December 2020

Happy Holidays from all of us at Network Child Care Services. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy time of year.

In honor of this special time of year, we would like to share different holidays communities around the world celebrate during the month of December.

Winter Solstice

Winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, and is on December 21st, 2020. All over the world, people celebrate Winter solstice by way of different events and festivities.

Hanukkah

For eight days starting on December 10th, 2020, Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a special candle holder called a menorah. The lighting of the menorah celebrates an ancient miracle where only one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days. During Hanukkah, many Jewish families celebrate with exchanging gifts and eating foods such as latkes and jam-filled donuts. Hanukkah is also known as The Festival of Lights.

St. Nicholas Day

St. Nicholas is a saint who became an inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus. He is known for selling all his possessions, giving his money to the poor and dedicating his life those less fortunate. Traditional ways of celebrating St. Nicholas day include leaving gifts in shoes (or stockings), exchanging of small gifts and gifting treats to children. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6th, 2020.

Christmas

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christian families celebrate this holiday by decorating their homes and a Christmas Tree, exchanging gifts, and going to church. On Christmas Eve, Santa comes from the North Pole to deliver gifts to children. Celebratory Christmas traditions vary from different cultures all over the world.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. The word “Kwanzaa” means “first fruits” and the holiday celebrates African harvest and ideals such as family life, unity and faith. African-American families celebrate by dressing in special clothes, decorating their homes, exchanging gifts and lighting black, red and green candles.

Ōmisoka

Omisoka (New Years Eve) is celebrated in Japan, and is the second most important holiday of the year. It celebrates the final day of the old year, and looking forward into the new year (New Years Day). Japanese families gather for a late dinner (eating traditional soba or udon noodles), and at midnight many visit a shrine or temple.

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is January 1, the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. New Year’s Day is celebrated the day before, on New Years Eve, with fireworks being set off at midnight to ring in the new year. People also celebrate this day by going to parties, blowing noisemakers and kissing loved ones at the stroke of midnight.