Celebrations all year round!
People like to celebrate different phases in life. Every country has its own celebrations. There are many different traditions around the world. There are also big differences between the Nordic countries. Each month has its celebrations somewhere. Let’s take a closer look at some of the things that happen in October to December.
Ei jente prøver å ta et stort jafs av en helstekt kalkun.
The month October written in white on a black background
The balloon festival
The International Balloon Festival takes place in New Mexico, USA. It lasts for nine days in October. People from all over the world are a part of the festival. The festival started in 1972 with 13 hot air balloons. Today, it is the world’s largest hot air balloon festival, with over 500 participants.
A spectacular sky view
There are many events during the festival. The most breathtaking one is when people fly their balloons into the sky. The sky is filled with hundreds of balloons.
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Diwali
Diwali is a festival of lights celebrated in October or November. It is mostly celebrated in Northern India and Nepal. It is celebrated amongst different religious groups and is linked to religious stories. The victory of light over darkness is the most important symbolism. It is said that it is lucky to get married during Diwali.
The goddess of luck is welcomed
Lakshmi is the goddess of luck and wealth. During Diwali, Lakshmi is welcomed with fireworks, oil lamps and candles. It goes on for three nights in a row. Everyone cleans their homes, opens their doors and lights candles. The lights are meant to keep the evil spirits away.
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Ung jente tenner lys og lager en fargerik og sirkelformet dekorasjon for å feire Divali.
Halloween
Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31st. Halloween is a very old tradition. Stories said that the dead came back to the world and made trouble on Halloween. Lanterns and fires were lit to scare evil away.
Trick or treat
Halloween came to the US with European immigrants, and grew as a tradition. Today, children dress up, and many go ‘trick or treating’ from door to door, asking for candy. A lot of people decorate with pumpkins.
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En dame åpner døra for en gjeng med barn og voksne som går knask eller knep på Halloween.
Dìa de los Muertos
Dia de Muertos means «day of the dead». It is celebrated on 1 and 2 November. The celebration is big in Mexico, Spain and Central-America but it is also celebrated in other parts of the world.
The dead are guests of honour
Old stories say there is no border between the world of the dead and the living on this day. The souls of the dead come back to eat and party with their families.
Honouring the dead with an altar
AFood, drink, toys and pictures are put on an altar. Some place things at the grave. Orange flowers, pumpkins and skulls are popular decorations. Children dress up and ask for candy and many people bake cakes that look like a skeleton.
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Jente med flosshatt og langt hår sminket som en fargerik hodeskalle.
Yi Peng Lantern Festival
The Yi Peng Lantern Festival is celebrated in Northern Thailand. It happens when it is the full moon of the twelfth month in the lunar calendar. The festival comes from Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Candles are lit outside homes, in temples and in shops. It is common to decorate with coconut leaves and flowers. People let glowing lanterns into the air and wish for happiness and luck in the new year. It also marks the change from autumn to winter.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the US on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada on the second Monday in October. It is a festival that marks the harvest season. In the beginning, people gave thanks to God for the good harvest and other good things that they received in the past year. Nowadays, the religious meaning of the holiday is not so important.
A big family party
Thanksgiving is a special day for families to celebrate together. They eat turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. One interesting tradition is when the American President forgives a turkey. This happens every year in a ceremony outside the White House in Washington D.C.
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Mor og datter forbereder en kalkun til Thanksgiving-middag med familien.
Hanukka
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration. It is in November or December. The Jewish calendar sets the date for the celebration. The celebration is in memory of the Temple in Jerusalem, which opened again in 165 BC. An oil lamp was used in the temple. It was supposed to burn for one day, but it lasted eight days. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days because of the oil lamp.
Hanukkah candles
A hanukiah is a candle holder with eight branches. Every night during Hanukkah, a candle is lit. You also sing Maoz Zur (O my castle). It is a bit like Christian Advent when you light a candle every Sunday. Food and cakes are boiled or fried in oil. Donuts and potato pancakes are especially popular. It is tradition for children to get money or presents during the celebrations.
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Jødisk familie med mor, far og datter tenner en åttearmet lysestake som står på et festpyntet bord.
The month December written in white on a black background
Bodhi Day
Bodhi Day is a celebration for Buddhists. It happens on the 8th of December. On Bodhi Day, people light candles, meditate, drink tea and eat cakes. Some will visit temples to honour Buddha. It is common to decorate with fig trees.
Bodhi – Buddha’s Awakening
Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. You find his teaching in Buddhist texts. His teaching is called dharma. Buddha means “the awakened one”. It is not the name of a special person but a title. This title was given to the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama after his awakening (bodhi) through meditation.
What happened under the fig tree
When Gautama was sitting under a fig tree in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, he understood how everything is connected and learned how to stop suffering, called Nirvana. This was his awakening. He then gave his first speech and many people started to follow him. In time it became a world religion.
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St Lucia’s Day
St Lucia’s Day is celebrated on 13 December in memory of Saint Lucia. Saint Lucia was a martyr from Sicily. There are different stories about Lucia. We know for sure that she was killed around the year 300. After her death, she was named a saint because she sacrificed her life for her faith in God.
St Lucia’s Day in the Nordic countries
St Lucia’s Day is celebrated in schools and kindergartens. Children dress in white and hold a candle in their hands while walking in a parade. The person in front has a wreath with many candles on their head. They also sing Lucia songs and eat saffron buns.
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Mange jenter som står ved siden av hverandre med tente lys og synger for å markere Luciadagen.
Yalda Night
Yalda is celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan and some other areas. The celebration happens on the night between 20 and 21 December, the darkest night of the year.
Watermelons and gifts
Friends and family meet to eat, drink, dance and read together. Watermelon and nuts play a big part in the celebration. People decorate a cedar tree. The tree symbolises freedom. Gifts are placed under the tree, similar to the tradition of Christmas trees and presents.
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Christmas
In Norway, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th of December. We celebrate in the memory of the birth of Jesus. But Christmas was celebrated a long time before Jesus was born. It was called jólablót. People sacrificed to the gods and drank beer.
Christmas Eve is for the children
Many people have a Christmas tree in their house. People celebrate Christmas Eve with family and friends and eat a traditional meal. Some people dance around the Christmas tree and sing songs before they open presents. Christmas Eve is a night for the children.
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Boxing Day
Boxing Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom and other countries that used to be British colonies. It is on 26 December. In older days, people put leftovers from Christmas dinner in a box outside for the help and sometimes also a bonus. People also gave money to the poor in a church box.
Football and shopping
Today Boxing Day is a shopping day. You get together with friends and family to have fun. There are also Premier League football games on.
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Dame med rød nisselua holder mange handleposer i hendene sine foran et opplyst shoppingsenter.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days between 26 December and 1 January. Kwanzaa is a non-religious celebration in America. It is supposed to give African-Americans closer ties to their African culture. There are a lot of activities like dancing, music and poetry.
Afrikansk familie med to voksne og to barn feirer Kwanzaa og tenner syvarmet lysestake med røde og grønne lys.
New Year’s Eve
One of the oldest and biggest traditions in the world is the celebration of New Year’s Eve. It is celebrated all over the world in different ways. Different cultures celebrate New Year’s on different dates. But all celebrations mark the beginning of the new year. You often see fantastic fireworks and eat delicious food with family and friends.
Sources:
- Wikipedia (20.04.23): Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque_International_Balloon_Fiesta
- Jacobsen, Knut A.: divali i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/divali
- Næss, Helene K.: halloween i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/halloween
- Næss, Helene K.: de dødes dag i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/de_d%C3%B8des_dag
- Yipenglanternfestival.in.th: (20.04.23): Yi Peng Lantern Festival
https://yipenglanternfestival.in.th/
- Dybdahl, Audun: Thanksgiving i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/Thanksgiving
- Groth, Bente: hanukka i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/hanukka
- Kværne, Per; Borgland, Jens Wilhelm: Buddha i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/Buddha
- Stovner, Ina Louise; Dybdahl, Audun: luciadagen i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/luciadagen
- Wikipedia (20.04.23): Yaldā Night
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yald%C4%81_Night
- Stovner, Ina Louise; Bø, Olav; Groth, Bente: jul i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/jul
- Dybdahl, Audun: Boxing Day i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/Boxing_Day
- Wikipedia (20.04.23): Kwanzaa
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa
- Stovner, Ina Louise: nyttårsaften i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/nytt%C3%A5rsaften
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