Sponsored by Wattson and My Discovery Destination!

The mission of My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family program is to STRENGTHEN FAMILIES and BUILD CHARACTER through providing opportunities for families to enjoy FREE family experiences so they can build strong bonds and CREATE and CAPTURE memories.

Basic Adventure

GOAL:

Learn about different holidays that are celebrated around the world.

The ADVENTURE:

Choose one or more of the suggestions below to learn about different holidays as a family.

Here is a list of suggestions for learning about other holidays that happen during December:

   Invite each member of the family to choose a holiday, learn about it, and then share with the rest of the family

Set some time aside on each of the holidays (or the holidays you are most interested in learning about) and learn together as a family about the history and meaning of that holiday.

  Choose a few of your favorites and celebrate the holiday.

  As a family learn about the different holidays and then discuss what they have in common, what they do differently, and what each must mean to those that celebrate it.

Here is a list of the holidays in the order they happen:

St Nicholas' Day - December 6

Children in families who celebrate St Nicholas' Day receive treats - including candy, cookies, small toys, or fruit - in stockings, socks, shoes or bags on December 6. Some churches have special services dedicated to the feast of St Nicholas on this day. Read more about St Nicholas Day.

Hanukkah, or Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights - December 10-18

An eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean Revolt. Those who took part in the re-dedication witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued to burn for eight nights. Celebrations revolve around lighting the menorah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown. The ninth candle, called the shamash (“helper”), is used to light the others. Typically, blessings are recited and traditional Hanukkah foods such as potato pancakes (latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are fried in oil. Other Hanukkah customs include playing with dreidels and exchanging gifts. Learn more about Hanukkah.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Day - December 12

This holiday serves as a tribute to Jesus' mother Mary and is particularly celebrated by Americans of Mexican descent, as it honors the belief that Jesus' mother Mary, who is Mexico's patron saint, appeared to a man in Mexico City twice in 1531.

St. Lucia Day, or St. Lucy's Day - December 13

This holiday is held in honor of the woman said to have been one of the first Christian martyrs in history. Due to her religious faith, St. Lucia was martyred by the Romans in A.D. 304. Today, St. Lucia Day plays a central role in Christmastime celebrations in Scandinavia. St. Lucia Day is celebrated with candlelight and traditional candlelit processions, similar to the luminarias procession in some parts of the Southwest United States. Scandinavians not only honor St. Lucia with a candlelit procession but also by dressing like her in commemoration. Learn more about St. Lucia Day.

Yule - December 21 - January 1

Yule is a Germanic Winter festival which was celebrated on the Winter solstice and ran for approximately 2 months. In modern times, this holiday has been reformulated by Christians and renamed Christmastide. Although most of the elements of this holiday were absorbed into Christmas traditions, many neopagans and Wiccans have resurrected the holiday. Learn More

Kwanzaa - December 26-January 1

Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 after the Watts riots in Los Angeles. He founded US, a cultural organization, and started to research African “first fruit” (harvest) celebrations. From there, he combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations to form the basis of Kwanzaa. Learn more about the principles of Kwanzaa here.

Boxing Day - December 26

This holiday originated in the United Kingdom during the Middle Ages. It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were opened and their content distributed, a tradition that still happens in some areas. It was also the day servants were traditionally given the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families. Boxing Day has now become a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among other countries. In England, soccer matches and horse races often take place on Boxing Day. Learn more about the origins of Boxing Day here.

Ōmisoka - December 31

Ōmisoka, New Year’s Eve, is considered the second-most important day in Japanese tradition as it is the final day of the old year and the eve of New Year’s Day, the most important day of the year. Families gather on Ōmisoka for one last time in the old year to have a bowl of toshikoshi-soba or toshikoshi-udon, a tradition based on eating the long noodles to cross over from one year to the next.  At midnight, many visit shrines or temples for Hatsumōde. Shinto shrines prepare amazake to pass out to crowds and most Buddhist temples have large cast bells that are struck once for each of the 108 earthly desires believed to cause human suffering. Learn more about Ōmisoka here.

Three Kings Day - January 6th

In Mexico, Día de Los Reyes (known elsewhere as Epiphany) is celebrated to honor the Three Wise Men. This holiday represents the day the Three Wise Men gave gifts to Jesus Christ. The day closes the Christmas festivities and is the day the people of Mexico exchange gifts.

Photo Location

Take a picture of yourself enjoying a new holiday tradition and post it to your social media sites with the hashtag #HolidaysAroundtheWorld