TL;DR
Although there are many holidays that fall around December, we should be mindful that not everyone is celebrating something at the same time, and some people do not celebrate anything during this time. This article provides an overview of some of the holidays that fall during or near December, and urges us all to be mindful of our neighbors' traditions as well as our own.
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Throughout American society we often hear December called “The Holiday Season.” Most religions have a holiday at this time of year, and there’s a “spirit of the season.” However, when you look closely, not only do we not all share in having a holiday at this time of year, but the holidays that do occur do not all share an underlying theme.
Outside of Christmas, people often cite the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah as a “December holiday.” Hanukkah celebrates a military victory of Jewish guerilla warriors over the Greek occupiers and their Hellenized Jewish allies, and a miraculous rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem afterward. But on the spectrum of Jewish holidays, it is a minor one -- far from a “Jewish Christmas.” Hanukkah gets its popular acknowledgment because it falls around Christmas — more significant Jewish holidays occur in the fall and spring. This year, it will be celebrated from December 22nd until December 30th, but can be as early as late November or early January.
Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, rather than a religious one, created in 1966-1967. It lasts from December 26th to January 1st. It celebrates African-American culture, communal unity, and interdependence. It is celebrated with the lighting of a special candelabra, called a kinara, in which each candle stands for a particular value of the African-American community. Other observances include the performance of African arts and a feast.
Yule is a celebration of the Winter Solstice. This celebration takes place on the longest night of the year and celebrates the return of the sun. It is a time to honor the cycle of life, death, and rebirth and to reflect that one must never lose sight of hope. This is the time to remind ourselves that even in darkness, light will return.
Bodhi Day, on December 18th this year, is a holiday celebrated by many Buddhist communities, celebrating the day that the historical Buddha achieved enlightenment. Main observances include meditation, acts of kindness, and the study and chanting of Buddhist texts. Some Buddhists also have a ceremonial meal of tea and cake.
And some of us don’t celebrate anything at all this time of year. Either we are secular or follow a religion without a holiday in December. For many Christians, the notion that December is the holiday season is a welcoming one, meant to include friends and acquaintances in the joys of a special and beloved holiday. But for those of us who celebrate very different holidays, or no holidays at all, “the holiday spirit” can feel inauthentic or forced.
If Christmas is a part of your life, you can make it a comfortable season for your non-Christian neighbors by keeping their own observances and calendars in mind, and give them your wishes on their own schedule, rather than on yours. Otherwise, a cheerful "How are you?" or "Wow, it's cold out" can be a welcome break from living on someone else's holiday calendar.
