December Holidays and Observances

(See bottom of post for sources and notes)

December Holidays and Observances

Month-long observances (US)

• National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

1

• World AIDS Day (UN)
• Rosa Parks Day (Ohio and Oregon)
• Military Abolition Day (Costa Rica)
• Great Union Day (Romania)

2

• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (UN)

3

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities (UN)

5

• International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (UN)
• World Soil Day (UN)

6

• Saint Nicholas Day (Christian)
• National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada)

7

• Flag Land Base Day (Scientology)
• National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (US)
• International Civil Aviation Day (UN)

8

• Bodhi Day (Buddhism)
• Immaculate Conception of Mary (Catholic)

9

• Feast of the Conception by St. Anne of the Most Holy Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox)
• Remembrance for Egill Skallagrímsson (Ásatrú)
• International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime (UN)
• International Anti-Corruption Day (UN)

10

• Human Rights Day (UN)
• Alfred Nobel Day (Sweden)

11

• International Mountain Day (UN)
• Mawlid al Nabi (Islam) [Begins at Sunset]
• Tohji-Taisai (Shinto)

12

• Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic)
• Kanji Day (Japan)

15

• Bill of Rights Day (US)
• Zamenhof Day (Esperanto)

16

• Posadas Navidenas (Hispanic Christian) Dec 16-25

17

• Wright Brothers Day (US)

18

• International Migrants Day (UN)

20

• International Human Solidarity Day (UN)

21

• Winter Solstice/Yule
• Pancha Ganapati (Hindu) Dec 21-25
• Forefather's Day (Plymouth, MA)

24

• Hanukah (Jewish) [starts at sunset] Dec 24-Jan 1

25

• Christmas (Christian)
• Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian)

26

• Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
• St. Stephens Day (Christian)
• Kwanzaa (African American/Canadian) Dec 26-Jan 1
• Boxing Day (Commonwealth of Nations)

28

• Feast of the Holy Innocents (Christian)

30

• Feast of the Holy Family (Catholic)

31

• Watch Night (Christian)
• Maidyarem Gahambar (Zoroastrian) Dec 31-Jan 4
• New Years Eve (Gregorian calendar)

Sources

1. Huffington Post Interfaith Calendar

2. Interfaithcalendar.org

3. Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education

4. United Nations Observances

5. US Presidential Proclamations

6. Wikipedia - December

Notes

1)  This calendar focuses on Religious Holidays, International Observances as declared by the United Nations, and United States Observances as declared by the White House. I add a few extra observances of my own choosing.

2) As a family historian - what holidays might my ancestors have observed? What holidays do my current kin observe? I am unable to find an individual website with all of the days above listed. Which is one reason I find the process useful, for me, and perhaps useful for others. Wikipedia, as one might guess, comes closest, though in addition to not being complete (which I could fix) they have a lot of what I consider flotsam and jetsam. The calendar above consolidates and filters the information from a variety of sources.

3) I do not include weekly or monthly religious observances. By that I mean, many religions observe a weekly day as a holy day. Many religions also observe the first and/or last day of every month as a holy day. These days I have not included in the calendar. I also have not included the numerous Saints Days on the Catholic calendar, unless they are highlighted on one of the interfaith calendars I reference. 

4) Please let me know if you spot any errors, or if you have suggestions for additions.