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December

This article is about the month. For other uses, seeDecember (disambiguation).
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Decemberis the twelfth and final month of the year in theJulianandGregorian calendars.Its length is 31 days.

December, from theTrès Riches Heures du duc de Berry

December's name derives from the Latin worddecem(meaningten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in thecalendar of Romulusc. 750 BC,which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name.[1][2]

InAncient Rome,as one of the fourAgonalia,this day in honour ofSol Indigeswas held on December 11, as wasSeptimontium.Dies natalis(birthday) was held at the temple ofTelluson December 13,Consualiawas held on December 15,Saturnaliawas held December 17–23,Opiconsiviawas held on December 19,Divaliawas held on December 21,Larentaliawas held on December 23, and the dies natalis ofSol Invictuswas held on December 25. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.

TheAnglo-Saxonsreferred to December–January asĠēolamonaþ(modern English: "Yulemonth "). TheFrench Republican Calendarcontained December within the months ofFrimaireandNivôse.

Astronomy

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Month December depicted in Hans Bol's and Adriaen Collart'sEmblematica Evangelica.

December contains thewinter solsticein theNorthern Hemisphere,the day with the fewest daylight hours, and thesummer solsticein theSouthern Hemisphere,the day with the most daylight hours (excluding polar regions in both cases, which consistently havenoneor24 hours,respectively, near the solstice). December in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent toJunein the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the astronomicalwinteris traditionally 21 December or the date of the solstice.

Meteor showers occurring in December are theAndromedids(September 25 – December 6, peaking around November 9), theCanis-Minorids(December 4 – December 15, peaking around December 10–11), theComa Berenicids(December 12 to December 23, peaking around December 16), theDelta Cancrids(December 14 to February 14, the main shower from January 1 to January 24, peaking on January 17), theGeminids(December 13–14), theMonocerotids(December 7 to December 20, peaking on December 9. This shower can also start in November), thePhoenicids(November 29 to December 9, with a peak occurring around 5/6 December), theQuadrantids(typically a January shower but can also start in December), theSigma Hydrids(December 4–15), and theUrsids(December 17-to December 25/26, peaking around December 22).

Astrology

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Thezodiacsigns for the month of December areSagittarius(until December 21) andCapricorn(December 22 onward).[3][4]

Symbols

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Yellownarcissusflower

December's birth flower is thenarcissus.Its birthstones areturquoise,zirconandtanzanite.

A slab ofturquoise
Zircons
Rough and polishedtanzanite

Observances

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AChristmas treeat theEaton CentreinToronto.

This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.

Non-Gregorian

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(All Baháʼí, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.)

Month-long

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Movable

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Tuesday immediately following fourth Thursday of November

First Friday

First Sunday

Second Monday

December 15, unless the date falls on a Sunday, then December 16

Winter Solstice

December 22, unless that date is a Sunday, in which case the 23rd

December 26, unless that day is a Sunday, in which case the 27th

Fixed

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AChristmas marketinDresden

See also

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References

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  1. ^Macrobius,Saturnalia,tr. Percival Vaughan Davies (New York: Columbia University Press, 1969), book I, chapters 12–13, pp. 89–95.
  2. ^"December".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. VII (9th ed.). 1878. p. 19.
  3. ^The Earth passes the junction of the signs at 10:02 UT/GMT December 21, 2020, and will pass it again at 15:59 UT/GMT December 21, 2021.
  4. ^"Astrology Calendar",yourzodiacsign.Signs in UT/GMT for 1950–2030.
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