It might be snowing. It could be sunny. If you’re in Metro Vancouver, it’s probably raining. But whatever the weather is where you are (at least in the northern hemisphere), it’s getting cold! That means it’s time for our winter break, starting Dec. 17th until Jan. 4th.
Why do we call it Winter Break? Well, more and more we’re recognizing that the majority is not the default. In other words, even if more people celebrate Christmas than any other holiday in December, calling it Christmas Break erases those who celebrate in other ways with different holidays. While there are far too many to list, here are a few you might be interested in learning about.
Pancha Ganapati: A festival celebrated around Christmas in India in honour of the god Ganesha.
Saturnalia: A pre-Catholicism holiday some neo-Pagans have resurrected.
Yule: A Germanic Pagan festival that served as a major source of inspiration for Christmas traditions.
Winter Solstice: The winter solstice occurs on Dec. 21, the longest night of the year, and is celebrated in many ways by numerous cultures around the world, including many of Canada’s Indigenous peoples.
And of course there are an increasing number of people who choose not to celebrate anything, but whether you do or not, the winter break is a ‘wonderful time of year’...to do some reading! The Coquitlam Public Library and Vancouver Public Library both have great collections by Indigenous authors with wintry themes and characters for all ages. Click on those links to see!
Whatever your December traditions and plans are, we hope you take time to rest and recharge, and we look forward to seeing you all again in the new year!
Author: Lexa, ITMP Blog Coordinator
Image credits:
Snowflake by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Mittens and Mug by Alex Padurariu on Unsplash
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