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 Ah, December! The sun is setting earlier and earlier, it's getting chillier and chillier. The cold and the dark inspire us to surround ourselves with warmth and light, so December is a popular time for potlucks and parties of all sorts. Friends and family get together to enjoy each other's company, sharing food, drinks, treats, and gifts.
There are many religious holidays during the month of December, and for several of them, gift-giving is traditional. Children in Europe celebrate St. Nicholas Day on the 5th, remembering the popular gift-giving Saint. Boxing Day, celebrated on the 26th by people in the UK, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries, has gift-giving roots that go back to the Middle Ages.
Light is another important aspect to celebrate in the darkest time of the year, and many of the holidays that are celebrated in December originated as Winter Solstice celebrations. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and usually occurs between the 20th and the 23rd of December. This year, it will occur on the 22nd. With such short days, we feel the need to bring light into our homes, both literally and symbolically. Many of the religious holidays in December involve light - Sweden, for example, celebrates Santa Lucia, or the Festival of Lights, on the 13th.
The majority of December holidays involve both light celebrations and gift-giving. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, celebrated this year from sundown on the 4th until nightfall on the 12th, involves lighting candles on the Menorah, and giving the traditional gift of "gelt" - small amounts of money. Christmas, on the 25th, celebrates the birth of Jesus, said to be the "light of the world". Christians traditionally exchange gifts, remembering the gifts given by the Three Wise Men. African-Americans celebrate Kwanzaa from December 26th through January 1st, giving gifts and lighting Kinara candles.
North America is incredibly diverse, and there is a large population who do not celebrate any of these holidays. In the United States during December, though, it's hard to not "get into the holiday spirit"! Even people who do not celebrate a traditional gift-giving holiday sometimes get caught up in the pressure to buy gifts. We need to remember that a gift need not be a material object - spending time together has value that you can't put a price on.
Maybe you're trying to come up with the perfect gift for that special someone. Maybe you don't traditionally participate in gift-giving, but you want to spend more time with your family and friends this month. Either way, attending a choral performance, play, or fundraiser is a great way to give a gift, and give of yourself at the same time. Don't BUY them something you THINK they might like - TAKE them somewhere you KNOW they'll like! And avoid breaking your bank in the process.
Continuing in the vein of last month's article, here is a big, shiny gift box of December events in your neighborhood:
THE NUTCRACKER
The Nutcracker Ballet in Morgan Hill, CA!
MDTS Nutcracker - Minnetonka in Minnetonka, MN!
The Nutcracker in Fayetteville, GA!
San Jose Youth Ballet presents "The Nutcracker" in San Jose, CA!
FAMILY
Christmas at Pioneer Farms in Austin, TX!
Tim Noah & Friends Holiday Concert in Snohomish, WA!
Chanukah and Other Jewish Tales - A Family Event in San Francisco, CA!
Lunch n Laughs: Snow White in Altoona, IA!
MUSIC
Celtic Holiday Show in Bath, ME!
San Francisco Choral Artists: Glorious Sounds of Christmas in Palo Alto, CA!
BACH presents A Baroque Christmas in Champaign, IL!
Bronn Journey's 26th Annual Christmas (And More!) Concerts in Washington and Oregon!
FOOD AND PARTIES
The Beat Before Christmas 2007 in Phoenix, AZ!
Broadway Market Celebrates Polish Christmas Wigilia Traditions in Buffalo, NY!
LTH ChanuKwanzaChristadan Festivus in Chicago, IL!
Sagittarian Birthday and Solstice Gathering 2007 in Los Altos Hills, CA!
COMEDY
Comedy, Darling: HANUKKAH! in San Francisco, CA!
The Santaland Diaries in South Orange, NJ!
PURE Holidays 2 in Charleston, SC!
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues in Boston, MA!
ROLLER DERBY
Season's Beatings in Saraland, AL!
CT RollerGirls: Seasons Beatings 2 in Waterbury, CT!
Season's Beatings 2007 in Richmond, VA!
Jingle Jangle Jam in Deland, FL!
BENEFITS
Highrock Christmas Concert: Benefiting the Arlington Food Pantry in Arlington, MA!
Christmas Disco Fundraiser in New York, NY!
Christmas Stockings - A Burlesque Benefit to Support Our Troops! in Seattle, WA!
Gypsy Soul's 7th Annual Christmas Benefit Concert For WinterSpring in Ashland, OR!
THEATER
Black Nativity in Cleveland, OH and Las Vegas, NV!
A Christmas Carol in Topsham, ME and Enumclaw, WA!
Bah Humbug in Fort Worth and San Antonio, TX!
Best Christmas Pageant Ever in Hicksville, OH and Charleston, WV!
Remember, this is just a small sample of the events we have - if you don't see something here that suits your tastes or is in your area, just search our website for something more fitting! And, last but definitely not least, we have more New Year's Eve events thank you can shake a stick at. If you're wondering what to do for New Year's Eve this year, check us out! |
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