Christmas.com. HolidayFestivals.com. Holidays and Celebrations around the World: Earth Calendar. Holidays on the Net. The Official Kwanzaa Web Site. Kwanzaa: Roots and Branches The Continental African Roots Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture.
Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. Winter Solstice. By Ann-Marie Imbornoni In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 20 or 21, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed. Reason for the Seasons The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation.