ujamaa, cooperative economics, Nia, purpose, Kuumba,creativity, and Imani, faith. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” To celebrate Kwanzaa, families light a special candle-holder, or kinara. The kinara holds seven candles- three red candles, three green candles, and one black candle. The red candles symbolize the struggle, the green candles symbolize the hope that comes from the struggle, and the black candle symbolizes the people themselves. After lighting each candle, families celebrate together. Some ways they do that include reading quotes from famous Black people, singing and dancing, and feasting.
Our next holiday, Kwanzaa, spans the week from December 26th to January 1st. Kwanzaa honors African-American heritage and was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966. It celebrates seven key principles: Umoja, unity, Kujichagulia, self-determination, Ujima, collective responsibility, Ujamaa, cooperative economics, Nia, purpose, Kuumba,creativity, and Imani, faith. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” To celebrate Kwanzaa, families light a special candle-holder, or kinara. The kinara holds seven candles- three red candles, three green candles, and one black candle. The red candles symbolize the struggle, the green candles symbolize the hope that comes from the struggle, and the black candle symbolizes the people themselves. After lighting each candle, families celebrate together. Some ways they do that include reading quotes from famous Black people, singing and dancing, and feasting.
Next up is New Year’s Eve, which falls on December 31st. On New Year’s Eve, many people stay up until midnight so they can witness the start of the New Year. In Times Square in New York, people watch a giant ball hanging from a pillar slowly drop down until it reaches the bottom of its path at exactly 12:00. People also set resolutions for the new year, drink champagne, and have big parties.
Another New Year’s celebration on December 31st is Shogatsu, also known as Ōmisoka and ōtsugomori. Shogatsu is the Japanese New Year’s celebration. To celebrate this holiday, Japanese people send family and friends holiday postcards, eat special foods, and “enjoy a number of shows and spectacles both in person and on television. At midnight on New Year's Day, Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times (to symbolize a purification of the 108 sins inherent in every person), fireworks are set off, and a huge number of Japanese folks attend ceremonies at shrines or religious institutions on the first of the year,” according to Getting in the Spirit: The World's Most Interesting Winter Holidays | Odysseys Unlimited.
No matter whether you’re lighting a menorah for Hanukkah or staying up until midnight for New Year’s, I hope you’ve learned something from this article—and happy holidays!
Another New Year’s celebration on December 31st is Shogatsu, also known as Ōmisoka and ōtsugomori. Shogatsu is the Japanese New Year’s celebration. To celebrate this holiday, Japanese people send family and friends holiday postcards, eat special foods, and “enjoy a number of shows and spectacles both in person and on television. At midnight on New Year's Day, Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times (to symbolize a purification of the 108 sins inherent in every person), fireworks are set off, and a huge number of Japanese folks attend ceremonies at shrines or religious institutions on the first of the year,” according to Getting in the Spirit: The World's Most Interesting Winter Holidays | Odysseys Unlimited.
No matter whether you’re lighting a menorah for Hanukkah or staying up until midnight for New Year’s, I hope you’ve learned something from this article—and happy holidays!
