Honoring All Traditions

December is a month filled with diverse religious and cultural holidays and observances celebrated worldwide, including major holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

Key December holidays are:

• Hanukkah: This eight-day Jewish "Festival of Lights" commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The date changes yearly based on the Hebrew calendar but typically falls in December. Observers light a candle on the menorah each night, eat traditional foods like latkes, and exchange gifts.
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Observed on December 24 and 25, respectively, this Christian holiday commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. It has also been widely adopted as a secular holiday, celebrated with traditions such as decorating a Christmas tree, gift-giving, and family feasts. In Canada, Christmas Day is a nationwide statutory holiday.
• Winter Solstice/Yule: Occurring around December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, this astronomical event marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. Pagans and Wiccans celebrate it as Yule, a festival commemorating the sun's return, often by burning a Yule log and holding a feast.
• Boxing Day: Celebrated on December 26 in several countries, including Canada and the UK, this holiday was traditionally a day to give gifts to servants and the poor. Today, it is largely a commercial holiday known for shopping deals and sporting events. In some Canadian provinces, it is a statutory holiday or non-working day.
• Kwanzaa: A cultural holiday celebrated by many African Americans from December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa honors African-American heritage. Celebrations include lighting candles on the Kinara and discussing the seven principles of African culture, with a large feast (Karamu) held on New Year's Eve.
• New Year's Eve: The final day of the year on December 31, it is celebrated globally with parties, fireworks, and the making of New Year's resolutions to welcome the incoming year. In Japan, the traditional festival of Ōmisoka is observed on this day.

Other notable observances include:

• Saint Nicholas Day (December 6)
• Bodhi Day (December 8), which commemorates Buddha's enlightenment
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
• Saint Lucia's Day (December 13) in Scandinavian countries
• Las Posadas (December 16–24) in Latin American countries
• International Human Solidarity Day (December 20)
• Festivus (December 23), a secular holiday alternative

We all celebrate differently, but the most important piece is spending time with family, friends, and those who mean the most to us.

Happy Holidays from everyone at the Pines; we wish you all the best this holiday season.