Dec 17 Insight: Our Gift to You: Morsels of info about 16 (yes 16) mid-winter holidays

Our Gift to You: Morsels of info about 16 (yes 16) mid-winter holidays

(The December 17 Insight from Spirituality U. at Interfaith Paths to Peace)

The period from mid-November to mid-January every year is a veritable feast of holidays celebrated by Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Baha'is, and.Pagans. Here's a delcious sampling. Dig in!

Mid-Winter Holidays  
Select Celebrations for 2013-2014  

Nov. 13-14 Ashura (Islam)  At this holiday, some Muslims remember that the Prophet Muhammad fasted in solidarity with Jews who were observing Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Other Muslims recall the death of Muhammad’s grandson in battle. 

  

Nov. 27-Dec. 5  Chanukah (Jewish)  The festival of Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins at sunset on this date and continues for seven more nights. It is a remembrance of an effort to restore the Temple in Jerusalem after a period of desecration. Faithful Jews found only enough oil to light the temple lamp for one day, but the flame burned for eight. 

  

Dec. 6  Feast of St. Nicholas (Christian)  Some Christians revere the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a Greek province in Asia Minor. His reputation for piety may have inspired the legend of Santa Claus. The tradition of leaving gifts for children on St. Nicholas Day began in the Low Countries and spread to North America with Dutch immigrants. 

  

Dec. 8  Bodhi "Enlightenment" Day (Buddhist)  Buddhists recall that Siddhartha Gautama vowed to sit under a tree in what is now Bodhgaya, India, and not to rise until he was enlightened. The title Buddha means “awakened one.” 

Dec. 8  Immaculate Conception (Catholic)  Roman Catholics observe this day as the feast of the Immaculate Conception, believing that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was born without original sin. 

  

Dec. 12  Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic)  Observed by Catholics, especially those of Hispanic descent, the story of Guadalupe recounts a 16th-century apparition of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, a poor Indian, on a hillside near what is now Mexico City. 

  

Dec. 21 Yule or Winter Solstice (Pagan)  The shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. Juul, a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia, featured fires lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun. Wiccans and other pagan groups celebrate Yule. 

  

Dec. 21  Yalda (Zoroastrian)  The Zoroastrian celebration of the winter solstice.  On this, the longest night of the year, Zoroastrians celebrate with customs intended to protect people from misfortune. 

Dec. 21-25  Pancha Ganapati (Hindu)  This five-day festival honors Lord Ganesha, considered to be the God of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.  The celebration includes decoration of an image of Ganesha with pine boughs, flashing lights, tinsel and other colorful ornaments.  

  

Dec. 25  Christmas (Christian)  Observed by Christians since the Middle Ages as the birth of Jesus, whom Christians consider the one and only son of God and Savior of the World. 

  

Dec. 26  Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)  On this date Zoroastrians observe the death of the prophet Zarathushtra  (known in the West as Zoroaster).  His teachings include the idea of one eternal God and that life is a struggle between good and evil. 

  

Dec. 26-Jan. 2  Kwanzaa  A week-long celebration held in the United States United honoring universal African American heritage and culture. It features activities including the lighting of a seven-candle candelabra and culminates with a feast and gift giving. It was first celebrated in 1966–1967. 

Jan. 1  Gantan-sai (Shinto)  Much like Christmas for Christians, Gantan-sai has become a national holiday in Japan.  Shintos visit shrines and pray for the renewal of their heart, prosperity, and health in the year to come.  

Jan. 5  Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday (Sikh)  Sikh’s celebrate his birthday in December or January. Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa order for observant Sikhs.  He also instituted the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, as the final and ultimate Guru.  

Jan. 6  Epiphany or Theophany (Christian)  Western Christians commemorate the visitation and bringing of gifts to the baby Jesus by the "Three Wise Men" from the East, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles. 

Jan. 19  World Religion Day (Baha'i)  This celebration calls attention to the harmony of spiritual principles and the oneness of the world's religions.  It also emphasizes the fact that religion is the motivating force for world unity, a key concept for Baha'is throughout the world.