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18 Dec 2024
8 Min Read
Emma Chee Luo Yi (Contributing Writer)
Think December is all about Christmas? Think again! From Las Posadas to the Dongzhi Festival, Kwanzaa, and beyond, there's so much more to celebrate this month!
As the year draws to a close, many set December aside to reflect on the past twelve months, embark on long-awaited trips to dream destinations, and, of course, enjoy the holiday season with loved ones. While Christmas often takes centre stage, the month's festivities extend far beyond ornamented trees and familiar carols. It is a season enriched by a vibrant mosaic of lesser-known holidays, each contributing to a global celebration of joy. From reenacting Mary and Joseph's search for shelter in Mexico to welcoming the New Year with the resonant chime of temple bells in Japan, cultures worldwide honour their unique traditions and share timeless stories in the most meaningful ways. Read on to discover how people around the world celebrate the final chapter of the year!
There is no better way to spend the last month of the year than by gathering in prayer and deep faith, and that is precisely how Mexicans and other Latin American communities celebrate the holiday season. Spanning from December 16th to 24th, this centuries-old religious festival—with the Spanish word posada meaning 'inn' or 'lodging'—commemorates Mary and Joseph's challenging search for shelter as they journeyed from Nazareth to Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus. The celebration originated as a method used by the Spanish colonisers to introduce Christmas traditions to the local population, and it is still widely practised today.
Each evening, adults and children reenact this pilgrimage by travelling door-to-door, singing carols, and asking for lodging. Children, often dressed as angels, lead the procession through the streets until a household finally welcomes everyone inside. There, they celebrate with a festive meal, fireworks, and the breaking of star-shaped piñatas filled with candy and toys. At its core, Las Posadas is a powerful retelling of the Christmas narrative, embracing the themes of humility, hospitality, and hope that define this time of year.
Hanukkah, often referred to as the 'Festival of Lights', is a cherished Jewish celebration that brings warmth, resilience, and hope to the winter season. This year, it is observed from December 25th to January 2nd. The word Hanukkah (חֲנוּכָּה, Ḥănukā), meaning 'dedication' in Hebrew, encapsulates the essence of the holiday, which marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC. During this time, a small group of Jewish fighters reclaimed the Temple from foreign occupation, reaffirming their devotion to Judaism. Upon discovering a small amount of ritually pure oil inside the Temple, they lit the menorah, and in a remarkable turn of events, the oil burned for eight days.
To honour this miracle, an additional candle is lit on the menorah each night of Hanukkah, and fried foods—most notably sufganiyot (jelly-filled deep-fried doughnuts) and latkes (potato pancakes)—are enjoyed, symbolising the enduring oil. Families gather to share meals, spin the dreidel, and partake in these time-honoured traditions. Ultimately, Hanukkah serves as a reminder that even the smallest efforts can have a transformative impact, encouraging us to find a ray of light in every darkness.
As a Malaysian Chinese, the mention of Dongzhi brings a smile to my face, evoking fond memories of making glutinous rice balls with my extended family during my younger years. Translated as 'the extreme of winter', Dongzhi marks the Winter Solstice and is celebrated with as much reverence as the Lunar New Year. Occurring on the shortest day and longest night of the year—typically between December 21st and 23rd—the festival heralds the return of longer days and shorter nights. Rooted in the philosophy of yin and yang, the long, cold night is believed to amplify yin energy, which is associated with femininity and negativity. To restore balance, families traditionally consume warm foods to nurture yang energy, which represents masculinity and positivity. The festival's origins trace back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and flourished during the Tang (618-907 AD) and Song Dynasties (960-1279 AD), when officials were granted a 7-day holiday to reunite with family, worship the gods, and honour their ancestors.
Dongzhi is celebrated in various ways across different regions. In Northern China, where winters are bitterly cold, families prepare hearty dumplings filled with meat, ginger, and garlic to keep warm. In Southern China, families gather to enjoy glutinous rice balls, or tangyuan, filled with sweet fillings like red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut paste, served in a syrupy soup. Since most Malaysian Chinese are of Southern Chinese descent, it is no surprise that glutinous rice balls are the quintessential dish for the festival, symbolising family reunion and prosperity. Meanwhile, in Taiwan, a special nine-layer glutinous rice cake is offered at ancestral altars as part of the festivities. While the celebrations may differ, the heart of Dongzhi remains the same: a time to honour family, savour traditional foods, and welcome the return of longer days with gratitude and optimism.
In the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, Boxing Day is recognised as a holiday that blends cultural traditions with economic significance. Celebrated the day after Christmas, its origins date back to the 16th and 17th centuries in British history, when wealthy families distributed 'Christmas boxes' to servants, tradespeople, and the less fortunate as acts of charity and gratitude. These boxes often contained hand-me-down clothes, books, money, and leftover Christmas feasts. While modern Boxing Day celebrations have evolved into extended Christmas festivities, thriving shopping sales, and popular sporting events, the spirit of generosity and gratitude that once defined the day remains an enduring part of its history.
In Australia, Boxing Day embodies the festive summer spirit. Many Australians flock to stores and malls to take advantage of steep discounts, drawing some of the year's largest crowds. According to the Australian Retail Association, Boxing Day sales generated a staggering $23.9 billion in revenue last year, marking a 1.6% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, sports enthusiasts tune into the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a highlight of the cricket calendar, or follow the iconic Sydney Hobart Race, which has become a staple of the holiday. Whether indulging in shopping or cheering on sporting events, Boxing Day in Australia offers something for everyone to enjoy under the summer sun.
Held annually from December 26th to January 1st, Kwanzaa is a colourful, heartfelt, and profound celebration of African-American and Pan-African heritage. Established in 1966 by Dr Maulana Karenga in the aftermath of the Watts Rebellion, Kwanzaa seeks to empower the African-American community by honouring ancestral legacies, fostering a shared identity, and affirming cultural values. Its name is derived from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning 'first fruits of the harvest', reflecting the joy and togetherness of traditional harvest festivals across Africa. While it originated in the United States, Kwanzaa is celebrated in the Caribbean and other regions with significant African diaspora communities today, spreading its message of cultural pride and unity worldwide.
At the heart of Kwanzaa are its seven guiding principles, known as the Nguzo Saba: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). Each day of the celebration, families light a candle on the kinara—starting with the black candle in the centre and alternating between red and green candles on either side, symbolising the Pan-African flag. The week-long festivities are enriched with dynamic activities such as singing, dancing, drumming, storytelling, and poetry. Kwanzaa culminates on December 31st with the Karamu, a communal feast where participants don bright African-style attire and enjoy traditional dishes, including black-eyed peas, collard greens, oysters, and shrimp. With its rich traditions and emphasis on unity, Kwanzaa serves as a monumental homage to the past and a beacon of hope for future generations.
Photo credits: SHUN GATE
As the crisp winter air sweeps through Japan on December 31st, homes come alive with a shared sense of anticipation and the soul-soothing aroma of traditional dishes, capturing the essence of Ōmisoka. Derived from the archaic word ōtsumogori, meaning 'the last day of the month', Ōmisoka is a celebration steeped in history, tracing its roots back to the Heian era (794 –1185). During this period, ritualistic preparations were made to welcome the new year, including thorough house-cleaning and offering rice cakes to Shinto deities, particularly Toshigami, the god of harvest and ancestral spirits. These age-old customs continue to this day, now accompanied by the beloved tradition of enjoying Toshikoshi Soba—a bowl of buckwheat noodles introduced during the Edo era (1603-1868) that symbolises longevity and good fortune.
Firmly rooted in both Buddhist and Shinto spiritualism, the celebration of Ōmisoka reaches its peak in the final moments of the year with the ritual of Joya no Kane. At the stroke of midnight, Buddhist temples across the country strike their bells 108 times, each chime representing the release of an earthly desire. The resonant tones ripple through the night, marking the transition into the new year. This familiar sound, imbued with a sense of renewal and hope, unites the nation in a poignant moment of reflection and anticipation for the year ahead.
A journey through these lesser-known December holidays highlights the beauty of cultural diversity and the enduring power of traditions to unite people. Across cultures, this season is marked by shared values: gratitude, reflection, hope, and a commitment to preserving the relationships and cultural practices that make our world feel like home. As one chapter ends and another begins, let these celebrations inspire us to appreciate our differences, learn from one another, and find unity in the shared human spirit that connects us all.
Emma Chee Luo Yi pursued Cambridge A Level at Taylor's College before attending the University of Western Australia. A law student with an artistic soul, she studies during the day and writes, draws, or crochets at night!
