How well do we know history? Of all the historical facts we learn in school, following are a few I’m betting few of us learned. Some are fun facts, some are sacred. Some may make you think, some may make you say noooo way, some may make you laugh.
- For ancient Celts this was the time the Sun God traveled to the underworld to bring back the mysteries of life and those souls who were to be reborn in the coming year.
- It is the time of Winter Solstice, a time of death and rebirth, a sacred time of going inward.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer got his start as an advertising gimmick for Montgomery Ward in 1903.
- Kwamzaa can be celebrated in different ways, but celebrations often include storytelling, songs, dance, and a large meal.
- Harry Truman was the first US president to celebrate Hanukkah in the White House. In 1951, he accepted a Menorah as a gift from the Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben Gurion.
- Hanukkah is the celebration of the capture of the temple in the 2nd century. The lamp was lit but there was only enough oil for one day, but a miracle happened. The lamp burned for 8 days. Today, Hanukkah is celebrated by the lighting a candle every day for 8 days.
- Santa has an official pilot’s license. issued in 1927 by the US government.
- Births celebrated on December 25th include
- Jesus of the Christian faith
- the Buddha by Buddhists in Nepal
- Krishna, the Hindu God
- Horus, and ancient Egyptian god
- Zarathusta, the Zorastrian god
- Mithra, the Persian god
- Thammuz, the Babylonian god
- Adonis, the Phoenician god
- Apollo, the Roman god
Why so many? December was a holy day to the Greeks and Romans because so many gods were said to have been born on that day.
- December 23 is the Islamic holiday that honors the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The holy month of Ramadan can also fall in December. This is a month of fasting, introspection and prayer. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate with a 3-day festival.
- Ancient Greeks celebrated Dionysus, God of the Grape Harvest on December 21 and 25. Death and rebirth.
This list is far from complete. It’s a list to perhaps have a little fun with and perhaps to learn something new. It’s also a list to help us have a mite more understanding of why we all feel December’s energy so strongly.