Holidays are special days for the people of one nation or culture, which are set aside by the law or through a custom, and on which everyday activities, such as work or school, are normally suspended.
Every country has several important holidays, which can be national (important for the state), religious (important for a particular religious group), or simply cultural (such as celebrating the beginning of a season, for example).
Many holidays are celebrated in the winter, which is why this period is also known as «the holiday season».
Christmas
Christmas is the biggest annual holiday for the Christian world, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
In most of the world, it is commemorated on December 25, however, many Eastern Orthodox churches use a different calendar, so, for this reason, they celebrate Christmas on January 7.
In addition to its religious importance, Christmas has also been adopted as a cultural holiday by many non-Christians. Each country has unique Christmas traditions, but nearly all of them include a large family gathering, decorating the house, exchanging gifts and having a long feast.
In some European countries, people go caroling, that is, singing special Christmas songs on the street. It has also become popular to decorate a Christmas tree, both inside the house, and on city squares.
St. Lucia’s Day, Sweden
Commemorated on December 13, St. Lucia’s Day is one of the biggest winter celebrations in Sweden, based on the stories told by the first Christian monks in the country.
St. Lucia was a young girl killed for her Christian faith by the Romans. Her name means «light» and it is believed that she wore candles on her head while she was carrying food to other Christians hiding underground.
Nowadays, Swedish girls wear white dresses and a crown of candles on their heads to honor St. Lucia. Green branches on the crowns are meant to symbolize new life in spite of the harsh winter weather.
Lussekatts, buns flavored with saffron and raisins, are a special breakfast treat eaten on this day.
Chinese New Year, China
Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday in China, occurring on the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, which does not coincide with the December 31st, but instead falls between January 21st and February 20th.
The celebrations are held all over the country and normally last for two weeks, making it the longest festival in China.
During the celebrations, you can see incredible decorations such as dragons, lanterns, flowers, as well as fireworks and people dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. Windows and doors are usually decorated with red color papercuts to symbolize good fortune, wealth and longevity.
This festival honors both Chinese deities (gods) and historical figures.
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