‘Tis the greatest time of year!! Whether you’re a Pagan, Christian, witch, or Agnostic, December has something for us all.
This month is jam-packed with traditions and holidays that are meant to bring you and your loved ones together, along with opportunities to reflect on this past year. Including several opportunities to give back, from National Human Rights Month to Christmas Day.
December is a beautiful opportunity to show the people who matter to you, that you love them and why you do. The reason for the season goes beyond gift-giving, and above all else, it’s about authentically connecting to your heritage and roots. And being thankful for the beautiful things in your life, whether they’re currently there, or they were once there and have since left.
So let’s all eat some yummy pears during National Pear Month, and eat all of the cookies on National Cookie Day. And don’t forget to drive responsibly this National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month!
And let’s finish this year with a bang on New Year’s Eve!
See ya next year, friends!
December is the month of…
- National Pear Month
- December recognizes the highly underrated fruit, pears. This fruit is highly versatile, being deliciously delectable whether it’s fresh off the tree, made into preserves, or baked into a bread gooey goodness. In the United States alone there are 10 different varieties of pears. Let’s all do our taste buds a favor and enjoy some pear slices along with a nice glass of wine and some fancy cheese.
- National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month
- This time of year is one of the most common times to party and drink. In fact, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals says this is “One of the deadliest and most dangerous times on America’s roadways due to an increase in impaired driving.” While it’s fun connecting with friends and family members during this special time of the year, choose not to drive impaired. It could cost someone their life.
- National Human Rights Month
- National Human Rights Month encourages people in the US to stand for equality, justice, and dignity for all humans. It’s a reminder that people are people and we all deserve respect and our basic needs being met.
- Spiritual Literacy Month ☯
- Spiritual Literacy Month invites us to go deeper and broaden our minds of spirituality, faith, or religion. Spirituality is a belief in practice in something bigger than humanity.
- Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
- This time of year is catered around food and eating making this the perfect time to encourage food safety both in the service industry and at home. Did you know one in ten people become sick every year from eating contaminated food? And it’s estimated 420,000 die every year from diseases related to unsafe food? Many of these illnesses can have long-term health problems! The more you educate yourself, the safer you’ll be.
December Monthly Post Ideas
- In honor of National Pear Month, you can post a charcuterie board featuring the fruit of the month. Along with some pairings that’ll make them really stand out!
- Share safety tips around the holidays for National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. Some tips can include: planning ahead, designating a sober driver, arranging for an alternative way home, and offering non-alcoholic options.
- Read a book you wouldn’t normally for Spiritual Literacy Month. It could be a chance to learn a different perspective and you can challenge your audience to do the same!
- Create a Reel with food safety tips for Worldwide Food Service Safety Month. Show your audience what it looks like to carefully and safely prepare food. Not to be dramatic, but, you could save a life!
Important Weeks in December
- National Cookie Cutter Week (December 5 – December 11)
- The first week of December leads right into the holiday spirit with celebrating sweet treats! Namely Santa’s favorite treat. This week celebrates all the fun that comes with cookie cutters and homemade sweets!
- National Influenza Week (December 5 – December 11)
- This week highlights the importance of the yearly flu vaccine. The flu usually peaks in December and February so the time to get the vaccine is now!
- National Hand Washing Awareness Week (December 5 – December 11)
- Let’s get hygienic! This week encourages making a good habit of hand hygiene in order to prevent infections and sicknesses.
- Computer Science Education Week (December 13 – December 19)
- This week is referred to as the largest learning event in history, aiming to get K-12 students excited about computer coding and the importance of computer science.
- Kwanzaa (December 26 – January 1)
- Kwanzaa was created in 1966 and is a holiday that celebrated and honors African heritage and African-American culture. Kwanzaa ties together several African harvest celebrations and values as it encourages families to come together, eat, and light a candle each day for one week.
December Weekly Post ideas
- Get to baking with National Cookie Cutter Week! Make your favorite cookies, experiment with different shapes, get them beautified and ready for Instagram, then post it using #CookieCutterWeek!
- Share yourself getting the flu vaccine to promote National Influenza week! You can also share some stats like, there are 49 million flu illnesses, and 79,000 people die each year from the flu or flu-related complications.
- Create a handwashing Reel for National Hand Washing Awareness Week. Show how to do so properly, along with how long it should take, and the benefits of handwashing.
- Educate your audience on Kwanzaa and its significance, including the seven principles of this holiday. Unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Important Days in December
December 1 – Rosa Parks Day
- On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. While the law didn’t allow bus drivers to require black passengers to give us their seats to white passengers, many bus drivers at the time demanded they did when the bus became full. On this day Rosa Parks was told to give up her seat and she refused which lead her to get arrested, and found guilty. Many African American leaders including Martin Luther King Jr organized a Montgomery Bus Boycott in response which lasted several months and devastated the transportation system in the city.
December 4 – National Cookie Day
- Did you know cookies first appeared in Persia in the 7th century? They were founded shortly after Persians began using sugar. The sweet invention spread to Europe throughout the 14th century, before arriving in American in the 17th century. This day honors the many version of this treat.
December 10 – Human Rights Day
- This day honors the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) formed by the United Nations. Inside this declaration are 30 articles that outline basic human rights for all people and all nations.
December 16 – National Chocolate-covered Anything Day
- December 16th is dedicated to all the chocolate fanatics out there! Use this day as an excuse to drizzle chocolate over whatever your heart desires!
December 17 – National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
- Even though this holiday was founded in 2011, it has since gone on to become an international celebration encouraging holiday lovers to wear their ugly Christmas sweaters.
December 21 – Winter Solstice ❄
- The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. From December 1st until the end of February marks the coldest time of year for the Northern hemisphere.
December 21 – Yule
- Yule is the same day as the Winter Solstice and began being celebrated thousands of ears before Christmas. Christmas borrowed many of its traditions from this Anglo-Saxon holiday, namely gift-giving, decorating with holly, mistletoe, feasting, and decorating evergreen trees.
December 24 – Christmas Eve
- December 24th kicks off the modern-day Christmas traditions. The traditions vary from person to person as some focus on the holiday from a religious perspective, and others don’t. It’s also the day when Santa Clause flies across the world delivering presents.
December 25 – Christmas
- Traditionally, Christmas is celebrated as the day Jesus Christ was born. However, it’s celebrated culturally too. The most popular tradition is gift-giving, acknowledging the Magi who brought gifts to Jesus after his birth.
December 31 – New Years Eve
- New Year’s Eve marks the last day of the year, closing a chapter and bringing in a new one. It’s the perfect time to reflect on what went right and what could have been better during the past year. Along with an opportunity to strategize by making goals for the upcoming year.
December Daily Post Ideas
- Rosa Parks was one incredibly brave individual who instead of shrinking she decided to let her voice be heard, and she knew she deserved to be treated better. For Rosa Parks Day you can share her story, and how her small act of courage had a lasting impact on the city of Montgomery, Alabama.
- Share your favorite cookie recipe for National Cookie Day! In order to spread a little kindness you could bake cookies for some friends and encourage your audience to spread the sweetness this holiday season!
- Have a chocolate dipping party for National Chocolcate-covered Anything Day! See what new concoctions you can come up with and share the final results with your audience!
- Wear your favorite ugly Christmas sweater for National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and don’t forget to use #UglyChristmasSweaterDay! Just remember, if it didn’t get documented on the ‘gram, did it even happen?
- America spends on average $465 billion dollars on Christmas gifts each year. Instead of sharing what you got on your feed, what if instead you shared a kind act someone did for you? Help remind your audience of the reason for the season which is gratitude. Share that despite what life looks like, there’s always something we can be thankful for.
This month, choose to slow down…
For years we’ve been wrapped up in hustle culture, pushing ourselves to burnout, and leaving us feeling like we’re not enough. That we can’t accomplish all we desire, that we have to spend money to show our love, that the things we have currently aren’t enough for us to be happy.
But, what if instead of focusing on what we don’t have and want, we focused on what we have and love? What makes our lives easier. What makes our hearts feel at home. What inspires and excites us.
It can be easy to get tied up in the idea of giving and receiving from others during the holiday season but don’t forget that your own soul wants to give to you the most. And your soul wants to receive the most what it can only get by you. Specially, you honoring your energy, not pushing yourself, and giving yourself the love you deserve from deep within.
Make a list of the things you’re thankful for in your life, once you start writing them down I bet they’ll end up being more than you realized.
Happy holidays, friends!
