List of winter festivals From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The winter solstice is the the time at which

the Sun appears at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon. [1] In the Northern Hemisphere this is the Southern solstice, the time at which the Sun is at its southernmost point in the sky, which usually occurs on December 21 to 22 each year.[2] In the Southern Hemisphere this is the Northern solstice, the time at which the Sun is at its northernmost point in the sky, which usually occurs on June 20 to 21 each year.[3] Many festivals of light take place take place during the winter or late autumn. Contents [hide] 1 October 2 November 3 December 4 January 5 February 6 March 7 April 8 May 9 June 10 July 11 August 12 September 13 Other calendars 13.1 Jewish 13.2 Muslim 13.3 Persian 13.4 Sikh 13.5 Slavic 14 Secular

15 Winter festivals in popular culture 16 See also 17 References [edit]October Halloween: 31 October Samhain: 31 October-1 November - first day of winter in the Celtic calendar (and Celtic New Year's Day) Diwali: Known as the Festival of Lights, this Hindu holiday celebrates the victory of good over evil. The five-day festival is marked by ceremonies, fireworks and sweets. Women dress up and decorate their hands with henna tattoos for the melas, or fairs. Many different myths are associated with Diwali, one of which celebrates the return of Lord Ramaafter a 14-year exile and his defeat of the demon Ravana. It occurs during October or November. Bhau-beej [edit]November Calan Gaeaf: 1 November, the first day of winter in Wales All Saints Day: 1 November (in Western Christian churches) Thanksgiving: Occurs on the fourth Thursday in November. In Canada, second Monday in October. [edit]December See also: Winter solstice#Observances Advent: four weeks prior to Christmas. Saint Nicholas' Day: 6 December Bodhi Day: 8 December - Day of Enlightenment, celebrating the day that the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Guatama) experienced enlightenment (also known as Bodhi). Saint Lucy's Day: 13 December - Church Feast Day. Saint Lucy comes as a young woman with lights and sweets. Winter Solstice: 21 December-22 December - midwinter Soyal: 21 December - Zuni and Hopi Yalda: 21 December - The turning point, Winter Solstice. As the longest night of the year and the beginning of the lengthening of days, Shabe Yald or Shabe Chelle is an Iranian festival celebrating the victory of light and goodness over darkness and evil. Shabe yalda means 'birthday eve.' According to Persian mythology, Mithra was born at dawn on the 22nd of December to a virgin mother. He symbolizes light, truth, goodness, strength, and friendship. Herodotus reports that this was the most important holiday of the year for contemporary Persians. In modern times Persians

celebrate Yalda by staying up late or all night, a practice known as Shab Chera meaning 'night gazing'. Fruits and nuts are eaten, especially pomegranates and watermelons, whose red color invokes the crimson hues of dawn and symbolize Mithra. Mdraniht: or Mothers' Night, the Saxon winter solstice festival. Saturnalia: the Roman winter solstice festival Pancha Ganapati: Five-day festival in honor of Lord Ganesha. December 2125. Christmas Eve: 24 December Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Day of the birth of the Unconquered Sun): late Roman Empire - 25 December Christmas: 25 December Twelve Days of Christmas: 25 December through 6 January Yule: Pagan winter festival that was celebrated by the historical Germanic people from late December to early January. Anastasia of Sirmium Feast Day: 25 December Malkh: 25 December Boxing Day: 26 December - Gift-giving day after Christmas. Kwanzaa: 26 December - 1 January - Pan-African festival celebrated in North America Saint Stephen's Day: 26 December Saint John the Evangelist's Day: 27 December Holy Innocents' Day: 28 December Saint Sylvester's Day: 31 December Watch Night: 31 December New Year's Eve: 31 December - Last day of the Gregorian year Hogmanay: Night of 31 December - Before dawn of 1 January - Scottish New Year's Eve celebration [edit]January New Year's Day: 1 January - First day of the Gregorian year Saint Basil's Day: 1 January (Christian Orthodox) In Greece, traditionally he is the Father Christmas figure. Twelfth Night: Epiphany Eve: 5 January Epiphany: 6 January: the arrival of the Three Magi.

Armenian Apostolic Christmas: 6 January Chinese New Year: (late January - early February) - considered the end of winter in the traditional Chinese calendar [edit]February Imbolc: 1 February - first day of spring in the Celtic calendar Hedgehog Day: 2 February - supposed archaic European version of Groundhog Day, dating back to Roman times. Dongzhi Festival - a celebration of Winter Lupercalia, the Roman end-of-winter festival - 15 February Valentines Day , Love Festival [edit]March [edit]April [edit]May [edit]June Inti Raymi: Festival of the Sun in Quechua, winter solstice festival in areas of the former Inca empire, still celebrated every June in Cusco. [edit]July Yulefest, Midwinter Christmas around late June or July - Australian New Zealand winter 'Christmas/Yuletide' (Although this is sometimes celebrated in the USA, where celebrations generally begin on 4th July. [edit]August [edit]September [edit]Other calendars [edit]Jewish Main article: Hebrew calendar Hanukkah: Starting on 25 Kislev (Hebrew) or various dates in November or December (Gregorian) eight day festival commemorating the miracle of the oil after the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his defeat in 165 BCE. Tu Bishvat: New Year of the Trees occurring on the 15th of Shevat, January or February. Purim: Occurring on 14th or 15th day of Adar, late February to March, commemorating the miraculous deliverance and victory of the Jews of the Persian Empire in the events recorded in the Book of Esther

[edit]Muslim As the Islamic calendar is lunar and therefore varies from the solar Gregorian calendar, these festivals may fall in any season. Ramadan shifts by ca. 11 days per year in comparison to a solar calendar. Ramadan: A month of fasting and spirituality, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid-ul-Fitr: Celebration of the end of Ramadan. Eid ul-Adha: Starting on the 10th of Dhul Hijja, a three day holiday commemorating the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismael. [edit]Persian Main article: Iranian calendars Sadeh: A mid-winter feast to honor fire and to "defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold". Sad or Sada is an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated 50 days before Nowruz.Sadeh in Persian means "hundred" and refers to one hundred days and nights left to the beginning of the new year celebrated at the first day of spring on March 21 each year. Sadeh is a midwinter festival that was celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient Iran. It was a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold. Chahar Shanbeh Suri: Festival of Fire, Last Wednesday of the Iranian Calendar year. It marks the importance of the light over the darkness, and arrival of spring and revival of nature. Chahrshanbe-Sri (Persian: ) , pronounced Chrshanbe-Sri (Persian: ) is the ancient Iranian festival dating at least back to 1700 BCE of the early Zoroastrian era.[1] The festival of fire is a prelude to the ancient Norouz festival, which marks the arrival of spring and revival of nature. Chahrshanbeh Soori, is celebrated the last Tuesday night of the year. [edit]Sikh Main article: Nanakshahi calendar Guru Gobind Singh Gurpurab: birthday of the Guru Gobind Singh, generally falls on December or January. Ravidas Day; the birthday of Guru Ravidas is usually celebrated in January or February. Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev'; the martyrdom anniversary falls in May or June. Guru Nanak Jayanti; the birthday generally falls on November. [edit]Slavic Main article: Julian calendar Old New Year includes a winter ritual of strolling and singing that was later incorporated into the Christmas carol Malanka caps off the festivities of the Christmas holidays Maslenitsa in Slavic mythology, a celebration of the imminent end of the winter

[edit]Secular Chalica: A holiday celebrated, since 2007, in the first full week in December, by some Unitarian Universalists[citation needed]. Zamenhof Day: 15 December - Birthday of Ludwig Zamenhof, inventor of Esperanto; holiday reunion for Esperantists HumanLight: 23 December - Humanist holiday originated by the New Jersey Humanist Network Newtonmas: 25 December - As an alternative to celebrating the religious holiday Christmas, some atheists, skeptics, and other non-believers have chosen to celebrate December 25 as Newtonmas, due to it being Isaac Newton's birthday on the old style date. Quaid-e-Azam's Day: 25 December Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan): 25 December - a secular national holiday, which due to its date is celebrated in some respects like Christmas Martin Luther King Day 15 January - Birthday of American civil rights movement leader, a federal holiday on or near the date. [edit]Winter festivals in popular culture Festivus: in the TV series Seinfeld: An alternative event for those who prefer to avoid normal holiday expectations. "A Festivus for the rest of us". Winter-een-mas: The annual week long celebration of video games and the people that play them.[4] Winter-een-mas is a holiday that takes place every year from January 25 to 31,[5] but is also commonly celebrated for a month. The entire month of January constitutes the Winter-eenmas season, very similar to the "Christmas season", where people begin to gear up for the holiday, and get into the spirit of things. The holiday was started by the fictional character Ethan in webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del[5] by Tim Buckley. Its stated goal is to "celebrate the joy of video gaming".[citation needed] Many gaming stores, such as EB Games, celebrate the holiday.[5] Freezingman: - 11 January - A Burning Man inspired event held in Colorado as a Winter Arts and Music Festival.[6] Feast of Winter Veil: December 15 to January 2 - holiday in the MMORPG World of Warcraft. This holiday is based on Christmas. Cities are decorated with Christmas lights and a tree with presents. Also special quests, items and snowballs are available. It features 'Greatfather Winter' which is modeled after [Santa Claus].[7][8] Feast of Alvis: in the TV series Sealab 2021.[9] "Believer, you have forgotten the true meaning of Alvis Day. Neither is it ham, nor pomp. Nay, the true meaning of Alvis day is drinking. Drinking and revenge."--Alvis[10] Hogswatch: a holiday celebrated on the fictional world of Discworld. It is very similar to the Christian celebration of Christmas. Decemberween: a parody of Christmas that features gift-giving, carol-singing and decorated trees. The fact that it takes place on December 25, the same day as Christmas, has been presented as just a

coincidence, and it has been stated that Decemberween traditionally takes place "55 days after Halloween". The holidays has been feature in theHomestar Runner series.