By Timothy Sexton, Contributing writer

Of all the months of the year, December has to be viewed as ground central. Christmas is the most famous of December holidays in the West, but worldwide there are many more December holidays celebrated just as passionately as any morning rush toward the presents glistening beneath the Douglas Fir.

Chanukah

This Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights, often is spelled simply Hanukkah. Chanukah is spread across eight days in December although, since it is based on the ancient Jewish calendar, it can actually commence at the end of November. Chanukah is intended to memorialize the triumph of the Maccabees and the re-dedication of the Jerusalem Temple. The enduring icon associated with this holiday is the menorah, that elegant candelabra that you see on nearly every piece of merchandise intended to represent Chanukah. The menorah holds nine candles, with the ninth used to light the other eight -- one added each night until the eighth night. This lighting ceremony is symbolic of the fact that the Jews fighting the Maccabees were capable of keeping their candles illuminated for eight days, though there had been oil enough for just one day.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a holiday traditionally celebrated from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. Though often confused by nonparticipants as some sort of militant African-American alternative to Christmas, it has far less to do with the sacred than the secular. Kwanzaa celebrates not so much a religious component as a social one. Each separate day of this comprehensive holiday is dedicated to raising awareness in the community about certain set values including:

Self-improvement of the individual

The vital importance of the family

The communal significance of the family and the individual to the community as a whole

Kwanzaa is a derivation of a Swahili word that translates into "first fruits of the harvest." The core principle behind Kwanzaa is the attempt to solidify the relationship between the cultural traditions of Africa and the social fabric at work in modern day African-American society.

The Hajj

One of the five requirements of the Muslim faith is to make a pilgrimage to Mecca as an example of commitment to Islam. The faithful trek to the city during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, which typically falls sometime during the middle of December. This is a ritualistic re-enacting of Mohammed's commitment to make the pilgrimage which, even during his time, was an ancient rite of passage.

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve marks the last celebration of the Gregorian Calendar year and contains all the symbolism associated with death, rebirth and renewal for the new year. Contemporary New Year's Eve celebrations typically involve a last rousing ritual of those sinful or disadvantageous activities that the coming of the new year is intended to expiate through the means of adopting resolutions to end such behavior.