Tulsa, OK

Christmas may be the best known December holiday, but it is not alone. Here are just a few more celebrations of the season:

• Saint Nicholas Day (Christian) — December 6 - Where St. Nicholas is prominent, his day, not Christmas, is the primary gift giving day. Parties may be held on the eve, December 5th, and shoes or stockings left for St. Nicholas to fill during the night. Children will find treats of small gifts, fruit or nuts, and special Nicholas candies and cookies. St. Nicholas gifts are meant to be shared, not hoarded for oneself.
• Eid’ul-Adha (Muslim) — December 8 - Commemoration of Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah. Marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj for the millions of Muslims who make the trip to Mecca each year. Eid-Ul-Adha is a four-day holiday and celebration. It starts with a special holiday prayer, performed in congregation in the Masjid (Mosque) or other suitable place. It is a time of celebration, of visiting family and friends and of thanking ALLAH, Subhanahu wa ta’ala, for all the blessings bestowed upon us. Fasting is prohibited during these days.
• Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican) — December 12 - On this date, thousands of the faithful from around the country make the most important pilgrimage of all those undertaken during the year to the Basílica of Guadalupe, in Mexico City, where the miraculous image of la Virgen Morena is kept.
• St. Lucia Day (Swedish) — December 13 - This Swedish festival of lights helps to brighten up the long winter nights in December. It celebrates the life of a real saint, Lucia, who was known for her kindness and love.
• Hanukkah (Jewish) — Begins at sundown on December 21 (ends December 29) - With blessings, games, and festive foods, Hanukkah celebrates the triumphs–both religious and military–of ancient Jewish heroes. Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish year. In the United States, however, its closeness to Christmas has brought greater attention to Hanukkah and its gift-giving tradition. Amid the ever-growing flood of Christmas advertising, it may seem especially fitting that the Hanukkah story tells of Jewish culture surviving in a non-Jewish world.
• Christmas Day(Christian) — December 25 - is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that marks and honors the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The birth of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini system of dating, is thought to have occurred between 7 and 2 B.C.. December 25 is not thought to be Jesus’ actual date of birth, and the date may have been chosen to correspond with either a Roman festival, or with the winter solstice.
• Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish) — December 26 - a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth of Nations and Greece. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society.
• Kwanzaa (African American) — December 26 to January 1 - Kwanzaa is a non-religious African American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. It is celebrated for seven days: December 26 - January 1. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili.  The kinara is the center of the Kwanzaa setting and represents the original stalk from which we came: our ancestry.
• Omisoka (Japanese) — December 31 - The Japanese spend days of preparation for Omisoka. The spring cleaning, Osouji, begins in the beginning of December. Keeping with tradition, the Japanese clean their houses, schools and businesses from top to bottom. They settle all debts, obligations and problems in relationships.

Not only are there other holidays to celebrate besides Christmas, there are other ways to celebrate Christmas. In Australia, it’s summertime, so forget the snow and sledding, Aussies are more likely to be grilling and sunbathing for the holidays. Here are just a few of the many places and ways to celebrate the season:

• Australia - where the holidays really heat up!
• Brazil - where the New Year is white…
• Denmark - Santa’s helpers abound!
• France - a crèche explained.
• Hungary - two Christmases in one!
• India - another festival of lights.
• Italy - a mouth-watering memory!
• Japan - make your New Year’s resolutions now…
• Mexico - pull on a blindfold and swing!
• New Zealand - down on the farmlet…
• Scotland - there’s a coin in my cootie!

So, wherever you are and however you celebrate this month…