December

Birthstone: Turquoise

Flower of the month: Narcissus

Health Awareness:

December is safe toys and celebrations month:

Holidays and Events:

Winter Solstice is on either December 20, 21, 22 or 23 The winter solstice is the shortest

day and longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it takes place between

December 20 and 23, depending on the year. (The reverse is true in the Southern

Hemisphere, where the shortest day of the year occurs in June.) Cultures around the

world have long held feasts and celebrated holidays around the winter solstice.

Fire and light are traditional symbols of celebrations held on the darkest day of the year.

24th and 25th - Christmas eve and Christmas Day Christmas is celebrated on

December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and

commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been

observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature.

Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth,

a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs

include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals

with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–

Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

31st - New Year's Eve

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, the last day of the year, is on December 31.

In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated at evening social gatherings, where

many people dance, eat, drink, and watch or light fireworks. Some Christians attend

a watchnight service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into

SWWI