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An author is defined as the writer of a literary work.
A writer is defined as one that writes as an author.
What better way for a writer to exercise his skill than to author a literary work that revolves around the holidays!
Hello, may name is Melissa is fashionably late! and I am your guest editor for this week's For Authors newsletter!  |
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Have you ever wondered what holidays are encompassed by that catch-all phrase, "Happy Holidays!"? I know I have, so I decided to do some research. As I discovered all of the different holidays that fall under the "holiday" season, I thought this would be great information to share with others who may want to write their next great novel. You may, after all, decide that the setting take place during one of the many holidays that are celebrated in the season, and you may also decide to write about one which you may not be familiar.
What, exactly, is the holiday season, though? When does it start and when is it over?
In the U.S., the holiday season is usually started with Thanksgiving in November and ends with New Year's Day. It encompasses the Christmas holiday as well as St. Nicholas Day. The U.S. Fire Administration defines the holiday season as beginning on December 1 and ending on January 7.
In China, the winter holiday season begins with the Winter Solstice and ends after the Latern Festival.
What are all of the holidays that are encompassed within international holiday seasons?
U.S. Thanksgiving - A day of celebration, taking place on the fourth Thursday in November of each year, that commemorates the year's harvest and is traditionally represented by a feast.
Solstice - The change of the season from fall into winter, though this is only in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, it is the change of spring into summer. In some places, this holiday is referred to as the December Solstice, though in cultures where the solar calendar is not utilized and on other planets where the daytime lengths are not the same as earth, this can be an ambiguous term. The most unambiguous and neutral name for the solstices have been determined to be Northern Solstice and Southern Solstice.
Yule - Pagan Scandinavian holiday held in late December to early January. Yule logs were lit to honor Thor, the god of thunder, in belief that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born the next year.
Christmas - An annual holiday that marks that birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas combines the celebration of the birth of Jesus with various secular customs and traditions. These traditions are often influenced by other pagan celebrations, such as Yule and Saturnalia.
Christmas is generally celebrated on December 25, preceded by Christmas Eve, and in many countries followed by Boxing Day.
Kwanzaa - A week-long Pan African holiday that primarily honors the African-American heritage and is celebrated from December 26 through January 1 each year and is almost exclusively celebrated in the United States. Kwanzaa traditions include lighting candles and pouring libations over the period of seven days, ending with a feast and gift giving.
Hanukkah - Also known as the Festival of Lights or the Festival of Rededication, Hannukkah is an eight day Jewish holiday that starts on the 25th day of Kislev. The holiday may occur in late November, December, and in some rare occasion, early January. The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the kindling of lights on each of the festival's eight nights; one on the first, two on the second, and so on.
Teng Chieh - Also known as the Ghost Festival, Teng Chieh is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday and celebrated by Chinese in many countries. According to the Chinese calendar, Teng Chieh is celebrated on the fourteenth night of the seventh lunar month. The seventh Chinese month is known as the ghost month in which ghosts and spirits come out from the lower world to visit earth. Celebrational activities include ritualistic offering of food, burning hell money to please the visiting ghosts and spirits, and burying or releasing miniature paper boats and laterns on water to give direction to the lost ghosts.
Diwali - A Hindu festival that carries significance in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. Diwali, also called Deepavali is known as the "festival of lights" and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Lamp lighting is the main focus of this holiday, and are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for mankind. Diwali is celebrated for five consecutive days at the end of Hindu month of Ashwayuja, and usually occurs in October or November. For Hindus Diwali is especially important because it signifies the start of the new year.
Soyal - The winter solstice of the Hopitu Shinumu, also known as the Hopi Indians. It is held on December 21st, the shortest day of the year. It is mainly a ritual to bring the sun back from its long winter slumber.
Los Posadas - A nine day holiday beginning on December 16 and ending on December 24 that is celebrated by Christian Latin Americans. It symbolizes the trials that the Virgin Mary and Joseph had to endure while finding a place to birth the baby Jesus. The tradition consists of a group of hosts opening their homes, each for a night of the holiday. A nativity scene will be set up, and the hosts are the "innkeepers", while the visitors are the "pilgrims." Each pilgrim will ask the host for lodging for the night at three different houses, but only the third house will allow them in. They sing traditional Christmas songs in celebration and usually break a piñata.
Zagmuk - A Mesopotamium festival celebrated around the vernal equinox. Zagmuk literally means "beginning of the year" and celebrates the triumph of Marduk over the forces of chaos.
Saturnalia - The feast at which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of the god of Saturn. Saturnalia took place on the 17 of December. Over the years, the festival expanded to a whole week, ending on the 23 of December. It was a time to eat, drink, and be merry.
Well, that gives you a basic overview of each of the holidays that may be included in your's and others' holiday seasons, or maybe even one of your stories! Thanks for letting me be your guest editor for this week's newsletter! |
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For Authors: December 13, 2006 Issue [#1429]
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