What other holidays happen around Christmas?

_Elsa_

Bright and early the next day, Tiffi wakes up and gets dressed. She has plenty of time before she has to meet up with Elsa so she decides to do her own googling about the holiday. She finds a very interesting article: 6 Holidays This Holiday Season Besides Christmas.

‘The day after Thanksgiving, or sometimes even Halloween, your nearest Target will turn into a sea of green and red, full of Santa hats, snowflakes and inflatable reindeers, intended to deck the halls, or sit on your deck. While a big number of people in the United States do celebrate Christmas, non-Christian holidays are pushed to the side and ignored. Do you know what holidays you’re referring to when you wish your loved ones a ‘Happy Holidays’? Grab a cup of cocoa, cozy up with some blankets and learn about the holidays in December other than Christmas.

Winter Solstice - For Pagans, December means the holiday of Yule is coming! It falls on December 21st, which marks the winter solstice; which is the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice celebrates the rebirth of the sun, because days get longer from then on out.

Las Posadas - From December 16th through December 24th, Las Posadas is celebrated by some Hispanic families in the United States. It's a nine-day celebration before Christmas, beginning with a procession with candles, songs and sometimes even people playing the parts of Mary and Joseph who lead the parade. Every night of Las Posadas is celebrated with gifts, piñatas, song, parties, tamales and prayer.

Diwali - While this holiday falls a little bit before the rest, Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is a five-day long Hindu holiday celebrating life and the victory of good over evil. Taking place in October or November, each day of Diwali has a different legend it celebrates, but the holiday is filled with fireworks, feasts and family. The date of Diwali is determined based on the Hindu lunisolar calendar.

Chinese New Year - The Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days, beginning on the first day of the lunar new year. The 15th day of the new year is the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with a parade. The Chinese New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of Spring and is a time to be spent with family and loved ones, eating and enjoying time together. So this holiday season, think outside of the Christmas box and appreciate all of the great holidays celebrated during the most wonderful time of the year!’ (Source) 

Tiffi is very excited about this article and can’t wait to show it to Elsa. 

Let’s continue - Elsa and Tiffi meet for lunch 

Start at the beginning - Not everyone celebrates Christmas