Welcome December!
Holiday season is in full swing, according to Google, here are (some of) the holidays in December and thanks to Britannica for helping me figure all these out!
December 2022 Featured Holidays
Dec. 05: St. Nicholas Eve
Dec. 08: Bodhi Day
Dec. 13: Santa Lucia Day
Dec 18: Hanukkah
Dec. 21: Yule
Dec. 25: Christmas
Dec. 26: Kwanzaa
Dec. 05: St. Nicholas Eve:
What is St. Nicholas Eve?
Saint Nicholas Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on December 5th or 6th Western Christian countries, and on December 19th in Eastern Christian countries using the Julian Calendar.
Who was St. Nicholas?
Well, he was a bishop known for his good deeds and generosity, especially for the needy and children, while maintaining some anonymousness. However, in the 800s, Nicholas was officially recognized as a saint, then in the 1200s Catholics in France began celebrating Bishop Nicholas Day on December 6.
While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed everywhere, cities with strong German influences in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Missouri and Pennsylvania celebrate St. Nick’s Day on a scale similar to the German custom. In the United States people may celebrate St Nicholas Day by putting shoes outside of their bedroom doors or hanging an empty stocking by the fireplace on the evening of 5 December as St Nicholas comes during the night. On the following morning of December (6th or 7th), people find their shoes/stockings filled with gifts and sugary treats. Who doesn’t like a sugary treat at the beginning of December? Or anytime for that matter. I know there are some people out there who don’t, but come on, it’s a tradition! . Americans who celebrate Saint Nicholas Day usually celebrate Christmas Day (December 25th) also.
Dec. 08: Bodhi Day:
Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday which commemorates the day Gautama Buddha (born Siddhartha, was a prince of the Shakyas, after his enlightenment he was known as “the Shakyamuni” or “the Sage of The Shakyas,” from his clan name, he was later called Gautama Buddha.) is said to have attained enlightenment. According to tradition, Siddhartha had recently forsaken years of extreme ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa), and meditate until he found the root of suffering, and how to liberate oneself from it.
Dec. 13: Santa Lucia Day:
What is St. Lucia’s Day?
On December 13, a festival of lights is celebrated in Sweden, Norway, and the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland in honor of St. Lucia (St. Lucy).
Who is St Lucia (St Lucy)?
She is said to be one of the earliest Christian martyrs, killed by the Romans in 304 CE because of her religious beliefs.
According to Britannica, each town in Scandinavian countries, elect their own St. Lucia. The festival begins with a procession led by the St. Lucia designee, then followed by young girls dressed in white and wearing lighted wreaths on their heads, and the boys are dressed in white pajama-like costume singing traditional songs. The festival marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Scandinavia, and it is meant to bring hope and light during the darkest time of the year. Schools generally close around noon on the day of the festival so that families can prepare for the holiday. Families observe St. Lucia’s Day in their homes by having one of their daughters (traditionally the eldest) dress in white and serve coffee and baked goods, such as saffron bread (lussekatter) and ginger biscuits, to the other members of the family and shared with visitors during the day.
Dec 18: Hanukkah:
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah)is the Jewish Festival of Rededication, or the Festival of Lights. An eight-day festival marking the miraculous victory of the Maccabees, ( Jewish freedom fighters) over the Seleucidian Greek occupiers in the year 139 BCE. After recapturing Jerusalem’s Holy Temple, which had been converted into a place of idol worship, they searched for pure oil with which to light the Temple menorah. They found just enough to burn for one day, but miraculously it burned for eight days until more oil could be brought.
On each of the eight nights brief blessings are recited, then special menorahs or candelabras are lit, by adding another flame each night until on the eighth night, eight flames are burning brightly.
On Hanukkah, it is customary to play with dreidels and to honor the miracle of the oil, oily foods are enjoyed. This year (2022) Hanukkah begins at sundown on Sunday, December 18, and ends the evening of December 26.
Dec. 21: Yule:
What is Yule?
Yule is observed historically by Germanic peoples and in modern times, primarily by Neo-Pagans. Yule coincides with the winter solstice (December 21), which just happens to be the shortest day and longest night of the year.
The pre-Christian festival originated in Scandinavia (Scandinavia is quite a theme here) and was later included (as were other pagan celebrations), into the Christian holiday of Christmas.
Dec. 25: Christmas:
What is Christmas?
Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus.
The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice. The corresponding terms in other languages—Navidad in Spanish, Natale in Italian, Noël in French—all probably denote nativity. The German word Weihnachten denotes “hallowed night.” Since the early 20th century, Christmas has also been a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, devoid of Christian elements, and marked by an increasingly elaborate exchange of gifts. In this secular Christmas celebration, a mythical figure named Santa Claus plays the pivotal role. Christmas is celebrated on Sunday, December 25, 2022.
Dec. 26: Kwanzaa:
What is Kwanzaa?
An annual holiday affirming African family and social values and is primarily celebrated in the United States from December 26 to January 1.
Both the name and the celebration were devised in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at California State University in Long Beach and an important figure in Afrocentrism. Karenga borrowed the word kwanza, meaning “first,” from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, adding the seventh letter, an extra a, to make the word long enough to accommodate one letter for each of the seven children present at an early celebration. (The name Kwanzaa is not itself a Swahili word.) The concept of Kwanzaa draws on Southern African first-fruits celebrations.
Each day of the celebration is dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). There is also seven symbols of the holiday: fruits, vegetables, and nuts; a straw mat; a candleholder; ears of corn (maize); gifts; a communal cup signifying unity; and seven candles in the African colors of red, green, and black, symbolizing the seven principles. On each day the family comes together to light one of the candles in the kinara, or candleholder, and to discuss the principle for the day. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26, 2022 to January 1, 2023.
I know I sure learned a lot tonight! I hope you did too!
“May and October, the best-smelling months? I’ll make a case for December: evergreen, frost, wood smoke, cinnamon.”
*this post may contain information which are not mine, no copyright infringement meant* Disclaimer
You Said There Would Be Pie 