List of winter festivals (original) (raw)

List of winter festivals: This is an incomplete list of festivals and holidays that take place during the winter, especially those commemorating the season. Many festivals of light take place in the winter, since the shortest day of the year is the Winter Solstice.

Holidays are listed in chronological order under each heading.

Chinese

• Dong zhi - Winter solstice
• Signature of the Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan) - December 25 - a secular national holiday, which due to its date is celebrated in some respects like Christmas
• Chinese New Year (late January - early February) - actually a spring festival

Christian

• Advent - four weeks prior to Christmas - preparing for the birth of Christ.
• Christmas Eve - December 24
• Christmas - December 25 - the birth of Christ.
• Saint Stephen's Day - December 26
• Saint Sylvester's Day - December 31
• Epiphany or Twelfth Night - January 6 - the arrival of the Three Magi.
• Candlemas - February 2

Historical

• Modranect, or Mothers' Night , the Saxon winter soltice festival.
• Saturnalia, the Roman winter soltice festival
• Yule the Celtic winter soltice festival

Jewish

• Hanukkah - December (variable) - commemorating the miracle of the candles after the destruction of the Temple

Muslim

• Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr - not actually a winter festival per se, but currently falling in December

Neopagan

• Yule (Winter Solstice) - rebirth of the Sun
• Imbolc (February 1 or 2) - festival of candles

Secular

• Zamenhof Day - December 15 - Birthday of Ludwig Zamenhof, inventor of Esperanto; holiday reunion for Esperantists
• Boxing Day - December 26 - gift-giving day after Christmas.
• Kwanzaa - December 26-January 1 - festival of African-American culture
• New Year's Day - January 1
• Hogmanay (Scotland)
• Groundhog Day - February 2