2021 Winter Holiday Season Display: Web Resources

"December is unquestionably the most festive month of the year. The month is marked by all manner of events and festivals around the world, including religious, cultural, and even corporate events.This article explores the top nine most iconic December global holidays and their symbolism."

The arrival of the fall and winter seasons brings anticipation and preparations for many who celebrate holidays this time of year. From religious to cultural observations, there are many holidays to learn about. Here are eight diverse holidays to mark on your calendars this year.

Diwali, the festival of lights is indeed the most awaited and the most celebrated festivals of India. People in every nook and cranny of the country welcome the festival with enthusiastic gestures. This wonderful festival is the celebration of five days.

People around the world have gathered to mark Diwali.
The festival of light is observed by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains worldwide. It celebrates the victory of good over evil and commemorates Lord Ram's return after years of exile.

Festive light displays that shine brightly in neighborhoods can be seen all the way from space, and new satellite views are helping NASA scientists learn more about human culture and energy usage around the holidays.

Here’s some history on winter holidays from around the world.

Listeners share their unusual traditions they practice with their families at holiday time — from a family that wears underwear on their heads to "The Christmas Stick" and the "Hanukkah Butt."

In an effort to be affirming, reflective, and critical about how we approach and celebrate holidays as school communities, we offer a list of resources for educators and families that aims to provide inclusive understanding of religious holidays celebrations and strategies for supporting all students.

The Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa holiday traditions feature an incredibly diverse range of musical accompaniment. This sampling from the Smithsonian Folkways collection includes 56 songs from 24 nations. Click “audio tour” to hear them all, or pick and choose from the map or list.

Learn about unique traditions, celebrations, and holidays that occur around the world during December and January.

World Holiday Traditions invites you to join us as we celebrate this very special time of the year. Our hope is that you and your loved ones will enjoy learning about how other people and countries celebrate their holidays. Enjoy their holiday traditions, enjoy a recipe or two, and enjoy some music from around the world. Most of all, we hope that you and yours will be blessed with love, happiness and a joyful heart of glad tidings.

Much of what we today consider holiday perennials have been around for about two centuries. The Christmas tree — the king of all traditions — is the most obvious, the centerpiece of many a home.

In 1964, House Speaker John W. McCormack suggested to J. George Stewart, Architect of the Capitol, that a Christmas tree be placed on the U.S. Capitol grounds. A live 24-foot Douglas fir was purchased for $700 from Buddies Nurseries of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, and was planted on the West Front lawn. Each year through 1967 this tree was decorated and a tree-lighting ceremony was held.

Americans still purchase approximately 1.6 billion holiday cards a year. What about this old-fashioned tradition appeals to so many?

Goblins, witches, horned beasts — the gift-givers of Yuletide come in many different guises.

Chanukah begins Sunday evening, November 28, 2021 and continues through Monday, December 6, 2021.

Videos from ReformJudaism.org

The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.

Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration held in the United States that honors African heritage in African-American culture. Kwanzaa is observed from December 26th to January 1st, and culminates in gift giving and a big feast.

"Kwanzaa food, at its simplest, is any dish people cook for Kwanzaa. There are no rules to it. "

The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal.

Since long before recorded history, the winter solstice and the subsequent “return” of the sun have inspired celebrations and rituals in various societies around the world.

The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it takes place between December 20 and 23, depending on the year.

The 2021 December solstice moment – when the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky – will happen on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, at 15:59 UTC (9:59 a.m. CST; translate UTC to your time).

In cultures the world over, the promise of longer days has provided reason to celebrate for millennia, according to Penn scholars.

On the shortest, darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, people draw strength from traditions that help them celebrate the gradual return of light.

"The Winter Solstice may be humanity’s oldest holy day."

Want to try something different this New Year's Eve? All around the globe humans celebrate NYE in very unique and weird ways.

Chinese New Year is celebrated by more than 20% of the world. It’s the most important holiday in China and to Chinese people all over.

As people throughout much of the Western world mark the end of another year by finalizing their New Year’s resolutions, it is a good time to reflect anthropologically on how others around the globe observe the passage of time.

Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia.

In Scotland, New Year's Eve is its own special celebration called Hogmanay. It is Scotland's biggest winter holiday—far bigger than Christmas in terms of holiday festivities.

The most important celebration in Vietnamese culture, Tet Holiday carries love and hope; signifies family and friend kinship; and promises a better year ahead.