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The Holidays 2019 to 2020
6 years ago
General
In the past few years, some Protestant groups have tried to argue against referring to the Christmas season as “The Holidays” because they feel that it takes away from the Holy status of Christmas and of Christ. What they fail to understand is that “The Holidays” does not mean Christmas exclusively. There are, in fact, quite a few holidays during this time, not all of them Christian. Here is my list of holidays and important occasions for 2019 which happen between Advent Sunday, (the beginning of the traditional lead up to Christmas), through Christmas Season, (the twelve days beginning Christmas Day and ending on January 5th or “Twelfth Night”). until Epiphany, (the season which follows Christmas.)
- December 1st – Advent Sunday (Catholic), Rosa Parks Day (anniversary of her arrest)
- December 1st to 24th – Advent Season (Catholic)
- December 2nd - Women's Brain Health Day (Canada), National Mutt Day (USA)
- December 3rd - International Day of Persons with Disabilities (UN)
- December 4th - Eid il-Burbara (Middle East Christians), International Cheetah Day
- December 5th – Krampusnacht (Austrian Trad.), Day of the Ninja
- December 5th to 6th - Sinterklaas (Dutch, St Nicolas Eve + St Nicholas Day)
- December 6th - St. Nicholas Day (Christian), National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada), 30th Anniversary of the Polytechnique Montréal Shooting
- December 8th - Geeta Jayanti (Hindu), Bodhi Day (Rohatsu, Buddhist), Immaculate Conception of Mary (Catholic)
- December 9th – Anna’s Day (Sweden, Finland, lutefisk)
- December 10th - Human Rights Day (UN)
- December 11th - Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster
- December 12th – Rohini Vrat (Jainist, monthly), Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Hispanic Catholic), Full Moon (Moon Before Yule)
- December 13th - Acadians Remembrance Day
- December 14th - Monkey Day
- December 15th - Zamenhof Day (Esperanto)
- December 16th - Dhanu Sankranti (Hindu)
- December 16th to 25th - Posadas Navidenas (Mexico)
- December 20th - International Human Solidarity Day, World Barking Day
- December 20th to 23rd – Yule (Pagan)
- December 21st – Winter Solstice, Official First Day of Winter, Sanghamitta (Buddhist), Yalda (Zoroastrianism), Blue Christmas (Christian), Global Orgasm Day
- December 22nd, sunset, to 30th – Chanukah/Hanukkah (Jewish)
- December 22nd to January 2nd – Yule (Christian, aka Yuletide)
- December 23rd – Humanlight (Secular Humanist), Festivus (Seinfeld), Christmas Adam (because Adam came before Eve)
- December 24th – Nittel Nacht (Jewish), Christmas Eve
- December 25th – Christmas Day (Christian), Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian), Newtonmas (Sir Isaac Newton's birthday, 1642)
- December 26th – Boxing Day (?), Wren Day (Celtic), Feast of St Stephen (Christian), Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrianism), Kwanzaa begins (to January 1st)
- December 27th – Feast of Saint John the Apostle (Christian)
- December 28th - Holy Innocents (Christian)
- December 29th - Holy Family (Catholic)
- December 31st – New Year’s Eve, Watch Night (Christian)
- January 1st – New Year’s Day, Mary Mother of God (Catholic), Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Orthodox Christian), Feast Day of St Basil (Orthodox Christian), Gantan-sai (Shinto New Year), Z Day
- January 2nd - Guru Gobindh Singh’s birthday (Sikh), Day After New Year’s Day (PQ)
- January 3rd - Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Some Catholics)
- January 4th - World Braille Day
- January 5th – Twelfth Night (trad.)
- January 6th – Epiphany (Christian), Dia de los Reyes (Hispanic Catholic)
TOTAL HOLIDAYS and OCCASIONS = 68 (does not include January 6th)
Religious = 36
Christian = 23
And that’s why we call it “The Holidays.”
- December 1st – Advent Sunday (Catholic), Rosa Parks Day (anniversary of her arrest)
- December 1st to 24th – Advent Season (Catholic)
- December 2nd - Women's Brain Health Day (Canada), National Mutt Day (USA)
- December 3rd - International Day of Persons with Disabilities (UN)
- December 4th - Eid il-Burbara (Middle East Christians), International Cheetah Day
- December 5th – Krampusnacht (Austrian Trad.), Day of the Ninja
- December 5th to 6th - Sinterklaas (Dutch, St Nicolas Eve + St Nicholas Day)
- December 6th - St. Nicholas Day (Christian), National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada), 30th Anniversary of the Polytechnique Montréal Shooting
- December 8th - Geeta Jayanti (Hindu), Bodhi Day (Rohatsu, Buddhist), Immaculate Conception of Mary (Catholic)
- December 9th – Anna’s Day (Sweden, Finland, lutefisk)
- December 10th - Human Rights Day (UN)
- December 11th - Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster
- December 12th – Rohini Vrat (Jainist, monthly), Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Hispanic Catholic), Full Moon (Moon Before Yule)
- December 13th - Acadians Remembrance Day
- December 14th - Monkey Day
- December 15th - Zamenhof Day (Esperanto)
- December 16th - Dhanu Sankranti (Hindu)
- December 16th to 25th - Posadas Navidenas (Mexico)
- December 20th - International Human Solidarity Day, World Barking Day
- December 20th to 23rd – Yule (Pagan)
- December 21st – Winter Solstice, Official First Day of Winter, Sanghamitta (Buddhist), Yalda (Zoroastrianism), Blue Christmas (Christian), Global Orgasm Day
- December 22nd, sunset, to 30th – Chanukah/Hanukkah (Jewish)
- December 22nd to January 2nd – Yule (Christian, aka Yuletide)
- December 23rd – Humanlight (Secular Humanist), Festivus (Seinfeld), Christmas Adam (because Adam came before Eve)
- December 24th – Nittel Nacht (Jewish), Christmas Eve
- December 25th – Christmas Day (Christian), Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian), Newtonmas (Sir Isaac Newton's birthday, 1642)
- December 26th – Boxing Day (?), Wren Day (Celtic), Feast of St Stephen (Christian), Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrianism), Kwanzaa begins (to January 1st)
- December 27th – Feast of Saint John the Apostle (Christian)
- December 28th - Holy Innocents (Christian)
- December 29th - Holy Family (Catholic)
- December 31st – New Year’s Eve, Watch Night (Christian)
- January 1st – New Year’s Day, Mary Mother of God (Catholic), Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Orthodox Christian), Feast Day of St Basil (Orthodox Christian), Gantan-sai (Shinto New Year), Z Day
- January 2nd - Guru Gobindh Singh’s birthday (Sikh), Day After New Year’s Day (PQ)
- January 3rd - Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Some Catholics)
- January 4th - World Braille Day
- January 5th – Twelfth Night (trad.)
- January 6th – Epiphany (Christian), Dia de los Reyes (Hispanic Catholic)
TOTAL HOLIDAYS and OCCASIONS = 68 (does not include January 6th)
Religious = 36
Christian = 23
And that’s why we call it “The Holidays.”
That's all
, for any readers inclined to miss the point,, either innocently or deliberately....oh, Catholics. And I was surprised when I stumbled over Eid il-Burbara, (St Barbara's Day.) Still, I imagine that it must be risky for Christians to celebrate it in some parts of the middle-east. Some year, I'll have to actually describe all these occasions and things in the list.
I think we agree on who the problem is, though.
So where do we get to the part of what I hate? When I say "Happy Holidays" to someone, ONLY to be "corrected" by them adamantly shouting "MERRY CHRISTMAS" back in my face, or for them to say "It's Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays". Then instead of feeling warm and fuzzy, I feel irritated and mad and reminded of why I generally detest the holiday season to begin with. 🙄
One time someone "corrected" me with the latter phrase, and you should've seen the look of utter contempt on their face. I actually said back, "Actually for a piece of privileged **** like you, it's bah humbug. Your holiday isn't the only one celebrated this time of year." Then their face went from that of contempt to that of fury, because I bruised their ego a little bit.
fearrespect.That is secretly amazing. Also, it's a good list you got there
Zamenhof Day is the birfday of L.L. Zamenhof, creator of Esperanto. (I'm assuming that it's an important day to Esperanto-speakers, since I found it listed somewhere.) He would have been 160 this year.