TL:DR ...or you can read it more comfortably on my WordPress site!
https://dotter8.wordpress.com/2021/.....-2021-to-2022/

In the past few years, some Protestant groups have tried to argue against referring to the Christmas season as "The Holidays." They feel that it takes away from the Holy status of Christmas and of Christ. (It also reduces their dominance and control of society, especially regarding what is "normal.”) They fail to understand (or perhaps understand too well) that "The Holidays" does not mean Christmas alone. There are, in fact, quite a few holy days and other occasions during this time. Not all of them are Christian.

Here is my list of holy days and important occasions for 2021. It includes events that happen between Advent Sunday, through Christmas Season, until Epiphany. I did my best, but this really should be considered only a partial list. I should also note that some of these are Canadian-only events.

- November 28th – First Day of Advent/Advent Sunday
- November 28th to December 6th – Hanukkah/Chanukah (Jewish)
- November 28th to January 6th, 2022 – Nativity Fast
- November 30th - St Andrew's Day
- December 1st - Rosa Parks Day, World AIDS Day
- December 2nd - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (UN), National Mutt Day
- December 3rd – Mauder's Day (Dudeism), International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- December 4th - Eid il-Burbara (Christian), The Slackernalia (Dudeism), International Cheetah Day, World Wildlife Conservation Day
- December 5th - Krampusnacht (Austrian Trad.), Day of the Ninja, Walt Disney's Birfday (1901)
- December 6th - Saint Nicholas Day/Sinterklaas (Christian), National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, The 100th anniversary of the election of Agnes Campbell Macphail, first female Member of Parliament (1921)
- December 8th – Immaculate Conception of Mary (Christian), Bodhi Day (Buddhism), Afflux (Discordian)
- December 9th - International Day of Veterinary Medicine, Anna's Day
- December 10th – Human Rights Day (Canada), Festival for the Souls of Dead Whales (northern nations), International Animal Rights Day (?)
- December 11th - Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster
- December 12th – Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic), Dhanu Sankranti (Hindu)
- December 13th – Kerabotsmas (Dudeism), Acadians Remembrance Day, World Violin Day
- December 14th – Asara B'Tevet (Jewish), Geeta Jayanti (Hindu), Monkey Day
- December 14th to January 5th - Christmas Bird Count Week
- December 15th - Zamenhof Day / Esperanto Day, International Tea Day
- December 16th – Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu, in Kannada), Beethoven's Birfday
- December 16th to 24th - Posadas Navidenas (Hispanic Christian)
- December 17th – Rohini Vrat (Jainist)
- December 21st – Winter Solstice, Official First Day of Winter, Yalda (Zoroastrianism), Yule (Pagan and Christian), Blue Christmas/Long Night (Christian), Winter Slowstice (Dudeism), Global Orgasm for World Peace
- December 23rd – Humanlight (Secular Humanism), Festivus (for the rest of us), Christmas Adam, Anniversary of the First Transistor (1947)
- December 24th - Nittel Nacht (Jewish), Christmas Eve (Christian)
- December 24th to January 7th - Quviasukvik (northern tribes)
- December 25th - Christmas (Christian), Newtonmas (Secular Humanist), Dudeistmas (Dudeism), Prime Minister's Birfday (1971)
- December 26th – St Stephen (Christian), Zarathosht Diso/Zartosht No-Diso (Zoroastrianism), Wren Day (Celtic Catholics/Irish Diaspora), Kwanzaa, National Whiners Day, Boxing Day
- December 27th - Visit the Zoo Day
- December 28th – Holy Innocents (Christian)
- December 30th – Holy Family (Catholic)
- December 31st – New Year's Eve, Watch Night (Christian)
- January 1st - New Year's Day, The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (Catholic), Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Orthodox Christian), Feast Day of St Basil the Great (Orthodox Christian), Gantan-Sai (Shinto), Public Domain Day, Z Day
- January 2nd - Maidyarem Gahambar (Zoroastrian), Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday (Sikh), Day After New Year's Day (PQ)
- January 3rd - Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Some Catholics), J.R.R. Tolkein's Birthday (1892)
- January 4th - World Braille Day
- January 5th - Twelfth Night (trad.), Hayao Miyazaki's Birfday (1941)
- January 6th – Epiphany (Christian), Feast of the Theophany (Orthodox Christian), Carnival Season (Catholic, Greece)

TOTAL HOLIDAYS and OCCASIONS = 82 (does not include January 6th)

Religious = 39

Christian = 18

(Protestant = 4)

And that's why we call it "The Holidays."

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, whichever ones you celebrate!

I thought I'd add some definitions this year and tell you what these holidays and occasions are since some of them might be unfamiliar.

GLOSSARY
(In List Order)

Advent Sunday:

the first day of the Advent season, when Christian communities prepare for Christmas celebrations

Hanukkah/Chanukah:

The Jewish “Festival of Lights celebrates a miracle. When the Maccabean Revolt regained Jerusalem and the Second Jerusalem Temple was being dedicated, there was only enough pure oil to light the ceremonial lamp for one day. Somehow, that jug lasted for eight days. Jews light a menorah candle every night for eight days to commemorate the miracle.

Nativity Fast:

Orthodox Christians observe a daily fast for the month before Christmas. (They will keep Christmas on January 7th next year because they still use the old Julian calendar.)

St Andrew's Day:

the feast day of the patron saint of Scotland (I'm Canadian, we're British Commonwealth. Sue me.)

Rosa Parks Day:

Rosa Parks (February 4th, 1913 to October 24th, 2005) is a hero of the American Civil Rights Movement. On December 1st, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, she was riding a bus when a white man boarded. The driver, James F Blake, ordered every black rider in her row to move back. Parks refused and was arrested. On December 5th, she was tried and fined $10 but appealed. This incident led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

World AIDS Day:

a day to remind the world that this problem has not been solved yet.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery:

yes, it's still a thing.

National Mutt Day:

an American occasion in honour of dogs who have no pedigree, just wet noses.

Mauder's Day:

a Dudeist celebration of Julianne Moore's birfday. (She played Mauder in "The Big Lebowski.”)

International Day of Persons with Disabilities:

what the name says

Eid il-Burbara:

holiday for Middle East Christians, similar to Halloween, celebrates the story of St Barbara, who is said to have worn many disguises to escape Roman persecution.

The Slackernalia:

a Dudeist celebration of sensual indulgence and Jeff Bridges' birthday. (He played "The Dude" in "The Big Lebowski.”)

International Cheetah Day:

in honour of the endangered, speedy, spotty cats

World Wildlife Conservation Day:

to raise awareness and engage conversations about species that are endangered or under threat of extinction because of poaching, trafficking and other environmental factors

Krampusnacht (Austrian Trad.):

Krampus is the opposite of Santa Claus. He goes from house to house punishing bad children and taking the worst ones away in a basket, never to bother anybody be seen again.

Day of the Ninja:

a celebration of the famous, very cool assassins, initially a response to Talk Like A Pirate Day

Walt Disney's Birthday:

born December 5th, 1901, died December 15th, 1966, creator of Mickey Mouse etc.

Saint Nicholas Day/Sinterklaas (Christian):

Feast of St Nichols, Bishop of Myra (now Demre, Turkey), patron saint of children, sailors and Russia. In Dutch, it's Sinterklaas, which anglicizes as Santa Claus.

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women:

the anniversary of the Montréal Polytechnique Shooting (1989)

The 100th anniversary of the election of Agnes Campbell Macphail, first female Member of Parliament (1921):

a Canadian occasion

Immaculate Conception of Mary:

the Christian celebration of God impregnating May without deflowering Her

Bodhi Day (Buddhism):

the anniversary of The Buddha getting onto Nirvana (also his birthday and the Day he died)

Afflux:

a Discordian holy day that "palefaces" like us are not supposed to understand

International Day of Veterinary Medicine:

a day in honour of your local animal doctor

Anna's Day:

a day in honour of people named Anna, also the Day to start making lutefisk for Christmas

Human Rights Day:

the anniversary of the United Nations adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, celebrated in Canada on December 10th

Festival for the Souls of Dead Whales:

Inuit and other northern nations set this Day aside to honour whales who died, either for them or otherwise.

International Animal Rights Day:

what the name says - I tried to find out if this is a legitimate occasion, but I couldn't. I only suspect that it might not be.

Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster:

the anniversary of the signing of the Statute of Westminster in 1931. In brief, it turned what was left of the British Empire into the British Commonwealth of Nations. It granted independence to all former colonies, Canada included.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Hispanic Catholic):

the feast day of the patron saint of Mexico - On December 9th, 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to a Mexican peasant named Juan Diego. He saw an apparition of Mary on a hillside. She told him that She wanted a temple built there to help Her give blessings. The bishop demanded proof. Mary had him pick roses there; when he got back to the bishop, they had burned the apparition that Diego had seen into his cloak. The bishop had Her temple built. Diego's cloak is on display there to this Day. (John Paul II canonized Juan Diego in 2002.)

Dhanu Sankranti:

A Hindu day of devotion to the Sun - They celebrate Lord Jagannath and Lord Surya by offering flowers and prayers in thanks for the coming time of plenty.

Kerabotsmas:

Steve Buscemi's birthday - He played Donny Kerabatsos in "The Big Lebowski." On this Day, Dudeists commemorate those who died for their sins and other loved ones who have passed on.

Acadians Remembrance Day:

It's the commemoration of all members of the Acadian colonies in New Brunswick who died as a result of the Expulsions in 1755.

World Violin Day:

a celebration of violins

Asara B'Tevet (Jewish):

a minor fast that commemorates the attack on Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II (Jewish fasts begin at dawn and end after dark.)

Geeta Jayanti:

Hindus celebrate Lord Krishna revealing the Bhagavad Gita to Prince Arjuna on this Day at the battlefield of Kurukshetra. (It varies yearly, but in 2021, "this day" is December 14th.)

Monkey Day:

a celebration of monkeys (apes, lemurs and tarsiers, too) and all
things simian

Christmas Bird Count Week:

from December 14th to January 5th, bird-watchers around the world count birds and record their sightings.

Zamenhof Day / Esperanto Day:

the birthday of L. L. Zamenhof (in 1859), who created Esperanto

International Tea Day:

draws attention to the not always happy results of the global tea trade.

Hanuman Jayanti:

Hindus in Karnataka, India, celebrate the birthday of the monkey god, Hanuman, on this Day. (In other places, His birthday is celebrated on different days.)

Beethoven's Birthday:

The great Austrian composer was born on this day in 1770.

Posadas Navidenas (Hispanic Christian):

Mexican Advent celebration – Every night, from December 16th to 24th, children of towns parade along a preset route through the streets, playing the part of Mary and Joseph looking for a place to sleep overnight. At several doors, they sing their song. The adults within reply that there is no room for them until the last building (often a church or hall) finds "room in the stable." The children come in, and the party begins. This routine is repeated every night until Christmas Eve.

Rohini Vrat:

a monthly Jainist purification ritual

Winter Solstice:

the Day is at its shortest, and the night is at its longest; the Official First Day of Winter

Yalda (Zoroastrianism):

the Birth of Mithra; the forces of Ahriman (the evil one) are strongest on this night. Zoroastrians stay awake all night. The next Day they celebrate having done it. (observed in Iran more than elsewhere)

Yule:

For Pagans, Yule (aka Sol Invictus) is a minor holy day marking the beginning of winter and the slow return of daylight. Among Odinists, it's called the Wild Hunt.
For Christians, it's a little more involved, usually part of Advent. It is often confused with Christmas, which Yule both parallels and overlaps. Originally it was a secular version of Pagan Yule mixed with Roman Saturnalia, but Christian influences crept into it. Now it's just a mess. Christians usually overlook it in favour of Christmas.

Blue Christmas/Long Night (Christian):

a special service held for those who have lost family or other loved ones and are grieving.

Winter Slowstice:

On December 21st, Dudeists mark the shortest day and longest night of the year by sleeping in and doing as little as necessary.

Global Orgasm for World Peace:

Twice per year, including once on the solstice, followers perform ritual sex to give energy to a wish for world peace. If it sounds Pagan, then it probably is, but it's for a good cause.

Humanlight (Secular Humanism):

a celebration of secular humanism inspired by the holiday season

Festivus (for the rest of us):

An antidote to the pressures and commercialism of Christmas, it was invented by Dan and Daniel O'Keefe for the 1997 Seinfeld episode "The Strike." Festivus celebrations involve a plain aluminum pole, dinner, Airing of Grievances, Feats of Strength and everything being a Festivus Miracle.

Christmas Adam:

You see, Adam came before Eve and the next day is Christmas Eve, so...

Anniversary of the First Transistor:

The first solid-state transistor was demonstrated on December 23rd, 1947, by physicists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley at Bell Labs. The Nobel Physics Prize was awarded to them jointly for their invention. Their work changed the whole field of electronics and made the world possible that we live in today.

Nittel Nacht (Jewish):

To avoid becoming targets for hateful Christians, Ashkenazi Jews of the middle ages would stay at home, skip Torah studies, play cards and eat garlic. Jews of many kinds continue to observe Nittel Nacht because, let's face it, even these days, there are still plenty of hateful Christians.

Christmas Eve (Christian):

the last day of the Advent season, final preparations for Christmas

Quviasukvik (northern tribes):

This northern winter festival lasts from December 24th to January 7th. For the Inuit, Aleut, Yupik, Chukchi and Inupiat people, it's their New Year's festival. It also celebrates the sea goddess Sedna.

Christmas (Christian):

the celebration of the Birth of Christ, the first of the twelve days of Christmas (There is, of course, no proof that Jesus was born on this day.)

Newtonmas (Secular Humanist):

Sir Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day in 1642.

Dudeistmas:

Dudeist "Christmas" is much easier and less pressured than the Christian version. Invite friends to come (unless somebody invited you), and order something for delivery. A sacrificial "burning of herbs" is optional.

Prime Minister's Birthday:

the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, was born on December 25th in 1971, to Margaret Trudeau and then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. (Justin's brother, Sasha, was also born on December 25th in 1973.)

Feast of St Stephen/Stephen's Day (Christian):

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. A troop of Roman guards was searching for him to arrest him for promoting Christianity. He hid in some bushes, but a chattering wren gave him away. Because He was born on December 26th, the Day after Christmas is sometimes called Stephen's Day.
(You might remember that Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen, but that's another story. BTW, Wenceslas was the Duke of Bohemia; He was crowned king posthumously.)

Wren Day (Celtic Catholics/Irish Diaspora):

On St Stephen's Day, Irish Catholic boys go about collecting pennies "to bury the wren." They used to go out in the morning to avenge St Stephen by finding and killing a wren. These days a plastic wren or a doll suffices. The tradition is dying out, but you might still hear about it in places.

Zarathosht Diso/Zartosht No-Diso (Zoroastrianism):

commemoration of the death of the Prophet Zoroaster, who founded Zoroastrianism.

Kwanzaa:

The holiday was founded n 1966 by African-American leader Maulana Karenga. It celebrates African culture and traditions. It is mainly celebrated by Americans of colour.

National Whiners Day:

The Day after Christmas, Whiners Day is for people who don't like their Christmas gifts and want to return them for cash, or failing that, for something better.

Boxing Day:

December 26th, unless it falls on a Sunday, in which case it is December 27th in the British Commonwealth of Nations; in other parts of the world, it could still be on Sunday 26th.) In the Province of Ontario and for Federal Employees, it is a Statutory Holiday.
The meaning of Boxing Day has been lost to history. Jonathan Swift wrote in his letters about the servants and apprentices of trades-masters and merchants going door-to-door with boxes collecting tips for service from those wealthy enough to give them. His letters might be the only evidence of what this Day means.
There are other theories as to its origins. Some suggest that "Boxing" refers to prize fights, but there is evidence to the contrary. Other explanations include: that this was the Day when churches opened their Poor Boxes and distributed the contents; that Christmas visitors were packed-off home on this Day; or that masters and servants swapped roles for the Day. There is no evidence for any of these. Some say that households took down Christmas decorations this Day, but the tradition was to do that on Twelfth Night. More promising is the idea that Boxing Day was the day to open Christmas gifts. Over the years, people opened gifts on St Nicholas Day, New Year's Day and several other days, so Boxing Day was as likely as any.
But again, nobody knows for sure anymore.

Visit the Zoo Day:

Nobody seems to know how or by who this occasion was founded. It appears to involve zoos justifying their existence and encouraging people to bring their families to their local zoos.

Holy Innocents (Christian):

commemoration of the Massacre of the Innocents. The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, verses 16 to 18, describes how the Magi had told King Herod that a king would be born to the Jews in Bethlehem. Herod ordered his men to kill all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old or younger. Christians remember the occasion on this Day.

Holy Family:

a celebration of Mary, Joseph and Jesus as a family, observed by Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans

New Year's Eve:

We all know what this is!

Watch Night Service:

Christian observance of New Year's Eve. Celebrants think over the past year, confess their sins, pray and make New Year's resolutions. Catholics and Anglicans, as well as Lutherans, Baptists. Methodists and several other Protestant denominations observe Watch Night.

New Year's Day:

It's the morning after New Year's Eve. Some towns or cities host Reveille parties in the morning or noon to treat their citizens to a hearty breakfast (which they probably need but are too hungover to cook.)

The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God:

Catholics celebrate God choosing the Virgin Mary to bring the Saviour into the world. It also commemorates the circumcision of Baby Jesus.

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Orthodox Christian):

a commemoration of Jesus's circumcision. (formerly "Feast of the Circumcision of Christ")

The Feast of St Basil the Great (Orthodox Christian):

He defended the orthodox faith against the Arian heresy. He was also known as Basil of Caesarea.

Gantan-Sai:

New Year's Day in the Shinto faith

Public Domain Day:

On his day, writing and other works whose copyright has expired come into the public domain. They may then legally be used by anybody.

Z Day:

dedicated to people whose family name begins with Z (who are therefore often neglected.)
NB. Z Day is not the same as Zeitgeist Day. That's some time around March.

Maidyarem Gahambar:

This Zoroastrian Winter or Mid-Year Festival celebrates one of the six primordial creations of Ahura Mazda (God.)

Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday (Sikh):

the tenth and final human Sikh Guru (He created and was succeeded by the Guru Granth, the Sikh holy
book.)

Day After New Year's Day:

In the Province of Quebec, January 2nd is a chance to sober up from New Years' celebrations. I wonder that the idea has not caught on in the rest of Canada.

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Some Catholics):

it's a mass said to bless Christ's first name, but not all Catholics celebrate it.

J.R.R. Tolkein's Birfday:

The author of The Hobbit, the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and many lesser-known books was born on January 3rd, 1892.

World Braille Day:

a celebration of the typeface which is readable by the visually impaired

Twelfth Night (trad.):

January 5th is the twelfth and last day of the Christmas season. Households put away Christmas decorations. Churches prepare for the Epiphany season, which starts the next day. Some families hold small dinner parties for friends. Dessert is a King's Cake, with figures of a king and a queen baked into them, as well as a coin. Whoever gets the king is the king of the party and directs the entertainment for the evening. The queen of the party dances with the king and organizes the women where needed. Whoever gets the coin holds the Twelfth Night party next year.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Birfday:

He was born in 1941. Miyazaki is an artist and animator. He co-founded Studio Ghibli (with Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma.) He is responsible for such children's classic films as The Cat Returns, Pom Poko, Porco Roso, My Neighbour Totoro, Nausicaa/Warriors Of The Wind, Princess Mononoke, the award-winning Spirited Away and far too many others to count.

Epiphany (Christian):

January 6th is the beginning of Epiphany Season. It celebrates the visit of the Three Wise Men and Jesus's baptism by John The Baptist.

Feast of the Theophany (Orthodox Christian):

commemorates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, where God announced that Jesus was His son.

Carnival Season (Catholic, Greece):

Carnival celebrations happen during this period. In different places, they happen at different times. The great festival in most places happens on Shrove Tuesday. Carnival is a reversal of mores and traditions, a celebration (in brief) of sin.

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EDIT
- List entries for December 23rd and 24th were somehow omitted; replaced them
- in the glossary entry for Krampusnacht, I indicated where "bother anybody" should have been semi-cancelled, but didn't actually do it; fixed.
- I think I got everything this time.
04DE2021