The holidays are filled with the hustle and bustle of shopping for presents, welcoming family into town, and making sure to fill up on various sweets. We leap from the apple-and-pumpkin-craze of fall into the cinnamon-and-peppermint-fueled gift shopping of winter. It’s one of the most nostalgic and beautiful times of year. Whether Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Krampusnacht (aka nightmare material for children), everyone has traditions that are specific to their holiday celebrations.
In America, the most celebrated winter holiday is Christmas, with Hanukkah and Kwanzaa being the second and third runners-up. Those holidays are pretty common, the merch is widespread, and information about them is widely known, so let’s dive into some others that you probably won’t see in a Hallmark movie.
Las Posadas
Celebrated in many different places in Latin America, Las Posadas takes its inspiration from the journey of Mary and Joseph from the Bible. Over nine nights, a procession makes its way across town, stopping at different houses each night to ask for shelter, singing as they go. As in the story, they are denied and must continue until Dec. 24, when they finally find a place to stop for shelter. The procession is greeted on the last night with a feast, and mass is held the next morning, celebrating Christmas, then children break piñatas, and the nine-night joyful festivity comes to a close.
St. Lucia Day
St. Lucia Day is a holiday in Scandinavian countries and some places in Italy that celebrates the life of Lucia and the return of the sun. Saint Lucia wore a candlelit wreath and brought food to hiding Christians, but was eventually martyred for her faith. A young girl is picked on Dec. 13 to be the “Queen of Lights,” or Saint Lucia herself, and she dresses in white and a wreath of candles. Followed by her attendants, also dressed in white, they process and then serve lussekatter (saffron buns) to their community — an aesthetic straight out of a Pinterest board. This falls on the winter solstice and marks the day when days will be getting longer, with Saint Lucia bringing tidings of light.
Lohri
Lohri, celebrated on Jan. 13, is a festival celebrating the return of longer days and the harvest of sugarcane. It is popular in Northern India, generally among Sikh and Hindu peoples. Celebrating the sun coming back and light triumphing over dark, people gather and create a massive bonfire (warm enough to forget it’s mid-January) to throw offerings of seeds or sugar to wish for prosperity. Dancing the Bhangra and Gidda, singing traditional folk songs, and eating sarson da saag create a massive community gathering, specifically important for newly married couples or families with a newborn who celebrate with an even greater enthusiasm.
Yalda Night
Celebrated on Dec. 20 or 21, Yalda Night is an ancient Persian festival that has the ultimate cozy vibes. Like the others, this holiday shares the common thread of celebrating the winter solstice: the joy that days will soon be getting longer. Families and communities gather in a singular house to read and eat throughout the night, staying up to welcome the new day. Red fruits, such as watermelon and pomegranates, are eaten in the hopes that the person will be warm for the coming winter and cool for the following summer. Poetry and mythology are read, and the elders are revered on Yalda Night.
Hogmanay
Primarily in Scotland, Hogmanay is essentially the Scottish New Year’s. Thought to have been brought over by Vikings, and taking place on the last day of the year, people gather to celebrate the coming year and wish for happiness. The first person to enter a house after midnight is meant to bring gifts (bonus luck points if it’s a dark-haired man), such as food and sweets, and fireplaces are lit to ward off evil. ‘Redding the house,’ or cleaning the house, is done, and debts are paid to start the year fresh and lucky. A traditional Scottish song, “Auld Lang Syne,” is sung together with family as they join arms.
As the year comes to a close and the limbo period between Dec. 24 and Jan. 1 ensues, many cultures and celebrations take the time to rejoice in the knowledge of a year well spent and to welcome the warmer weather. No matter what you celebrate, I can almost guarantee that part of it is rooted in time spent with those you love and creating a wonderful space to start the new year in.
With the harshness of winter feeling so cold, we could all use as many traditions as possible to keep ourselves warm and hopeful. There are so many holidays celebrated each year, and I encourage you to look outside your own to learn! Maybe you’ll find a tradition to adopt, or at least a new treat to enjoy. Learning about different ways to party during the winter months is the perfect reminder to stay intentional about your celebration.