December 14, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 15 While it’s easy to associate winter holidays with Christmas, Chanukah, and New Year’s, winter is actually host to numerous celebrations across the globe. The aforementioned holidays might get the bulk of the publicity, but these events are wintertime traditions far and wide. Chinese New Year: The most important of the traditional Chinese holidays, Chinese New Year is determined by the lunisolar Chinese calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, but always between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. Pancha Ganapati: This five-day Hindu Winter brings many holidays across the globe festival celebrates the Lord Ganesha, patron of arts and guardian of culture. During each of the five days of Pancha Ganapati, which is celebrated from Dec. 21 through 25, a different spiritual discipline is focused on by the entire family. Tu Bishvat: A minor Jewish holiday, Tu Bishvat usually occurs in late January or early February and celebrates the “New Year of the Trees.” Customs during Tu Bishvat include planting trees and eating dried fruits and nuts, in particular figs, dates, raisins, carob, and almonds. The flowering of the almond tree coincides with Tu Bishvat throughout Israel, where the almond tree grows wild. Kwanzaa: Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African culture and heritage that begins the day after Christmas and continues to New Year’s Day. Kwanzaa was first celebrated from Dec. 26, 1966 to Jan. 1, 1967 and was initially an effort by professor Ron Karenga to create a specifically African-American holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Winter is not only a time to honor past traditions but also those who left a positive mark on the world. The third Monday of every January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day honoring the legacy of the famed civil rights leader who was tragically assassinated on April 4, 1968. The day is held in January because King was born on Jan. 15. Candlemas: Observed by Anglicans, Eastern Catholics, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics, among others, Candlemas celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the temple. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Candlemas is considered one of the 12 Great Feasts. The date can vary depending on the celebrants but is generally celebrated between the last week of January and the first few days of February. Saint Brigid’s Day: Though it’s meant to celebrate the first day of spring, Saint Brigid’s Day, formerly known as Imbolc, actually occurs during the throes of winter. A Gaelic tradition, Saint Brigid’s Day has different meanings for different people (and some Christians actually refer to the day as Candlemas). However, for many it remains a festival of the hearth and home and a celebration of the days growing longer, meaning spring is on the horizon.