It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Winter holidays celebrated around the world
December 5
Krampusnacht
Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon monster meant to be the evil counterpart of Saint Nicholas.
According to an article by National Geographic, Krampus comes at night with a bundle of birch sticks to hit
naughty children with.
He then drags these children to the underworld.
Now, Krampus is celebrated when drunken men dress as the demonic figure and chase their victims through the streets.
The holiday is most popular in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic.
December 6 or December 19
Saint Nicholas Day
Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6 in western European countries, and December 19 in eastern European countries.
The day celebrates Nicholas of Myra, a 4th century Christian saint who inspired the figure of Santa Claus by putting small gifts in shoes, according to International Business Times.
The night before Saint Nicholas Day, children leave their shoes in front of the front door or the fireplace.
They will find toys, candy, and money in them the next day.
The holiday is also celebrated with parades and large feasts.
December 8
Bodhi Day
Bodhi Day is a celebration of the Buddha’s enlightenment, celebrated annually in Japan on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, according to publishers of the International Date Calendar A Global World.
According to Buddhist teachings, this enlightenment came 2500 years ago, when young prince Siddhartha meditated under a fig tree and became the Buddha by combating his distractions and temptations.
The day is celebrated with meditation and decorating one’s house with pictures and statues of the Buddha, as well as eating one traditional meal of milk and rice.
December 13-21
Fiesta de Santo Tomas
The Fiesta de Santa Tomas is a Guatemalan festival celebrated in the city of Chichicastenango, according to an article published by the Telegraph.
For the first week, the festival consists of parades, dancing, and fireworks,.
However, on December 21, St. Thomas’s Day, high wooden poles are raised in the town plaza for the Palo Valador, or “flying pole,” dance.
Dancers then climb the poles, and, after wrapping a rope around themselves, leap down, spinning to the ground.
December 16
Day of Reconciliation
In South Africa, the Day of Reconciliation is a holiday to celebrate two monumentous occasions in the country’s history, and was first acknowledged in 1995, according to South African History Online.
The first of these events is the anniversary of The Battle of the Blood River, which took place in 1838 between the current Zulu inhabitants and the Voortrekker invaders.
The second is the anniversary of the formation of the military wing of the African National Congress in 1961, which was created to fight against the apartheid government.
December 21
Yule
Yule is a pagan holiday marking the winter solstice, and is one of eight solar holidays celebrated each year, according to International Business Times.
On this day, everyone north of the equator experiences less than 12 hours of daylight, the shortest amount in the year.
Pagans use this natural occurrence to celebrate the rebirth of the sun, as well as the start of the winter season.
The holiday is celebrated through hosting bonfires and feasts, decorating the home, and lighting candles.
The burning of a Yule Log is another tradition of the holiday, but this has also spread to Christmas tradition as well.
December 21-25
Pancha Ganapati
Pancha Ganepti is the annual Hindu holiday celebrating the god of culture and new beginnings Ganesha, according to Hinduism Today.
A shrine is created in the home, on which a large statue of Ganapati, a form of Ganesha, is placed.
The children of the house decorate the statue each day in a color representing one of his five rays of energy.
A tray of food and incense if offered to the god, and chants and songs are sung to worship him.
The holiday is meant to mend a family’s past mistakes and gain the blessing of Ganesha.
December 21
Dongzhi Festival
The Dongzhi Festival is a celebration of the Winter Solstice, according to the China Internet Information Center.
China has been celebrating the shortest day of the year since the Han Dynasty.
Historically, this day was a day for resting, so forts, shops, and all businesses were closed.
In modern times, the festival is a day to honor one’s ancestors.
Families gather at ancestral temples, and then proceed to a large banquet.
In Northern China, it is traditional to eat dumplings on this day, but in Southern China, the meal of choice is made with red bean and rice.
December 25
Christmas
Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, the son of the Christian god, according to an article published by HISTORY.com.
Though the date of Jesus’s actual birth is disputed, and many historians believe he was born in the spring, the day for the celebration was chosen by Pope Julius I.
It is possible that this was chosen in an effort to absorb the pagan holiday Saturnalia.
A popular symbol of Christmas, the Christmas tree, began in Germany.
Some believe that the tradition was started by Protestant leader Martin Luther.
December 24- January 1
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, or Chanukah, is an eight day long Jewish festival that celebrates a mircacle in the second century BCE, according to an article published by the Chabad-Luavitch Media Center.
After a Jewish victory against the tyrannical Seleucids, the menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem was lit, but there ws only enough oil for one night.
However, the menorah miraculously stayed lit for eighth nights.
Now, this is commemorated by nightly menorah lighting accompanied by traditional Jewish songs and prayers.
Additionally, games involving a dreidel, or four-sided spinning top, are played, and children are given gifts.
December 26-January 1
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University Dr. Maulna Karenga.
According to an article published by HISTORY.com, Karenga wanted to unify the African American community, founding first cultural organization US and then Kwanzaa.
Karenga was inspired by the traditions of many African harvest celebrations.
Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven nights, and each night is devoted to the discussion of one of Kwanzaa’s seven principles, which reflect values of African culture that reinforce the belief in community among African-Americans.
January 1
New Year’s Day
The beginning of a new year has been celebrated by humans for four millenia, according to an article published by HISTORY.com.
Modern celebrations mark the last day of the Gregorian calender, December 31.
This holiday is celebrated in the majority of countries around the world.
Most Americans associate New Year’ s Eve with the annual dropping of a giant ball in Times Square at midnight.
Additionally, many Americans attend parties on New Year’s Eve, and make New Year’s Resolutions, or goals for how they want to change in the next year.
