Yule

The first festival on our tour is one that Revelers are pretty familiar with- Yule! Yule is an ancient Nordic festival that played a large role in the development of many modern winter holidays. Although it’s no longer commonly celebrated independently of other holidays, several Yule traditions are still alive and well and can be found as part of other holidays around the world! Do you celebrate any traditions that originally came from Yule?

Info sourced from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yule-festival

Christmas

Next stop on our Festivals of Light tour is another familiar one – Christmas! Over 2 billion people around the world celebrate Christmas, but each culture celebrates it slightly differently. Although originally a religious holiday, Christmas is now also celebrated as a secular and commercial holiday, with a robust collection of music dedicated to the season! Do you enjoy Christmas music? What’s your favorite Christmas song?

Info sourced from https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-christmas

Channukah

Today’s featured Festival of Light is Channukah! Chanukah is the second most celebrated holiday in the United States, but only about 3% of Americans celebrate it. It’s also celebrated by approximately 15.8 million Jewish people all over the world! Like Christmas, Channukah has religious roots, but is also now celebrated as a commercial holiday to some degree. What similarities do you see between Channukah and Christmas, or any other winter holiday?

Info sourced from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah/Traditions

Saturnalia

For our fourth featured Festival of Light, we’re going back in time, to the time of the Romans and Saturnalia! Even though Saturnalia is no longer celebrated, like many other ancient holidays, there are several modern day traditions that originate from it. These include wreaths, candles, and feasting. Do you hang a wreath on your door during the holidays? Io Saturnalia!

Info sourced from https://www.history.com/articles/saturnalia

Yaldā

Next on our festival tour around the world is Yaldā! It is celebrated by a few hundred million people around the world, primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and among related communities globally. Family and community are some of the main focuses of this celebration, just like in the Revels! Swipe to see what kinds of delicious foods are eaten to celebrate! What special dishes you make during the holidays?

Info sourced from https://www.ypl.org/posts/shab-e-yalda-winter-solstice-persian-celebration#:~:text=This%20year%2C%20Yalda%20Night%20is,birth%20in%20the%20Syriac%20language.

Inti Raymi

Today we’re traveling to the Southern Hemisphere, where the Winter Solstice is celebrated in June! Inti Raymi, a Peruvian solstice festival, was first celebrated by the Incans in the early 1400s, and is still celebrated today! Modern day celebrations preserve authentic Quechua rituals, while also adapting to host the nearly 50,000 people who visit the festival every year- much like the Revels, as we maintain important traditions, while adapting others to keep them fresh and relevant! What’s your favorite Revels tradition that we still celebrate today?

Info sourced from https://www.perurail.com/peruvian-holidays/all-you-need-to-know-about-inti-raymi/

Dongzhi

Next on our festival tour is the Dongzhi Festival in China! Some holidays and festivals, like Dongzhi, are largely celebrated in the same way across a country, but have slight differences in different regions. Swipe to read what kinds of foods are eaten in different parts of China! Can you think of any regionally specific holiday traditions in the US?

Info sourced from https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/winter-solstice.htm

Soyaluna

This next festival originates not far from us! It’s the Hopi festival of light, Soyaluna. Many of the prayers and rituals completed during Soyaluna are similar to some of the ways we mark the New Year today. Soyaluna rituals aim to set intentions for the year to come and start anew. Do you set new intentions or resolutions for the new year during the holidays? Let us know in the comments!

Info sourced from https://www.littlegatepublishing.com/2023/01/soyal-ceremony-hopi-celebration-of-the-winter-solstice/

St. Lucia’s Day

Christmas isn’t the only major Christian winter holiday! St. Lucia’s Day is a Nordic holiday whose roots began in the early 300s CE. Celebrations of this holiday include large processions or parades, much like the Christmas and holiday parades across the US. Do you attend any holiday parades as part of your winter festivities?

Info sourced from https://www.britannica.com/topic/St-Lucias-Day

Diwali

Not all festivals of light take place on the winter solstice! Diwali is celebrated in the fall over the course of five days. During this festival, lanterns, sparklers, and candles light up the night sky as people celebrate the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Do you light any special candles or lamps during the winter season?

Info sourced from https://www.history.com/articles/the-ancient-origins-of-indias-biggest-holiday

Toji

For this festival of light, we’re traveling to Japan, where they celebrate Toji! We all know that winter is cold and flu season, and as such, many of the traditions practiced during Toji are in an effort to ward off sickness and promote health in the coming year. Do you have any holiday traditions that help your health and well being?

Info sourced from https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/b09723/

Kwanzaa

Last but not least is one of the most recently developed festivals of light: Kwanzaa! Although Kwanzaa was created in the 1960s, its roots and origins can be found in ancient cultures across Africa. Additionally, you may recognize some of the objects used to celebrate Kwanzaa from other festivals of light we’ve dived into! Do any of your traditions come from a conglomeration of different holidays?

Info sourced from https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/kwanzaa

Festivals of Light

Finding light in the darkness…

Every year, we celebrate the return of the light as a community, along with millions of other people around the world. Nearly every culture has a festival or holiday that marks the winter solstice, the end of darkness, and the return of the light. Over the next couple of months, we’ll be featuring some of those holidays and festivals, so keep an eye out and learn how diverse cultures all over the world celebrate the same idea!