Nov 28, 2018

December Holiday Celebrations Around the World

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December is one of the most joyful months of the year as special holidays are celebrated around the world. Learn about the diverse holidays that December brings and the rich history that is remembered and celebrated each year.

Hanukkah | December 2nd – December 10th (2018)

Hanukkah, Hebrew for “dedication,” is the Festival of Lights. This Jewish holiday commemorates two historical events: the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greek army that occupied the land of Israel at the time, and the miracle of restoring the menorah (lamp) in the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a menorah at home, playing dreidel, eating special foods like latkes and jelly doughnuts, and hosting and attending Hanukkah parties.

Christmas | December 25th

Christmas began as a Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus and has since evolved into worldwide religious and secular celebration. The celebration begins well before December 25th, with many families enjoying traditions of putting up Christmas decorations, baking special holiday treats, and hosting and attending parties and gift exchanges.

Most who celebrate Christmas also celebrate the legendary figure of Santa Claus. Hundreds of years ago, a Turkish monk named St. Nicholas became the subject of the legend after becoming widely known for giving away all of his wealth in order help the sick and poor. The modern day Santa Claus is a jolly, kind figure who pays a visit to each household on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts for every child.

Boxing Day | December 26th

Boxing Day is traditionally celebrated the day after Christmas. Originating in the United Kingdom during the Middle Ages, it was the day when the church collection boxes kept for the poor were distributed to those in need, and when servants were traditionally given the day off to celebrate Christmas with their own families.

Today, Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and a few other countries. Many countries have their own Boxing Day traditions, but perhaps the most well-known are the English soccer matches and horse races that take place on this day.

Kwanzaa | December 31st

The newest of the December holidays, Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. Following Watts riots in Los Angeles, California, professor and chairman of Black Studies and California State University Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa as a holiday to strengthen the sense of community among the African-American population. After researching various African “first fruit” celebrations, Karenga combined different aspects of African traditions that are now included in Kwanzaa.

There are different ways to celebrate Kwanzaa, but many celebrations include singing, dancing, storytelling, a large traditional meal, and candle-lighting ceremonies over a period of seven days, ending with a final feast (Karamu) on December 31st. On each day of Kwanzaa, a different principle is emphasized, including unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Ōmisoka | December 31st

New Year’s Eve, celebrated in different ways worldwide, is considered to be second most important day in Japanese tradition. People celebrate with friends and family to remember the past year and usher in the new year. Many families will clean and purify their homes for the incoming year. Late in the evening, people gather to eat bowls of traditional noodles toshikoshi-soba or toshikoshi-udon, as eating long noodles symbolizes “crossing over from one year to the next” together. At midnight, many people visit a shrine or temple for the first visit of the New Year.

William Means wishes everyone a happy holiday season and we hope that your December is filled with meaningful traditions and celebrations.

Sources:

https://worldstrides.com/blog/2015/12/december-holidays-around-the-world/. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanukkah-2018/.

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus.

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history.

https://ueat.utoronto.ca/12-days-of-celebrations-omisoka/.

 

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