December is not just about Christmas! That is easy to forget as we rush off to malls, attend sometimes weekly Christmas celebrations with family and friends (and often more frequently as December 25^th approaches), plan trips to visit relatives we do not see at any other time of the year, and address and stamp countless Christmas cards.

December is the most celebrated month of the year. That likely is in great part due to the winter solstice, which falls on December 21st on the Gregorian calendar. This is the shortest and darkest day of the year. While most of the December holidays are based on the Gregorian calendar, the calendar in wide-spread use today, other calendars follow variations of the lunar calendar.

Here are some of the major holidays celebrated during the month of December this year.  All except the Islamic holy day of Ashura incorporate lights, but since this holiday is based on a lunar calendar, it does not necessarily fall in the same month– or even the same season from one year to the next. 

Hanukkah

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Hanukkah falls on the twenty-fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Since the Jewish calendar is lunar based, every year, the first day of Hanukkah falls on a different day – usually sometime between late November and late December.

Hanukkah celebrates the retaking of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Jewish rebels known as the Maccabees from the Syrian-Greek emperor in 168 B.C.E. The temple had been defiled by the Greek conquerors and needed to be purified by burning oil for eight days, but they only had enough oil for one day.  When they lit the oil, surprisingly, it lasted the full eight days. This is the miracle that is celebrated every year when Jews light a special menorah known as a hanukkiyah for eight days. One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, two on the second, and so on, until eight candles are lit. 

Because many Jews live in predominately Christian societies, over time Hanukkah has become much more festive and Christmas-like. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday. Many Jewish parents hope that by making Hanukkah extra special, their children won't feel left out of all the Christmas festivities going on around them.

This year, Hanukkah started at sundown on December 1^st and ended sundown December 9^th. 

Islamic New Year

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Like the Jewish calendar, the Islamic calendar is lunar, with twelve months of 29 or 30 days each, for a total of 354 days, but the Islamic calendar makes no corrections to align it with the solar calendar, so each year the Islamic holidays occur earlier and do not always fall in the same season.  Additionally, the two major Islamic sects, Shi’a and Sunni follow different calendars, but the two are usually within two days of each other.

Muslims celebrate two holidays this December: the Islamic New Year on December 7, 2010, and Ashura on December 18, 2010. By Islamic tradition, Ashura commemorates God saving Moses and the Israelites from Pharaoh in Egypt as they crossed the Red Sea (the Exodus day). According to Judaism, the Israelites left Egypt on the first day of Passover, and they crossed the Sea of Reeds seven days later on the 21st of Nisan, both of which are celebrated as holy days with meals. The references to Israelites and to Judaism are not mistakes. Mohammad celebrated these holy days along with his Jewish neighbors.

According to Shi'a tradition, 10 Muharram is also the day on which Muhammad's grandson, Husayn ibn Ali, was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. Ashura reminds Muslims of the sacrifices made by the family of Mohammad.

Kwanza

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Many people think Kwanza is an ancient African celebration. In reality, Kwanza was established in 1966 to provide an opportunity for the African American community to celebrate their heritage and reinforce positive community values.

Kwanza is celebrated for 7 days beginning on December 26th and ending on January 1st. On December 31st a feast is prepared for family and friends. Each day is dedicated to an important social value or ‘principle’. The seven Principles of Kwanza are:

â—¦Dec 26: Umoja (Unity) - To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, and nation.

â—¦Dec 27: Kujichaguila (Self Determination) - To create, name and define our lives for ourselves.

â—¦Dec 28: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) - To build and maintain our community while working with others to solve problems.

â—¦Dec 29: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) - To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses to profit from them together.

â—¦Dec 30: Nia (Purpose) - To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community.

â—¦Dec 31: Kuumba (Creativity) - To leave our community more beneficial and more beautiful than we inherited it.

â—¦Jan 1: Imani (Faith) - To believe in our people, teachers, and leaders and the virtue and victory of our struggle.

 

 

Yule Time and the Winter Solstice

In ancient Rome, the winter solstice was celebrated at the feast of Saturnalia, while in pre-christian Britain, the end of December centered around the pagan Yule log in a fiery display to melt the heart of a cold and dreary winter.  December 25th was celebrated by the ancient Germanic and Scandinavian peoples to the “divine mothers,” thought also to be the origin of the Yule log and festival of lights traditions that found their way to Britain, likely via the ancient Pics.

Today, a similar response to winter doldrums is the celebration of Christmas by many cultures around the world complete with twinkling lights, holiday feasts & lively festivals.

To many pre-Christian cultures, however, December was thought of as the most dreaded time of year, when the lack of heat and light and a limited supply of food spelled danger.  The cold was stark and the darkness seemed perpetual.

Even today, modern science points to a mental disorder that is now officially recognized as SAD, or seasonal affective disorder that results in moodiness or depression during the winter months due to the lack of sunlight.

The cure? Turn up the wattage! — indeed, the use of artificial light is the only known treatment for SAD.]

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Note: this article was created by liberally plagiarizing the various holiday articles on WIKIPEDIA.org and About.com®.