Winter Holidays Around The World

December is the month leading up to many holidays around the world. With December coming to an end, taking a look at the holidays around the world that are occurring around this time is a nice segway to Christmas break. To start off, Boxing Day takes place on December 26. It is celebrated in a few countries while originating in the United Kingdom during the middle ages. Boxing day happens once a year when the rich used to box up gifts to give to the poor. Servants would also go home on boxing day to celebrate Christmas day with their families. In England, boxing day is also celebrated with soccer matches and horse races. A holiday that is also celebrated around Christmas time is Ōmisoka. Ōmisoka is the last day of the year in Japanese culture. It is celebrated on December 31st. Many families celebrate Ōmisoka by eating toshikoshi-soba or toshikoshi-udon, which are long noodles eaten to cross over from one year to the next. Another holiday that people celebrate is Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. Kwanza is based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of Africa, including West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa is a celebration of community, family, and culture, established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African roots and heritage, starting to become bigger and more well known around 1966. People celebrate Kwanzaa by wearing special clothes, decorating their homes with fruits and vegetables, and lighting a candle holder called a kinara. Even though the year is coming to an end, and days are looking dark, holidays are here for a day of joy for everyone.