December Holidays Across the Globe

The holiday season is upon us! For many of us, that means Christmas or Hanukkah festivities, family gatherings, overeating, and a little dent in the wallet. But December is full of holidays outside of those most familiar. A variety of holidays across the globe happen this month!

Soyal, or Winter Solstice (December 21)
Soyal is the winter solstice ceremony of the Zuni and the Hopi, The Soyal Ceremony begins on the shortest day of the year, and symbolizes the second phase of Creation at the Dawn of Life. Its prayers and rituals implement a plan of life for the coming year, ceremonially brining back the sun from its winter slumber. Lasting up to 16 days, sacred rituals are performed in underground chambers called kivas. Paphos, or prayer sticks, are made prior to the Soyal ceremony, to bless all the community, including homes, animals, and plants.

Many ceremonies involve dancing and singing; the “kachinas”, or spirits, may even bring gifts to the children, who are also are given kachina dolls, to help them learn about the hundreds of kachina spirits.

Elders pass down stories to children, teaching pivotal lessons like respecting others. The Hopi believe everything that will occur during the year is arranged at Soyal.


Yule/Chrismastide  (December 21-January 1)
Yule is a Germanic Winter festival, which was originally celebrated on the Winter solstice and ran for approximately 2 months. In modern times, this holiday has been reformulated and renamed Christmastide. Yule can be traced back thousands of years to Germany and Scandinavia. No one knows exactly how long it was celebrated, but early manuscripts talk about this holiday as early as the 4th century.

The main component of any Yule celebration was the Yule log. This tree would be cut down on the Winter solstice and fed into the fireplace – and this was done without chopping it into pieces! The top of the tree would be fed into the fireplace and over the course of the next 2 months, more and more would be pushed in as the winter progressed. Today, Christmastide includes feasts that incorporate foods such as pork, turkey, eggnog, fruits, nuts, and cider-soaked cakes. Yule is still celebrated in several Scandinavian countries.

Boxing Day (December 26)
Boxing Day is a National Holiday in both Great Britain and Ireland. There are competing theories regarding the origins of the holiday, but many believe that Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants to spend with their families, and they would often receive a  ‘Christmas Box’ from their employers containing money, gifts Boxing Day is a time to spend with family or friends, usually those not seen on Christmas Day itself. In recent times, the day has become synonymous with many sports. Horse racing is particularly popular, as is hunting.

Boxing Day is also a time when the British show their eccentricity by taking part in all kinds of silly activities. These include bizarre traditions including swimming the icy cold English Channel, fun runs, and charity events. Several other countries also celebrate Boxing Day, including New Zealand, Australia and Nigeria.

Kwanzaa (December 26-January 1)
Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration honoring African heritage. First celebrated in 1966, the name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning "first fruits of the harvest".

African books and artworks are utilized to represent values and concepts reflective of African culture. Corn, the primary symbol of the celebration, is used for both decoration and celebratory dining.

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with colorful African cloth and fresh fruits that represent African idealism. It is customary to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies, who are encouraged to give respect and gratitude to their ancestors. Libations are shared, generally in a common chalice, which is passed around to all celebrants.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)
Mexican Catholic communities celebrate Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This celebration commemorates the appearance of Mary to the Mexican peasant Juan Diego. This Feast Day, an important holiday in Mexico, has also become an important day for Mexican Americans to celebrate their religious and cultural identity.

In preparation for Feast Day, many participants erect altars in their homes, which include images of Our Lady of Guadalupe surrounded by candles and flowers. The night before the feast, communities gather and form circles to recite prayers and recount the story of the appearance of Mary. After completing the prayers, the crowd moves into a nearby church to sing songs of celebration.

Since it is a happy day for Mexicans, traditional Mexican food and drink are enjoyed.

Las Posadas (December 16-24)
With its origins in Spain, Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration that is now primarily celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of the Southwestern United States. The roots of this holiday are in Catholicism, but several different branches of Christian Latinos follow the tradition.

During the celebration, a small child dressed as an angel leads a procession, which moves from house to house and stops at each to say a prayer or sing a carol. Eventually, the procession ends at a home or church, and the celebration continues with caroling and feasting, and concludes with the breaking of piñatas filled with candy, toys, and, occasionally, money.


Does your family have any unique holiday traditions that make the season especially bright? Share them below!