More than any other holiday, Christmas is a truly multicultural celebration in the United States. It has to be, with so many holidays and traditions that are celebrated during the winter season. Some of these holidays include:

Christmas

Christmas is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that marks and honors the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival. The holiday is widely celebrated around the world, including the United States. Because gift-giving and several other aspects of the holiday involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, Christmas has become a major event for many retailers.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar. The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a non-religious African American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. It is celebrated for seven days: December 26 - January 1. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili. The kinara is the center of the Kwanzaa setting and represents the original stalk from which we came: our ancestry.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day, which is observed on December 26, the feast of St. Stephen, is a traditional British holiday, its origins can be traced to a past custom of giving gifts to the poor. Today, however, in Canada, Caribbean countries, Australia and New Zealand, Boxing Day is observed as a public holiday when stores sell their excess holiday inventory at reduced prices.

Three Kings Day, also known as The Epiphany

The twelve days of Christmas end with the Feast of Epiphany also called "The Adoration of the Magi" or "The Manifestation of God." Celebrated on January 6, it is known as the day of the Three Kings (or wise men/magi). According to an old legend based on a Bible story, these three kings saw, on the night when Christ was born, a bright star, followed it to Bethlehem and found there the Christ child. In Spanish tradition, Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar, representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa, arrived on horse, camel and elephant, bringing respectively gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

Dong Zhi

Dong Zhi, the winter solstice festival and one of the most important Chinese holidays, is yet another celebration on the shortest day of the year. It falls on the first day of the Dong Zhi solar term, the day when daylight is shortest, usually on or between Dec. 21 and Dec. 23, and is symbolic of the Yin and Yang philosophy of balance. After the winter solstice, the days grow longer and the yang energy increases, making it a time of optimism and joy.

Here is a full list of multicultural events and celebrations taking place this holiday season, leave a comment if we missed any:

Saint Nicholas Day (Christian) -- December 6
Eid'ul-Adha (Muslim) -- December 8
Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican) -- December 12
St. Lucia Day (Swedish) -- December 13
Hanukkah (Jewish) -- Begins at sundown on December 21 (ends December 29)
Christmas Day (Christian) -- December 25
Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish) -- December 26
Kwanzaa (African American) -- December 26 to January 1
Omisoka (Japanese) -- December 31
Epiphany (Christian) -- January 6