Christmas

  • Advent: four Sundays preceding Christmas Day

  • Saint Barbara's Day: 4 December – The Feast of St. Barbara is celebrated by Artillery regiments across the Commonwealth and some western Catholic countries.

  • Krampusnacht: 5 December – The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. In Alpine countries, Saint Nicholas has a devilish companion named Krampus who punishes the bad children the night before.

  • Saint Nicholas' Day: 6 December

  • Feast of the Immaculate Conception Day: 8 December – The day of Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception is celebrated as a public holiday in many Catholic countries.

  • Saint Lucia's Day: 13 December – Church Feast Day. Saint Lucia comes as a young woman with lights and sweets.

  • Las Posadas: 16–24 December – procession to various family lodgings for celebration & prayer and to re-enact Mary & Joseph's journey to Bethlehem

  • Longest Night: A modern Christian service to help those coping with loss, usually held on the eve of the Winter solstice.

  • Nikoljdan: 19. December - the most common slava, St. Nicholas's feast day.

  • Christmas Eve: 24 December – In many countries e.g. the German speaking countries, but also in Poland, Hungary and the Nordic countries, gift giving is on 24 December.

  • Christmas Day: 25 December and 7 January – celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike.[5][6][7]

  • Anastasia of Sirmium feast day: 25 December

  • Twelve Days of Christmas: 25 December–6 January

  • Saint Stephen's Day: 26 December – In Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Ireland a holiday celebrated as Second Day of Christmas.

  • Saint John the Evangelist's Day: 27 December

  • Holy Innocents' Day: 28 December

  • Saint Sylvester's Day 31 December