December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

s. Its length is 31 days. December's name derives from the Latin word ''decem'' (meaning

ten Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to: * 10, an even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 * one of the years 10 BC, AD 10, 1910, 2010, 2110 * October, the tenth month of the year Places * Mount Ten, in Vietnam * Tongren Fenghuang Airport (IATA c ...

) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the calendar of Romulus , which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name.

Macrobius Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, usually referred to as Macrobius (fl. AD 400), was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, during late antiquity, the period of time corresponding to the Later Roman Empire, and when Latin was ...

, ''

Saturnalia Saturnalia is an Roman festivals, ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the List of Roman deities, god Saturn (mythology), Saturn, held on 17 December in the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities until 19 December. By t ...

'', tr. Percival Vaughan Davies (New York: Columbia University Press, 1969), book I, chapters 12–13, pp. 89–95. In

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

, as one of the four

Agonalia An Agonalia or Agonia was an obscure archaic religious observance celebrated in ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in ...

, this day in honour of

Sol Indiges Sol is the personification of the Sun and a god in ancient Roman religion. It was long thought that Rome actually had two different, consecutive sun gods: The first, Sol Indiges (), was thought to have been unimportant, disappearing altogether ...

was held on December 11, as was

Septimontium The Septimontium was a proto-Urban area, urban Roman festival, festival celebrated in ancient Rome by ''montani'', residents of the seven ''(sept-)'' communities associated with the hills or peaks of Rome ''(montes)'': Oppius, Palatine Hill, Palati ...

. Dies natalis (birthday) was held at the temple of Tellus on December 13,

Consualia The Consualia or ''Consuales Ludi'' was the name of two ancient Roman festivals in honor of Consus, a tutelary deity of the harvest and stored grain. ''Consuales Ludi'' harvest festivals were held on August 21,Plutarch. "Life if Romulus", in '' ...

was held on December 15,

was held December 17–23,

Opiconsivia The Opiconsivia (or Opeconsiva or Opalia) was an ancient Roman religious festival held August 25 in honor of Ops ("Plenty"), also known as Opis, a goddess of agricultural resources and wealth. The festival marked the end of harvest, with a mirr ...

was held on December 19,

Divalia The Divalia was a Roman festival held on December 21, in honour of the goddess Angerona, whence it is also called Angeronalia. On the day of this festival the pontifices performed sacrifices in the temple of Volupta, Voluptia, or the goddess of jo ...

was held on December 21,

Larentalia The Roman festival of Larentalia was held on 23 December but was ordered to be observed twice a year by Augustus; by some supposed to be in honour of the Lares, a kind of domestic ''genii'', or divinities, worshipped in houses, and esteemed the gua ...

was held on December 23, and the dies natalis of

Sol Invictus Sol Invictus (, "Invincible Sun" or "Unconquered Sun") was the official Solar deity, sun god of the late Roman Empire and a later version of the god Sol (Roman mythology), Sol. The emperor Aurelian revived his cult in 274 AD and promoted Sol Inv ...

was held on December 25. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. The

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

referred to December–January as

Ġēolamonaþ Ġēolamōnaþ or Ȝēolamōnaþ (modern English: ''Yule month'') was the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of both December and January. The Anglo-Saxon scholar Bede explains in his treatise ''The Reckoning of Time, De temporum ratione'' (The Reckon ...

(modern English: "

Yule Yule is a winter festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples that was incorporated into Christmas during the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples. In present times adherents of some new religious movements (such as Modern ...

month"). The French Republican Calendar contained December within the months of

Frimaire Frimaire () was the third month in the French Republican calendar. The month was named after the French word ''frimas'' 'frost'. Frimaire was the third month of the autumn quarter (''mois d'automne''). It started between 21 November and 23 Novem ...

and

Nivôse Nivôse (; also ''Nivose'') was the fourth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word ''nivosus'' 'snowy'. Nivôse was the first month of the winter quarter (''mois d'hiver''). It started between 21 and 23 ...

Astronomy

Hans Bol - Adriaen Collaert - Emblemata evangelica - Erfgoedfonds Koning Boudewijnstichting - Fonds du Patrimoine Fondation Roi Baudouin - 12

December contains the

winter solstice The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's geographical pole, poles reaches its maximum axial tilt, tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere, Northern and So ...

in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined by humans as being in the same celestial sphere, celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar ...

, the day with the fewest daylight hours, and the

summer solstice The summer solstice or estival solstice occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). The summer solstice is the day with the longest peri ...

in the Southern Hemisphere, the day with the most daylight hours (excluding polar regions in both cases, which consistently have none or 24 hours, respectively, near the solstice). December in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to

June June is the sixth and current month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars—the latter the most widely used calendar in the world. Its length is 30 days. June succeeds May and precedes July. This month marks the start of su ...

in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the astronomical

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

is traditionally 21 December or the date of the solstice. Meteor showers occurring in December are the

Andromedids The Andromedids meteor shower is associated with Biela's Comet, the showers occurring as Earth passes through old streams left by the comet's tail. The comet was observed to have broken up by 1846; further drift of the pieces by 1852 suggested ...

(September 25 – December 6, peaking around November 9), the

Canis-Minorids The Canis-Minorids, also called the Beta Canis Minorids, are a meteor shower that arises near the fifth-magnitude star 11 Canis Minoris. They were discovered in 1964 by Keith Hindley, who investigated their trajectory and proposed a common origin ...

(December 4 – December 15, peaking around December 10–11), the Coma Berenicids (December 12 to December 23, peaking around December 16), the Delta Cancrids (December 14 to February 14, the main shower from January 1 to January 24, peaking on January 17), the

Geminids The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower with 3200 Phaethon (which is thought to be an Apollo asteroid with a " rock comet" orbit.) being the parent body. Because of this, it would make this shower, along with the Quadrantids, the only ...

(December 13–14), the

Monocerotids The Monocerotids refers to two separate meteor showers originating from the constellation of Monoceros. The Alpha Monocerotids The Alpha Monocerotids is a meteor shower active from 15 to 25 November, with its peak occurring on 21 or 22 November ...

(December 7 to December 20, peaking on December 9. This shower can also start in November), the

Phoenicids The Phoenicids are a minor meteor shower, first noticed by observers in New Zealand, Australia, the Indian Ocean, and South Africa during an outburst of approximately 100 meteors an hour that occurred during December 1956. Like other meteor showe ...

(November 29 to December 9, with a peak occurring around 5/6 December), the

Quadrantids The Quadrantids (QUA) are a meteor shower that peaks in early January and whose radiant lies in the constellation Boötes. The zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of this shower can be as high as that of two other reliably rich meteor showers, the Persei ...

(typically a January shower but can also start in December), the

Sigma Hydrids Sigma Hydrids are a faint, minor (Class II) meteor shower that peak around 7 December. The ZHR is 3-7 and population index is 3. They are active from November 22 to January 4. Sigma hydrids were discovered by Richard E. McCrosky and Annette Po ...

(December 4–15), and the

Ursids The Ursid (URS) meteor activity begins annually around December 17 and runs for over a week, until the 25th or 26th. This meteor shower is named for its radiant point, which is located near the star Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab) in the constellat ...

(December 17-to December 25/26, peaking around December 22).

Astrology

The

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...

signs for the month of December are

Sagittarius Sagittarius ( ) may refer to: *Sagittarius (constellation) *Sagittarius (astrology), a sign of the Zodiac * Sagittarius of Gap, a 6th century bishop *Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy Ships *'' S ...

(until December 21) and Capricorn (December 22 onward).The Earth passes the junction of the signs at 10:02 UT/GMT December 21, 2020, and will pass it again at 15:59 UT/GMT December 21, 2021.. Signs in UT/GMT for 1950–2030.

Symbols

December's birth flower is the narcissus. Its birthstones are

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone for millennia due to its hue. The robi ...

zircon Zircon () is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates and is a source of the metal zirconium. Its chemical name is zirconium(IV) silicate, and its corresponding chemical formula is Zr SiO4. An empirical formula showing some of th ...

and

tanzanite Tanzanite is the blue and violet variety of the mineral zoisite (a calcium aluminium hydroxyl sorosilicate), caused by small amounts of vanadium. Tanzanite belongs to the epidote mineral group. Tanzanite is only found in Simanjiro District of ...

Observances

''This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.''

Non-Gregorian

(All Baháʼí, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.) *

List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar This table is determined by when the March Equinox falls. It fell on March 20 from 2018 to 2021 and will fall on March 21 in 2022–2023. All Baha'i observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in questi ...

List of observances set by the Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings. The most important Chinese holiday is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in overseas ethnic Chinese communities (for example in ...

List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar All observances begin at sunset the day prior to the Gregorian date listed unless otherwise noted, and end on nightfall of the date in question, which is defined as the appearance of three stars in the sky. On leap years (which occur every 2–3 ...

List of observances set by the Islamic calendar All Islamic calendar, Islamic observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted. Holidays for 1441 (2019-2020) {, class="wikitable" !width=20%, Date on Islamic Calenda ...

List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar Dates in this table are determined by when the March Equinox falls. It will fall on March 20 from 2018 to 2023. {, class="wikitable" , - style="background:#efefef;" ! Holiday date !!Holiday name !! Description !!March equinox on March 19 !!M ...

Month-long

* In Catholic tradition, December typically marks the beginning of the Season of

Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...

. It is also devoted to the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...

. * National Egg Nog Month (United States) * National Impaired Driving Prevention Month (United States) * National Fruit Cake Month (United States) * National Pear Month (United States)

Movable

* See also

Movable Western Christian observances {{Update, date=February 2023 This is a list of Moveable feast, movable observances within Western Christianity. It includes secular observances which are calculated by religious observances. ''This list does not necessarily imply either official ...

* See also

Movable Eastern Christian observances This is a chronological list of moveable Eastern Christian observances. Most of these are calculated by the date of Easter, Pascha. It includes secular observances which are calculated by religious observances. ''This list does not necessarily im ...

Tuesday immediately following fourth Thursday of November *

Giving Tuesday GivingTuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to trans ...

(

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

) (can fall in December) First Friday * Farmer's Day (

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

) *

Gospel Day The following are public holidays in Kiribati. Dates refer to 2002. References

Lists of public holidays by country, Kiribati Kiribati-related lists, Holidays Law of Kiribati Public holidays in Oceania, Kiribati {{Kiribati-stub ...

(

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

) First Sunday * Good Neighborliness Day (

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

) *

Sindhi Cultural Day Sindhi Cultural Day () is a popular Sindhi cultural festival. It is celebrated with traditional enthusiasm to highlight the centuries-old rich culture of Sindh. The day is celebrated each year in the first week of December on the Sunday. It's ...

(

Sindhi diaspora The Sindhi diaspora () consists of Sindhi people who have emigrated from the historical Sindh province of British India, as well as the modern Sindh province of Pakistan, to other countries and regions of the world, as well as their descendants ...

) Second Monday *

Green Monday Green Monday is an online retail industry term similar to Cyber Monday. The term was coined by Shopping.com, an eBay company, in 2007 to describe the best eCommerce sales day in December, usually the second Monday of December. After doing some ...

National Tree Planting Day (Malawi) Arbor Day (or Arbour Day in some countries) is a Secularity, secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date v ...

December 15, unless the date falls on a Sunday, then December 16 * Koninkrijksdag (

Kingdom of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands (, ;, , ), commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The re ...

)

Winter Solstice The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's geographical pole, poles reaches its maximum axial tilt, tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere, Northern and So ...

Blue Christmas (holiday) Blue Christmas (also called the Longest Night) in the Western Christian tradition is a day in the Advent season marking the longest night of the year. On this day, some churches in Western Christian denominations hold a church service that honour ...

Brumalia The Brumalia ( ) were a winter solstice festival celebrated in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. In Rome there had been the minor holiday of Bruma on November 24, which turned into large scale end of the year festivities in Constantinople and ...

(

) *

Dongzhi Festival The Dongzhi Festival or Winter Solstice Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice), which falls between December 21 and December 23. The origins of this festival can be traced back to ...

(

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

) * Global Orgasm *

Korochun ''Koročun'' or ''Kračun'' (see other variants below) is one of the names for the time of the year that corresponds to Christmas in several Slavic languages such as Pannonian Rusyn, as well as the common name for the holiday in Romania and Hunga ...

(

Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...

) *

Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest Daytime, day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of Eu ...

in the Southern Hemisphere. (

Contemporary Paganism Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some common simila ...

) * Sanghamitta Day (

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

) *

Shalako Shalako is a series of dances and ceremonies conducted by the Native American Zuni people for the Zuni people at the winter solstice, typically following the harvest. The Shalako ceremony and feast has been closed to non-native peoples since 1990 ...

( Zuni) *

Yaldā Yaldā Night () or Chelle Night (also Chellah Night, , lit. "fortieth night") is an ancient festival in Iran, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan that is celebrated on the winter solstice. This corresponds t ...

(

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

) *

in the Northern Hemisphere (

) *

Ziemassvētki Ziemassvētki (), also Ziemsvētki is an annual festival in Latvia which observes the winter solstice and birth of Jesus Christ. Latvians around the world celebrate it from 24 to 25 December. 24 December is Ziemassvētku vakars (Christmas Eve, lit ...

(

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

) December 22, unless that date is a Sunday, in which case the 23rd *

Forefathers' Day Forefathers' Day is a holiday celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 22. It is a commemoration of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 21, 1620. It was introduced in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1769. ...

(

Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth ( ; historically also spelled as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in and the county seat of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklor ...

) December 26, unless that day is a Sunday, in which case the 27th *

Boxing Day Boxing Day, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part ...

(

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

) ** Day of Good Will (

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

) **

Family Day Family Day is a public holiday in the countries of Angola, Israel, Namibia, South Africa, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vietnam; in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan; in the American states of A ...

(

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...

) ** Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands) ** Start of

Boxing Week Boxing Day, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the twelve Days of Christmas, second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has ...

Fixed

* November 25 – December 10:

16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number) *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen * ''Sixteen'' (20 ...

December 1 Events Pre-1600 * 800 – A council is convened in the Vatican, at which Charlemagne is to judge the accusations against Pope Leo III. * 1420 – Henry V of England enters Paris alongside his father-in-law King Charles VI of France. * ...

** Battle of the Sinop Day (

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

) **

Damrong Rajanubhab Day Public holidays in Thailand are regulated by the Government of Thailand, government, and most are observed by both the public and private sectors. There are usually nineteen public holidays in a year, but more may be declared by the Cabinet of Tha ...

(

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

) ** Day of Restoration of Independence (

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

) ** Eat A Red Apple Day (

) **

Feast for Death of Aleister Crowley Thelema () is a Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and a new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial magician. Central to T ...

(

Thelema Thelema () is a Western esotericism, Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and a new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial ma ...

) ** First President Day (

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

) ** Freedom and Democracy Day (

Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...

) **

Great Union Day Great Union Day (; also called Unification Day or National Day) is a Romanian national holiday celebrated on 1 December to mark the 1918 Great Union (the unification of Transylvania, Bassarabia, and Bukovina with the Kingdom of Romania). The ...

(Romania) ** Military Abolition Day (Costa Rica) ** National Day (Myanmar) ** Republic Day (Central African Republic) ** Restoration of Independence Day (Portugal) ** Rosa Parks Day (Ohio and Oregon,

) ** Self-governance Day (Iceland) ** Teachers' Day (Panama) ** World AIDS Day *** Day Without Art * December 2 ** Armed Forces Day (Cuba) ** International Day for the Abolition of Slavery ** National Day (Laos) ** National Day (United Arab Emirates) ** List of food days#December, National Fritters Day (

) * December 3 ** National Doctors' Day, Doctors' Day (Cuba) ** United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities * December 4 ** List of food days#December, National Cookie Day (

) ** Navy Day (India) ** Saint Barbara's Day-related observances: *** Barbórka (Poland) *** Eid il-Burbara (

, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian National Authority, Palestine, Syria, Turkey) ** Thai Environment Day (

) ** Tupou I Day (Tonga) * December 5 ** Children's Day (Suriname) ** Ninja Burger#Day of the Ninja, Day of the Ninja (Holiday#Unofficial holidays, unofficial) ** Days of Military Honour, Day of Military Honour – Battle of Moscow (

) ** Discovery Day#Hispaniola, Discovery Day (Haiti and Dominican Republic) ** International Volunteer Day, International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development ** Klozum (Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands) ** Saint Nicholas, Saint Nicholas Eve (Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom, UK) *** Krampusnacht (Austria) ** King's Birthday (Thailand) ** Repeal of Prohibition in the United States#External links, Repeal Day (

) ** International Year of Soil, World Soil Day * December 6 ** Anniversary of the Founding of Quito (Ecuador) ** Armed Forces Day#Ukraine, Armed Forces Day (Ukraine) ** Constitution Day (Spain) ** Day of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan ** Independence Day of Finland ** National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada) ** Saint Nicholas Day (Western Christianity) * December 7 ** Armed Forces Flag Day (India) ** Eve of the Immaculate Conception (Western Christianity) and related observances: *** Day of the Little Candles, begins after sunset (Colombia) *** Quema del Diablo, begins after sunset. (Guatemala) ** International Civil Aviation Day ** Culture of East Timor#Public holidays, National Heroes Day (East Timor) ** National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (

) ** Spitak Remembrance Day (Armenia) * December 8 ** Battle Day (Falkland Islands) ** Bodhi Day (Japan) ** CARICOM–Cuba Day (Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba) ** Constitution Day (Romania) ** Constitution Day (Uzbekistan) ** Jean Sibelius, Day of Finnish Music (Finland) ** Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in Feast of the Immaculate Conception#Designation as public holiday, several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: *** Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Anglican Communion), lesser commemoration *** Christmas on Campus (University of Dayton) *** Mother's Day (Panama) *** Festa da Conceição da Praia, celebrating Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean (Salvador, Bahia) *** Festival of Lights (Lyon) ** List of LGBTQ awareness days, Pansexual/Panromantic Pride Day ** Public holidays in North Macedonia, Saint Clement of Ohrid Day (North Macedonia) ** List of food days#December, National Brownie Day (

) ** National Youth Day (Albania) * December 9 ** Name days in Sweden, Anna's Day (Sweden and Finland) ** Feast of the Immaculate Conception#Eastern Orthodoxy, Feast of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by St. Anne (Eastern Orthodox) ** Independence Day (Tanzania) ** International Anti-Corruption Day ** National Heroes Day (Antigua and Barbuda) ** List of food days#December, National Pastry Day (

) ** Armed Forces Day#Sri Lanka, Navy Day (Sri Lanka) ** Ásatrú holidays#The Troth, Remembrance for Egill Skallagrímsson (The Troth) ** Yuri's Day in the Autumn (Russian Orthodox Church) * December 10 ** Alfred Nobel Day (Sweden) ** Constitution Day (Thailand) ** Human Rights Day (International observance, International) * December 11 ** Human Rights and Peace Day (Kiribati) ** Indiana Day (Indiana, United States) ** List of food days#December, National Have a Bagel Day (United States) ** List of food days#December, National Noodle Ring Day (United States) ** National Tango Day (Argentina) ** Pampanga Day (Pampanga province, Philippines) ** Republic Day (Burkina Faso) * December 12 ** Constitution Day (Russia) ** Armed Forces Day#Croatia, Croatian Air Force Day (Croatia) ** Day of Neutrality (Turkmenistan) ** Public holidays in Mexico, Feast of the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico) ** Baháʼí calendar, Feast of Masá'il Baháʼí calendar (only if Baháʼí Naw-Rúz falls on March 21, which it does for 2015) ** Kanji of the year, Kanji Day (Japan) ** Jamhuri Day (Kenya) * December 13 ** Acadian Remembrance Day (Acadians) ** National Day (Saint Lucia) ** Republic Day (Malta) ** Armed Forces Day#Brazil, Sailor's Day (Brazil) ** Saint Lucy's Day (mainly Scandinavia, some regions of Italy) * December 14 ** Alabama Day (Alabama) ** Forty-seven Ronin, Forty-seven Ronin Remembrance Day (Sengaku-ji, Tokyo) ** Martyred Intellectuals Day (Bangladesh) ** Monkey Day (International observance, International) * December 15 ** United States Bill of Rights, Bill of Rights Day (United States) *** 2nd Amendment Day (South Carolina) ** Homecoming Day (Alderney) ** International Tea Day ** List of food days#December, National Cupcake Day (United States) ** Remembrance Day of Journalists Killed in the Line of Duty (Russia) ** Zamenhof Day (Esperantist, International Esperanto Community) * December 16 ** National Day (Kingdom of Bahrain) ** Victory day of Bangladesh ** Day of reconciliation (South Africa), Day of Reconciliation in South Africa * December 17 ** Accession Day (Bahrain) ** International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers ** National Day (Bhutan) ** List of food days#December, National Maple Syrup Day (United States) ** Pan American Aviation Day (United States) ** Wright Brothers Day (United States) * December 18 ** International Migrants Day (United Nations) ** List of food days#Brazil, National Muffin Day (Brazil) * December 19 ** Liberation Day, Goa Liberation Day (Goa, India) ** Public holidays in Anguilla, National Heroes and Heroines Day (Anguilla) * December 20 ** Abolition of Slavery Day, also known as ''Cafres, Fête des Cafres'' (Réunion, French Guiana) ** Bo Aung Kyaw Day (Myanmar) ** International Human Solidarity Day (International observance, International) ** Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (Macau) ** List of food days#December, National Sangria Day (United States) * December 21 ** Armed Forces Day (Philippines) ** First day of winter (some cultures) **

(

, United States) ** List of food days#December, National Hamburger Day (United States) ** Public holidays in São Tomé and Príncipe, São Tomé Day (São Tomé and Príncipe) ** The first day of Pancha Ganapati, celebrated until December 25 (Saiva Siddhanta Church) * December 22 ** Armed Forces Day (Vietnam) ** Mother's Day (Indonesia) ** List of food days#December, National Date Nut Bread Day (United States) ** National Mathematics Day (India) ** Teachers' Day (Cuba) ** Unity Day (Zimbabwe) * December 23 ** The Emperor's Birthday, a national holiday in Japan ** Festivus ** HumanLight (Humanism) * December 24 ** Christmas Eve *** Aðfangadagskvöld, the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lads, Yule Lad arrives to towns. (Iceland) *** Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italy) *** Juleaften (Denmark)/Julaften (Norway)/Julafton, Julafton (Sweden) *** Nittel Nacht (certain Orthodox Jewish denominations) *** Nochebuena (Spain and Spanish-speaking countries) *** The Declaration of Christmas Peace (Old Great Square (Turku), Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official Christmas City) *** Quviasukvik (Eskimo of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, NunatuKavut, Alaska, Greenland and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka), a new year celebration held until January 7th. ** Days of Military Honour, Day of Military Honour – Siege of Ismail (Russia) ** Independence Day (Libya) ** Mōdraniht (Anglo-Saxon paganism) ** List of food days#December, National Eggnog Day (United States) * December 25 ** Children's Day (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo) ** Christmas (Christianity) *** Constitution Day (Taiwan) *** Good Governance Day (India) *** Newtonmas (Atheist community) *** Quaid-e-Azam's Day (Pakistan) *** Takanakuy (Chumbivilcas Province, Peru) ** List of food days#December, National Pumpkin Pie Day (United States) * December 26 ** Independence Day in Slovenia – Independence and Unity Day ** Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1) (African-American, African-American community, United States) ** Saint Stephen's Day ** Wren Day (Ireland and the Isle of Man) * December 27 ** Independence and Unity Day (Slovenia) ** Mauro Hamza, Mauro Hamza Day (Houston, Houston, Texas) ** Mummer's Day (Padstow, Cornwall) ** Saint Stephen's Day (public holiday in Alsace, Austria, Catalonia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland) *** Father's Day (Bulgaria) ** The first day of Junkanoo street parade, the second day is on the New Year's Day (The Bahamas) ** List of food days#December, National Fruitcake Day (United States) ** Zartosht No-Diso (Zoroastrianism) * December 28 ** Proclamation Day (South Australia), Proclamation Day in South Australia * December 29 * December 30 ** Remembrance days in Slovakia, Day of the Declaration of Slovakia as an Independent Ecclesiastic Province (Slovakia) ** List of food days#December, National Bicarbonate of Soda Day (United States) ** Rizal Day (Philippines) * December 31 ** International Solidarity Day (Azerbaijan) ** List of food days#December, National Champagne Day (United States) ** New Year's Eve *** Novy God, Novy God Eve ** Bisperás ng Bagong Taón (Philippines) ** Ōmisoka (Japan) ** Start of Hogmanay (Scotland) December 31 – January 1, in some cases until January 2.

References

External links

{{Authority control December, Months, *12