Almost every day in December someone around the globe is celebrating. December is the month with the most holidays and celebrations, World-Strides even describes it as “a world of holidays.” Some of the most popular holidays in December that are not talked about in this article are as follows: Winter Solstice, New Year’s Eve, St. Nicholas Day, Bodhi Day, Yule, and Las Posadas. There are many different celebrations in December, as different religions, races, and regions celebrate different things. However, one thing most people have in common is that December is a celebration of ancestors that have come before them, heritage, and life.
The most popular holiday worldwide is Christmas, which is usually celebrated on December 25. Traditionally, people celebrate Jesus’s birthday on this day but not everyone who celebrates is religious. Some common traditions are gift giving, stocking hanging, elf on the shelf, advent calendars, and spending time with loved ones. Common foods are gingerbread, cookies, and ham. Many countries believe in Santa, who is usually described as a man who delivers presents to all the kids in the world in one night. Santa has many different names around the world including Joulupukki, Another common tradition is for children to send letters to Santa telling him what they want for Christmas hoping that he will get them what they requested. Overall, Christmas is a widespread and fun holiday where loved ones get gifts for each other and spend quality time together.
Another popular holiday celebrated in December is Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which is celebrated over eight days. According to WBAL-TV Hanukkah is a Hebrew word that means dedication. Most families use a Menorah during Hanukkah which is traditionally a sacred eight-branched candelabrum, the Menorah is lit every day to symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern was burning. Some traditions during Hanukkah are spinning the Dreidel, gift giving, singing special psalms, and gelt checkers. Some traditional foods to eat over these eight days are sufganiyah, latkes, and brisket.
Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday which is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. While this holiday was made by African Americans to celebrate Black people’s accomplishments, anyone is welcome to celebrate. This holiday was made in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga. Kwanzaa is a Swahili word which means first fruits. According to History.com, one of the most important parts of Kwanzaa are the seven principles which are important ideals to follow, one for each day of Kwanzaa. Some traditions of this holiday include Zawadi gifts (small presents), lighting of candles on a Kinara candle holder, honoring ancestors, and Kikombe Cha Umjoba. Overall, this is an amazing celebration of African Americans’ accomplishments over the years.
Boxing Day is celebrated the day after Christmas and it was invented in 1633 according to USA-Today. This holiday is usually celebrated in England, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Many believe that the name “Boxing Day” derives from when Queen Victoria was the ruler of England. During this time period, most servants wouldn’t get their presents until the day after Christmas because they needed to serve the royal family on Christmas day. The gift boxes the servants got on December 26 are believed to be the origin of this name. Traditionally playing football is banned on this day and eating leftovers from Christmas is also a common tradition.
It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Boxing Day, or any other holiday at this special time of year. Everyone has something in common, December is a happy time to celebrate and spend time with family. It’s a time when people feel most connected to loved ones and even ancestors. While religion is a big part of a lot of holidays, people don’t need to be at all religious to celebrate any of them! Everyone is welcome to have a good time spending time with their loved ones and just feeling happy.
