Dec 31: Happy New Year

Wishing all Blogwatchers every success in 2009!

clipped from twitter.com HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 from Eric & Wayne, Snyder Thorn.com / Diversitynet.org http://snurl.com/9as8q ☺ CalendarWallah Eric Snyder

Dec 31: Hogmanay (Scotland)

The Scottish New Year, Hogmanay is derived from the French phrase meaning 'Lead to the mistletoe'. Fire ceremonies, banging of pots and pans at midnight and bringing bread, salt and coal to their hosts to symbolize life, hospitality and warmth mark this exuberant occasion.

clipped from multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008 Hogmanay Scotland Visit the Multicultural Calendar Web site to href="https://media5.magma.ca/www.diversitynet.org/secureorder.htm" target=_blank>order this calendar.

Dec 31: Omisoka (Japan)

Omisoka
To usher in the new year, families clean their homes, eat toshi-koshi buckwheat noodles in the hope that one's life will be stretched out as long as these noodles. As midnight approaches, Buddhist temples around the country begin ringing out the old year, sounding the temple bell 108 times because according to them, human beings have 108 worldly desires which are removed by striking the bell.

clipped from multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008 Omisoka

Dec 29: 1st Muharram - Islamic New Year

clipped from multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008   1st Muharram - Islamic New Year Islamic New Year, 1430 CE. This day commemorates the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. where the first Islamic community was established. Muharram lasts for ten days. 1st Muharram - Islamic New Year Islam

Dec 26 to Jan 1: Kwanza (African-American/Canadian)

A professor who wanted to encourage blacks to celebrate their heritage started Kwanzaa's in California in 1966. Kwanzaa means first fruit in Swahili and is a harvest festival. Families exchange gifts and have African-style feasts. Seven-pronged candleholders are lit on each consecutive night for the seven principles: unity, self-determination, working together, sharing, purpose, creativity and faith. The celebration continues till January 1.

clipped from multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008 Kwanzaa African-American/Canadian

Dec 26: Boxing Day

Celebrated in Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica, U.K., Ireland.

It was once a day when the church's poor boxes were opened. In Britain, originally a day when gifts (boxes) are given to servants, tradespeople, or others who provide services.

clipped from multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008 clipped from www.castlearcana.com Boxing Day occurs annually on the day after Christmas, known in the Christian calendar as the Feast of Stephen (when Good King Wenceslaus looked out). In England, it was traditional for tradesmen and boys to pay holiday visits throughout the neighborhood, carrying boxes for the collection of coins. In a way, it was a little like tipping the mailman at Christmas. In keeping with the general idea of giving gifts to the poor, it was customary to distribute the contents of the alms box to the poor and needy on Boxing Day. And now for Good King Wenceslaus, who for all we may know, might have started the tradition of helping the poor on the Boxing Day: Therefore Christian men be sure, wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing

Dec 25: Jinnah's Birthday (Pakistan)

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah - 1876 to 1948

clipped from multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008 Jinnah's Birthday Pakistan clipped from en.wikipedia.org Muhammad Ali Jinnah Urdu: محمد علی جناح (help·info) (December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a Pakistani politician and leader of the The Muslim League who founded Pakistan and served as its first Governor-General. He is officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (Urdu: قائد اعظم — "Great Leader") and Baba-e-Qaum (بابا قوم) ("Father of the Nation"). His birthday is a national holiday in Pakistan.

Dec 24: Christmas Eve (Christian)

Christmas Eve is celebrated in a variety of different ways, depending on religion and nationality.

clipped from en.wikipedia.org Christmas Eve Christmas Eve, December 24, is the night before Christmas Day, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas season title="Liturgical year" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgical_year">liturgically begins on Christmas Eve Many href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic">Roman Catholics and title=Anglican href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican">Anglicans traditionally celebrate a midnight Mass (title=Eucharist href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist">Eucharist) which begins sometime before midnight on Christmas Day; Lutheran parishes often carry on Christmas Eve traditions typical for Germany and Scandinavia. Other churches also hold a candlelight service, which is also typically held earlier in the evening; In the early evening, many href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodists">Methodists come to their church to celebrate title=Eucharist href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist">Holy Communion with their families.

Dec 23, Festival of the Radishes (Mexico)

Known as 'Fiesta de los Rabanos' in Mexican, this unusual event in Oaxaca celebrates the wonderful world of radish sculptures. The humble vegetable is nipped, tucked, shaved and carved into all manner of things ranging from flowers and animals to saints and full-blown nativity scenes. Prizes for the most original piece ensure that standards are high with all works going on display in the Zocalo. And if the sculpted radishes are not enough for you, there is also live music and traditional dancing displays. And there are plenty of food stalls selling authentic Mexican dishes including bunuelos deliciously sweet syrup-coated doughnuts.

http://gomexico.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/ig/Radish-Festival-Photos/

clipped from www.multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008 Festival of the Radishes Mexico

Dec 23: Festivus

An annual holiday which was popularized on the Seinfeld TV show on Dec 23, 1997.

clipped from en.wikipedia.org Festivus is an annual holiday created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld.class=reference id=cite_ref-ljworld_0-0>href="#cite_note-ljworld-0">[1]class=reference id=cite_ref-nytimes_1-0>href="#cite_note-nytimes-1">[2] Although the original Festivus took place in February 1966 as a celebration of O'Keefe's first date with his wife, Deborah,id=cite_ref-nytimes_1-1>href="#cite_note-nytimes-1">[2] many people now celebrate the holiday on href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_23">December 23, as depicted on the title="December 18" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_18">December 18, href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997">1997 Seinfeld episode "title="The Strike (Seinfeld episode)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strike_(Seinfeld_episode)">The Strike".id=cite_ref-ljworld_0-1>href="#cite_note-ljworld-0">[1]class=reference id=cite_ref-2>href="#cite_note-2">[3] The holiday includes novel practices such as the "Airing of Grievances", in which each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him or her over the past year. Also, after the Festivus meal, the "Feats of Strength" are performed, involving wrestling the head of the household to the floor, with the holiday ending only if the head of the household is actually title="Pin (amateur wrestling)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin_(amateur_wrestling)">pinned. These conventions originated with the TV episode.

Dec 22: Hanukkah (Jewish)

Celebrated for 8 days. The date changes every year governed by the Lunar calendar.

clipped from multiculturalcalendar.com December 2008    Hanukkah The Festival of Lights is celebrated for eight days. Approximately in 164 B.C., Maccabees, a small group of Jews fighting for religious freedom won victory over the Syrians. The legend goes that to rededicate the Temple, they found only one jar of holy oil and miraculously the candelabra remained lit for 8 days. The eighth candle menorah is lighted. Special readings and songs of praise focus on liberty and freedom. Hanukkah Jewish

Dec 19: Hi-Seoul Festival (Korea)

Dec19th to Jan 18th, 2009.

clipped from story.seoul.go.kr