‘Tis the season to be jolly. And, more likely than not, you’re going to hear lots of people saying Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanzaa or Joyeaux Noel. Every now and then, you might get a Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays. A wag or two might even wish you Happy Festivus.
We encourage you to embrace any of these felicitations for what they are — good tidings for a season of joy for whatever holidays they recognize.
We hope you won’t go down any rabbit holes from people who shout there’s a war on Christmas or any other religious holiday. Despite some religious conspiracy theorists who fly this soiled banner every year, there’s just not a war on celebrating the holidays and the advent of a new year.
In fact, wishing “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” to someone might just be plain old Southern courtesy if you don’t know how someone worships. Why? Because there are more than 20 different religious holidays between now and the 12th day of Christmas on Jan. 5.
In case you didn’t realize, here is a list of some of the coming 2023 and early 2024 holidays celebrated by different people and religions at this time of the year, according to an interfaith calendar:
- Dec. 7-15: Season of Hanukkah, Judaism
- Dec. 16-24: Posadas Navidenas, a nine-day Latin American religious observance honoring the quest by Mary and Joseph for shelter.
- Dec. 21: St. Thomas the Apostle, Christian
- Dec. 22: Yule/Winter Solstice, Wicca/Neo-pagan
- Dec. 24: Christmas Eve, Christian
- Dec. 25: First day of Christmas, Christian; Feast of the Nativity, Orthodox Christian
- Dec. 26: Zarathosht Diso, Zoroastrian; St. Stephen’s Day, Christian
- Dec. 31: Watch Night, Christian
- Jan. 1: Feast Day of St. Basil, Orthodox Christian; Shogatsu/Gantan-sai, Shinto;
- Jan. 5: Twelfth Night, Christian; Guru Gobindh Singh birthday, Sikh.
- Jan. 6: Epiphany, Christian and Orthodox Christian.
- Jan. 7: Christmas Day, Rastafarian
As we rush to stores to buy gifts for family and friends to celebrate our seasons, let’s remember to slow down soon, respect the varying religious traditions
and count our blessings for the year to come.
Happy holidays (all of them!)
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