The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Many people in various different countries observe religious holidays. Each religious holiday has its own unique history and traditions. Here are some of the most commonly celebrated holidays throughout the world.

Christmas: Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples celebrated during the winter solstice, when the harshness of the winter was over and they could look forward to extended hours of sunlight. In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. To celebrate the end of winter, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. In the Middle Ages, these traditions were combined with the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus throughout Europe, beginning in Rome. Today, Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December with the traditional coming of Santa Clause, a far-removed version of the ancient Turkish patron saint of children, St. Nicholas
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Eid ul-Fitr: Ramadan occurs in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.
Muslims believe that during this month the Holy Qur'an was received.
It is told that the blessed prophet Muhammad was alone near Mecca when the Angel Jibrail (Gabriel) came to him. The angel told Muhammad to read but Mohammad did not know how to, so the angel taught Muhammad some verses over the next ten days. These verses are known as the Holy Qur'an. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The last ten days of Ramadan are a time of the greatest devotion. Lailat ul-Qadr or the Night of Power is the night which the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad. It is generally held on the 27th night of the month and the night is generally spent in prayer. The end of Ramadan is a joyous occasion known as Eid-ul-Fitr typically lasting three days. Eid is celebrated with special prayers, feasts, sweets and gift giving.

Hanukkah: Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. In 168 B.C. the Jews' holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus. Some Jews were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, but most were angry and decided to fight back. After three years of fighting, the Jews defeated the Greek army, despite having fewer men and weapons. When the fighting was over, some of the soldiers cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. For the celebration, they wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night.

Although these are the most commonly celebrated religious holidays, there are many other religious holidays that have rich traditions. For the upcoming winter holidays, remember to celebrate all with cheer.

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