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The holiday season holds the magic of meaning for all of us celebrating holidays around the world in the month of December. Each holiday is held sacred and defined by the culture in which it grew. Meaning and sacredness, especially in this season, can also bring much joy. Meaning and joy are closely aligned, for what is meaningful to us in life often brings us much joy. Both of these domains of well-being are frequently seen in this time of holidays or can be painfully absent for those who are marginalized or suffering.
Meaning is embedded in an experience if it is significant, heartfelt, hopeful or sacred in some way. Joy is the happiness, delight, enjoyment or pleasure that arises from the meaningful experience. These are defined in the White Paper I have mentioned in several previous blog posts and available at https://www.edenalt.org/.
As humans we thrive when meaning and purpose are woven into our beings. Think about our children on Christmas Eve. The decorations, music, candy and anticipation are all meaningful and joyful. Each and every holiday gathers families, creates parades, and gifts in some way. In December there are at least 18 holidays connecting people in community, enriching lives with meaning and joy.
Noted below, for your exploration, is a list of these holidays and a short overview of what they are for. If you know of one that should be listed, please let me know!
- Thanksgiving, the 4th Thursday in November in the U.S: a National day of gratitude.
- 11//30/25-12/24/25 Advent: The coming of the Christian messiah is celebrated.
- 12/5/25 Krampusnacht: The night before St. Nicholas Day when bad children are punished with birch rods.
- 12/6/25 St. Nicholas Day: Celebrating the generosity of a 4th century historical figure; a precursor to our modern Santa Claus. Gifts are given and acts of kindness offered.
- 12/8/25 Bodhi Day: The day Krishna achieved enlightenment. A Buddhist holiday.
- 12/8/25 Immaculate Conception Day: A Catholic feast day on December 8th that commemorates the belief that the Virgin Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin.
- 12/10/25 Human Rights Day.
- Hanukkah (date varies): Jewish holiday celebrating the gift of oil for lanterns.
- 12/12/25 Our Lady of Guadalupe Day: A significant religious and cultural event, honoring Mary as the patron saint of Mexico and the Americas.
- 12/13/25 Santa Lucia Day: A celebration that honors the saint of light, especially popular in Scandinavian countries and parts of Italy.
- 12/16-12/24/25 Las Posadas Celebration: Mexico celebrates the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of the Christ.
- 12/21 (date varies) Winter Solstice: celebrates the return of the light.
- 12/21 (date varies) Yule: Ancient pagan (Norse origin, celebration of Jol) celebration of the winter solstice, marking the return of the sun and the promise of Spring.
- 12/24/25 Christmas Eve: The night the Christ was born.
- 12/25/25 Christmas Day: Celebration of the Christ’s birth.
- 12/26/25 Boxing Day: Traditional day to give gifts to the poor and service workers.
- 12/26/25 – 1/1/26 Kwanzaa: Honoring African heritage, community, and the shared values of the Pan-African diaspora.
- 12/31/25 New Year’s Eve
- 1/1/26 New Year’s Day
- 1/6/26 Three Kings Day: Celebrates the arrival of the biblical Magi to meet the newborn Christ.
Celebrate the magic and joy of the season by giving a gift to someone. Someone you know, or someone you don’t. Consider charitable donations at this time of year. I have elected to offer all of my readers a gift that can be used by them forever. The gift of a free training which helps the receiver to develop their own gratitude practice. You can find this workshop in the website store at https://asandyplace.com/sandy-place-store/. Simply go through the checkout process, you will be charged $0.00 and the workshop is yours.
Happy Holidays!
Sandra (Sandy) Place
