Diversity Calendar - December, 2009

December 2009

December 1, Tuesday

Minoru Yamasaki (1912–1986) : Japanese American. Architect. A highly successful designer of public buildings, Yamasaki is best known for his designs for the Wayne State University campus in Detroit and the twin towers of the former World Trade Center in New York City.

Rosa Parks Day : African American. On this day in 1955 Rosa Parks, a Montgomery, Alabama, seamstress and member of the local chapter of the NAACP, refused to surrender her seat to a White man, defying the established practice of racial segregation in public transportation. After her arrest, the Blacks of the city organized to boycott the buses, causing the bus company's profits to drop by 65 percent. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. first came to national prominence as a leader of the boycott. After a Supreme Court decision in November 1956, the boycott was ended and integrated service began.

World AIDS Day : International. Also known as United Nations World AIDS Day, this day has been declared by the World Health Organization as a time to increase education and awareness of AIDS.

Independence Day : Portugal. This commemorates the restoration of Portugal's independence in 1640 after a 60-year period of union with Spain.

December 2, Wednesday

Independence Day : Laos. The communist Pathet Lao, a nationalist political movement, overthrew the royalist government of Laos, forcing King Savang Vatthana to abdicate on December 2, 1975. After taking control of the country, they renamed it the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

December 3, Thursday

Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) (1857–1924) : Polish British. Writer. After spending his youth as a merchant seaman on French and British ships, Conrad settled in England and began a career as a novelist and short story writer. His works, many of them set on the high seas, are absorbing stories that raise profound questions about the nature of fate and individual responsibility.

December 4, Friday

Farmers' Day : Ghana. Farmers’ Day is celebrated to honor hardworking farmers whose work is essential to the survival of the nation. In 1988, the first Friday of every December was set aside by the government as Farmers’ Day. (m)

December 5, Saturday

Josef Pilsudski (1867–1935) : Polish. Political and military leader. Born to a Polish family when the territory of historic Poland was divided and ruled by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia, Pilsudski devoted his energies to the cause of restoring his nation's independence, beginning as a youthful revolutionary and evolving into a statesman who became the chief of state when Poland was reestablished as a nation in 1918. He served until 1922, leading Polish forces in their successful war against Russia in 1919–1920. He seized power again in 1926 and dominated the government until his death.

Saint Nicholas Day : Netherlands. This begins the Christmas season in the Netherlands. On this day Saint Nicholas, "Sinterklaas," arrives. Cities have parades where he comes riding on a white horse or in a barge or even on a motorcycle wearing a bishop's hat and a red cape. That evening, adults have parties and exchange gifts, while children set out shoes filled with carrots and hay for Saint Nicholas' horse. In the morning, they find the shoes filled with gifts.

Discovery Day : Haiti. This day commemorates the discovery by Christopher Columbus of Haiti in 1492.

December 6, Sunday

Constitution Day : Spain. After the death of Spain's dictator, Francisco Franco, in 1975, Spain became a democracy and on this day in 1978 a new constitution was ratified by referendum.

Independence Day : Finland. This day celebrates Finland's gaining of independence from Russia in 1917.

Independence of Quito : Ecuador. This is the annual festival celebrating the founding of Quito on December 6, 1534 by Spanish conquistador, Sebástian de Benalcázar. The celebration, which includes concerts, street dances, bullfights, and fireworks, lasts for an entire week.

December 7, Monday

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day : United States. In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, the United States suffered a surprise attack by the Japanese naval and air forces at the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which left 2,403 Americans dead and 1,178 wounded. The following day President Franklin D. Roosevelt made his historic address to a joint session of Congress, calling December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy.” The U.S. Congress declared war on Japan, and the United States was drawn into World War II on the Allied side. The United States’ participation in the war contributed to the defeat of the Axis powers by 1945. The attack at Pearl Harbor was the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history until the al-Qaeda terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, which killed nearly 3,000 people. (See entry for Patriot Day.)

National Day (King's Birthday) observed : Thailand. On this holiday the people of Thailand renew their commitment to democracy while celebrating the birthday of the king with religious ceremonies in the temples.

December 8, Tuesday

Diego Rivera (1886–1957) : Mexican. Painter. With David Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco, Rivera led the mural painting movement that flourished in newly independent Mexico. His vision of an art created for the people found its most memorable expression in monumental wall paintings depicting the ideals of the Mexican revolution and his own vision of the nobility of the common people.

Bodhi Day (Buddha's Enlightenment) : Buddhist. Among Mahãyãna Buddhists, this holiday celebrates Buddha's attaining understanding of the truth of existence, freeing himself from all human suffering, and finding perfect happiness. The date is based on the Japanese Buddhist calendar.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception : Roman Catholic. This celebrates the Roman Catholic belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived free from original sin.

Mother's Day : Panama. Public holiday.

December 9, Wednesday

Battle of Ayacucho : Peru. This date commemorates the fulfillment of Peru’s quest for independence through the final defeat of Spanish forces by Antonio José de Sucre in 1824. (See entry for July 28.)

Independence Day : Tanzania. On this date in 1961, the East African nation Tanganyika gained independence from Great Britain. In 1964, Tanganyika united with several islands in the Indian Ocean, including Zanzibar and Pemba, to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

December 10, Thursday

T[homas] H[opkins] Gallaudet (1787–1851) : French, People with Disabilities. Educator. An American teacher, Gallaudet established the first school for the hearing impaired in the United States in 1817.

Human Rights Day : United Nations. On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first such statement of principle by an international body. The document, conceived as "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations," sets forth the basic civil, economic, political, and social rights that should be guaranteed to every person.

Constitution Day : Thailand. This marks the advent of a constitutional monarchy in Thailand. On June 24, 1932, a revolutionary group of young intellectuals who had been inspired by western democratic systems during their studies abroad formed the People’s Party (Khana Rasdr) and, led by Luang Pradit Manudharm (Pridi Phanomyong), carried out a bloodless coup d’état that ended 150 years of absolute monarchy under the Chakri Dynasty. Pridi Phanomyong helped write the new constitution of December 1932.

December 11, Friday

Fiorello LaGuardia (1882–1947) : Italian American. Political leader. Energetic, colorful, and incorruptible, LaGuardia was the first Italian American political figure of national importance. During his three terms as mayor of New York City (1934–1945), LaGuardia instituted political reforms and public works projects and achieved the adoption of a new city charter.

Naguib Mahfouz (1911–2006) : Egyptian. Novelist, playwright, screenwriter. Widely regarded as the Arab world’s foremost novelist and the only Arab writer to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1988), Naguib Mahfouz chronicled the development of modern Egypt over five decades in 33 novels, 13 short-story anthologies, dozens of screenplays, and several plays. The Swedish Academy of Letters hailed his work as “an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind.” Mahfouz’s masterpiece, The Cairo Trilogy (Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street), published in the 1950s, portrays three generations of an Egyptian family in Cairo from 1917 to just before the end of World War II, whose daily lives reflect the clash between tradition and modernity at a time when Egypt was engaged in a struggle for independence from British rule.

December 12, Saturday

Frank Sinatra (1915–1998) : Italian American. Singer, actor, entertainer. Frank Sinatra became the first modern popular superstar with a singing and acting career that spanned more than 50 years. Although probably best known for his singing career, Sinatra made over 58 films and received an Academy nomination for best actor for "The Man with the Golden Arm" and won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for "From Here to Eternity." He invented the solo singing style that has become the model for most other singers since the 1940s. His single recordings and albums have become American musical classics. Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, the only child of Sicilian immigrant Martin Sinatra and his wife Natalie Garavante.

Constitution Day : Russia. The new Russian Constitution was adopted on this day in 1993 by referendum. The constitution grants sweeping powers to the president, making him the person to name the government while the parliament is restricted to participating in setting the national agenda and, most importantly, passing the yearly budget.

Fiesta de Guadalupe (fee-esta-guahd-ah-loohpā) : Mexico. This is the feast day of the patron saint of Mexico. The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mexico’s most sacred religious site. December 12 is the anniversary of the day on which Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant, is said to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary, who ordered him to go and tell the Bishop of Mexico to build a church on that spot.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: In both Puerto Rican and Mexican communities, this is a day when people go to church for prayers honoring the Virgin. Often a procession is formed to the church and a fiesta is held in the evening, sometimes involving scenes created to depict el milagro (the miracle).

Hanukkah (12/12–12/19) : Jewish.

This holiday, often misunderstood as the “Jewish Christmas” since it occurs in December, commemorates the victory of the Jewish people, led by the Maccabee family, over the Syrian Greeks in 165 B.C.E. This victory marked the end of a three-year period of religious persecution, restored Jewish independence, and ensured the survival of monotheism (belief in one God). According to legend, when the Jews returned to cleanse their Temple, which had been defiled by pagan worship, they discovered only enough consecrated oil to keep the holy lamp burning for one day. However, the oil miraculously lasted eight days, the time needed to secure a new supply. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a candle on each of the eight days of celebration. On the first night, one candle is lit in a branched candlestick called a menorah, and an additional candle is lit each night until the eighth night. This ceremony has given the holiday the additional name of “Festival of Lights.” Hanukkah is joyfully celebrated. Special Hebrew hymns, including “Rock of Ages,” are sung, family members exchange gifts, and children play with a dreidel, a four-sided top inscribed with the Hebrew letters for “a great miracle happened there.” Potato pancakes, or latkes, are a traditional food treat, with the oil used for cooking recalling the oil in the sacred lamp. The holiday ends at sundown on December 19.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: A four-sided top for spinning, called a dreidel, is popular for playing various Hanukkah games. Potato pancakes, called latkes, are a very popular food that can be found in many supermarkets or delicatessens. (m)

Independence Day : Kenya. Kenya, the last of Great Britain's dependencies in East Africa, became a sovereign republic in 1963.

December 13, Sunday

Younghill Kang (1903–1972) : Korean American. Writer. Kang came to the United States in 1921, three years before the passage of the law that would bar Koreans and Japanese for 28 years from settling in the United States. He attended university classes and read widely in American literature, beginning to write in English in 1928. He published translations of Korean works, book reviews, a memoir, and two novels recounting the experiences of Korean immigrants, The Grass Roof and East Goes West. Though he achieved only modest recognition during his lifetime, he is now acknowledged as an important figure, perhaps the first writer to express the claim of Asian immigrants to be full participants in American society.

Santa Lucia : Sweden. This holiday, also celebrated in states such as Minnesota where there are many Scandinavian communities, honors an Italian martyr named Saint Lucia. Like many winter festivals, its central feature is lights. In Sweden, a young girl wearing a white robe and a crown of seven lighted candles serves special buns and coffee.

December 15, Tuesday

Tatanka-Yatanka (Sitting Bull) (1830s–1890) : American Indian (Sioux). Spiritual and military leader. Sitting Bull fought and negotiated throughout his life to maintain his people's way of life and their right to their lands in the Black Hills. Leader of the army of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors who annihilated General George Custer's command at Little Bighorn in 1876, Sitting Bull continued to lead the resistance to displacement and assimilation even after most of his followers had capitulated. He was killed on this date while under arrest, in a confrontation between his followers and federal police officers. (See entry for June 25.)

December 16, Wednesday

Las Posadas (12/16–12/24) : Mexico.

Las Posadas, celebrated from December 16 to December 24, commemorates Mary and Joseph's effort to find an inn and the events associated with the birth of Jesus. The holiday takes its name from the Spanish word posadas, meaning "a dwelling." A candlelight procession represents the star in heaven that guided the three wise men on their way. After a religious ceremony on December 24, there is a traditional celebration centering on the piñata, a decorated clay container filled with toys and candy. A child is blindfolded, turned around a few times, and given a wooden stick and three chances to break the piñata. When the piñata is broken, the children scramble for the candy.

Independence Day : Kazakhstan.

Reconciliation Day : South Africa. Afrikaners traditionally celebrated this as the Day of the Vow, commemorating the day that a group of Voortrekkers defeated a Zulu army at the Battle of Blood River, while African National Congress activists commemorated it as the day in 1961 when the ANC started to arm its soldiers to overthrow apartheid. Now with the advent of democracy in South Africa, this day is set aside to focus on overcoming the conflicts of the past and building a new nation.

There are few countries which dedicate a national public holiday to reconciliation. But then there are few nations with our history of enforced division, oppression and sustained conflict. And fewer still, which have undergone such a remarkable transition to reclaim their humanity.

We, the people of South Africa, have made a decisive and irreversible break with the past. We have, in real life, declared our shared allegiance to justice, non-racialism and democracy; our yearning for a peaceful and harmonious nation of equals.

The rainbow has come to be the symbol of our nation. We are turning the variety of our languages and cultures, once used to divide us, into a source of strength and richness.

—President Nelson Mandela, National Reconciliation Day, December 16, 1995

Victory Day : Bangladesh. This marks the day in 1971 that Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan.

December 18, Friday

Al Hijrah (New Year) : Islamic.

This begins the new year 1431 based on the Islamic lunar calendar. The Islamic lunar calendar dates from the Hijrah, the emigration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in A.D. 622. Years in the Islamic lunar calendar are called Hijrah years and are designated as anno Hegirae (Latin for “in the year of the Hijrah”), abbreviated “A.H.” Since Islamic holidays are based on the lunar calendar, a holiday may occur twice in the same Gregorian year. (See discussion under Days of Religious Observance.)

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: Any sweet dessert is an appropriate gift. Muslims do not drink alcoholic beverages. (m)

December 19, Saturday

Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950) : African American. Historian. Dr. Woodson, for many years the lone voice in American Negro historiography, organized Associated Publishers in 1921 in order to produce textbooks and other material on African Americans. A year later, he retired from academic life in order to devote his full time to research as director of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and as editor of the Journal of Negro History. It was through Dr. Woodson's efforts that Negro History Week was established in 1926. It is now celebrated as African American or Black History Month.

December 20, Sunday

J[oseph] M[arion] Haggar Sr. (1892–1987) : Lebanese American. Entrepreneur and businessman. A Lebanese immigrant, J. M. Haggar founded Haggar Clothing Company in Dallas, Texas in 1926, manufacturing slacks with 80 used sewing machines housed in a rented building. The company, which claims to have coined the term slacks in the 1940s, revolutionized the industry by introducing the assembly line into the manufacturing process. Today, the Haggar Company has become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of men’s dress slacks, sports coats, and suits, as well as casual apparel for both men and women.

Sacagawea (?–1812) : American Indian (Shoshone). Guide and explorer. This day marks the anniversary of the death of the young Shoshone woman who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition at Fort Mandan (near present-day Bismarck, North Dakota) and accompanied the explorers on their journey through the newly purchased Louisiana Territory to the Pacific Coast. Sacagawea was the expedition's chief interpreter. The journey reunited her with her tribe, from whom she had been abducted several years earlier.

December 21, Monday

Henrietta Szold (1860–1945) : Jewish American. Activist. Szold was the founder and first president of Hadassah, the women's Zionist organization that had been responsible for fostering improved health care in Palestine. She also cofounded the Jewish Publication Society of America.

Yule (Winter Solstice) : Pagan and Wiccan. This is the Sabbat observed on the winter solstice. (m)

Winter Solstice : General. (m)

December 22, Tuesday

Tomás Rivera (1935–1984) : Mexican American. Writer and educator. The son of migrant farm workers, Rivera devoted most of his life to education, which he saw as the key to bettering the lives of Mexican Americans. He became a university teacher and then an administrator, holding a succession of posts at public universities in Texas and then at the University of California, Riverside, where he served as chancellor for the last five years of his life. He is best known, however, for his novel . . . y no se tragó la tierra (. . . and the Earth Did Not Part), based on his own youthful experience. Published in 1971, it won widespread acclaim, signaling the emergence of Latino writers as a vital force in the literature of the United States.

December 23, Wednesday

Joseph Smith (1805–1844) : The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Religious leader. Joseph Smith was the founder and first president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church). In 1830 he published the Book of Mormon, considered by members of the Church to be divine revelation.

Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867–1919) : African American. Businesswoman and philanthropist. Madame C. J. Walker, as she preferred to be known, was an entrepreneurial genius whose business, the manufacture and distribution of a line of hair products for African American women, became the largest enterprise owned by an African American in the United States and an important source of opportunity for African American women. Having invented the formula in 1905, she began by selling her products door-to-door. Her company eventually had 3,000 employees, many of them women who were licensed to sell her products through home visits to clients. Madame Walker used her personal wealth to support African American causes, funding scholarships for young women and giving generously to the anti-lynching campaign of the NAACP.

Emperor's Birthday (Tenno Tanjo Bi) : Japan.

This is a day of national festivities to honor the birthday of the current emperor. The emperor gives speeches throughout the day, and houses and buildings are decorated with the national flag.

Victory Day : Egypt. This day marks the ending of the Suez Crisis of 1956, which resulted from President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal Company to raise revenue for building the Aswan Dam. The United States and Britain had withdrawn their pledge of financial support for the project after Egypt extended diplomatic recognition to Communist China. In October 1956, a joint English-French-Israeli military force attempted to regain control of the Suez Canal. Fearing an all-out war and Soviet intervention, the United Nations evacuated the British and French troops on December 22, replacing them with the first United Nations peacekeeping force, the multinational UN Emergency Force (UNEF), which remained in the region until 1967.

December 24, Thursday

Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero (1916–2005) : Mexican American. Songwriter. Known as the “Father of Chicano Music,” Eduardo Guerrero created songs in both Spanish and English portraying the Mexican-American experience. Born in the Barrio Viejo of Tucson, Arizona, Guerrero learned to play the guitar from his mother, who was his only teacher. His versatile style of composition included boleros, rancheras, mambos, cha-cha, salsa, tejano, comic parodies, and children’s recordings. Guerrero wrote corridos (folk ballads) that told the story of Mexican-American heroes such as César Chávez and Ruben Salazar, and songs of social protest such as the humorous “No Chicanos on TV.” During his lifetime Guerrero wrote more than 700 songs, including Canción Mexicana, considered the unofficial Mexican national anthem. He was named a National Folk Treasure by the Smithsonian Institution in 1980 and received the Presidential Medal of the Arts in 1997.

Scott Joplin (1868–1917) : African American. Composer. Joplin was the leading composer of ragtime music. He is best known for his short "rags," but he also composed a ragtime symphony, Treemonisha, and was working on a ragtime opera at the time of his death.

December 25, Friday

Wendell Chino (1923–1998) : American Indian (Mescalero Apache). Indian spokesman and activist. Chino, who was president of his tribe for 34 years, was a key figure in the movement to demand that the federal government honor its treaties with Indian nations regarding the use of land and other natural resources. He was hailed by Roy Bernal, chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, as "the Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X of Indian Country." When the Bureau of Indian Affairs' contracts for such activities as mining, lumber production, and water use began to expire in the 1960s, Chino refused to renew the contracts. Instead he formed companies to manage these resources that would be controlled by the Mescalero Apaches living in southern New Mexico. They built the Inn of the Mountain Gods, Casino Apache, a timber mill, Indian schools, a hospital, and a health center. Promoting "red capitalism," or Indian control of Indian land, Chino traveled widely as a spokesman for Indian issues and served as president of the National Congress of American Indians.

Philip Vera Cruz (1904–1994) : Filipino American. Labor leader and activist. Born in Illocus Sur in the Philippines and immigrating to the United States to work in the agricultural fields of California, Cruz served as vice president of the United Farm Workers union, working with its president, César Chávez, to gain recognition of the union as the representative of the grape workers in California. With Chávez, he helped initiate the Delano Grape Strike that led to the formation of the union. In 1965, he joined the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee of the AFL-CIO and led the successful Filipino farm workers' strikes in Coachella and Delano. Later that year, he allied his movement with that of Chávez to form the United Farm Workers Union.

Filippo Mazzei (1730–1810) : Italian. Adventurer and writer. An importer of Italian products, Mazzei came to America from London in 1773 at the invitation of Thomas Jefferson to set up an experimental farm where he planned to raise olives, grapes, and citrus fruit. He became a supporter of the cause of American independence and in 1779 was sent to Europe to borrow money for the revolutionary armies. He remained in Europe until the end of the Revolution, working in support of the American cause.

Christmas : Christian. Most Christians observe Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and it is celebrated as a public holiday in many countries worldwide. Eastern Orthodox Christians who follow the Orthodox New Calendar, such as the Greek and Cypriot Orthodox Churches, observe Christmas on this date. However, other Eastern Orthodox Christians and Coptic Orthodox Christians follow the Orthodox Old Calendar, or Julian calendar, and celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6. Christmas is a family-oriented holiday with special foods, colorful decorations, and exchanging of gifts. Families often have their own traditions, especially concerning when gifts are exchanged and what foods are served. Jehovah’s Witnesses and members of the Church of Christ are among those who do not celebrate this holiday.

Qaid-i-Azam's Birthday : Pakistan.

This national holiday honors Qaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948), who was a leader of the movement for Indian independence from Great Britain and founded the independent state of Pakistan.

December 26, Saturday

Kwanzaa (quanza) (rhymes with wanza) : African American. First celebrated on December 26, 1966, the festival of Kwanzaa was created in the United States by scholar and cultural activist Dr. Maulana Karenga. Patterned after harvest festivals in Africa, Kwanzaa derives its name from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits.” Symbols of Kwanzaa are set upon a low table laden with tropical fruits and vegetables. A seven-branched candelabrum called a kinara, reflecting the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles of Kwanzaa, is used for lighting one candle for each day of the holiday. Kwanzaa decorations traditionally use a color scheme of red, black, and green: black to represent the faces of Black people and their collective beauty, red to represent the struggle and the blood of ancestors, and green to signify youth and renewed life. The Kwanzaa observance includes storytelling about the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). A Pan-African holiday, Kwanzaa is also celebrated in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and in African communities in the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: Black, red, and green streamers, balloons, and flowers are used to decorate during Kwanzaa, along with African sculptures and artwork. Families exchange handmade gifts that demonstrate kuumba (creativity). The Kwanzaa feast, or karamu, traditionally celebrated on the evening of December 31, is a communal event often held in a church or community center. A joyful expression of African American culture, the karamu features music, dancing, poetry recitation, talks by guest lecturers, and a feast with dishes such as peanut soup, okra gumbo, black-eyed peas and rice, jambalaya, jerk chicken, barbequed ribs, and sweet potato pie. The Kwanzaa greeting is Kwanzaa yenu iwe na heri! or “Happy Kwanzaa!”

St. Stephen's Day : Roman Catholic. Public holiday.

Day of Goodwill : South Africa. The day after Christmas is set aside to continue the spirit of Christmas toward all the people of the country.

December 27, Sunday

Ashura : Islamic.

The holiday of Ashura occurs twice in 2009 according to the Islamic lunar calendar. (See discussion under Days of Religious Observance and entry for Ashura on January 7.) (m)

December 28, Monday

Holy Innocents' Day : Mexico, Morocco. In an attempt to find the infant Jesus and kill him, King Herod ordered the killing of children in Bethlehem. Current research indicates that between 6 and 20 children were killed.

Boxing Day observed : United Kingdom. Observed in the United Kingdom and in many countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, this is the day when people give gifts or money to tradespeople and others who provide service, in appreciation for the work they have done over the past year. Several theories exist about the origin of the name Boxing Day. One contends that this was the day when churches opened their Christmas alms boxes and distributed the contents to the poor. Another gives its origin as the day when employers gave their servants boxes containing gifts and year-end bonuses—since servants were required to work on Christmas Day, their holiday leave started the day after Christmas. When Boxing Day falls on a weekend, the following Monday is often observed as a holiday in most countries of the current or former United Kingdom.

December 30, Wednesday

Rizal Day (reezahl-day) : Philippines. This public holiday celebrated on the anniversary of his death honors José Rizal (1861–1896), the son of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino sugar planter, who studied medicine and liberal arts at the University of Madrid, becoming a leader of a small group of Filipino students studying in Spain. While in Spain, he wrote novels promoting social and religious reform in the Philippines and protesting the strong influence of the Franciscan, Augustinian, and Dominican Catholic orders over the Filipino people, as well as that of the Spanish government and Spanish culture. Returning to the Philippines in 1892, he founded the nonviolent reform society La Liga Filipina, but was deported to an island south of the Philippines. He was arrested in 1896 by the military on the charge of leading a revolt against Spain, tried for sedition, and publicly executed by a firing squad. On the eve of his execution, he wrote Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell), a masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish verse. His martyrdom made Rizal a hero for Philippine revolutionaries such as Andres Bonifacio. He is considered by many as the first Asian nationalist.