December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the

Julian Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (give ...

and Gregorian calendars and is also the last of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry décembre

December got its name from the Latin word ''decem'' (meaning

ten Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to: * 10, an even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 * one of the years 10 BC, AD 10, 1910 and 2010 * October, the tenth month of the year Places * Mount Ten, in Vietnam * Tongren Fenghuang Airport (IATA code ...

) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the calendar of Romulus which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name.

Macrobius Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, usually referred to as Macrobius (fl. AD 400), was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, during late antiquity, the period of time corresponding to the Later Roman Empire, and when Latin was ...

, ''

Saturnalia Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple ...

'', tr. Percival Vaughan Davies (New York: Columbia University Press, 1969), book I, chapters 12–13, pp. 89–95. In Ancient Rome, as one of the four Agonalia, this day in honour of Sol Indiges was held on December 11, as was Septimontium. Dies natalis (birthday) was held at the temple of

Tellus Tellus is a Latin word meaning "Earth" and may refer to: * An alternative name for the planet Earth * Tellus of Athens, a citizen of ancient Athens who was thought to be the happiest of men * Tellus Mater or Terra Mater, the ancient Roman earth mo ...

on December 13,

Consualia The Consualia or ''Consuales Ludi'' was the name of two ancient Roman festivals in honor of Consus, a tutelary deity of the harvest and stored grain. ''Consuales Ludi'' harvest festivals were held on August 21,Plutarch. "Life if Romulus", in ''P ...

was held on December 15,

was held December 17–23, Opiconsivia was held on December 19, Divalia was held on December 21, Larentalia was held on December 23, and the dies natalis of Sol Invictus was held on December 25. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. The Anglo-Saxons referred to December–January as Ġēolamonaþ (modern English: " Yule month"). The French Republican Calendar contained December within the months of Frimaire and Nivôse.

Astronomy

Hans Bol - Adriaen Collaert - Emblemata evangelica - Erfgoedfonds Koning Boudewijnstichting - Fonds du Patrimoine Fondation Roi Baudouin - 12

December contains the winter solstice in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

, the day with the fewest daylight hours, and the

summer solstice The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer ...

in the Southern Hemisphere, the day with the most daylight hours (excluding polar regions in both cases). December in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to June in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the astronomical winter is traditionally 21 December or the date of the solstice. Meteor showers occurring in December are the Andromedids (September 25 – December 6, peaking around November 9), the

Canis-Minorids The Canis-Minorids, also called the Beta Canis Minorids, are a meteor shower that arises near the fifth-magnitude star 11 Canis Minoris. They were discovered in 1964 by Keith Hindley, who investigated their trajectory A trajectory or flight ...

(December 4 – December 15, peaking around December 10–11), the

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(December 12 to December 23, peaking around December 16), the

Delta Cancrids The Delta Cancrids is a medium strength meteor shower lasting from December 14 to February 14, the main shower from January 1 to January 24. The radiant is located in the constellation of Cancer, near Delta Cancri Delta Cancri (δ Cancr ...

(December 14 to February 14, the main shower from January 1 to January 24, peaking on January 17), the Geminids (December 13–14), the

Monocerotids The Monocerotids refers to two separate meteor showers originating from the constellation of Monoceros. The Alpha Monocerotids The Alpha Monocerotids is a meteor shower active from 15 to 25 November, with its peak occurring on 21 or 22 November. ...

(December 7 to December 20, peaking on December 9. This shower can also start in November), the

Phoenicids The Phoenicids are a minor meteor shower, first noticed by observers in New Zealand, Australia, the Indian Ocean, and South Africa during an outburst of approximately 100 meteors an hour that occurred during December 1956. Like other meteor shower ...

(November 29 to December 9, with a peak occurring around 5/6 December), the Quadrantids (typically a January shower but can also start in December), the

Sigma Hydrids Sigma Hydrids are faint, minor meteor shower with peak on 9 December. Zenithal Hourly Rate, ZHR is 3-5 and population index is 3. They are active from December 3 to 20. Sigma hydrids were discovered by Richard E. McCrosky and Annette Posen. Re ...

(December 4–15), and the Ursids (December 17-to December 25/26, peaking around December 22).

Astrology

*The zodiac signs for the month of December are

Sagittarius Sagittarius ( ) may refer to: *Sagittarius (constellation) *Sagittarius (astrology), a sign of the Zodiac Ships *''SuperStar Sagittarius'', a cruise ship * USS ''Sagittarius'' (AKN-2), a World War II US Navy cargo ship Music *Sagittarius (ban ...

(until December 21) and Capricorn (December 22 onwards).The Earth passes the junction of the signs at 10:02 UT/GMT December 21, 2020, and will pass it again at 15:59 UT/GMT December 21, 2021.. Signs in UT/GMT for 1950–2030.

December symbols

December's birth flower is the

narcissus Narcissus may refer to: Biology * ''Narcissus'' (plant), a genus containing daffodils and others People * Narcissus (mythology), Greek mythological character * Narcissus (wrestler) (2nd century), assassin of the Roman emperor Commodus * Tiberiu ...

December's birthstones are the turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite.

Observances

''This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.''

Non-Gregorian observances: 2021 dates

(All Baháʼí, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.) * List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar *

List of observances set by the Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings. The most important Chinese holiday is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in overseas ethnic Chinese communities (for example in ...

* List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar * List of observances set by the Islamic calendar * List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar

Month-long observances

*In Catholic tradition, December is the Month of the Advent of Christ. *National Egg Nog Month (United States) *

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(United States) *National Fruit Cake Month (United States) *National Pear Month (United States) * No Gender December ( International)

Movable observances: 2021 dates

*See also Movable Western Christian observances *See also Movable Eastern Christian observances Tuesday immediately following fourth Thursday of November: November 30 * Giving Tuesday ( United States) (can sometimes fall in December) First Friday: December 3 * Farmer's Day ( Ghana) * Gospel Day ( Marshall Islands) First Sunday: December 5 * Good Neighborliness Day ( Turkmenistan) * Sindhi Cultural Day ( Sindhi diaspora) Second Monday: December 13 *

Green Monday Green Monday is an online retail industry term similar to Cyber Monday. The term was coined by Shopping.com, an eBay company, in 2007 to describe the best eCommerce sales day in December, usually the second Monday of December. After doing some ...

* National Tree Planting Day (Malawi) December 15, unless the date falls on a Sunday, then December 16: December 15 *

Koninkrijksdag ''Koninkrijksdag'' ( pap, Dia di Reino, en, Kingdom Day, West Frisian: ''Keninkryksdei'') is the commemoration of the signing of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 15 December 1954 in Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and S ...

( Kingdom of the Netherlands) Winter Solstice: December 21 * Blue Christmas (holiday) * Brumalia ( Ancient Rome) * Dongzhi Festival ( Asia) *

Global Orgasm Global Orgasm was an action originally scheduled for 22 December 2006 by the author and activist couple of Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell to coincide with the end of winter solstice. The idea was for participants throughout the world to have an or ...

Korochun ''Koročun'' or ''Kračun'' (see Korochun#Names and etymology, other variants below) is one of the names of Slavic mythology, Slavic pagan holiday Koliada. In modern usage, it may refer to the winter solstice in certain Eastern European languages, ...

( Slavic) * Midsummer in the Southern Hemisphere. ( Contemporary Paganism) * Sanghamitta Day ( Theravada Buddhism) *

Shalako Shalako is a series of dances and ceremonies conducted by the Native American Zuni people for the Zuni people at the winter solstice, typically following the harvest. The Shalako ceremony and feast has been closed to non-native peoples since 1 ...

( Zuni) * Yaldā ( Iran) * Yule in the Northern Hemisphere ( Contemporary Paganism) *

Ziemassvētki Ziemassvētki (), also Ziemsvētki is an annual festival in Latvia which observes the winter solstice and birth of Jesus Christ. Latvians around the world celebrate it from 24 to 25 December. 24 December is Ziemassvētku vakars ( Christmas Eve, l ...

(

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

) December 22, unless that date is a Sunday, in which case it's moved to the 23rd: December 22 * Forefathers' Day (

Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...

) December 26, unless that day is a Sunday, in which case the 27th: December 27 *

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

( Commonwealth of Nations) **

Day of Good Will Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the twelve Days of Christmas, second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known a ...

( South Africa and Namibia) ** Family Day ( Vanuatu) **

Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands) The people of the Solomon Islands observe these holidays nationally. Public holidays * 1 January: New Year's Day * Variable Friday: Good Friday * Variable Saturday: Holy Saturday * Variable Monday: Easter Monday * Variable Monday: Whit ...

**Start of

Boxing Week Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

Fixed observances

*November 25 – December 10:

16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence The Global 16 Days Campaign is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Righ ...

* December 1 ** Battle of the Sinop Day ( Russia) ** Bifocals at the Monitor Day ( unofficial) ** Damrong Rajanubhab Day ( Thailand) ** Day of Restoration of Independence ( Portugal) ** Eat A Red Apple Day ( United States) **

Feast for Death of Aleister Crowley Thelema () is a Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial magician. The word '' ...

( Thelema) ** First President Day ( Kazakhstan) **

Freedom and Democracy Day Freedom and Democracy Day is a national holiday in Chad, falling on 1 December. Government offices and businesses close. The holiday commemorates the overthrow of Hissène Habré by Idriss Déby Idriss Déby Itno ' (18 June 1952 – 20 April ...

(

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

) ** Great Union Day ( Romania) ** Military Abolition Day (

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

) **

National Day (Myanmar) National Day () is a public holiday in Myanmar, marking the anniversary of the first university student strike at Rangoon University in 1920. The date is based on the traditional Burmese calendar, occurring on the 10th day following the full moon ...

** Republic Day (Central African Republic) **

Restoration of Independence Day (Portugal) In Portugal, a public holiday ( pt, feriado) is a calendar date, legally recognised and defined in the Labour Code as well as the Concordat of 2004, on which most businesses and non-essential services are closed. On some of these dates, public co ...

** Rosa Parks Day ( Ohio and Oregon, United States) **

Self-governance Day Public holidays in Iceland are established by the act of the Icelandic parliament''.'' The public holidays are the religious holidays of the Church of Iceland and the First Day of Summer, May Day, the Icelandic National Day. In addition, Christmas ...

( Iceland) ** Teachers' Day ( Panama) ** World AIDS Day ***

Day Without Art Day Without Art (DWA) is an annual event where art institutions and other organizations organize programs to raise awareness of AIDS, remember people who have died, and inspire positive action. Initiated in 1988 by VisualAIDS from New York City (NY ...

* December 2 **

Armed Forces Day (Cuba) Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Africa Egypt In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 October, ...

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is a yearly event on December 2, organized since 1986 by the United Nations General Assembly. The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostituti ...

National Day (Laos) Lao National Day () is held in Laos on December 2. The public holiday marks the end of the monarchy A monarchy is a government#Forms, form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The le ...

** National Day (United Arab Emirates) ** National Fritters Day ( United States) * December 3 **

Doctors' Day National Doctors' Day is a day celebrated to recognize the contributions of physicians to individual lives and communities. The date varies from nation to nation depending on the event of commemoration used to mark the day. In some nations the da ...

( Cuba) ** United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities * December 4 ** National Cookie Day ( United States) **

Navy Day (India) Navy Day in India is celebrated on 4 December every year to recognize the achievements and role of the Indian Navy to the country. 4 December was chosen as on that day in 1971, during Operation Trident, the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vess ...

Saint Barbara's Day Eid il-Burbara or Saint Barbara's Day ( ar, عيد البربارة), and also called the Feast of Saint Barbara, is a holiday annually celebrated on 17 December (Gregorian calendar) or 4 December (Julian calendar) amongst Middle Eastern Christi ...

-related observances: *** Barbórka ( Poland) ***

Eid il-Burbara Eid il-Burbara or Saint Barbara's Day ( ar, عيد البربارة), and also called the Feast of Saint Barbara, is a holiday annually celebrated on 17 December (Gregorian calendar) or 4 December (Julian calendar) amongst Middle Eastern Christi ...

( Russia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, Turkey) ** Thai Environment Day ( Thailand) **

Tupou I Day The Tongan archipelago has been inhabited for perhaps 3000 years, since settlement in late Lapita times. The culture of its inhabitants has surely changed greatly over this long time period. Before the arrival of European explorers in the late 1 ...

( Tonga) * December 5 ** Bathtub Party Day ( unofficial) ** Children's Day (

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

) ** Day of the Ninja ( unofficial) ** Day of Military Honour – Battle of Moscow ( Russia) ** Discovery Day (

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

and Dominican Republic) ** International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development **

Klozum Klozum (or Klozem) is a holiday feast celebrated every 5 December on the Netherlands, Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog (island and municipality), Schiermonnikoog. The name literally means "Uncle Claus" (as in Saint Nicholas). Despite the name and d ...

(

Schiermonnikoog Schiermonnikoog (; fry, ) is an island, a municipality and national park in the Northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland. It is situated between the islands of Ameland a ...

, Netherlands) ** Saint Nicholas Eve ( Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Poland and the UK) ***

Krampusnacht Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in the Central and Eastern Alpine folklore of Europe who, during the Advent season, scares children who have misbehaved. Assisting Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, the pair visit children on the nigh ...

( Austria) **

King's Birthday (Thailand) Public holidays in Thailand are regulated by the government, and most are observed by both the public and private sectors. There are usually nineteen public holidays in a year, but more may be declared by the cabinet. Other observances, both offic ...

** Repeal Day ( United States) ** World Soil Day * December 6 **

Anniversary of the Founding of Quito Public holidays in References {{DEFAULTSORT:Public Holidays In Ecuador Ecuador Ecuadorian culture Society of Ecuador Holidays A holiday is a day set aside by Norm (social), custom or by law on which normal activities, especially busines ...

( Ecuador) ** Armed Forces Day ( Ukraine) **

Constitution Day (Spain) Public holidays celebrated in Spain include a mix of religious (Roman Catholic), national and regional observances. Each municipality is allowed to have a maximum of 14 public holidays per year; a maximum of nine of these are chosen by the nationa ...

** Day of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan **

Independence Day of Finland Independence Day of Finland ( fi, itsenäisyyspäivä; sv, självständighetsdagen) is a national public holiday, and a flag flying day, held on 6 December to celebrate Finland's declaration of independence from the Russian Empire when the Bols ...

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (french: Journée Nationale de Commémoration et d'Action Contre la Violence à l'Égard des Femmes), also known informally as White Ribbon Day (''Jour du Ruban Blanc''), is a da ...

( Canada) **

St Nicholas Day Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 5 December or on 6 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nic ...

( Western Christianity) * December 7 **

Armed Forces Flag Day The Armed Forces Flag Day or the Flag Day of India is a day dedicated to honouring the soldiers and veterans of India's armed forces. It has been observed annually in India on December 7 since 1949. History Immediately after India achieved inde ...

( India) **

Eve of the Immaculate Conception The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, also called Immaculate Conception Day, celebrates the sinless lifespan and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary, celeb ...

( Western Christianity) and related observances: ***

Day of the Little Candles Little Candles Day or Immaculate Conception Eve ( es, Día de las velitas) is a widely observed traditional holiday in Colombia. It is celebrated on December 7 on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. Thi ...

, begins after sunset (

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

) ***

Quema del Diablo This is a list of public holidays in Guatemala. Public holidays The Guatemalan Labor Code recognizes the following dates as public holidays with paid leave (unless marked as "Bank holiday"): Dates of variable holidays *2020 in Guatemala, 2020 ...

, begins after sunset. (

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

) **

Flag Land Base Day The Church of Scientology maintains a wide variety of beliefs and practices. The core belief holds that a human is an immortal, spiritual being (thetan) that is resident in a physical body. The thetan has had innumerable past lives, some of whic ...

( Scientology) **

International Civil Aviation Day In 1996 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that 7 December was to be the International Civil Aviation Day. The day has been celebrated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) since 7 December 1994, the 50th anniversar ...

National Heroes Day Heroes' Day or National Heroes' Day may refer to a number of commemorations of national heroes in different countries and territories. It is often held on the birthday of a national hero or heroine, or the anniversary of their great deeds that m ...

( East Timor) ** National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ( United States) ** Spitak Remembrance Day ( Armenia) * December 8 ** Battle Day (Falkland Islands) ** Bodhi Day (Japan) ** CARICOM–Cuba Day ( Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba) **

Constitution Day (Romania) The following is a list of public holidays in Romania. According to Romanian law, Romania had 51 public holidays as of 2011, which cover 14% of the days of the year in the country. Official non-working holidays Other working holidays and ob ...

Constitution Day (Uzbekistan) Public holidays in Uzbekistan: Fixed date Variable date *End of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr *70 days later Eid al-Adha References Uzbekistani culture Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекиста� ...

** Day of Finnish Music (Finland) ** Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: *** Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Anglican Communion), lesser commemoration ***

Christmas on Campus Christmas on Campus is an annual event at the University of Dayton in which children are invited to campus to celebrate the Christmas holiday. It has become one of the nation's largest single-day, on-campus community service events. University st ...

( University of Dayton) *** Mother's Day (Panama) ***

Festa da Conceição da Praia In the Catholic Church, several locations around the world invoke the patronage of the Immaculate Conception. Catholic diocesan authorities with the expressed and written approval of the Pope in countries including the United States, Brazil, K ...

, celebrating Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean (

Salvador, Bahia Salvador (English: ''Savior'') is a Brazilian municipality and capital city of the state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognized throughout the country and internationally for its cuisine ...

) *** Festival of Lights (Lyon) ** Pansexual/Panromantic Pride Day ** Saint Clement of Ohrid Day ( North Macedonia) ** National Brownie Day ( United States) ** National Youth Day (Albania) * December 9 ** Anna's Day (

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

and Finland) ** Feast of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by St. Anne ( Eastern Orthodox) ** Independence Day (Tanzania) ** International Anti-Corruption Day ** National Heroes Day (Antigua and Barbuda) ** National Pastry Day ( United States) ** Navy Day (Sri Lanka) ** Remembrance for Egill Skallagrímsson ( The Troth) **

Yuri's Day in the Autumn George's Day in Autumn, or Saint George's Day (russian: Егорий Осенний, Yegoriy Osenniy, George's Day in Autumn, or russian: Юрьев день, Yuriev den, George's Day; sr, / ) is one of two feasts of Saint George, celebrat ...

( Russian Orthodox Church) * December 10 **

Alfred Nobel Day By an ordinance issued by the Government of Sweden, a number of days of the calendar year are designated as official flag flying days. This means that the Flag of Sweden is flown on all public flag poles and buildings. Hoisting of the Swedish flag ...

(Sweden) **

Constitution Day (Thailand) Public holidays in Thailand are regulated by the government, and most are observed by both the public and private sectors. There are usually nineteen public holidays in a year, but more may be declared by the cabinet. Other observances, both offi ...

** Human Rights Day ( International) * December 11 **

Human Rights and Peace Day The following are public holidays in Kiribati. Dates refer to 2002. References Kiribati Holidays A holiday is a day set aside by Norm (social), custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, ...

(Kiribati) **

Indiana Day Indiana Day is a legal holiday in the state of Indiana, United States, commemorating the state's 1816 admission to the Union. It was first instituted in 1925 by the Indiana General Assembly. The Indiana Code directs the governor to issue an annual ...

(Indiana, United States) ** National Have a Bagel Day (United States) ** National Noodle Ring Day (United States) ** National Tango Day (Argentina) ** Pampanga Day ( Pampanga province, Philippines) **

Republic Day (Burkina Faso) This is a list of holidays in Burkina Faso. Public holidays References {{Africa_in_topic, Public holidays in Burkinabé culture Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a l ...

* December 12 ** Constitution Day (Russia) ** Croatian Air Force Day (Croatia) ** Day of Neutrality (Turkmenistan) ** Feast of the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico) ** Feast of Masá'il Baháʼí calendar (only if Baháʼí Naw-Rúz falls on March 21, which it does for 2015) ** Kanji Day (Japan) ** Jamhuri Day (Kenya) * December 13 **

Acadian Remembrance Day The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

( Acadians) **

National Day (Saint Lucia) :This is a list of holidays in Saint Lucia. * 1-2 January: New Year's Day * 22 February: Independence Day, from the UK, 1979 * (variable): Good Friday * (variable): Easter Monday * 1 May: Labour Day * (variable): Whit Monday * (variable): Corpus ...

** Pick a Pathologist Pal Day **

Republic Day (Malta) Republic Day ( Maltese: Jum ir-Repubblika) is a public holiday celebrated in Malta on 13 December. It celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the Republic of Malta. On 13 December 1974, the constitution of Malta revised, which resulted in th ...

** Sailor's Day (Brazil) ** Saint Lucy's Day (mainly Scandinavia, some regions of Italy) * December 14 ** Alabama Day (Alabama) ** Forty-seven Ronin Remembrance Day ( Sengaku-ji, Tokyo) **

Martyred Intellectuals Day Martyred Intellectuals Day ( bn, শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী দিবস, Shaheed Buddhijibi Dibôsh) is observed on 14 December in Bangladesh to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces and their coll ...

(Bangladesh) ** Monkey Day ( International) * December 15 ** Bill of Rights Day (United States) ***

2nd Amendment Day 2nd Amendment Day is a public awareness day observed in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina in the United States. Its purpose is to promote the view that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution grants absolute rights to for ...

(South Carolina) ** Cat Herders Day **

Homecoming Day (Alderney) The military occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany lasted for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are two island countries and British C ...

** International Tea Day ** National Cupcake Day (United States) ** Remembrance Day of Journalists Killed in the Line of Duty (Russia) **

Zamenhof Day Zamenhof Day ( eo, Zamenhofa Tago, Polish: ), also called Esperanto Book Day, is celebrated on 15 December, the birthday of Esperanto creator L. L. Zamenhof. It is the most widely celebrated day in Esperanto culture.International Esperanto Community) * December 16 ** Barbie and Barney Backlash Day ** National Day (Kingdom of Bahrain) ** Victory day of Bangladesh ** Day of Reconciliation in South Africa * December 17 ** Accession Day (Bahrain) ** International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers **

National Day (Bhutan) Public holidays in Bhutan consist of both national holidays and local festivals or ''tshechus''. While national holidays are observed throughout Bhutan, tsechus are only observed in their areas. Bhutan uses its own calendar, a variant of the luniso ...

** National Maple Syrup Day (United States) **

Pan American Aviation Day Pan American Aviation Day is a United States Federal Observance Day observed December 17. According to 36 U.S.C. § 134, on Pan American Aviation Day the president calls on "all officials of the United States Government, the chief executive office ...

(United States) **

Wright Brothers Day Wright Brothers Day (December 17) is a United States national observation. It is codified in the US Code, and commemorates the first successful flights in a heavier-than-air, mechanically propelled airplane, the ''Wright Flyer'', that were made by ...

(United States) * December 18 ** National Muffin Day (Brazil) * December 19 ** Goa Liberation Day ( Goa, India) ** National Heroes and Heroines Day ( Anguilla) * December 20 **Abolition of Slavery Day, also known as '' Fête des Cafres'' (

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

, French Guiana) **

Bo Aung Kyaw Day On 20 December 1938, Bo Aung Kyaw was killed during a mounted police charge by the British Indian Imperial Police during the third Rangoon University student boycott. Bo Aung Kyaw Day (20 December) commemorates him as the first student leader who ...

(

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

) ** International Human Solidarity Day ( International) **

Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day Public holidays in Macau are dates assigned by the Macau government allowing the public administration staff to rest instead of working. The current rest days of the Macau government are Saturdays and Sundays; while public holidays basically inclu ...

( Macau) ** National Sangria Day (United States) * December 21 ** Armed Forces Day ( Philippines) **

First day of winter Winter Nights or Old Norse ''vetrnætr'' was a specific time of year in medieval Scandinavia. According to Zoega's ''Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic'', ''vetr-nætr'' referred to "the three days which begin the winter season". The term is ...

(some cultures) ** Forefathers' Day (

, United States) ** Humbug Day ** National Hamburger Day (United States) ** São Tomé Day (

São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe (; pt, São Tomé e Príncipe (); English: " Saint Thomas and Prince"), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe), is a Portuguese-speaking i ...

) **The first day of

Pancha Ganapati Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (born Robert Hansen; January 5, 1927 – November 12, 2001) was an American Hindu religious leader known as Gurudeva by his followers. Subramuniyaswami was born in Oakland, California and adopted Hinduism as a young man ...

, celebrated until December 25 (

Saiva Siddhanta Church Saiva Siddhanta Temple is an organization that identifies itself with the Saivite Hindu religion. It supports the work of the late Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a spiritual teacher initiated by Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna with the honorary title ...

) * December 22 ** Armed Forces Day (Vietnam) ** Mother's Day (Indonesia) ** National Date Nut Bread Day (United States) **

National Mathematics Day The 2012 Indian stamp featured Srinivasa Ramanujan. The Indian government declared 22 December to be National Mathematics Day. It was introduced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 26 December 2011 at Madras University, to mark the 125th birth anni ...

(India) ** Teachers' Day (Cuba) **

Unity Day (Zimbabwe) The following is a list of holidays in Zimbabwe: Public holidays are as detailed in thPublic Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act(Chapter 10:21), its various amendments and General Notices See also Public Holidays 2017Public Holidays 201 ...

* December 23 **

The Emperor's Birthday is an annual Public holiday in Japan celebrating the birthday of the reigning Emperor of Japan, Emperor, which is currently 23 February as Naruhito, Emperor Naruhito was born on that day in 1960. It is enforced by a specific law, "The Law for Sp ...

, a national holiday in Japan ** Festivus ** HumanLight ( Humanism) * December 24 **

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

*** Aðfangadagskvöld, the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lad arrives to towns. (Iceland) *** Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italy) ***

Juleaften (Denmark) Jul (), the Danish Jule and Christmas, is celebrated throughout December starting either at the beginning of Advent or on 1 December with a variety of traditions. Christmas Eve, ''Juleaften'', the main event of Jul, is celebrated on the evening ...

/ Julaften (Norway)/ Julafton (Sweden) ***

Nittel Nacht Nittel Nacht () or Nittel is a name given to Christmas Eve by Jewish scholars in the 17th century, observed as early as the late 16th century by Rabbi Samuel Eidels. Etymology The Yiddish word "Nittel" for Christmas is likely derived from the med ...

(certain Orthodox Jewish denominations) *** Nochebuena (Spain and Spanish-speaking countries) ***The

Declaration of Christmas Peace Christmas Peace ( fi, joulurauha, sv, julfrid) is a tradition based on old Swedish legislation created by Birger Jarl in the 13th century, extending the tradition of the Truce of God. Offenders who committed crimes on religious holidays like Chri ...

( Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official Christmas City) ***

Quviasukvik Quviasukvik ( iu, ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ), is the first day of the year according to the Inuit. The festival of the New Year is celebrated by the Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Chukchi and the Iñupiat. The feast originally derives from traditional I ...

(

Eskimo Eskimo () is an exonym used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: the Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik peoples, Yupik (or Siberian Yupik, Yuit) of eastern Si ...

Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...

, the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

, Yukon,

Nunavik Nunavik (; ; iu, ᓄᓇᕕᒃ) comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, part of the Nord-du-Québec region and nearly coterminous with Kativik. Covering a land area of north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the I ...

, Nunatsiavut,

NunatuKavut NunatuKavut ( iu, italic=no, ᓄᓇᑐᑲᕗᑦ) is an unrecognized Inuit territory in Labrador. The NunatuKavut people (previously called Inuit-Metis or Labrador Metis) are the direct descendants of the Inuit that lived south of the Churchil ...

, Alaska, Greenland and Chukotka), a new year celebration held until January 7th. ** Day of Military Honour – Siege of Ismail (Russia) **

Independence Day (Libya) This is a list of public holidays in Libya. Public holidays In addition, the following Muslim holidays, which may take place according to the Islamic Calendar (Hijri year), are observed as public holidays: See also * Day of Revenge, hist ...

** Mōdraniht ( Anglo-Saxon paganism) ** National Eggnog Day (United States) * December 25 ** Children's Day (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo) ** Christmas ( Christianity) ***

Constitution Day (Taiwan) The following are considered holidays in Taiwan. Some are official holidays, some are not: Table of Taiwan holidays Public holidays Unofficial holidays The following holidays are also observed on Taiwan, but are not official holidays obser ...

***

Good Governance Day Good Governance Day (Hindi: सुशासन दिवस, IAST: ''Suśāsan Divas'') is observed in India annually on the twenty-fifth day of December, the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Good Governance Day ...

(India) ***

Malkh-Festival Malkh was a festival dedicated to the sun goddess Deela-Malkh in Vainakh mythology. 25 December was the birthday and the festival of the Sun. During the ceremonies suppliants turned to the east. Also in Nakh architecture temples and house faça ...

( Nakh peoples of

Chechnya Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...

and

Ingushetia Ingushetia (; russian: Ингуше́тия; inh, ГӀалгӏайче, Ghalghayče), officially the Republic of Ingushetia,; inh, Гӏалгӏай Мохк, Ghalghay Moxk is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. ...

) *** Newtonmas (

Atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

community) *** Quaid-e-Azam's Day (Pakistan) *** Takanakuy (

Chumbivilcas Province Chumbivilcas is a province in the Andes in South Peru. The Inca called it "Chumpiwillka". The seat of the province is Santo Tomás. Officially Chumbivilcas was founded on June 21, 1825. Geography Some of the most important rivers of the area ...

, Peru) ** National Pumpkin Pie Day (United States) * December 26 **

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

in Slovenia – Independence and Unity Day ** Kwanzaa ( December 26 to January 1) ( African-American community, United States) ** Saint Stephen's Day ** Wren Day ( Ireland and the Isle of Man) * December 27 ** Independence and Unity Day (Slovenia) ** Mauro Hamza Day (

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

) **

Mummer's Day Mummer's Day, or "Darkie Day" as it is sometimes known (a corruption of the original ''Darking Day''), is a traditional Cornish midwinter celebration that occurs every year on Boxing Day and New Year's Day in Padstow, Cornwall. It was original ...

( Padstow, Cornwall) **

St. Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chr ...

(public holiday in Alsace, Austria, Catalonia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland) *** Father's Day (Bulgaria) **The first day of Junkanoo street parade, the second day is on the

New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...

(The Bahamas) ** National Fruitcake Day (United States) ** Zartosht No-Diso ( Zoroastrianism) * December 28 ** Proclamation Day in South Australia * December 29 ** Tick Tock Day *

December 30 Events Pre-1600 *534 – The second and final edition of the Code of Justinian comes into effect in the Byzantine Empire. *999 – Battle of Glenmama: The combined forces of Munster and Meath under king Brian Boru inflict a crushi ...

** Day of the Declaration of Slovakia as an Independent Ecclesiastic Province (Slovakia) ** Falling Needles Family Fest ** Freedom Day (

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...

) ** National Bicarbonate of Soda Day (United States) ** Rizal Day (Philippines) * December 31 **

International Solidarity Day There are several public holidays in Azerbaijan. Public holidays were regulated in the constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR for the first time on 19 May 1921. They are now regulated by the Constitution of Azerbaijan. Holidays Main holidays Other ...

(Azerbaijan) ** National Champagne Day (United States) **

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

*** Novy God Eve ** Bisperás ng Bagong Taón'' (Philippines) ** Ōmisoka (Japan) **Start of

Hogmanay Hogmanay ( , ) is the Scots word for the last day of the old year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year's Day (1 January) or i ...

(Scotland) December 31 – January 1, in some cases until January 2.