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Honoring December Celebrations

  • Writer: Emily Dobson, MT-BC
    Emily Dobson, MT-BC
  • Dec 8, 2025
  • 4 min read

With Thanksgiving in our rearview mirror, now is the time we look ahead to the rest of the holiday season. December is a busy month full of opportunities to celebrate. In this post, we will dive a bit deeper into three of the major holidays that will be observed this month, along with some songs you can incorporate into music therapy sessions to honor each of them! 


Hanukkah: Evening of December 14-December 22, 2025

Origins

Coming up first this month is Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday lasting eight days. These eight days are representative of the “Miracle of the Oil,” where a one-day supply of oil miraculously burned in the Temple for eight days. The name, “Hanukkah” means “dedication”, and this holiday celebrates the rededication and purification of the Temple following the Greek occupation of the holy place. 


Modern Practice

Today, Hanukkah is celebrated through the lighting of the menorah, eating of foods fried in oil, such as potato latkes and sufganiyot (filled donuts), and playing dreidel. Many people have now incorporated exchanging gifts as part of the observance of Hanukkah, although this was not always the case, and likely began mostly due to its proximity to Christmas. Prior to the increase in popularity of gift giving, children were likely to receive gelt (meaning “money”) in the form of chocolate coins. 


Songs 


Christmas - December 25, 2025 

Origins 

Perhaps the holiday most strongly associated with this time of year is Christmas. Christmas developed as a combination of the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ (giving us the name, derived from “Mass of Christ”), along with aspects of other pre-existing pagan winter festivals, such as the winter solstice and Yule. Santa Claus, the jolly figure who delivers gifts to all the children of the world on Christmas Eve, likely originated from Saint Nicholas, a 3rd century bishop who was known for his generosity, although his modern image also has influences from many other cultures. 


Modern Practice 

Today, Christmas is celebrated as both a sacred religious holiday, and a secular commercial and cultural tradition. It is celebrated through festive decorations (including lights and evergreen trees), exchanging gifts, and joining together with family. For children, a big aspect of Christmas is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa, in hopes he will leave gifts in stockings and under the Christmas tree. 


Songs 

Singing Christmas songs, or caroling, is an important aspect of celebrating this holiday, and there are hundreds of popular, traditional, secular, and sacred songs associated with Christmas. Here are just a few recognizable tunes. 


Kwanzaa: December 26, 2025-January 1, 2026 

Origins

First celebrated in 1966, Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African-American culture and heritage, culminating in a feast called Karamu. It was created to be a uniquely African-American holiday, distinct from Christmas and other December celebrations. Maulana Karenga, activist and founder of Kwanzaa, stated his goal was to “give black people an alternative to the existing holiday of Christmas and give black people an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society,” and emphasized the importance of cultural identity and direction. “Kwanzaa” derives from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” meaning first fruits, and many of the practices of this holiday are based on African harvest traditions from East, West, and Southeast Africa. 

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa are dedicated to one of the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba. These principles are translated as unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. 


Modern Practice

Today, families celebrating Kwanzaa may decorate their house with art, African cloth such as kente, and fresh fruit. A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and music, libations from a shared unity cup, and a reading from the “African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness.” Celebrations often also include a candle-lighting ritual. One blank candle in the center represents unity, three green candles on the right represent the earth, and three red candles on the left represent the struggle of African Americans or the shedding of blood. On December 31, the sixth day of the Kwanzaa period, the holiday culminates in a Karamu Ya Imani or Feast of Faith. 


Songs 


During this time of year, it’s important to remember that each person we interact with has a different relationship to the holiday season. Some people might celebrate one or more of the holidays we’ve mentioned today, and some people might not celebrate any of them. As music therapists it is our responsibility to listen, learn, and support our client’s individuality, unique culture, and life experiences, even when–and especially when they differ from our own.


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