December is arguably the most amazing month of the year – thanks to tons of festivals, traditions, and holiday customs. From the Geminid Meteor Shower to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, there are plenty of things that make December an exciting and fun holiday month.

It is also the time when people from different cultures and religious backgrounds come together to celebrate fests and happenings.

In this blog, we have listed down some of the most celebrated celebrations and festivities around the globe. All the ones that we listed below are important and are celebrated by hundreds of millions of people across the globe. From scientific days to international days and just normal celebratory festivities, we have listed them all below so you can have an overview of what they are and what people do on that day. 

Famous Festivals In December (India)

If you are in India, you might also celebrate the following festivals: 

International December Holidays 

Here are some of the most important holidays across the globe that are celebrated in the month of December: 

• December 1 – United Arab Emirates (National Day)
• December 4 – Ghana (Farmer’s Day)
• December 4 – International World Wildlife Conservation Day 
• December 5 – International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 
• December 6 – Finland (Independence Day), Spain (Constitution Day)
• December 7 – Thailand (King Bhumibol’s Birthday)
• December 9 – International Anti-Corruption Day 
• December 10 – Thailand (Constitution Day)
• December 11- International Mountain Day 
• December 12 – Mexico (The Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe)
• December 13 – Malta (Republic day)
• December 16 – Bangladesh (Victory Day), South Africa (Day of Reconciliation)
• December 18 – Qatar (National Day)
• December 26 – Various Countries (Boxing Day), Slovenia (Independence and Unity Day)
• December 27 – International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 
• December 29 – Sri Lanka (Unduvap Full Moon Poya)
• December 30 – Philippines (Rizal Day)
• December 31 – India (Pradosh Vrat) 

Complete List Of December Global Holidays

Here is a complete List Of Holidays Around The world for this year:  

December Global Holidays And Why They’re Celebrated 

• Hanukkah

Hanukkah, which is also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish festival. It is celebrated by the Jews across the globe to commemorate the recovery of Jerusalem. It is also celebrated to talk about the rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire, which was present in the 2nd century BCE. 

Every single year, Hanukkah is celebrated by the Jewish community in multiple ways, which include lighting candles on the menorah, carrying out religious rituals, reading the scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing a special hymn. 

Here are the 6 most important Hanukkah Traditions: 

• Lighting the Menorah
• Playing Dreidel
• Eating Fried Food
• Hanukkah Gelt
• Giving Gifts
• Hanukkah Music
  

• World  AIDS  Day
  

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 of every single year. This International Day was first celebrated in 1988 as an international awareness day so people across the globe can properly understand how this virus is transmitted and what we could do to avoid the further spread of this disease. It is also used to mourn the deaths of those people who have passed away after contracting the disease. 

Every year on this day, people gather together and promote awareness on how the HIV/AIDS virus is transmitted and what we can do as adults to help prohibit and maximize the spread of this disease. For those people who had a loved one getting the virus and passing away from it, this day is used to mourn their deaths.

• Krampusnacht

This one is lesser known across the globe but actually, there are so many people across the world who take this day seriously. 

On this day, people from Australia and a number of parts of Germany and Europe, adults dressed up as Krampus in order to frighten naughty children at their houses. The main goal of this festival is to help parents make their kids better individuals. 

Krampusnacht is a wicked hairy devil that appears on the streets. Most of the time, they are accompanied by St. Nicholas, and sometimes on their own, they are known to punish children that have been bad or have been naughty in the last couple of months or years. Most of the time, people who dress up as Krampusnacht punish the little ones by whipping them with their switches. After the whipping, the devil then takes them to his lair. According to experts, Krampusnacht is the counterpart to St. Nicholas, who is a European gift giver who arrives on December 6. 

• Bodhi Day

Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day Gautama Buddha experienced enlightenment. This process is called bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. According to the Buddhist religion, Siddharta had recently forsaken years of ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a peepal tree, which is also known as the Bodhi Tree to simply meditate. At one point, they found the root of suffering and how to liberate themselves from it.  Buddhists believe that Gautama first experienced enlightenment after meditating underneath a Bodhi tree for 49 days. Bodhi day is celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, Rohatsu in Japanese, it is observed on December 8 in Japan.

• Feast of the Immaculate

On December 8 of each year, the followers of the Christian religion celebrate the sinless lifespan and the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. This day is also 9 months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary, which is celebrated on September 8 of each year. 

On this day, followers of the Christian religion observe the day by attending the mass, hosting a feast, and giving out to the needy. There are some other festivities that are done on this day, however, that depends on which country you are living in and where you are celebrating the feast of the immaculate.

• Human Rights Day

Humans Rights Day is celebrated across the globe on December 10 of every single year. This day was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly to remind everyone across the globe that it is important to treat everyone the right way and promote it so people with a backward mindset could understand why and how everyone is created equal and why everyone deserves to be treated the right way. 

Human Rights Day is celebrated across the globe by organizing political conferences, meetings, cultural events, programs, and exhibitions in order to advocate for human rights awareness. Most of the time, this day is heavily celebrated by people who have experienced a lot of abuse in the past, particularly because of their skin color, their religion, their political views, and any other reason.

• St. Lucia’s Day

St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated on December 13 of each year. It is considered by many a very important holiday, considering that it celebrates the light during the long dark winter season in Scandinavia, where some regions only get to experience a couple of hours of sunlight or daylight on a daily basis. Basically, this holiday is celebrated close to the winter solstice, which is considered the shortest day of the entire year. 

People who celebrate St. Lucia Day is observed by having one of their daughters, preferably their eldest one, wear a white dress and serve coffee and baked goods. Most of the time, saffron bread and ginger biscuits are served to the members of the family. Some people also hand out the baked goods to their visitors and neighbors in case they do not have any daughters. 

• Las Posadas

If you are living in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, or anywhere in America where Hispanics are predominantly present, you probably know the Las Posadas. The Las Posadas is celebrated between December 16 and 24, it is a Christmas Festival/ this religious festival commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary would give birth to Baby Jesus. 

Singing, dancing, eating, hitting the piñata, and reflecting on this centuries-old cultural holiday are just some of the many festivities that are carried out by the Hispanic community during this day while they are celebrating it. There are some other celebratory festivities for the Las Posadas, but they are not celebrated by everyone, considering that every tradition varies per country. 

• International Solidarity Day

On December 20 of every single year, the world, particularly countries that are linked with the United Nations, celebrates International Human Solidarity Day. On this day, people are encouraged to debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Also on this day, people come up with new initiatives that would allow everyone to eradicate poverty. Just like any other international day, people celebrate this one by hosting events and organizing lectures that would allow people to know what International Solidarity Day is about. 

• Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice is celebrated across the globe to mark the start of winter. It also means the return of more sunlight, which means that many religions call it the festival of the “return of the Sun”. Please do keep in mind that the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere’s shortest day (first day of winter) and the Southern Hemisphere’s longest day (first day of summer). This means that you might not have this celebratory event in your country. 

On this day, ceremonies and rituals are carried out across the globe. Some of them include purification, dancing, gift-giving, and many more. 

• Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is the evening or the entire day before December 25, which is also known as Christmas day. On December 25 each year, Christians across the globe celebrate this day to commemorate the birth of Jesus. On this day, most countries declare it a national holiday. 

A day before Christmas, people prepare delicious food, have gifts for each other, and make sure that they attend a mass, where they get to celebrate it with random people. This is also considered by many as one of the most celebrated and important days of the Christian religion across the globe. 

• Christmas

December 25, which is also known as Christmas day, is considered by many the most celebrated and important days in the Christian religion and across the globe. On December 25 each year, Christians across the globe celebrate this day to commemorate the birth of Jesus. On this day, most countries declare it a national holiday. 

Some of the most popular celebratory events on this day include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends, and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.

• Boxing Day

One of the most awaited days of the year is Boxing Day. This day is celebrated after Christmas Day. Originally, it was a day to give gifts to the poor, but these days, people use this day to shop for themselves because of the amazing deals that they get. For example, you can get many phones, house appliances, and many more at extremely low prices. This means that you get to save a lot of money. 

Most of the time people on this day just go to their local malls, find something that they want and get it for themselves or gift them to the people that they love. Many people consider it as one of the most important days of the year because of the amazing deals that they get from their favorite brands.

• St. Stephen’s  Day
  

Saint Stephen’s Day, which is also known as the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian’ Saint’s day. This day commemorates Saint Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian religion. This day is celebrated in Western countries on December 26, and in Eastern countries, it is celebrated on December 27. Please do note that St Stephen’s Day is considered a holiday in Christian majority countries. 

Stephen’s Day is celebrated with sleigh rides or horse rides. This is because they are also known as the patron saint of horses. 

• Kwanza

Kwanza is an annual celebration of the African-American culture. It is celebrated from December 26 to January 1 of each year. It culminates in a communal feast known as the Karamu, which is carried out on the sixth day of the festival. The significance of this festival is to celebrate the African heritage, unity, and amazing culture. It is celebrated mostly in parts of Africa, America, and by mostly African Americans with deep roots in Africa. On this day, candles are also lit up, most of the time the candles are in black, green, and red color. 

• New Year’s Eve

This one is the most known and celebrated festival/celebration of each year. 

New Year’s Eve is the most important and celebrated day of every single year. Almost every person that is looking forward to the upcoming year is there to celebrate it. From amazing fireworks to celebrate it with the people that they love the most, this day is awaited by almost every single person on this planet, particularly the ones that are celebrating it with someone special. 

Disclaimer 

We would like to clear it out that we only listed the Holidays Around The World In December that are celebrated by a lot of countries. In case we missed out on any important or special; holiday, please do let us know so we can update this list and add it as fast as we can. Also, all the information that we listed above was made after doing thorough research on the internet. 

Do you think we missed out on any important December global holidays? Let us know what we missed out on by leaving a comment in the comments section below!