December 2004
December 1, World AIDS Day
This day was designated to increase the awareness and education of AIDS
December 6, St. Nicholas’ Day
He is the patron saint of Russia and came form what is now Turkey. He is known as a protector of children. He is now traditionally associated with the festival of Christmas.
December 7, Pearl Harbor Day (United States)
This day is designated as “Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day”. It shall be a day on which to commemorate the sacrifice of more than 2,000 citizens of the United States who were killed and more than 1,000 citizens who were wounded when the Imperial Japanese Navy and Air Force attacked units of the armed forces of the United States stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This caused the United States to enter into World War II.
December 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)
In 1531 a “Lady from Heaven” appeared to a poor Indian at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City; she identified herself as the Mother of the True God, instructed him to have at the bishop build a temple on the site and left an image of herself imprinted miraculously on his tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sigh of decay 469 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.
December 16-24, Las Posadas (Mexico)
Las Posadas (Spanish for “the inn”) is a traditional Mexican festival which re-enacts Joseph’s search for room at the inn. Each Christmas season, a processional carrying a doll representing the Christ Child and images of Joseph and Mary riding a burro walks through the community streets. The processional stops at a previously selected home and asks for lodging for the night. The people are invited in to read scriptures and sing Christmas carols called alguinaldos. The hosts provide refreshments. The doll is left at the chosen home and picked up on the next night when the processional begins again. This continues for eight nights in commemoration of the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
December 8-15, Hanukkah (Jewish)
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. It lasts for eight days beginning at sunset the previous day and is also known as the festival of Lights. Hanukkah celebrates the victory (165 BDC) of the Maccabees over the Syrian tyrant Antiochus IV and the subsequent reclamation of Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, only a one-day supply of nondesecrated oil was found in the Temple when the Maccabees prepared it for rededication by removing all Syrian idols.
The lighting of the Hanukkah candles commemorates this miracle. The candles are placed on the menorah or hanukkiya, a nine-branch candelabrum. The ninth branch of the hanukkiya holds the shamash, or servant light. This branch is lit first and is used to light a new candle on successive nights.
December 22, Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice is the day when the distance between the Tropic of Capricorn and the sun is the shortest. Because of the earth’s tilt, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning farther away from the sun than at any other time during the year. This makes the Winter Solstice the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere where it marks the beginning of winter.
December 25, Christmas (Christian, Roman Catholic, International)
Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, described in this passage from the Gospel of Saint Luke in the New Testament for more than 1600 years. Christmas is observed annually on December 25 although the exact date of Christ’s birth is not known. The Christmas season begins on the First Sunday of Advent and ends on Epiphany.
December 26, Boxing Day (Canada, UK)
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas. It is also called St. Stephen’s Day. Stephen was a Martyr who was stoned to death shortly after Christ’s crucifixion.
December 31, New Years Eve (US, International)
New Year’s Eve is the last day of the calendar year, on December 31 in the Gregorian calendar. Since most of the world uses this calendar, New Year’s Eve is celebrated around the globe.
credit: kumc.edu/diversity
