The Wheel Turns
November 1, 2023
Starting over, and starting up
January 1, 2024
From mid-November until the New Year greets us with all its promise, nearly every culture, ethnicity and religion spends time celebrating in some way the sacredness of this season. It is the darkest time of the year, the time of year when we retreat and find that piece of ourselves that lies buried deep within us for most of the year. It is a sacred time for millions of people and that sacredness is honored in many different ways.
I did a quick search and immediately identified 24 celebrations, holy days, or festivals that take place during this sacred season. I am sure there are more, but these are a good overview. Most of these festivals share common links, despite their diversity. In some way, each uses or honors light, love, giving. Most revere the saints and/or deities of their faith. Additionally, kindness, respect, genuine love for their fellow humans coupled with a theme of hope and promise are present in the rituals and festivities.
Noted below are the sacred dates I found and a little bit about them:
- The fourth Thursday of November: Thanksgiving, American
- 11/24 The Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahdur: a Sikh festival honoring the execution of the hero who was martyred for refusing to kneel to an oppressor. Shrines are located in Delhi, India.
- 11/26 The Day of the Covenant: Baha’i Holy Day, honoring Abdu’l-Baha’s day of birth. Work is still permitted on this holy day.
- 11/28 Ascension Day, Baha’i: The day Abdu’l-Baha ascended.
- 11/30 St. Andrew’s Day – The celebration of the Parton Saint of Scotland, bank holiday and Scotland’s independence.
- 12/5 or 6 or 12/19 St. Nicholas Day: A Christian Feast Day on the 5th or 6th in Western Christian Countries and on the 19th in Eastern Christian Countries who use the ancient Christian calendar. This Feast Day and it’s celebration predates Santa Claus or Father Christmas. Festivities are dependent on location but all honor Saint Nicholas’s generosity and gift giving, recognizing good children.
- 12/7-15/23 Hanukkah: The Jewish Festival of Lights involves nightly candle lighting, blessings and feasting. This holiday celebrates the reclamation of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and the miraculous lighting of the temple’s Menorah (a 7 branched candelabrum) for 8 days when there was only a day’s worth of oil on hand.
- 12/8 Bodhi Day: Buddhist celebration of the day the Buddha received enlightenment.
- 12/8 Immaculate Conception Day: A Catholic Christian celebration of the virgin birth of the Christ.
- 12/12 The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Mexican holiday and Catholic Christian Feast Day celebrating the day that Mary appeared to peasant Juan Diego in 1531.
- 12/13 Santa Lucia Day: Celebration day of the Patron Saint of the Blind, Santa Lucia. She comes from pagan origins around Solstice and the celebration of the return of the light. Candle crowns are worn by the children.
- 12/16-25 Posadas Navidenas: Hispanic Christian – fundamental to the celebration of Christmas recreating the Christmas story, includes candle lit street processions, singers, and posada (party) with pinatas.
- 12/21 Yule German Christian: German Christianized version of Yule.
- 12/21/23 Winter Solstice/Yule: Midwinter Pagan, Neo Pagan, Wiccan- Ancient mid-winter celebration of the return of the light with feasting, ale, mead, and joyful celebration of hope as the days grow longer after this date.
- 12/24 – 25 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Feast of the Nativity – Christian & Orthodox Christian: Celebrating the birth of the Christ Child and bringer of hope to the world.
- 12/26 – 1/1/24 Kwanzaa: Honors African American Heritage, a cultural holiday created by Black Nationalist, Maulana Karenga in 1966 to unite the African American community following the Watts Rebellion in the predominately black neighborhood of Los Angeles which came about as a result of systemic racism.
- 12/26 – Boxing Day: UK and Commonwealth countries, bank holiday, originated as a gift giving day to the poor in the Victorian Era. It remains a time of gift giving but also a shopping day and bank holiday.
- 12/26 St. Stephen’s Day: Christian Feast day to honor the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen.
- 12/26 Zarathosht Diso: Zoroastrian holiday commemorating the death of the prophet Zarathushtra.
- 12/28 Holy Innocents Day: Christian, commemorates and honors the children slain by King Herod after hearing from the Magi of the birth of the King of the Jews.
- 12/30 Holy Family Day: Catholic Christian holy day presenting the holy family as a model for Christian families.
- 12/31 Watch Night: American holiday commemorating the night that African American Communities awaited the word of their liberation from slavery.
- 12/31 New Year’s Eve: worldwide holiday recognizing the year’s accomplishments and awaiting the coming of the new year. People often create resolutions for the upcoming year.
- 1/1/24 New Year’s Day Celebrating the renewal that the new year’s arrival and the hope that it brings.
As you can see, the Holiday Season is rich in cultural, ethnic and religious celebrations all crowning the end of the year and welcoming the upcoming one. If you have any spare time in this busy season, look up one of these holidays to learn more. There is richness in each of them.
As always, A Sandy Place wishes you and yours all the light, love and warmth of this sacred season and a joyous and prosperous new year.
Yours in wellness,
Sandra L. Place (Sandy)
