Winter 🌟Holidays ⛄️

⛄️ Celebrate The Holidays!  ⛄️

“Winter” holidays that are celebrated

around the world this time of year. 

Here are 8 holidays that you probably have wondered about!

Hannukah (Chanukah) 

Hannukah, or festival of lights, begins December ??  and will continue for 8 days, where each night, another candle on a menorah will be lit. Prayers, small gifts, and fried food are enjoyed during this special time.   

Fun Fact: the Dreidel, or Sevivon, was used to study the Land of Israel when it was illegal to study this under the Greek/Syrian rule.

Yule 

Yule or Yuletide, is a German, Nordic, and Wiccan traditional holiday that is often similar to our modern pagan Christmas experience here in the U.S. It represents the dark half of the year succumbing to the light, or the Darkest Night. Famous commonalities of the Yule are the Yule Log, holly, mistletoe, evergreen wreaths, and pointsettias.

Dōngzhì  冬至 

Celebrated around December 22nd, this is another version of celebrating Winter Solstice among different Asian countries. This version of Solstice honors the relationship of Yin and Yang. Dumplings are often eaten on this day. Yum!

Boxing Day 

This is always marked on my calendar, but what on earth is this holiday for ?? Celebrated on December 26th in the U.K. and Ireland (among others), it is the Feast Day of St. Stephen, patron saint of horses. It is a time to acknowledge horse racing and fox hunting. Banks in these countries recognize it as a federal holiday. Although in the U.S., it is often viewed as a huge commercial day to return that ugly sweater your neighbor thought you might want and get a Keurig instead.

Kwanzaa 

Celebrating its 51st anniversary, Kwanzaa, or “first fruits”, lasts from December 26th- January 1st. This holiday is celebrated among the African and African-American community to acknowledge family, friends, and all of the good things in life. This holiday was acknowledged during the Black Freedom Movement in the U.S. by Dr. Maulana Karenga, but has been around since the Egyptians!

Human Rights Day 

Celebrated on December 10th 2017, is a non-religious, non-cultural day of recognition founded by the UN to honor the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This observance recognizes the goals and mission of the UN to meet political, civic, economic, social, and cultural needs of all human beings around the world.

Dia de Los Reyes

“Three Kings Day” celebrated on January 6th or on the Epiphany according to the Catholic Church. This is when the Wise Men came to visit the baby Jesus to present the gifts. In Spain, there are parades and adults often give children candies in shoes that they leave out. In other Hispanic cultures, pan dulce  or sweet bread is made with a plastic baby Jesus placed somewhere in the dough; should someone find the baby, they are obligated to bring bread for next year!

 

Bodhi Day 

Although not celebrated until January 24th, 2018 (via Google), this holiday is celebrated by those belonging to the Buddhist faith. This is a religious observance of the Buddha’s enlightenment and awakening. This holiday is acknowledged in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Candles are lit for 30 days to acknowledge the enlightenment and rice and milk are often eaten on this day since it was the first meal the Buddha ate after his Enlightenment.

 

Christmas

Christmas is an annual holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. This is a festival that is marked by fun, frolic, reverence, celebrations, parties, family fun, catching up to make up your lost times, love, friendship, kids, Santa Claus and many more lovely feelings.
It is the time when the heart gives out delicious fragrances, the fireplace assumes primary importance, the homes goes through decorations makeover, the wardrobes stocking up on latest fashion. Christmas is celebrated across the globe, irrespective of religion, making it truly the greatest festival on Earth.

Dancing Christmas Lights

 

https://magicofchildlife.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/celebrate-the-holidays/