Celebrations all year round!

People have the need to have events, gatherings and parties to celebrate life’s many phases. Celebrations take place all across the globe, and there are completely different traditions in different parts of the world. There are even great differences between the Nordic countries. Each month has its milestones and celebrations somewhere in the world. 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.
Ei jente prøver å ta et stort jafs av en helstekt kalkun.
The month October written in white on a black background
The month October written in white on a black background

The balloon festival

For nine days in October, the International Balloon Festival takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the USA. Hot air balloon enthusiasts from all over the world gather for this event. 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

A number of events and competitions are held during the festival, but the most spectacular sight is when all the participants fly their balloons into the sky. Within a few hours, the entire sky is filled with hundreds of hot air balloons.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt

Diwali

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is a festival of lights celebrated in October or November. The celebration is particularly popular in the northern parts of India and Nepal. It is celebrated by HindusSikhs and Jains alike, and is linked to various religious scriptures and stories. The main symbolism of the celebration is the victory of light over darkness. Getting married during Diwali is supposed to bring luck.

The goddess of luck is welcomed

Diwali is celebrated for three consecutive nights with candles, oil lamps and fireworks to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and wealth. Homes are cleaned, doors are opened and candles are lit to welcome her in. The lights are also meant to keep away any evil spirits.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt
Ung jente tenner lys og lager en fargerik og sirkelformet dekorasjon for å feire Divali.
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 an ancient tradition. Legend has it that the dead entered the human world on Halloween, causing a lot of fear and unrest. For protetion against evil spirits, lanterns and bonfires are lit.

Trick or treat

When the tradition was brought to America in the 19th century by European immigrants, it evolved further. Today, it is common for children and young people to dress up, and many go ‘trick or treating’ from door to door, asking for sweets. A lot of people decorate with lanterns and pumpkins.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt
En dame åpner døra for en gjeng med barn og voksne som går knask eller knep på Halloween.
En dame åpner døra for en gjeng med barn og voksne som går knask eller knep på Halloween.

Dìa de los Muertos

On 1 and 2 November, Dia de Muertos, which means «day of the dead», is celebrated. The celebration is a combination of Colombian and Spanish cultures. The Day of the Dead is a big celebration in Mexico, Spain and Central America, but it is also celebrated in other parts of the world.

The dead are guests of honour

According to old myths, the boundaries between the world of the dead and the living are abolished on this day. The souls of the dead wake up and return to Earth to eat, drink and feast with their families. The living welcome the dead to their celebrations as their guests of honour.

Honouring the dead with an altar

An altar is often prepared where food and drink, toys and pictures of the deceased are presented. Some place the items at the grave. It is popular to decorate with orange flowers called magnolia and with pumpkins. Another symbol used is the skull, often in the form of a mask. It is also common to make cakes and other baked goods that resemble a skeleton. Children will often dress up and ask for sweets.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 3

Neste avsnitt
Jente med flosshatt og langt hår sminket som en fargerik hodeskalle.
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 on the full moon of the twelfth month in the lunar calendar. The festival is based on Buddhist and Hindu traditions where candles are lit and placed in the entrances to people’s homes, in temples and in shops. It is common to decorate with coconut leaves and flowers. Glowing lanterns are released into the sky. Releasing lanterns symbolises the release of negative energy and that you wish the new year to bring happiness and luck. The festival also marks the transition from autumn to winter.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a harvest festival celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the US, and the second Monday in October in Canada. Originally, the day was a celebration where people thanked God for the year’s harvest and other gifts of life in the past year. Today, much of the religious significance has been lost.

A big family party

Nowadays, Thanksgiving is a family celebration where turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are served. One of the strangest traditions on Thanksgiving is perhaps the annual «pardoning» of a turkey by the American President.This takes place during a solemn ceremony outside the White House in Washington, D.C.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt
Mor og datter forbereder en kalkun til Thanksgiving-middag med familien.
Mor og datter forbereder en kalkun til Thanksgiving-middag med familien.

Hanukka

Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration which takes place in November or December. The date varies and is set based on the Hebrew calendar. The celebration commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC. A few years before that, the temple had been looted and the Jews had been denied access to their holiest house. During the consecration, an oil lamp was used. It was supposed to burn for just one day, but miraculously it burned for a whole eight days! This is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days.

Hanukkah candles

Each evening a candle is lit on the eight branches of the candle holder called a hanukiah, and the hymn Maoz Zur (O, my castle) is sung. This is a bit like Christian Advent when a new candle is lit every Sunday during Advent time. Food and cakes are boiled or fried in oil. Donuts and potato pancakes are particularly popular. It is tradition for children to receive money or presents during the celebrations.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt
Jødisk familie med mor, far og datter tenner en åttearmet lysestake som står på et festpyntet bord.
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
The month December written in white on a black background

Bodhi Day

Bodhi Day is celebrated on December 8th and is a celebration for Buddhists involving meditation, tea and cakes and lit candles. Some will visit temples and other holy places to honour Buddha on this day. It is also common to decorate a fig tree, also called a bodhi tree, with beads and multicoloured lights. Bodhi Day commemorates the awakening of the first Buddha.

Bodhi – Buddha’s Awakening

Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. His teachings (dharma) which are preserved in Buddhist texts, form the basis of all Buddhist philosophy. Buddha means «the awakened one», and it is not the name of a particular person but rather an honorific given to the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama after his awakening (bodhi) through meditation.

What happened under the fig tree

While sitting under a fig tree in present-day Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Gautama realised the interconnectedness of existence and the path to the cessation of suffering, Nirvana. This was his awakening. Shortly afterwards he preached his first sermon and gradually gained a considerable following. In time this developed into a world religion.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 3

Neste avsnitt

St Lucia’s Day

St Lucia’s Day is celebrated on 13 December to commemorate Saint Lucia, a martyr from Sicily. Lucia Day was originally a Catholic custom and really has no connection to Advent. There are many different stories about Lucia, but what is definitely known is 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. Among other things, she is said to have refused to pay taxes to the Roman gods, and preferred to give money to the poor in order to «please God.»

St Lucia’s Day in the Nordic countries

St Lucia’s Day is celebrated in schools, nurseries, nursing homes and other institutions. Children dress in white and walk in a parade. They all have a candle in their hands, and the person who walks in front also has a wreath of candles on their head. The parade goes through all the rooms whilst singing the Lucia song. It is also common to serve baked goods such as saffron buns on this day.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt
Mange jenter som står ved siden av hverandre med tente lys og synger for å markere Luciadagen.
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 other areas that have been influenced by Persian culture. The celebration takes place on the night between 20 and 21 December, the darkest night of the year. This is also known as the winter solstice.

Watermelons and gifts

Friends and family meet to eat, drink, dance and read together until late into the night. Watermelon and pomegranates as well as nuts play an important part in the celebrations. The red pulp of the fruit symbolises the glow of life. It is also common to get and decorate a cedar tree. The cedar tree, which is always green, is a symbol of immortality and freedom. Gifts are placed under the tree, similar to the  tradition of Christmas trees and presents.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt

Christmas

On the 24th of December, Christmas is celebrated in Norway. According to the Christian tradition, it commemorates the birth of Jesus. However, Christmas was celebrated  long before Jesus was born. The celebration was called jólablót. This was a party around the time of the winter solstice where sacrifices were made to the gods and beer was drunk.

Christmas Eve is for the children

Many people put a Christmas tree in their living room, or decorate the house with fir branches. The colour green symbolises fertility and eternal life. It is common to gather family and friends to celebrate Christmas Eve and eat a traditional meal. Some people also dance around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas songs before they open their presents. Christmas Eve is first and foremost for the children. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is the British second day of Christmas, on 26 December. The day is also celebrated in other countries that have previously been British colonies. Traditionally, on Boxing Day a box with leftovers from Christmas dinner was put outside , and perhaps even a bonus, for the servants. It was also tradition to give money to the poor in a church box.

Football and shopping

These days Boxing Day is a shopping day. It is common to get together with friends and family to play games and have fun. There are also Premier League football games on.

Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt
Dame med rød nisselua holder mange handleposer i hendene sine foran et opplyst shoppingsenter.
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 newer, non religious celebration that primarily takes place in America. The celebration is intended to give African-Americans a closer connection to their African culture. Families and communities organise activities, dance, music and poetry.

Afrikansk familie med to voksne og to barn feirer Kwanzaa og tenner syvarmet lysestake med røde og grønne lys.
Afrikansk familie med to voksne og to barn feirer Kwanzaa og tenner syvarmet lysestake med røde og grønne lys.

New Year’s Eve

The celebration of New Year’s Eve is amongst the oldest celebrations in existence, and takes place all across the world. Different religions and cultures may have different dates for New Year’s celebrations, but a common characteristic of the various celebrations is that the New Year’s celebration marks the transition into a new year. Friends and family gather for festive meals and magnificent firework displays often mark the entrance into the new year itself.

Sources:

  • Jacobsen, Knut A.: divali i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/divali
  • 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
  • Stovner, Ina Louise; Bø, Olav; Groth, Bente: jul i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 20. april 2023 fra https://snl.no/jul
Forrige avsnitt

1 / 2

Neste avsnitt

Media rights:

    1. Getty Images
    2. Getty Images
    3. Getty Images
    4. Getty Images
    5. Getty Images
    6. Getty Images
    7. Getty Images
    8. Getty Images
    9. Getty Images
    10. Getty Images
    11. Getty Images
    12. Getty Images
    13. University Communications CC BY NC ND 3.0
    14. Getty Images
    15. Getty Images
    16. Getty Images
    17. Getty Images
    18. Getty Images