In America, we have lots of families who celebrate Christmas in December. However, throughout our country, and across the globe, there are many people taking part in other holidays at the same time of year. Like Christmas, these holidays are a celebration of hope and joy and a return of the light. And like the holidays of Christianity, they have rich traditions of foods, family, gifts and symbols as well. 

Hanukkah literally means “Festival of Light” and is an eight-day Jewish festival celebrating a miracle that took place in the desert. The first day of Hanukkah changes each year and is based on the Jewish calendar, which relies on the moon. Each night, one candle is lit on a menorah until (on the eighth day) all eight candles can be seen flickering and sparkling in the dark. Families will say prayers and blessings, play games such as dreidel, exchange gifts and eat special foods. 

Founded in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor and activist, Kwanzaa is a week-long festival spanning December 26th to January 1st. This celebration reaffirms African heritage, empowers the community and promotes cultural unity. There are seven principales of Kwanzaa, one for each day of the week. They are: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. 

Each night, families will light one candle on a Kinara, or candle holder, and reflect on the principle that day. A large feast, called Karamu, featuring music, dancing and African foods, is held on December 31st. Other activities include storytelling, poetry, music and drumming.  

On December 13th, children in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland get to celebrate a very special festival of light called St. Lucia Day. The day commemorates Lucia, a martyr who provided food and aid to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs by wearing a candlelit wreath on her head. 

In preparation for the holiday, one girl in each family, church or community is chosen to be St. Lucia. She wears a white dress with a red sash as well as a wreath on her head adorned with candles, representing light and faith. Participants sing songs and enjoy special foods called St. Lucia buns. This holiday is a time of togetherness for many families in Scandanavia. 

An ancient celebration, Winter Solstice is thought to have been celebrated for thousands of years. On the day of Solstice, on or around December 21st, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day of the year. From  that day forward, there will be a little bit more sunlight every day, which makes the Winter Solstice a true return of the light. Cultures from all over the world, especially in Europe, celebrate this changing of the seasons with warm and cozy foods, fires stoked with a Yule Log, feasts and nature rituals. Decorating with holly, ivy and evergreen are common practices.