EmbRACE Update - December Worldwide Festivals 🌍

With under 3 weeks left until Christmas, here is the final edition of exciting and vibrant festivals for 2021! But don’t worry they’ll be lots more for 2022, and remember…”Tis’ the season to be Jolly tra la la la”

8^th December 2021 – Bodhi  Day– Day of Enlightenment  

Mainly celebrated in North India, Bodhi Day in Buddhism is when Gautama received enlightenment and is celebrated by many Buddhists in the world. According to early Buddhist scripture, the historical Buddha was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama who was disturbed by thoughts of sickness, old age, and death. He gave up his privileged life to become a homeless vagabond, seeking peace of mind. After six years of frustration, he sat under a fig tree "bodhi tree" and vowed to remain in meditation until he had fulfilled his quest. During this meditation, he realized enlightenment and became the Buddha, or "the one who is awake." Bodhi Day generally is observed quietly, without parades or fanfare. Meditation or chanting practices may be extended. More informal commemoration might involve bodhi tree decorations or simple tea and cookies.

8^th December 2021 – Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary   

This day is commonly celebrated by the Roman Catholic faith, there are many interpretations of what this day means to many. One interpretation is that Mary was born without sin and this was a gift given to from birth by God therefore she is considered to be full of grace. Christians believe that God's redeeming grace is available to all believers: those who accept the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception regard Mary as the perfect example of the redeeming action of God's grace. On this day,  celebrations involve Catholic Mass, parades, fireworks, processions, food, and cultural festivities in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is generally considered a Family Day. 

10^th December 2021 – Human Rights Day 

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to 'Equality' and Article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

21^st – 26^th December – Martyrdom of the Sahibzade – The sons of the Guru Gobind Singh Ji – 10^th Guru 

This day holds significance importance in the Sikh religion and is a day of remembrance. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru had four sons. During the reign of the Mughal empire, the Guru’s two youngest sons Baba Zorawar (aged 9) and Baba Fateh Singh (aged 7) Ji were captured along with their grandmother Mata Gujri. After being locked away in a tower during a very cold wintery December and sleeping on a hard floor, the boys were taken and presented to a court full of noblemen and councilmen. It was there that they were ordered to bow in front of Nawab Wazir, a Governor of Sarhind, India. He promised them riches and rank if they would denounce their father's faith. He made it clear, however, that they had no other choice, and should otherwise surely face death. The sons immediately refused and responded by saying “We have been taught to bow to none but God and the Guru. We will not bow to the Nawab”. The Nawab would spend the next few days locking them in the tower and bringing them back out with the same offer but the their answers would remain the same. The Nawab ordered his men to build a wall with the boys still alive in it, they were told to take care that the bricks press wall and tightly against their bodies. A gurdwara now resides where this tragedy took place, and the original wall and tower is still there to see. It is a reminder to all Sikhs the importance of holding onto your faith even in the most difficult circumstances. 

31^st  December – Omisoka – The last day of the year 

Omisoka is a huge festival similar to New Years Eve, the celebration celebrates the last day of the year. The festival is a chance for people to  prepare for the new year by cleansing Shinto home shrines and Buddhist altars. The bells of Buddhist temples are struck 108 times to warn against the 108 evils to be overcome. There is also a custom to eat soba noodle on Omisoka, soba noodle made from a buckwheat flour. The significance links to the belief that eating these noodles is a wish for living long life like a noodle and cutting a run of bad luck because soba noodle breaks more easily than other noodles.

24^th December 2021 – Christmas Eve – The story of Saint Nicholas 

Do you leave a mince pie and milk out for Santa? Here’s another story behind the rosy cheeked, big belly man we adore. Saint Nicholas, otherwise known as Santa was a Bishop who lived in the fourth Century and was born in Turkey! The Saint was said to be quite rich after being left a considerable amount of money. Saint Nicholas was so generous and kind and was a very cherished member of the community, he would use his wealth to help the poor and give secret gifts to those who needed it the most. An example of this was an occasion when he helped a poor man who couldn’t afford to marry his daughters, one night Nicholas secretly dropped a bag of gold down the chimney and into the house. The bag fell into a stocking that had been hung by the fire to dry and just like that the tradition was born! His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6. This was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married and don’t forget.. there’s still time to be good to avoid a lump of coal in your stocking this Christmas! 

25^th December 2021 – Christmas Day 

Christmas is a Christian festival intended to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the customs and traditions around this festival derive all the way back to the Roman era and the first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25^th was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine who was the first Christian Roman Emperors. Over time, other traditions and cultures have laid foundation to how many of us celebrate today for example in Scandinavia, many people celebrate ‘Yule’ which is otherwise known as winter solace, Yule celebrations included bonfires, decorating with holly, mistletoe and the boughs of evergreen trees, ritual sacrifices, feasts, and gift-giving. Carol singing is said to originate from a separate tradition called ‘wassailing’ which existed as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. The word ‘wassail’ probably comes from ‘ves heill’ meaning ‘be well and in good health’ and was a toast. But by the Victorian period wassailers were carolling groups who went round the town and would be rewarded with a hot, spiced (often cider-based) drink, known as ‘wassail’. It is also said that the tradition of eggnog originated from the early medieval Britain “posset,” a hot, milky, ale-like drink. By the 13th century, monks were known to drink a posset with eggs and figs. Milk, eggs, and sherry were foods of the wealthy, so eggnog was often used in toasts to prosperity and good health. To find out more about how the world celebrates, feel free to click on the link here.

To all celebrating this month, I wish you all the good health, treasured memories, a very Merry December and a Happy New Year!