November - December
2023
November
Yi Peng Lantern Festival
ThailandThe skies of Chiang Mai are set aglow as thousands of lanterns are released throughout the city during the Yi Peng Lantern Festival. This citywide gathering takes place on the evening of the full moon on the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (usually November) and is often celebrated alongside Loy Krathong during three days of parades, markets, candle lightings and more.
All Saints Day
All Saints’ Day, also called All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, or Feast of All Saints,
in the Christian church, a day commemorating all the saints of the church, both known
and unknown, who have attained heaven.
Visit All Saints Day web page for more information.
All Soul's Day
All Souls’ Day, in Roman Catholicism, a day for commemoration of all the faithful
departed, those baptized Christians who are believed to be in purgatory because they
died with the guilt of lesser sins on their souls.
Visit All Soul's Day web page for more information.
Diwali
Diwali, also spelled Divali, one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism,
and Sikhism, lasting for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar
month Ashvina to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karttika.
Visit Diwali web page for more information.
Martyrdom of Guru Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahādur, (born 1621?, Amritsar, Punjab, India—died November 11, 1675, Delhi),
ninth Sikh Guru (1664–75) and second Sikh martyr. He was also the father of the 10th
Guru, Gobind Singh.
Visit Martyrdom of Guru Bahadur web page for more information.
Christmas Fast
Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas
(“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin.
Visit Christmas Fast web page for more information.
Morocco Independence Day
Independence Day, also known as Fete de l'Independence, is a public holiday in the
Kingdom of Morocco, celebrated on November 18th each year.
It is Morocco's National Day and commemorates Moroccan independence on the date King
Mohammed returned from exile in 1955.
On this holiday, government institutions and banks will close. Shops, cafes, restaurants
bazaars will be open and buses will run as normal.
Visit Morocco Independence Day web page for more information.
December
Advent
Advent, (from Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, the period
of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also
of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.
Visit Advent web page for more information.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, (Hebrew: “Dedication”) also spelled Ḥanukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah, also
called Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Maccabees, Jewish
festival that begins on Kislev 25 (usually in December, according to the Gregorian
calendar) and is celebrated for eight days.
Visit Hanukkah web page for more information.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception, Roman Catholic dogma asserting that Mary, the mother of Jesus,
was preserved free from the effects of the sin of Adam (usually referred to as “original
sin”) from the first instant of her conception.
Visit Feast of the Immaculate Conception web page for more information.
Bodhi Day
Bodhi, (Sanskrit and Pāli: “awakening,” “enlightenment”), in Buddhism, the final Enlightenment,
which puts an end to the cycle of transmigration and leads to Nirvāṇa, or spiritual
release; the experience is comparable to the Satori of Zen Buddhism in Japan.
Visit Bodhi Day web page for more information.
Our Lady of Guadalupe (Feast Day)
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Spanish Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, also called the Virgin
of Guadalupe, in Roman Catholicism, the Virgin Mary in her appearance before St. Juan
Diego in a vision in 1531. The name also refers to the Marian apparition itself.
Visit Our Lady of Guadalupe web page for more information.
Kenya Independence Day
Jamhuri Day, also called Independence Day, is one of the most important national holidays
in Kenya. Jamhuri Day is observed on December 12 every year, and December 13 is also
a day off for most businesses. The day marks the date in 1964 when the country was
formally admitted into the Commonwealth as a republic. “Jamhuri” is the Swahili word
for Republic. December 12 is also the date when Kenya obtained its independence from
Great Britain in 1963. The day is celebrated with many events such as feasts, political
speeches, and parades, all of which celebrate the country’s cultural heritage.
Visit Kenya Independence Day web page for more information.
Las Posadas
Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem
in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus.
Visit Las Posadas web page for more information.
Bhutan Independence Day
During the early 17th century, Bhutan experienced its first unification by a Buddhist
monk, Ngawang Namgyal. Bhutan at that time was ruled by the Tibetan dual system of
government where Zhabdrung — reincarnations of the mind, body, and speech was practiced,
and Ngawang Namgyal was the leader. During the late 19th century, the Tibetan and
the British empire had different ideas about how Bhutan should be governed. This led
to an outbreak of war between Tibet and the British Empire.
Visit Bhutan Independence Day web page for more information.
Yule
Yule, festival observed historically by Germanic peoples and in modern times primarily
by Neo-Pagans, coinciding with the winter solstice (December 21–22 in the Northern
Hemisphere; June 20–21 in the Southern Hemisphere).
Visit Yule web page for more information.
Christmas Eve
The day before the Christian holiday of Christmas. In most European countries, Christmas
gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve. European and North American churches hold services,
some of which begin at midnight. Many Latinx people in Latin America and the United
State celebrate Christmas on December 24 as the end of Las Posadas, a Christian festival
commemorating Joseph and Mary’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Mary gave
birth to the baby Jesus.
Visit Christmas Eve web page for more information.
Christmas Day
Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas
(“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin.
Visit Christmas Day web page for more information.
St. Stephen's Day
St. Stephen’s Day, also called Boxing Day, Wren Day, or Constitution Day, one of two
holidays widely observed in honour of two Christian saints. In many countries December
26 commemorates the life of St. Stephen, a Christian deacon in Jerusalem who was known
for his service to the poor and his status as the first Christian martyr (he was stoned
to death in AD 36).
Visit St. Stephen's Day web page for more information.
