December Holidays to Celebrate Besides Christmas

  • Nicholas Day. It seems only right that the man who works the hardest on Christmas Eve should have a day that celebrates him. …
  • Hanukkah/Chanukah. …
  • Winter Solstice. …
  • Kwanzaa. …
  • Boxing Day. …
  • New Year’s Eve.

Similarly, What other religions celebrate in December?

It’s easy to forget amid all the Christmas cheer that December is a particularly important month for other religions too, with Islam, Judaism and Buddhism among those also celebrating major festivals.

Additionally, What religion is Kwanzaa related to? Celebrates African heritage, unity, and culture. Kwanzaa (/ˈkwɑːn. zə/) is an annual celebration of African-American culture that is held from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually held on the 6th day.

Who celebrates Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival.

What is the Yule festival?

Yule was a traditional Germanic Winter festival that celebrated on the Winter Solstice and Yuletide (also known as the Yule Time or the Yule Season) ran for a period of about 2-months. … These traditions include lighting trees, giving gifts, and hanging up holly and/or mistletoe.

How many religions celebrate Christmas?

There are many different faiths and some of those different faiths celebrate Christmas. With 4200 different religions, there are some that celebrate Christmas, and others who have their own wintertime celebrations.

What festival is celebrated throughout the world in the month of December of every year?

Christmas Festival

Festival of Christmas is the most important festival of December month and celebrated in the different parts of India. Christmas is also known as bada din is the biggest festival of the Christians just like Eid for Muslims and Diwali for Hindu.

What culture celebrates Kwanzaa?

Born in a time of racial unrest, Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration of African-American culture and heritage. This secular holiday takes place every year from December 26 to January 1 and is observed by millions of people in the United States and around the world.

Who is the God of Kwanzaa?

The colors also represent African gods. Red is the color of Shango, the Yoruba god of fire, thunder, and lightning, who lives in the clouds and sends down his thunderbolt whenever he is angry or offended. It also represents the struggle for self-determination and freedom by people of color.

What is the religion of African culture?

The majority of Africans are adherents of Christianity or Islam. African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. Abrahamic religions are widespread throughout Africa.

What are 3 interesting facts about Hanukkah?


The holiday commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the Maccabees in reclaiming their temple from the Greek-Syrians.

  • 2 Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, to commemorate how long the holy light burned. …
  • 5 Hanukkah dishes are fried for a reason. …
  • 7 Hanukkah is not the most important Jewish holiday.

Where is Hanukkah celebrated around the world?

Jerusalem, Israel

Perhaps the most traditional and obvious place to celebrate Hanukkah is the Jewish homeland of Jerusalem. Hanukkah began in Israel, and many travel here for the holiday to see where it all began.

Is Hanukkah like Christmas?

Hanukkah is often thought of as the Jewish Christmas because of its close proximity to the Christmas season, but it’s not the same. … Jews and Christians celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas with lights, family, presents, and food, but the two holidays are not the same.

What is Yule and why is it celebrated?

Yule is a midwinter festival celebrated by Germanic people, a celebration to the Norse God, Odin and a Pagan holiday called Modraniht. It revolves around thanking the Gods and Goddesses for what you have as well as celebrating nature and its changes. … Yule is celebrated for twelve days, starting on the Winter Solstice.

Why is Christmas called Yule?

Yule comes from a name for a 12-day festival, celebrated by Germanic peoples, around the winter solstice in December and January. By the 900s (yes, that long ago), yule was already mapped on the Christian celebration of Christmas and its surrounding festivities.

What do you do for Yule?


Here are some customary ways to celebrate the solstice—you might notice that some resemble beloved Christmas traditions.

  1. Build a Yule Altar. …
  2. Make an Evergreen Yule Wreath. …
  3. Burn a Yule Log. …
  4. Decorate a Yule Tree. …
  5. Exchange Nature-Based Gifts. …
  6. Give Back to Nature. …
  7. Celebrate in Candlelight. …
  8. Set up a Meditation Space.

Which religions do not celebrate Christmas?

Most religions like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism don’t recognize Christmas and Easter as they are ancient Christian festivals so the only religion to celebrate Christmas and Easter is Christianity. To the Jews, it is easy to understand why they do not celebrate Christmas.

What religion doesnt celebrate Christmas?

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate most holidays or events that honour people who aren’t Jesus. That includes birthdays, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Hallowe’en. They also don’t celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter in the belief that these customs have pagan origins.

Can Muslims celebrate Christmas?

Christmas has come. … As we know, Christmas is a religious affair celebrating the birth of Christ, whom Christians believe to be the son of God, and a part of God Himself. Unlike our Christian brethren, Muslims don’t ascribe to this belief. Muslims believe, as the Qur’an states, that “The Majesty of our Lord is exalted.

How many festivals are there in December?

List Of Indian Festivals & Holidays In December 2019

Holidays Date Day
Guru Ghasidas Jayanti
18

December 2019
Wednesday
Liberation Day 19 December 2019 Thursday
Christmas Day 25 December 2019 Wednesday
Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti 26 December 2019 Thursday

What happens in the month of December?

December often marks the beginning of rain, snow, and cold weather. In the United States the month is associated with Christmas. … A lot of people have days off around Christmas and before New Year’s Eve. December in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to June in the Southern Hemisphere.

What else is celebrated on December 25?

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Christmas, the holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by a majority of Christians on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar.

What countries celebrate Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa takes place from 26th December to 1st January. The name Kwanzaa comes from the phrase ‘matunda ya kwanza’ which means ‘first fruits’ in the Swahili language (an Eastern African language spoken in countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe). Kwanzaa is mostly celebrated in the USA.

What country does Kwanzaa come from?

Although Kwanzaa is based on ancient and modern celebrations in Egypt and Southeastern Africa, the Kwanzaa holiday as we know it today was started in the United States. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University, Long Beach after the Watts Riots in Los Angeles.

Is Kwanzaa a Jamaican holiday?

Remember now Kwanzaa begins on Boxing Day in Jamaica, that’s December 26 and you are encouraged to give gifts if you wish but these should be purchased before or after the Christmas cattle rush of hype and spending sprees. Gifts are given primarily to children.