December truly is the holiday season. From Christmas festivities alone, December is often thought of as the most festive month of the year.

Just about everyone knows about Christmas, arguably the most well-known religious and cultural holiday in the world, and most people even know about Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday and arguably the second most well-known winter holiday following Christmas. However, these two holidays do not even cover the scope of what all different nations and people celebrate in this first month of winter. 

Only Christmas is fully recognized by the University, Screenshot taken from the UNF Master Calendar

This is a list of some, but certainly not all of the holidays you may not have even heard of.

Kwanzaa: Dec. 26 – Jan. 1

Kwanzaa originated in the United States over fifty years ago, and is still primarily celebrated in the US, where millions of people celebrate African culture, principles and heritage for seven days straight. 

Boxing Day: Dec. 26

Boxing Day is an English holiday dating back to the Middle Ages, when servants were often given the day off by their lords to celebrate with their families. It is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, and in many other countries that were once English colonies, like Australia and Canada.

Winter Solstice: Dec. 21

While not a holiday by conventional sense, the Winter Solstice is celebrated by some religions as it is the shortest day, and longest night of the year.

These are just three of the dozens of different holidays that are celebrated worldwide this season. Maybe think twice before you ask why someone says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”