12 religious holidays celebrated in December

The end-of-year holiday season is upon us!

There are many holidays that are celebrated in the month of December. Christmas and Hanukkah are just two of the ones celebrated this time of year.

Saint Nicholas Day

Saint Nicholas Day is a holiday celebrated by Christians to honor St. Nicholas, also referred to as Father Christmas. Just like St. Nicholas, this holiday teaches followers to focus on giving more than receiving.

Bodhi Day

On Bodhi Day, Buddhists take the time to praise the principles of kindness, compassion, and wisdom–the three main features of the Buddhist teachings. This holiday symbolizes the anniversary of Siddhartha Gautama becoming The Buddha, also known as the Awakened One.

The Immaculate Conception of Mary

The Immaculate Conception of Mary is often misunderstood. The true meaning is that Mary, the Mother of Christ, was born into this world without original sin. This is often referred to as the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a holiday honoring The Lady of Guadalupe, who is a symbol of “devotion, identity, and patriotism.” Lady Guadalupe acts as a mentor, guide, and mother figure for many followers of Mexican, Mexican-American, and Latin descent.

Posadas Navidenas

Posadas Navidenas can be summed up as Mexican Christmas. Posada means “inn” in Spanish. Local posadas start off with a street theatre musical used to illustrate the search of Mary and Joseph when they were looking for an inn in Bethlehem. Posada also means party, which typically includes “villancicos” (Christmas Carols) and a piñata.

The Feast of the Nativity

The Feast of the Nativity, also known as The Feast of Christmas, starts the cycle of winter feasts often known as The Festival of Lights. The three feasts: Nativity, Theophany, and Meeting, all have a common theme of Messiah coming into the world and his work with redemption. This feast symbolizes the birth of Jesus.

Zarthosht Diso

Zarthosht Diso commemorates the death of Prophet Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism. Observed by Zoroastrians, this day is used to remember the life of Prophet Zoroaster through prayer. Zoroaster is accredited with creating one of the world’s smallest religions, which used to be the official religion of Persia.

Saint Stephen’s Day

Saint Stephen’s Day, sometimes called Boxing Day and Second Day of Christmas, commemorates Saint Stephen, who was known as a helper to the poor, a deacon in the early Christian church, and the first Christian martyr. Often, followers will celebrate the holiday by spending time with close family and friends and having meals together.

The Feast of Saint John

The Feast of Saint John is a holiday to honor Saint John the Evangelist, otherwise known as a disciple of Jesus accredited with writing the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. As a symbol of pure chastity, Saint John is honored around Christmas time in the Western Church.

The Feast of the Holy Family

Falling on the first Sunday after Christmas, The Feast of the Holy Family is a holiday that enables people to celebrate the lives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, with a focus on religious family life. This holiday was not formally recognized in Western Christianity until 1921, under the reign of Pope Benedict XV. However, it has been celebrated by the Coptic Orthodox Church for a very long time.

Holy Innocents Day

Holy Innocents Day commemorates the massacre of male infants that took place in Bethlehem following King Herod’s order found in Matthew’s account of the king’s reaction to the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy. The innocents are known as martyrs and Saints of God by the church. To observe the holiday, the youngest child is given the right to rule the household.

Watch Night

Watch Night, also known as Freedom’s Eve, celebrates the end of slavery. Taking place in predominately Black and Protestant churches, followers may hold an end-of-year service where believers reflect on the past year while thinking about the New Year. The origin can be traced back to December 31, 1862, when African-American slaves in the Confederate states assembled in churches and homes the night before the Emancipation Proclamation was ratified. They stayed awake waiting for the moment that they would finally be free.

Now that you are familiar with these holidays, here’s a review of Christmas and Hanukkah.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah, the first holiday to be celebrated in December, will last for a total of eight days. Every night, Jews are expected to light the menorah. The origin travels back to 200 B.C. there was enough oil to light the menorah for 8 days instead of just one day. On this day, families play spin the dreidel and eat potato latkes.

Christmas

Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, otherwise known as the Son of God. The name Christmas originated from the term Mass of Christ, a service dedicated to remembering the significance of Jesus’ death and how he died for us and then came back to life. On this day, family and friends come together and remember the things they are thankful for. Some Christmas traditions include putting up Christmas stockings, putting together a gingerbread house, and decorating a Christmas Tree.

Even though there are so many different religious holidays that take place in the month of December, they all share a common theme: they all hold a special significance in the lives of believers and will continue to for many years to come.