Hello everyone, I am your dedicated public holiday assistant. Recently, a little friend asked me about the article title how many religious holidays are there in december. I figured a lot of you might be wondering the same thing, especially with all the buzz around Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. So now I’ll break down the religious holidays that actually pop up in December, based on different faiths and traditions. Hopefully, this helps answer your question and maybe clears up some confusion about what counts as a religious holiday versus a cultural one.
First off, let’s set the record straight: December is packed with holidays, but not all of them are strictly religious. Some are cultural, some are national, and some are a mix. When we talk about religious holidays, we mean days that have sacred or spiritual significance in a particular faith. In December, the main religious holidays come from Christianity, Judaism, Islam (occasionally), Buddhism, and a few other traditions. But the number can vary depending on how you count minor observances, lunar-based shifts, and regional practices.
The most obvious religious holiday in December is Christmas—celebrated on December 25 by most Christians. It marks the birth of Jesus Christ and is a major holy day. But for some Eastern Orthodox Christians (who use the Julian calendar), Christmas actually falls on January 7. So December 25 is still the big one for the vast majority of Western Christians. Then you’ve got the Advent season leading up to Christmas—some churches treat Advent as a religious period, but it’s not a single holiday. Still, many Christians observe Advent Sundays as mini-religious events.
Next up is Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. It lasts eight nights and days, usually starting in late November or December. In 2024, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 25 and ends January 2. That’s a religious holiday for sure. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. So that’s another one on the December calendar.
Then there’s Kwanzaa. A lot of folks confuse this as a religious holiday, but it’s actually a cultural celebration rooted in African traditions. It runs from December 26 to January 1. While it has spiritual undertones and some families incorporate religious elements, Kwanzaa itself isn’t tied to any specific faith. So for the purpose of counting strictly religious holidays, I’d say Kwanzaa doesn’t qualify—though plenty of people celebrate it alongside their religious observances.
Now, let’s talk about Bodhi Day, which is a Buddhist holiday. It falls on December 8 each year (though some traditions use a different date). Bodhi Day commemorates the day Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. It’s definitely a religious holiday for Buddhists. So that’s another one in December.
Some years, Ramadan or Eid might overlap with December, but since the Islamic calendar is lunar, they drift by about 10-11 days each year. So it’s not a fixed December holiday. But if we look back, sometimes Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha has fallen in early December. For the sake of this question, we’ll consider that as a possible December religious holiday—but it’s not a regular one.
Other faiths also have December observances. For example, Yule is a pagan/wiccan holiday celebrated around the winter solstice (December 20-23). It marks the rebirth of the sun and is a religious (or spiritual) holiday for many modern pagans. Also, Shinto and certain indigenous traditions have winter solstice rituals, but these aren’t always recognized as major holidays.
Let’s count the most widely recognized religious holidays that occur every December: Christmas (Christian), Hanukkah (Jewish), Bodhi Day (Buddhist), and Yule (Pagan). That gives us at least 4 distinct religious holidays. However, if you include the Advent season or other minor Christian feasts like St. Nicholas Day (Dec 6) or Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec 12), the number goes up significantly. But those are more saint days or feasts rather than major holy days.
So the short answer: There are about 4 to 6 major religious holidays in December, depending on how you count. If you include every tradition’s lunar shifts, fasts, and local celebrations, you could argue there are a dozen or more. But for most people in the U.S., the big ones are Christmas, Hanukkah, and Bodhi Day. If you’re planning time off or looking for interfaith awareness, those are the ones to know.
Questions related to how many religious holidays are in December
Let’s dig a little deeper. A lot of people ask: “Is Kwanzaa a religious holiday?” As I mentioned, no—it’s cultural, but often celebrated in a religious context. Another common question: “Are there any Muslim religious holidays in December?” Usually no, but because the Islamic calendar shifts, sometimes Dhul Hijjah or part of Hajj can fall in December, but it’s rare. Also, “Does the Vatican count December 26 as a religious holiday?” That’s St. Stephen’s Day, a Christian feast day in some traditions, but not a major one.
Some also ask about Hindu or Sikh holidays in December. Diwali is in October/November usually. The Sikh festival of Guru Nanak’s birthday is in November. So December is pretty quiet for those faiths, except for some regional winter solstice celebrations like Lohri (which is more cultural). Similarly, for Shinto, there’s no major December holiday beyond the solstice. So the concentration is really on Abrahamic and Buddhist traditions.
One more thing: In the U.S., many people treat December holidays as a single “holiday season,” but it’s important to respect each faith’s distinct practices. For example, Hanukkah isn’t the Jewish equivalent of Christmas—it’s a minor holiday in Judaism that got amplified because of proximity to Christmas. And Bodhi Day is a quiet, meditative day for Buddhists, not a big gift-giving occasion.
To sum it up, if you’re counting just the widely recognized religious holidays that consistently appear in December each year, the number is roughly 4: Christmas, Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, and Yule. Some years you might get an Islamic holiday or an extra Christian feast, but that’s the core. So next time someone asks, “How many religious holidays are there in December?” you can confidently say, “At least four, but it depends on how deep you want to go.”
Thank you for reading! This is the Holiday Little Assistant from public holiday calendar.com. I hope this article helped you fully understand how many religious holidays are in December. If you’ve got more questions about any holiday—religious, cultural, or just when to take a day off—just hit us up. We’re here for you!