DECEMBER HOLIDAYS GLOBAL: Special Days in December

Whatever holiday you celebrate in December, it’s a time of year to spend with family and friends. December is a memorable month for everyone, whether you’re spending time with loved ones or participating in holiday activities. There are so many holidays to celebrate, from Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve to Christmas and Hanukkah. So, find out what other people are celebrating around the world at this time of year and join in the fun!

List of the Global December Holidays

Below is a list of the global December holidays

#1. Hannukah

Hannukah, sometimes referred to as Chanukah or the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish festival that customarily starts on the twenty-fifth day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. The precise day that the Gregorian calendar uses to mark the start of Hanukkah varies from year to year.

Hannukah is a time to commemorate the Maccabean Revolt and the Second Temple of Jerusalem’s rededication. Candles are lit every night for the whole eight-day celebration. Other Hannukah traditions include reciting the Hallel prayer and performing distinctive songs such as Ma’oz Tzur. Eating oil-dried meals like potato pancakes (also known as latkes) and doughnuts with jam inside is another common Hannukah tradition (also known as sufganiyot). Additionally, participants exchange gifts and play with dreidels.

#2. Christmas

This is one of the global December holidays. Christmas is the historical commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. Furthermore, Christmas traditions vary depending on religious or cultural reasons. While Americans celebrate with Christmas trees, visits from Santa Claus, and fantasies of snowy landscapes, Christmas falls during Australia’s summer, when many people go camping or to the beach. Some Australians adorn a “Christmas Bush,” which is a native Australian tree with small green leaves and scarlet blossoms throughout the summer.

In England, kids give Father Christmas brandy and mince pies instead of milk and cookies for Santa Claus. Moreover, with its Christmas market and 13 Santas, known as Yule Lads, the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik, transforms into a winter wonderland. In the thirteen days leading up to Christmas, one arrives every evening and leaves token gifts in shoes left on window sills.

#3. Santa Lucia

The Italian saint Santa Lucia perished as a martyr. In the gloomiest season of the year, they see her as a beacon of light. As a representation of light and hope, people honour and recognize Santa Lucia in Sweden every December 13th. Aesthetic concerts and processions with vocalists dressed in white and donning headdresses with real flickering candles are held to commemorate this significant day.

#4. Kwanzaa

“Matunda ya kwanza,” which translates to “first fruits” in Swahili, is where the word Kwanzaa originates. Each family observes Kwanzaa in its own unique way, although celebrations frequently feature music from the African continent, storytelling, poetry readings, and a substantial traditional meal. Every one of the seven evenings, families assemble, a kid lights a candle on the Kinara, and they discuss one of the seven principles or African cultural values. On December 31, a Karamu, an African feast, is held.

#5. Yule

Germanic people celebrate Yule, also known as Yuletide, all over the world. The celebration’s paganism can be attributed to both the Anglo-Saxon feast of Modraniht and the Norse god Odin. Yuletide is one of the oldest and most well-known winter festivals in the world since it coincides with the Winter Solstice. People celebrate Yule by igniting a sizable log in a bonfire and spending the entire night outside. Even though log burning is still a tradition, most people also create a Yule altar, an evergreen Yule wreath, or give back to Mother Nature to celebrate this holiday. The exchange of gifts made of natural materials, candlelit meals, and Yule tree decorations are all popular traditions.

#6. Boxing Day

On December 26, we celebrate Boxing Day. The holiday was invented in the United Kingdom during the Middle Ages and is now only observed in a select few nations. It was the day when the alms box, a tradition still carried out in some places where collecting boxes for the destitute are frequently housed in churches, was opened and its contents were given.

Additionally, it was the day that servants received the holiday off to spend with their families. Boxing Day is frequently the day for soccer games and horse races in England. Irish people celebrate the day as St. Stephen’s Day and have a custom known as “hunting the wren.” People observe Boxing Day in the Bahamas with the Junkanoo festival and street procession.

#7. New Year’s Eve

This list’s final holiday for December also happens to fall on the month’s very last day. On New Year’s Eve, people celebrate both the old year’s end and the new year’s arrival. People observe this day in a variety of ways. The majority of religious people go to church to express gratitude to God for the benefits of another year. New Year’s Eve is also celebrated by others at bars, eateries, and other social settings. Midnight traditionally marks the culmination of the festivities, when cheers, music, and fireworks fill the air.

#8. Omisoka

As the last day of the previous year and the eve of New Year’s Day, the most significant day of the year, misoka, or New Year’s Eve, is regarded as the second-most significant day in Japanese culture. Toshikoshi-soba or Toshi Koshi-udon is a traditional food eaten by families on Misoka to usher in the new year. Many people go to temples or shrines at midnight to celebrate Hatsumde. Most Buddhist temples have massive cast bells that are struck once for each of the 108 earthly desires thought to be the source of human misery, and Shinto shrines prepare amazake to hand out to crowds.

#9. Festivus

Festivus is a December festival that originated in Germany and spread over the world in 1997 thanks to the Seinfeld episode “The Strike.” This holiday parody’s purpose is to criticize Christmas consumerism. Festivus is observed by gathering around an unadorned aluminum pole rather than buying an expensive Christmas tree. Festivus traditions that people also widely practice include “feats of strength” and the “airing of grievances.” Some analysts have slammed Festivus supporters as “anti-conventional” persons with irrational opinions on Christmas and its genuine significance. However, the holiday has grown in popularity, particularly among thrifty spenders and minimalists.

What Countries Celebrate Christmas on the 24^th of December?

In most parts of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden presents are traditionally exchanged on the evening of 24 December.

Conclusion

In conclusion, December is a month filled with holidays observed all around the world. There is something for everyone, from Christmas and Hanukkah to Kwanzaa and Boxing Day. We hope you liked learning about some of the several December holidays celebrated around the world.

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