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Learning about various festivals in December 2024 can help students enhance their understanding of different cultures and religions. It can also help enhance their general knowledge for competitive exams and school competitions and activities. One interesting thing about the festivals of December is that they bring a sense of joy and cultural richness, making our lives more interesting and happy. So, if you are ready to learn more about these festivals, here is a blog on festivals in December 2024 in India and around the world.
Table of Contents
Festivals in December in India 2024
December in India brings various festivals, each celebrated in a grand manner by following specific traditions and customs. Below is a list of festivals in December 2024, along with their dates and the regions where they are popularly celebrated.
| December Festivals in India | Date 2024 | Celebrated in |
| Hornbill Festival | 1 December – 10 December | Nagaland |
| Vivah Panchami | 6 December | Celebrated across India |
| Gita Jayanti | 11 December | Celebrated worldwide |
| Pachmarhi Utsav | 25 December – 1 January | Madhya Pradesh |
| Galdan Namchot | 25 December | Ladakh |
| Cochin Carnival | Last week of December | Kochi |
| Saphala Ekadashi | 26 December | Celebrated across India |
| Winter Festival | 29 December – 30 December | Rajasthan |
| Mashik Shivaratri | 29 December | Celebrated across India |
1. Hornbill Festival (1 December – 10 December)
The Hornbill Festival is among the most popular festivals of Nagaland, a state in India. It is celebrated every year from 1st December to 10th December. This festival holds great significance for Naga warrior tribes as it promotes and protects their cultural heritage and diversity. The festival got its name from the hornbill, a bird revered by Nagas for ages.
2. Galdan Namchot (25 December 2024)
Galdan Namchot is among the most popular and important festivals in December. Celebrated majorly in December, this festival marks the birth anniversary of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism. People celebrate this day by performing traditional dances, lighting butter lamps, and offering prayers for peace and prosperity. It is celebrated in the villages of Leh and Ladakh. Much like Diwali, one of the most important festivals in November, people light candles and lamps during Galdan Namchot.
3. Vivah Panchami (6 December)
The auspicious occasion of Vivah Panchami celebrates the wedding anniversary of lord Rama and goddess Sita. It is a prominent Hindu festival which falls on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha. Moreover, Vivah Panchami is celebrated in all Ram-Sita temples, especially in Ayodhya, the birthplace of lord Rama, and Janakpur, the birthplace of goddess Sita. During this festival, temples are decorated in a grand manner with lamps, lights, and flowers.
4. Gita Jayanti
Gita Jayanti is another important Hindu festival. This annual festival commemorates the day when Lord Krishna passed on his philosophical teachings to Arjuna on the first day of the 18-day battle of Kurukshetra. When Arjuna refused to fight his cousins and gurus, Lord Krishna taught him the truth of life and the philosophy of Karma and Dharma.
5. Panchamarhi Utsav
Panchamarhi Utsav is a six-day festival celebrated every year in India. It usually begins on December 25 and ends after the New Year. This festival features tons of cultural and art performances for spectators to enjoy a good time with their friends and family. Moreover, it is celebrated in Panchmarhi, a hill station in Madhya. If you are planning to attend Panchamarhi Utsav, be prepared to witness folk dances like Bhagoria, Raai, and Matki.
Festivals in December Around the World 2024
From major Christian days to Jewish observances, there are all kinds of festivals in December 2024 around the world. Each of these festivals highlights the diversity of our world and the type of traditions followed globally.
| Festivals in December Around the World 2024 | Date 2024 |
| Feast of Francis Xavier | 3 December |
| Christmas | 25 December |
| Hanukkah | 25 December – 2 January |
1. Christmas (25 December 2024)
Christmas is an important Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. For many people, this festival takes place on 25 December, the day that the Roman Catholic Church chose to mark his birthday. People celebrate this festival in a grand manner by exchanging gifts, cards, and feasting on traditional foods like mince pies and roast turkey. Like many other countries, India observes Christmas as a public holiday.
2. Feast of Francis Xavier (3 December 2024)
Source: JD Institute of Fashion Technology
The Feast of Francis Xavier is an annual festival celebrated in Goa’s Panaji state. As the name suggests, this festival is observed in honour of St. Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary who came to India. It is known to only a few that his body was mummified in a casket located at the Bom Jesus Basilica in Old Goa. The common way of celebrating the Feast of Francis Xavier includes a mourning mass to celebrate his burial, a feast, and a large fair.
3. Hanukkah (25 December – 2 January 2025)
Hanukkah is a popular Jewish festival. It spreads the ideals of Judaism and celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. The exact date of Hanukkah is decided according to the 25th day of the Kislev month of the Hebrew Calendar. This is why the date of this festival changes every year.
Check Out Month-wise Festivals in India Here!
| Festivals in January | Festivals in February | Festivals in March |
| Festivals in April | Festivals in May | Festivals in June |
| Festivals in July | Festivals in August | Festivals in September |
| Festivals in October | Festivals in November | Festivals in December |
FAQs
Christmas is a major festival celebrated every year on 25 December. It is observed in honour of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The month of December is full of major festivals such as the Hornbill Festival, Galdan Namchot, Vivah Panchami, and Christmas.
Some special days and festivals celebrated in the month of December are Christmas, Hornbill Festival, Gita Jayanti, and Galdan Namchot.
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