December holidays in the U.S.

Tue 19 Dec 2017

December is a month packed with holidays and in the U.S. there are many traditions that are celebrated: some familiar and some new. Take this opportunity to broaden your horizons and enjoy a range of different holiday traditions.

Traditional U.S. Holidays in December

In the U.S., a multitude of nationalities, religions and traditions have intertwined and merged and have contributed to the numerous mixtures of religious and secular customs that we know today. Also, in many cases, these traditions are further blended with family traditions.

Most Christians in the U.S. will celebrate Christmas on December 25, which signifies the birth of Jesus. Some families will celebrate Christmas with a roast turkey or roast ham, but there are regional and cultural differences in food. Depending on where you are and with whom you are celebrating Christmas, you may see roasted goose, crawfish jambalaya or carp on the Christmas dinner table.

Many Jewish families in the U.S. celebrate Hanukkah, which is also known as the festival of lights. It is celebrated by lighting a candle every night for eight nights on the menorah, a type of candelabrum. Families get together to say special prayers, play with a dreidel – a four-sided die - and share food together. The most common food eaten during Hanukkah are latkes, a type of potato pancake.

New Year’s Eve is usually a big celebration in the U.S., with lots of fireworks and countdown parties. The most famous countdown party is the one in Times Square in New York, where over one million people watch the New Year’s Eve Ball drop on top of the One Times Square building on December 31st. Although the event is televised all over the world, if you are in New York, perhaps you are an ONCAMPUS student at either Boston or SUNY, do go down and join in the festivities!

Other celebrated holidays in December

Probably less known is Kwanzaa, celebrated by some African-Americans. The celebration was started in 1966, to celebrate the first harvest. In this way, this celebration is similar to Thanksgiving – the word ‘kwanza’ means first in Swahili. This seven day celebration includes gift giving and the sharing of food – the food shared during Kwanzaa can vary greatly by family and where they are from, but can include dishes made with okra, yams, bananas and sweet potato.

Those from the UK will be familiar with Boxing Day, which is celebrated the day after Christmas – December 26. Americans usually call this day the second day of Christmas. The term originated from ‘boxes’ or gifts given to tradesmen and servants who had to work on Christmas and has nothing to do with the sport of boxing.

Bring your own traditions and share them with your peers

If you have your own special traditions, from your family, your religion or your country, don’t feel self-conscious, but share these traditions with your fellow students. Many of the December holidays center around family and for those international students who may not have family nearby, join festivities at the university or invite other international students to celebrate your own traditions. With so many holidays in December, this is a great month to learn about new cultures and different traditions.

Happy holidays!