Top 10 December celebrations

Christmas – The more widely known celebration on the December holiday calendar. A Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is commemorated on December 25 each and every year. Christ is considered to be a deity and the savior of humanity. The religious portion of the program begins at midnight when people attend a Midnight Mass with their family. Gifts are generally exchanged and too much food and drink consumed as the hours of the day wear on. Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer are also major components of the holiday although lacking in religious significance.
Winter Solstice – The Winter Solstice was originally celebrated by the North American Aboriginal people as it signalled the return of the sun. Always the shortest day of the year, once the winter solstice has passed the days lengthen and the world warms. In pre-historic times, winter was very difficult for the Aboriginal people as their growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off whatever food storage they had or whatever animals they could catch. The people feared that as the sun set earlier each day they would one day find themselves in permanent darkness and extreme cold. The Winter Solstice was celebrated as it signified the sun rising and strengthening once more. The calendar date of the Winter Solstice varies each year but is usually around December 21.
Hanukkah – Also known as the Feast of Dediction or the Festival of Lights, Hankkah is an eight day observance which recalls a miracle in the Jerusalem temple during a war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom. The first day of Hanukkah varies, but it will usually fall between November 30 and December 26. The festival is celebrated in Jewish homes with the kindling of lights on each of the 8 days of the observance.
Bodhi Day – December 8 on the Buddhists calendar is the commemoration of the day in 596 when the Buddha achieved enlightenment. the Buddha achieved enlightenment. The Buddha was a man seeking to understand the meaning of life and more specifically the reasons for its hardships. He realized tha teveryone suffered due to ignorance. But ignorance can be overcome through the Eightfold Path that he advocated. This day is generally though of as the birth of Buddhism.
Id al-Adha – or the feast of Sacrifice occurs during the 12th month on the Islamic year, immediately following the Hajj or the Pilgrimage to Mecca. This being the day when Abraham intended to follow the instructions of God, and sacrifice his son Ishmael.
Yule – An ancient Pagan festival, many Wiccans still celebrate Yule at the time of the Winter Solstice. Of Germanic descent, Yule was a Northern Hemisphere festival where the days were short and light was limited. Therefore it is believed to be a festival of light and fire to bring back the sun.
Zartusht-no-diso – Zoroastrians observe this holiday on December 26 as the day in the sacred calendar when worshippers remember the death anniversary of Zarathustra. Special prayers are recited and a visit is paid to the Fire Temple as a mark of rememberance.
Soyal – Soyal is a festival unique to the North American Natives tying in with the Winter Solstice. The Hopi tribe celebrations are dedicated to giving aid and direction to the sun which is ready to return and give strength to budding life. Their ceremony lasts for 20 days and includes the making of prayer sticks, purification, rituals, feasts and blessings.
Kwanza – Kwanza is a week-long celebration startingon December 26 each year. This holiday is celebrates African-American heritage. The term kwanza comes from a Swahili phrase for ‘the first fruits of the harvest.’ Each day of the holiday focuses on one of the seven principles of Kwanza: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
Festivus – Festivus is a celebration for the rest of us: Originally founded in 1966 and later popularized by the Costanzas on Seinfeld in 1997, this December 23 holiday is starting to take on cult popularity. Celebrated as an alternative to Christmas and Hanukkah with a minimum of commercialization.