British Columbia is a beautiful mosaic of people from around the world, exposing us to other cultures, including their winter celebrations. These festivities not only illuminate the dark winter days but also foster cultural understanding and bring communities together. Let’s embark on a journey exploring the rich traditions that make our province home during this season.
Diwali: November 12
Diwali, also called Divali or Deepavali, is a festival of lights, celebrating the victory of light over dark, good over evil, and the blessings of that victory: freedom and enlightenment. Diwali is celebrated primarily by people of Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths. On the night of Diwali, people light dozens of candles and diyas (clay lamps) throughout their homes and the streets to light up the night. Food, music and traditional dancing are highlights.
Saint Nicholas Day: December 6
Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, is observed on December 6 by families from Northern European Christian countries and on December 19 by Eastern Europeans. Saint Nicholas Day is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra and part of the season of Advent.
Families from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and other areas across the world, leave their shoes out on the evening of December 6, hoping St. Nicholas will fill them with small gifts and coins. This symbolizes the good deeds performed by St. Nicholas. It was said that as people left their shoes to dry by the fire at night, St. Nicholas would creep in and fill the shoes with food or money. The day is also associated with doing good deeds.
Bodhi Day: December 8
Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day on December 8. This day honors Buddha’s enlightenment, which is said to have happened under the Bodhi tree. The holiday is observed primarily in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, though Buddhists from around the world celebrate. The day is observed with meditation and acts of kindness.
Chanukah: December 8–15
Chanukah (Hanukkah) is the Jewish eight-day festival of lights, celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. Hanukkah begins on the eve of Kislev 25 (on the Hebrew calendar) and continues for eight days. On the civil calendar, it generally coincides with the month of December. Hanukkah 2023 runs from December 8–15.
Hanukkah celebrates two miracles that occurred in the second century BCE. Judah the Maccabee led the Jews to force the Greeks from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of God. When they attempted to light the temple’s Menorah, they found only one pot of olive oil hadn’t been contaminated by the Greeks. They used it to light the menorah with the one-day supply and miraculously it lasted for eight days.
To celebrate, Jewish people light the menorah nightly, using one candle (the attendant) to kindle the other eight candles successively until there are nine lit candles on the last night of Hanukkah. Celebrating the miracle of the oil, fried foods including latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganya (jelly-filled doughnuts) are traditionally served. It is customary to play with a “dreidel” (a four-sided spinning top). Traditional practices are to give gifts of money (gelt), often represented by chocolate coins. Many Canadian families exchange small gifts.
Santa Lucia Day: December 13
In Sweden and some parts of Italy, December 13 marks the start of the Christmas season with Santa Lucia Day.
The Christian martyr St. Lucia was killed for bringing food to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs in the early 4th century. She wore a wreath with candles to light her way while keeping her hands free to carry the food. In Swedish-Canadian homes, families join for a huge breakfast, the star of which is the lussekatter, an s-shaped saffron bun.
Simbang Gabi: December 16–24
In the Philippines, Simbang Gabi is a nine-day series of masses leading up to Christmas. Beginning on December 16, daily masses are held at different times. This tradition dates back to Spanish colonization.
Churches are often decorated with lights and lanterns, with a Nativity scene on display. Shortly after each mass, food stalls outside the churches sell treats such as bibingka, puto (rice cakes) and coffee. On Christmas Eve, a special service called Misa de Gallo is held at midnight to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Winter Solstice: December 21
Winter solstice is the astronomical first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the exact moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun, marking the shortest day of the year and impending colder weather. For people who live in the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice takes place in June. Ancient people built many monuments to celebrate the winter solstice, which is still celebrated by many people to recognize the beginning of winter.
Feast of the Seven Fishes: December 24
It’s common for Italian Canadians to host a seafood feast on Christmas Eve, commonly known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes. In Italy, Christmas Eve is known as La Vigilia (The Vigil) and involves fasting from eating meat until the main dinner on Christmas Day. Typically, the Christmas Eve feast consists of seven different seafood dishes, which is where the holiday gets its name. The seven seafood dishes are said to represent the importance of the number seven in the Bible, such as the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Popular at the Christmas Eve feast are also panettone and pandoro, traditional, fluffy Italian cakes.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: December 24 and 25
Christmas, the annual holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated in Canada according to each person’s culture, spiritual beliefs and family traditions. Typically, families decorate their homes with a tree, bright lights, wreaths, candles, holly and greens, and ornaments. Many attend church services together on Christmas Eve. Some exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, while others do this on Christmas morning. These represent the gifts of the three Wise Men who witnessed that Christ was born.
In every country around the world, food is a centrepiece of Christmas. A traditional Canadian meal may include turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes and other vegetables. The final course may be plum pudding, trifle, or a variety of baking that has been prepared throughout December.
Boxing Day: December 26
Many countries with ties to the British Empire celebrate Boxing Day on the day after Christmas. The name comes from the centuries-old tradition of handing out boxes of food, money or small gifts for one’s employees or those in the service industry. This practice started in the 1600s, and while it’s no longer traditionally celebrated this way, the name stuck. Today, Boxing Day is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, equated to Black Friday in the US.
Kwanzaa: December 26–January 1
Kwanzaa is modeled after traditional African harvest festivals. Though its practices have roots in Southern African culture, Kwanzaa is a celebration of diasporic African family, community and culture.
The seven-day celebration begins the day after Christmas and lasts until the new year, with each day representing principles, known as Nguzo Saba, honoring faith, family and community. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday rather than a religious one, though it does have an inherent spiritual significance.
Celebrations of Kwanzaa incorporate candles lit on the Kinara, music, poetry, dance, and personal or communal narratives. On the sixth day of Kwanzaa, families celebrate with a large feast, known as Karamu Ya Imani.
Ukrainian Christmas: December 25/January 7
Christmas in Ukraine is now officially celebrated on December 25, as prescribed by Ukrainian law in July 2023. Christmas was traditionally celebrated on January 7 as many of Ukraine’s Orthodox churches had historic connections with the Russian Orthodox church, which celebrates on the 7th.
The main Christmas meal, eaten on Christmas Eve (December 24 or January 6) is eaten after a day-long fast. The meal normally has 12 vegetarian dishes to represent Jesus’s 12 disciples. Another meal of 12 dishes is eaten on Christmas Day and often include meat, eggs and dairy.
New Year’s Eve: December 31
The last day of the year, New Year’s Eve on the Gregorian calendar, is typically celebrated with food, drink, dancing and fireworks to welcome the new year at midnight. Some Christians attend a watchnight service.
Three Kings Day: January 5
At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, typically celebrated in Latin American, Spanish and French families. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. Some families enjoy a delicious “kings’ cake” known as la galette des rois. Bakers hide a coin, jewel, or little toy inside it. The person who finds the treat gets to wear a crown.
As the winter season unfolds in BC, these diverse celebrations weave a vibrant tapestry of cultures and traditions, uniting communities in the spirit of joy, generosity and togetherness.
Explore our website to learn more about BC CRN or connect with your local CRN for more information or resources.
