With the holiday season coming up, it would be interesting to observe what different cultures decided to celebrate during these wonderful times of peace, coziness, and reflection. This article will cover different traditions that people around the world celebrate in the month of December in a chronological order.
Saint Nicholas Day
On the 5th or 6th, Christians honor Saint Nicholas on his birthday. He is known to be the inspiration behind Santa Claus because of his selflessness and gift-giving (Mansoor). The legend of Saint Nicholas goes as follows: A man had three daughters that needed to be married off. Unfortunately, he was poor and could not afford the dowry needed to marry all of them off. Saint Nicholas, a man who had a large inheritance and loved giving it out to others, heard of the poor man and his three daughters. He decided that every night he would deposit gold coins in the stockings or boots of the girls. One by one, they married off and left home happy for a new life. In the modern era, children also leave their boots and stockings for presents from the Saint. They can receive fruits, chocolate, or maybe even toys and games.
Immaculate Conception Day
On the 8th, Catholics honor the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, and born with no original sin. People typically go to church and feast together on this day (Mansoor).
Bodhi Day
Also celebrated on the 8th, Bodhi Day, or Rohatsu, acknowledges the day when the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautauma, is known to have achieved enlightenment through extensive meditation (Mansoor). This enlightenment led to the creation of Buddhism, its foundations, its values, rules, and goals. Buddhists celebrate the day by meditating.
Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe
On the 12th, Mexicans celebrate Lady Guadalupe. It is said that an Indigenous Mexican man witnessed the Virgin Mary in 1531, and over time there have been many sightings claimed by Catholics. She is recognized as the patron saint of Mexico, Lady Guadalupe, and millions of people come to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe every year to celebrate the festival (Mansoor).
Hanukkah
Between the 18th and 26th, Jews celebrate the Festival of Lights. Every night, one candle on a nine-branched menorah is lit. At the start, the middle candle, the shammash, is lit, but after that only the shammash can lit the other candles one by one for eight days. This tradition comes from a time in 165 B.C. when a group of Jews had a candle’s oil last eight days during their battle against the Greek-Syrian army. It is said the Jews were victorious and they managed to take back the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (Mansoor).
Yule
Between the December 21st and January 1st, the winter solstice is celebrated by Wiccans, a subset of Neo-Pagans, a religious movement that celebrates old Christian beliefs with a strong focus on nature. The winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year, and so Yule celebrates the revival of the sun because the days after start to get longer and longer. This tradition first began in Scandinavia and continues to be popular to this day (Mansoor).
Christmas
On the 25th, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Over time, this tradition has become the most popular holiday in the world. The holiday is also known for Santa Claus coming to give gifts to well-behaved children.
Different cultures have contributed to the modern Christmas traditions we know today. The Nordics made the fireplace popular through a Yule tradition. The Germans made the Christmas tree popular. A Mexican man brought the poinsettia to the US and it took off since. The British popularized Christmas greeting cards, the mistletoe, Christmas pudding, and caroling. Stockings are a central part of Christmas because of their links to Saint Nicholas. Finally, the famous eggnog was first consumed in the US in 1607 in Jamestown, the first American settlement (“Christmas Traditions Worldwide”).
Boxing Day
On the 26th, the British celebrate the day after Christmas. It dates back to Victorian times, and its goal was for wealthy individuals to make sure to give all of their servants one day off and a gift (Mansoor).
Kwanzaa
Between December 26th and January 1st, Kwanzaa celebrates African-American heritage. It should be noted that this holiday is a cultural one opposed to a religious one (Mansoor).
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 to unite the African-American community after the Watts Rebellion, which led to dozens of deaths and over one thousand injured people (Mansoor).
Zarathosht Diso
On the 26th, Zoroastrians, members of the 3000-year-old religion known as Zoroastrianism, celebrate the passing of the religion’s prophet: Prophet Zoroaster. The day is spent going to the temple and praying (Mansoor).
New Year’s Eve
On the last day of the year, December 31st, most people celebrate the day with fireworks, parties, and champagne. Fireworks are mainly heard when the clock strikes midnight, announcing the end of the year and the coming of a new one. This tradition is thousands of years old, but the specific date of December 31st has only been properly established with the implementation of the Gregorian calendar (Mansoor).
To end off, these celebrations show that even if we are not proud of our achievements and our work, there is always something new to look forward to and that there will always be a new beginning in sight. December is a time of joy and celebration for everyone. Happy holidays to everyone!
Sources:
Mansoor, Sanya. “11 Holidays the World Celebrates in December.” Time, 19 Dec. 2022, time.com/6242283/december-global-holidays-christmas-hanukkah-yule/.
HISTORY.com Editors. “Christmas Traditions Worldwide.” HISTORY, 27 Oct. 2009, 2 Mar. 2025, www.history.com/articles/christmas-traditions-worldwide#Jamestown-Virginia.
