December is chockablock with holidays, both religious and non-religious, but one thing is clear - many of us love celebrating at this time of year. Be it the start of a new year, the beginning of our days getting longer again rather than shorter, celebrating our communities, or marking certain miracles. Many people find reasons to come together this time of year. That is the true beauty of this season, our coming together, oft gathered together around to soft glow of candles and sharing meals and conversation. Warming our bodies in cozy clothes, with warm drinks, and sitting by fires; and warming our hearts with loving company, boisterous conversations, and good parties. Not all of us get to celebrate with family but this is a season of communities big and small, chosen or gifted to us by birth, coming together to mark something special, even if that something special is simply each other.
Some Holidays being celebrated by our community members this month are below, in order of occurrence:
- Hanukkah, also spelled Ḥanukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah: Begins at Sunset December 14th and ends at nightfall December 22nd
- Winter Solstice/Yule: December 21st
- Christmas Eve/Day: December 24th-25th
- Kwanzaa: December 26th-January 1st
- New Years Eve/Day: December 31st-January 1st
Hanukkah, also spelled Ḥanukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah (Begins at Sunset December 14th and ends at nightfall December 22nd)
This 8-day, Jewish festival commemorates a miracle of one day of oil staying lit for 8 days and the reconsecration of a Temple in Jerusalem. Originally a more minor holiday, here in the USA in particular, it rose to popularity in the mid-19th century to become widely celebrated. Marked by the lighting of candles on the Menorah each day of the festival, gift giving, feasting, gatherings, daily scripture readings, and the singing of special hymns.
Winter Solstice/Yule (December 21st)
This Pagan festival has a complicated history. It falls annually on December 21st or December 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere (June 20th or 21st in the Southern Hemisphere) and marks the beginning of Winter and the shortest day/longest night of the year. Often marked by gift giving, feasting, gatherings, rituals, and lighting candles or burning bonfires (or a Yule Log) to last through the night.
Christmas (December 24th-25th)
This Christian festival is celebrated on the eve of December 24th through the day of December 25th and marks the birth of Jesus. In the United States it is often celebrated by both religious and non-religious people and is marked by gift giving, feasting, volunteering, and attending a Christmas Mass (for religious observers)
Kwanzaa (December 26th-January 1st)
This is a non-religious holiday and was unique to the United States of America, though is gaining popularity outside of the USA. It is a celebration of the African American Community, each day representing and highlighting a value and principal of the community. It is often marked by gift giving, gathering with friends and family, lighting of the kinara and discussing the principal represented by that day’s candle, and a feast on the last evening.
New Years Eve/Day (December 31st-January 1st)
This holiday is also not tied to any one religion but rather to a certain calendar. More specifically the Gregorian Calendar, which is a Solar Calendar. It is often marked by feasting and drinking, playing games, fireworks, making resolutions, countdowns to midnight, and gatherings that last through 12am to welcome the next year.
Learn more about these holidays with our Online Library with Britannica Library Reference Center and CultureGrams, as well as more online resources from the Arts & Culture and Philosophy & Religions topic pages.
Library Events
Join us for winter and holiday Arts & Crafts events in our libraries!
Shows, Music, & More
Festive Favorites with Simon Santiago - Morgan Hill Library
Jack and the Beanstalk Holiday Puppet Show - Cupertino Library, Milpitas Library, and Morgan Hill Library
Winter Wonderland Words – Woodland Branch Library
Fratello Marionettes Presents The North Pole Review - Milpitas Library
Holiday Hullabaloo – Milpitas Library
Holiday Booklists
Gingerbread houses date back to the 1600s. They are a staple for Christmas, but they are no longer restricted to just the one holiday. Learn to build your own gingerbread structures for any celebration with these titles.
Baby, it's cold outside! Tis' the season for a Holiday Romance novel to warm you up.
