Hanukkah 2021: When will it take place, how is it celebrated and what other global celebrations are yet to take place this year including Yule and Kwanzaa

Christmas isn't the only event that is celebrated at this time of year, with many global festivals also taking place in the next few weeks.

Hanukkah, Yule and Kwanzaa all take place near the end of the year but the festivals are celebrated in different ways, by different cultures and religions.

The Gaelic celebration of Samhain has already passed for this year as it marks the end of the harvest season.

Here's everything you need to know about the festivities:

What is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah kicks off on the 25th day of the month of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar and lasts for eight days, with the date changing every year.

The celebration commemorates the rededication of the Temple in 165 BC by the Maccabees after its desecration by the Syrians.

This year, Hanukkah will fall on Sunday, November 28 until Monday, December 6.

The Jewish festival is celebrated in many ways including daily readings of scriptures, the lighting of the menorah (a candlestick with nine branches), almsgiving, recitation of some of the Psalms and the singing of hymns.

What is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa is celebrated by many African Americans and it runs from December 26 to January 1.

It is a celebration of cultural heritage and traditional values.

The event seen as an alternative to Christmas but many people celebrate both.

Kwanzaa is celebrated with drumming and musical sequences, a candle-lighting ritual of the kinara and readings of the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness.

The festival ends with a communal feast called Karamu which is typically held on the sixth day.

What is Yuletide?

Yuletide, or Yule, is closely linked with Christmas and has pagan roots as it is a combination of pagan winter festivals, Jol and Tide.

The celebration includes gift giving, many festive meals, meditation and decorating a Yule tree.

Yuletide will begin on December 21 this year and will end on January 1.

Yuletide is now mainly celebrated by Germanic people who live in Germany and Scandinavia.

SEE ALSO: What are the odds for a white Christmas this year?

What is Samhain?

Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter (or the 'darker-half' of the year).

It is a Gaelic festival and was held on November 1 this year.

Celebrations for the festival began on the evening of October 31 as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset.

Samhain is celebrated mainly by Wiccans and it is honoured with dance celebrations called Witches' Balls.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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