You may be familiar with Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, but what about other winter holidays and traditions observed around the world? The following holidays celebrate events, people, the passing of a new year, or just an occasion for friends and family to spend time together—what a way to end the year!
Bodhi Day
Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday celebrated on December 8th. They believe that, hundreds of years ago, a man named Siddhartha Gautama decided to sit under a tree and think about all of the problems in the world until he came up with a way to solve them. Buddhists refer to this solution as becoming “enlightened,” and believe that this is the moment Siddhartha became the Buddha. Families celebrate this day by hanging up multi-colored lights and lighting candles, meditating, and snacking on rice and milk, which, according to the story, is the first meal the Buddha ate after he became enlightened.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated on December 26th, most commonly in Australia, Canada, and parts of Europe. In the Middle Ages, it became common for employers to use this day to give their workers gifts or monetary bonuses, though it is believed that the holiday was initially conceived as a way for people to donate to and help the less fortunate by “boxing up” leftover food or old clothes—this tradition continues strongly in South Africa, where the day is officially known as the “Day of Goodwill.”
Nowadays, Boxing Day has become a holiday associated more closely with the commercial world. Stores will open extra-early for sales, while many high-profile sporting events will often be scheduled for this day as well.
Eid-al-Adha
Eid-al-Adha is a major Islamic holiday, also known as “The Festival of Sacrifice.” It is celebrated on the 10th day of the last month of the lunar Islamic calendar (which usually falls in early December), and it commemorates the choice a man named Abraham had to make many centuries ago when his god, Allah, ordered him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to prove his faith. Though Abraham was prepared to follow through with Allah’s demand, Muslims believe that Allah sent Abraham an animal to sacrifice instead, and this holiday is a celebration of having faith, just as Abraham did.
Families celebrate by spending time with friends and relatives, exchanging gifts, and attending services at their local mosques. The sacrifice Abraham made is also honored by slaughtering an animal, usually a lamb, and dividing the meat into thirds; one-third to be eaten by family, one-third to be given to friends, and one-third to be given away to the less fortunate.
