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This is an incomplete list of festivals and holidays that take place during the winter in the northern hemisphere, especially those commemorating the season. Many festivals of light take place in this period since the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere is the Winter Solstice. Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... For other uses, see Winter (disambiguation). ... Northern hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This article is about the astronomical event of winter solstice or midwinter. ...

Holidays are listed in chronological order under each heading.

Celtic

• Samhain: November 1 - first day of winter in the Celtic calendar (and Celtic New Year's Day)
• Winter Solstice: December 21~December 22 - midwinter
• Imbolc: February 1 - first day of spring in the Celtic calendar

Look up Samhain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the astronomical event of winter solstice or midwinter. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Chinese

• Dong zhi: Winter solstice
• Signature of the Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan) : December 25 - a secular national holiday, which due to its date is celebrated in some respects like Christmas
• Chinese New Year (late January - early February) - considered the end of winter in the traditional Chinese calendar

The Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬至; Pinyin: dōng zhì; The Extreme of Winter) is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the Dongzhi solar term on or around December 21 when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest; , on... This article is about the astronomical event of winter solstice or midwinter. ... The Constitution of the Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: JhongHuá MínGuó SiànFǎ) is currently the basic governing document for the areas controlled by the Republic of China (ROC) , namely all of Taiwan Province, Taipei and Kaohsiung municipalities, and Kinmen county and part of... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Chinese New Year (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), or Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. ...

Christian

• Advent: four weeks prior to Christmas - preparing for the birth of Christ.
• Saint Nicholas' Day: December 6
• Christmas Eve: December 24
• Christmas: December 25 - celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
• 12 Days of Christmas: December 25 through January 6
• Saint Stephen's Day: December 26
• Saint John the Evangelist's Day: December 27
• Holy Innocents' Day: December 28
• Saint Sylvester's Day: December 31
• Watch Night: December 31
• Feast of the Circumcision: January 1
• Feast of Fools: January 1
• Twelfth Night: Epiphany Eve January 5
• Epiphany - January 6: the arrival of the Three Magi.
• Eastern Orthodox Christmas according to the Julian Calendar: January 7
• Candlemas: February 2
• St. Valentine's Day: February 14

Advent (from the Latin Adventus, implicitly coupled with Redemptoris, the coming of the Saviour) is a holy season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, also known as the season of Christmas. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... For other uses, see Nicholas. ... is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24th, the preceding day or vigil before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas season. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Twelve Days of Christmas and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide), are the festive days beginning the evening of Christmas Day (December 25) through the morning of Epiphany on (January 6). ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... St. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Saints | Ancient Roman Christianity | Christianity-related stubs ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... The Holy Innocents by Giotto di Bondone. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sylvester may refer to: // Pope Silvester I (Saint Sylvester) Pope Silvester II Antipope Silvester III Sylvester of Kiev Sylvester of Moscow Sylvester of Assisi (companion of Saint Francis of Assisi) Sylvester of Marsico Sylvester Gozzolini, founder of the Sylvestrines Sylvester James, disco performer Sylvester Stallone, actor Sylvester McCoy, actor Sylvester... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... New Years Eve is a celebration held the day before New Years Day, on December 31, the final day of the year. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hosts Fausto Fernós (left) and Marc Felion (right). ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Twelfth Night is a holiday in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany, concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas, and is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Christian feast. ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Three Wise Men are given the names Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar in this late 6th century mosaic from the Basilica of St Apollinarius in Ravenna, Italy. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... The Julian calendar was a reform of the Roman calendar which was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and came into force in 45 BC (709 ab urbe condita). ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Candlemas (Russian: Sretenie, Spanish: Candelaria) is a Christian feast commemorating the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... St. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Germanic

• Modranect: or Mothers' Night, the Saxon winter solstice festival.
• Yule: the Germanic winter solstice festival

This article is about the astronomical event of winter solstice or midwinter. ... For other uses, see Yule (disambiguation) and Jul (disambiguation). ...

Jewish

• Hanukkah: Starting on 25 Kislev (Hebrew) or various dates in December (Gregorian) - eight day festival commemorating the miracle of the oil after the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his defeat in 165 BCE.
• Tu Bishvat: New Year of the Trees occurring on the 15th of Shevat, January or February.
• Purim: Occurring on 14th or 15th day of Adar, late February to March, commemorating the miraculous deliverance and victory of the Jews of the Persian Empire in the events recorded in the Book of Esther

Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of Skulen Hasidism lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (‎, also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. ... Kislev (or Chisleu) (Hebrew: כִּסְלֵו, Standard Kislev Tiberian  ; from Akkadian kislimu) is the third month of the ecclesiastical year and the ninth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... The Hebrew calendar (‎) or Jewish calendar is the calendar used by Jews for religious purposes. ... For the calendar of religious holidays and periods, see liturgical year. ... Coin of Antiochus IV. Reverse shows Apollo seated on an omphalos. ... Tu Bishvat (or Tu BiShevat) (טו בשבט) is a minor Jewish holiday (meaning there are no restrictions on working) and one of the four Rosh Hashanahs (New Years) mentioned in the Mishnah, the basis of the Talmud. ... In the story of Xenogears, Shevat is the name of a country, named after the Hebrew month. ... Purim (Hebrew: פורים Pûrîm lots, from Akkadian pÅ«ru) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance from Hamans plot to annihilate all the Jews of the Persian Empire, who had survived the Babylonian captivity, after Persia had conquered Babylonia who in turn had destroyed the First Temple... Megillah redirects here. ...

Muslim

• Eid ul-Adha: Starting on the 10th of Dhul Hijja, a four day holiday commemorating the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.

Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥā) is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide as a commemoration of Ibrahims (Abrahams) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael for Allah, but a voice from heaven allows Ibrahim to sacrifice a goat instead. ... Dhul Hijjah (ḏū-l-ḥiǧǧatu ذو الحجة) is the 12th month on the Islamic calendar. ...

Pagan and neopagan

• Samhain: November 1 - first day of winter in the Celtic calendar (and Celtic New Year's Day)
• Yule: (Winter Solstice) - Germanic Pagan festival of the rebirth of the Sun
• Imbolc : (February 1 or 2) - festival of candles
• Winter Solstice: (December 21) - New Age festival

Look up Samhain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Yule (disambiguation) and Jul (disambiguation). ... Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the astronomical event of winter solstice or midwinter. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ...

Persian / Iranian

• Sadeh: A mid-winter feast to honor fire and to "defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold".
• Yalda: The turning point. End of the longest night of the year (Darkness), and beginning of growing of the days (Lights). A celebration of Good over Evil.
• Chahar Shanbeh Suri: Festival of Fire, Last Wednesday of the Iranian Calendar year. It marks the importance of the light over the darkness, and arrival of spring and revival of nature.

Sadeh is an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated 50 days before nowrouz. ... A variety of foodstuff that are consumed on Yalda Yaldā also known as Shab-e Cheleh is celebrated on the eve of the first day of the winter (December 21) in the Iranian calendar, which falls on the Winter Solstice. ... A man celebrating Chaharshanbe Soori Chahārshanbe-Sūri (Persian: ) or Chārshanbe-Sūri (Persian: ) is the ancient Iranian festival dating at least back to 1700 BCE of the early Zoroastrian era. ...

Polynesian

• Matariki: (Māori New Year, usually early June) - Rising of the Pleiades star cluster before dawn.

In Polynesian mythology (specifically the Maori of New Zealand), the Matariki (small eyes) are the seven gods of the Pleiades, deities of agriculture and patron deities of navigators. ... This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... Pleiades refers to: Pleiades (star cluster) an open cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus. ...

Roman

• Saturnalia: the Roman winter soltice festival
• Festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun: late Roman Empire - December 25
• Lupercalia, the Roman end-of-winter festival - February 15

For other uses, see Saturnalia (disambiguation). ... A festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun (or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti) was celebrated in the Roman Empire around the time of the winter solstice, when the duration of daylight begins to increase—a rebirth of the sun. ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lupercalia was an annual very ancient, possibly pre-Roman pastoral festival, held on February 15 to honour Faunus, god of fertility and forests. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Secular

• Winterval: Secular name for winter festivities coined by Birmingham City Council to encompass all holidays being recognized from October to January
• Zamenhof Day: (December 15) - Birthday of Ludwig Zamenhof, inventor of Esperanto; holiday reunion for Esperantists
• Winter Solstice, Yule: (December 21 or December 22) (Late June weekend in Australia) - Celebration of the Winter Solstice.
• HumanLight: (December 23) - Humanist holiday originated by the New Jersey Humanist Network
• Chrismukkah: Slang term for the amalgam of Christmas and Hanukkah celebrated by religiously mixed families and couples
• Yuletide: (December 25) - Classic and modern, respectively, terms for the social and federal December 25th holiday
• Boxing Day: (December 26) - Gift-giving day after Christmas.
• Kwanzaa: (December 26 - January 1) - Pan-African festival
• Yulefest, Midwinter Christmas (around late June or July) - Australian New Zealand winter 'Christmas/Yuletide'
• New Year's Eve: (December 31) - Last day of the Gregorian year
• Hogmanay: (Night of December 31 - Before dawn of January 1) - Scottish New Years Eve Celebration
• New Year's Day: (January 1) - First day of the Gregorian year
• Burns Night: (January 25) - Birthday of Robert Burns
• Groundhog Day: (February 2)
• Quebec City Winter Carnival: (February) - Annual celebration of winter.
• Fur Rondy: (Late February and early March]) - Winter celebration in Anchorage, Alaska
• Festivus: A festival for the rest of us

Winterval is a portmanteau word coined to describe all festivities taking place around the middle of winter. ... This article is about the British city. ... December 15 (Zamenhof Day, Zamenhofa Festo) is the birthday of L. L. Zamenhof, the initiator of Esperanto. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Ludovic Lazarus (Ludwik Lejzer) Zamenhof (December 15, 1859–April 14, 1917) was a Polish-Jewish ophthalmologist, philologist, and the initiator of Esperanto, the most widely spoken planned language to date. ... This article is about the language. ... This article is about the astronomical event of winter solstice or midwinter. ... For other uses, see Yule (disambiguation) and Jul (disambiguation). ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see June (disambiguation). ... “Summer solstice” redirects here. ... Official HumanLight logo Celebrant-created logo featuring alternate compounding. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Chrismukkah is the modern-day merging of the holidays of Christianitys Christmas and Judaisms Hanukkah as celebrated in interfaith households where one parent may be of Christian heritage and another parent of Jewish heritage. ... For other uses, see Yule (disambiguation) and Jul (disambiguation). ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Boxing Day is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Kwanzaa (or Kwaanza) is a week-long Pan-African festival primarily honoring African-American heritage. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Pan-Africanism is a term which can have two separate, but related meanings. ... Midwinter Christmas or Yulefest is a Midwinter/Yuletide related celebration custom in Australia and New Zealand during the wintertime (which on the Southern Hemisphere falls into the June-July-August period. ... Midwinter Christmas or Yulefest is a Midwinter/Yuletide related celebration custom in Australia and New Zealand during the wintertime (which on the Southern Hemisphere falls into the June-July-August period. ... For other articles with similar names, see New Year (disambiguation). ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hogmanay (pronounced — with the main stress on the last syllable - hog-muh-NAY) is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the date January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of the version of the Scots song Auld Lang Syne, which is generally sung at Hogmanay and other New Year celebrations around the English-speaking world. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the chain gang fugitive and author from Georgia, see Robert Elliott Burns. ... For the movie of the same name, see Groundhog Day (film) Groundhog Day or Groundhogs Day is a traditional holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on February 2. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Bonhomme Carnaval is the ambassador of Carnaval de Québec The biggest winter carnival in the world, the Carnaval de Québec (known in English as the Quebec City Winter Carnival) is a celebration held yearly in Quebec City, Canada, with many activities, such as dogsled rides, night parades, snow... For other uses, see February (disambiguation). ... The Fur Rendezvous Festival (usually called Fur Rendezvous, Fur Rondy, or simply Rondy) is an annual winter festival held in Anchorage, Alaska in late February. ... For other uses, see February (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see March (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Festivus is an annual holiday invented by Readers Digest writer and editor Dan OKeefe. ...

Slavic

• Karachun - the ancient Slavs polytheistic winter solstice festival

Karachun, Korochun or Kračún is a Slavic version of Halloween as a day when the Black God and other evil spirits are most potent. ...

Zen Buddhist

• Rohatsu

In Buddhist context, rohatsu is a day traditionally honored as the day of the Buddhas enlightenment. ...

Fictional

• Festivus: December 23 - quirky holiday famously invented on the show Seinfeld
• Festival of the Bells: Midwinter celebration in Fraggle Rock, also mentioned in A Muppet Family Christmas.
• Decemberween: December 25 - A holiday in the Homestar Runner universe, occurring 55 days after Halloween.
• Hogswatchnight: December 32 - New Year's Eve/Christmas in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels (plays on Hogmanay, Watch Night, and "hogwash")
• Winter-een-mas: January 25 - January 31 - from Ctrl+Alt+Del
• Winterfair: from the Vorkosigan Saga of Lois McMaster Bujold; a Barrayarran cultural holiday
• Chrismukkah: the modern-day merging of the holidays of Christianity's Christmas and Judaism's Hanukkah.
• Chrismahanukwanzakah: the modern-day merging of the holidays of Christianity's Christmas, Judaism's Hanukkah, and the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa.
• Hedgehog Day: February 2 - supposed archaic European version of Groundhog Day, dating back to Roman times.
• Kwanamus: Fictional blend of Christmas, Ḥannukah and Kwanzaa.
• Winter Fest: The annual winter holiday in the MMORPG Guild Wars. This holiday is based on Christmas and Yule and one can get neat hats.

Festivus is an annual holiday invented by Readers Digest writer and editor Dan OKeefe. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989 to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. ... For the animated television series, see Fraggle Rock (animated TV series). ... A Muppet Family Christmas is a made for TV movie produced in 1987, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Homestar Runner characters include numerous recurring people, places, phrases, ideas, and even times. ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. ... This article is about the holiday. ... The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchetts Discworld fantasy novels. ... The Discworld calendar was first defined in a footnote in The Colour of Magic, and has been expanded upon in later novels and the Discworld Almanack (2004). ... Terence David John Pratchett, OBE (born 28 April 1948) is a British fantasy and science fiction author, best known for his Discworld series. ... This article is about the novels. ... This article is about Ctrl+Alt+Del, the webcomic. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ctrl+Alt+Del (CAD) is a gaming-related webcomic written by Tim Buckley, known online as Absath. ... The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction novels and short stories by Lois McMaster Bujold, most of which concern Miles Vorkosigan, a disabled aristocrat from the planet Barrayar who heads his own private mercenary fleet at the age of just seventeen. ... Lois McMaster Bujold (November 2, 1949, Columbus, Ohio) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy works. ... Chrismukkah is the modern-day merging of the holidays of Christianitys Christmas and Judaisms Hanukkah as celebrated in interfaith households where one parent may be of Christian heritage and another parent of Jewish heritage. ... Chrismahanukwanzakah (sometimes spelt Chrismahanakwanzaka, Chrismahanakwanza or Chrismahanakwanzika) is a fictional holiday that was created by Virgin Mobile USA for a 2004 television commercial campaign and used in both 2004 and 2005. ... Hedgehog Day was observed by the Romans during the Festival of Februa on February 2. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is for the Guild Wars series. ...

See also

• Christmas worldwide
• Winter solstice