December Festivals (Other Than Christmas) - December Theme Month

I Should Have Known is celebrating all month long! Our theme for December is... December! Kicking off the festivities is Quizmaster Sups, who discovered four festivals which are celebrated in December. Except we're late to the party for one of them! See if you can figure out which holiday festival doesn't actually happen in the twelfth month along with hosts Andi and Tanner! 

Transcript

Tanner 0:01

we

Andi 0:02

now. We're, we're, we're convincing ourselves.

Tanner 0:04

for But I've never heard of it being in December. I've never thought of when it is.

Andi 0:10

Yeah. Right. Me neither. my only logic for the game here is that it would be too mean. Soups,

Tanner 0:18

I'm going to believe it. I'm Did you ever hear about the date?

Andi 0:23

No. you don't get to choose when the Virgin visits you. Hello, and welcome to this episode of I Should Have Known, the trivia game show that can't be trusted. Each week, one of our Quizmasters will present you with four facts about a topic, but one of them is a lie, and we are celebrating. Winter, or December, at least. I think our December theme is December? Somehow became December? So we have some wintry and also just December themed things, I guess. So Soops, this week.

Sups 0:59

Hello!

Andi 1:00

And Soops is going to present us with four Holidays, That are celebrated in December, but one of them is not celebrated in December. So join me, Andy, and our other host, Tanner, in figuring out which one. Does that

Tanner 1:15

Alright. Because

Sups 1:15

because I feel like December Christmas always gets like the most credit,

Andi 1:19

a

Sups 1:20

there's a lot of things

Andi 1:21

of... So

Tanner 1:24

month.

Sups 1:25

Yeah, yeah, so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what I've done is I've picked up festivals, from around the world. from different cultures. all celebrated in December, of course, but one of them. Close to December, but not exactly December. Let's put it

Tanner 1:39

Okay. It's not even like clearly 4th of July.

Andi 1:45

I was imagining, like, ah, this is a spring holiday. But, okay. This is gonna be hard, I

Sups 1:51

but before we get going, here's the PQQ of the

Andi 1:54

All

Tanner 1:54

Alright.

Sups 1:55

How long does the celebrations of Hanukkah last?

Tanner 1:59

Oh, this is eight

Andi 2:01

Hanukkah's eight,

Sups 2:02

Yes. because the Jews lit the menorah with only one day's worth of oil, but miraculously it lasted for eight days. So Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days.

Tanner 2:11

easy to remember because of Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights.

Andi 2:14

so on. it's crazy. Cool, so that we've got Hanukkah out of

Tanner 2:25

now that we've got

Sups 2:27

now that we've got Hanukkah out

Andi 2:30

So there'll be like Hanukkah where it's not Christmas, but Right. Typically in December. Correct.

Sups 2:35

it's not Christmas, one from Scotland, holiday number one from Scotland. So this is celebrated every year on the third Tuesday of December in Lerwick Scotland. It's basically a fire festival, but with a Viking twist. anD the festival basically celebrates Shetland's Norse heritage and history. The first mention of it is from 1824 participants dress up in elaborate Viking costumes, complete with helmet shield and other Norse inspired attire.

Andi 3:09

Okay.

Sups 3:10

And so the highlight of this uphelia is basically burning of a full scale replica of a Viking longship known as the galley. So the whole year, the volunteers, they're building up this galley and it's kind of, hidden. Because it's like a surprise. They reveal it at the end, so public is not allowed to like see it up until the end. And then each year a Jarl or like a chief Viking is chosen to lead the festival. that's the festival. Third Tuesday of December.

Tanner 3:38

um, of

Andi 3:39

the central part.. Burning the ship seems about right, right? Like, I don't know why that sounds normal to me.

Sups 3:49

good

Tanner 3:51

ships go on the water, but okay, we're gonna

Andi 3:54

I really don't understand why in my head that's like not weird, but

Tanner 3:58

I guess it's made of wood, why not, sure.

Andi 4:00

It's like a funeral. Yeah. Like the Viking funeral. Yeah. You shoot the ship with the flame

Tanner 4:06

Yeah Give it a send off at like the end of the year? That's sort of

Andi 4:09

thing? Yeah.

Tanner 4:10

Like, why would it be a third Tuesday in December?

Andi 4:13

I mean, that is the weirdest part of all of it, honestly. I think somebody just must have been like, this is a convenient day, and they codified it. Right. It probably was connected to something else. So

Tanner 4:24

awfully close to the winter solstice. But that doesn't care about the day of the week, you know. It can be in any day of the week. it's interesting that it's such a modern holiday. Like, I mean, 200 years ago, isn't that modern. But in the context of like, a lot of our holidays go back way further than that, you know. But I mean that's not up for debate here. What's up for debate It's the timing, Right. So this is interesting to learn about. I didn't know that this hud existed. but why would you do it in December? I guess if you're doing a bonfire. I would do that in the winter.

Andi 4:56

Yeah, I don't know if weather would really affect my decision on ship burning. Um,

Sups 5:04

not

Andi 5:04

That's definitely the biggest question is why December? Right. guess there's nothing else to do in

Tanner 5:11

that's the other thing is that like, they have like Burns Night in like October or

Andi 5:15

Oh my god, Tanner, Burns Night is January 25th.

Tanner 5:18

Okay, sure. Burns Night in January. They have, Celtic holidays other times

Andi 5:24

it could be related to traditions of pre christian tradition. Also maybe considering it's dark. So the Shetland Islands are pretty far north. And so nights in the winter are going to be really long. So a good time to burn a long

Tanner 5:38

burn a longship. Yeah,

Andi 5:40

right? So maybe that.

Tanner 5:41

Where we

Andi 5:43

now. We're, we're, we're convincing ourselves.

Tanner 5:45

for We

Sups 5:48

to pick.

Andi 5:49

Wow. Well speak for yourself. I need to

Sups 5:51

Alright. Okay, so, festival two, from Scotland, Dong Tze Festival. In Chinese, the word dōng means winter, while zhī means arrival, Celebrated on the longest night of the winter. Of course, there is no fixed date Um, this festival is rooted in the principles of Yin and yang, which symbolizes the balance between opposing forces with the winter solstice marking the longest night and the gradual return of the longer daylight hours. So signifying the strengthening of yang. And for some of the Chinese elders, Dongzi symbolizes that they are a year older, they don't wait until the Chinese New Year.

Andi 6:34

are already a year The lunar calendar. Suddenly you're much older than you thought you

Tanner 6:42

you were.

Andi 6:43

Yeah, I remember moving to Korea and being like, I'm two years older now, apparently. So that, part sounds kind of realistic to me,because it's common in a lot of cultures, even traditionally in Europe as well to mark your age by the number of winters that you've seen.

Tanner 6:59

real

Andi 6:59

and that would match with it being the winter solstice, So, that checks out.

Tanner 7:04

That's definitely in December, so. That would make sense. Does the meaning behind it make sense to you? Like, it's yin and yang, so it's like balance, and like, this is a turning point in the seasons, and now we're moving to the second half of winter, like.

Andi 7:21

Yeah,

Tanner 7:21

solstice makes sense for you?

Andi 7:23

I think a lot of people have a tendency, you know, like the winter solstice is technically when winter starts, but actually, like, a lot of people find this to be a very positive thing they associate it with the fact that the days are getting longer now.

Tanner 7:37

hmm. Mm Also make

Andi 7:40

My biggest reservation is a sounds very similar to Chuseok, cause all of, of course, all of my East Asian frames of reference are from Korea because I lived there. Chuseok is the autumn festival

Tanner 7:52

in Korea, Yeah. It's around harvest time.

Andi 7:54

which is based on the lunar calendar.

Tanner 7:56

Yeah. But that was around September, October,

Andi 7:59

in the autumn. it changes because again, it's the lunar calendar. So it could go anywhere from like September to November, but it's in the fall.

Tanner 8:06

and I know the lunar calendar, like you were saying, it's huge in East Asia. So,

Andi 8:11

bit... Sketchy to me. And then that's where we can see how like, okay, this festival is real, but I think maybe it's not December? but close time. but then the problem there is do they celebrate that in China? Because Korea and China aren't the same place. So like, I, I know this is a tradition in Korea. Is it also a tradition in China?

Tanner 8:34

My other thing there is, okay, the story is interesting it makes sense. except when I think of yin and yang, I think of harmony and balance, and so I would assume that it's an equinox, not a solstice.

Andi 8:48

Well, I kind of understood it as like within a whole year, they're balanced. Yeah, one is ascending and one's descending, the whole time. maybe that, I don't know, but this one I can definitely like, there's a kind of a better reference for me of like, okay, maybe this isn't exactly December, but it's. Like a different time of year

Tanner 9:06

The other thing with this one is that the name would have to be something else. Because he said that dong Xi is the arrival of winter.

Andi 9:14

Oh, well, you know I don't know.

Tanner 9:16

Right, if it's in the fall, that would have to be translated as something else, which I can't help with because

Andi 9:21

I don't speak Mandarin. Or, yeah, Or, any of the other dialects. So, that's given

Tanner 9:28

then we move number three. One

Sups 9:33

All right, so then we move on to festival number three. Bodhi Day, which is known as Rohatsu in Japan, commemorates the day when Siddhartha Gautama, which is the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya in India. So, Buddha, he was a prince, right? he gave up all the worldly. Charms and he sat under this bohi tree. The scientific name of this tree is F Osa, and this is in both Gaia in the state of Behar and India. And he simply sort of started meditating until he found the root of all suffering and how to liberate oneself from it. Bodhi day is celebrated with like a week long observance or known as the seven days of meditation where like a lot of Zen Buddhists, are practicing intense meditation. They're also fasting. They also have a tea party. It falls on the 8th of December. And. Similarly, like Christmas during this period devotees, they decorate like Bodhi trees with ornaments and lights and decoration as like a symbolic gesture for Buddha's awakening.

Andi 10:44

hmm. was,

Tanner 10:46

awakening.

Sups 10:52

Right. That's the day he attained nirvana. he was 35 years old.

Andi 10:56

Okay.

Tanner 10:57

Okay.

Andi 10:58

Why December, I guess that's always the

Tanner 11:01

Like,

Andi 11:02

Yeah, I never realized that he was like a very similar age to Jesus. Yeah. Yeah.

Tanner 11:06

Something happens when you're in your

Sups 11:07

age.

Andi 11:08

I recently just hit my Jesus

Sups 11:09

Jesus age It's the age of re discovery.

Tanner 11:12

Yeah.

Andi 11:13

so. So yeah, I've heard of this holiday. Because it's like a major Buddhist

Tanner 11:18

Yeah. But I've never heard of it being in December. I've never thought of when it is.

Andi 11:22

Yeah. Right. Me neither.

Tanner 11:24

Yeah. Wow. It could be any month

Andi 11:27

but that, yeah, so this one's tricky because it's like, this is an event some guy actually did this this 1 day like really like in a calendar year. So like this is just a day. So it's hard for the game because like it could be any day like literally like it could be any day at

Tanner 11:45

any day like literally like be any day all, And

Andi 11:52

Yeah. Like, people spreading Buddhism do the same thing as, like, early Christians where they're like, let me co opt your holiday and say it's my holiday. Like, I don't know what December 8th would be to anybody, anywhere in the world. So it's kind of like one of those things where it's like, think I have to just believe you.

Tanner 12:11

world. Also, the tree doesn't tell me anything like ficus trees. Sure.

Andi 12:16

They're, basically evergreen. Yeah. So that's not

Tanner 12:21

helpful. No. I'm trying to see any

Andi 12:23

way. yeah.

Tanner 12:24

a hole here, you know?

Andi 12:25

yeah, I have like, no personal reference, and then yeah, I can't find anything. And so, my only logic for the game here is that it would be too mean. Soups,

Tanner 12:37

I'm going to believe it. I'm just going to embrace it. I'm going to lean in and say, I bet you it is December, sign me up for a tea party. I'll

Andi 12:44

I

Sups 12:45

to the

Andi 12:46

this one I'm going to have to just put into Buddha's hands, I guess, just,

Tanner 12:51

right.

Sups 12:52

one more? Yeah,

Andi 12:54

Yeah,

Sups 12:54

Okay, so festival number four. Let's go all the way to Mexico. the Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe. La Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Celebrated on 12th December every year. One of the most important holiday for... Mexicans, distinct features of the celebration is basically the mass pilgrimages to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. So pilgrims from all over Mexico and beyond, they travel to this Basilica to pay homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe, who is considered as the patroness of Mexico.

Tanner 13:34

Active

Sups 13:34

Now, According to folklore, it was a winter's day in 1531 when the Virgin Mary first appeared to a farmer called Juan Diego. As he was crossing a hillside near the present day, Mexico city, she appeared as a dark skinned. woman who spoke Nahuatl, which was Juan Diego's native language.

Tanner 13:56

native

Andi 13:57

native.

Sups 13:59

And then Juan Diego, he reported this to the local bishop, who of course didn't believe him. The second time the bishop asked for proof so on the morning of the December 12th the lady reappeared to Juan Diego, instructing him to gather flowers at the top of the hill, which was a very unusual request for December because flowers don't grow in December. conveniently Juan Diego did find the Castilian roses.. He goes back to the Bishop when he opens the cloak. There was like a life size image of the Virgin Mary, And this image is now revered as Our Lady of Guadalupe. so this is celebrated fixed day, 12th December

Andi 14:39

Okay. Again, I've heard of this.

Tanner 14:42

I've heard of Guadalupe.

Andi 14:44

and the church and her appearance.

Tanner 14:48

Did you ever hear about the date?

Andi 14:50

No.

Tanner 14:53

I know that this is a common thing around the Catholic world like you'd celebrate when the Virgin Mary appears to you or to someone, right?

Andi 15:02

yeah, she has appeared many many

Sups 15:04

many,

Andi 15:05

Of course the story sounds reasonable. The only question here is the flowers in December. So, I know Mexico city it's pretty far South. So I really doubt it has like. For full seasons, but it also is mountainous, so it maybe is a bit, I don't know exactly how flowers grow

Tanner 15:21

I was gonna say it's pretty far north in the context of Mexico.

Andi 15:25

I would like to See on a map where you think Mexico City is, because I'm pretty sure you don't know.

Tanner 15:32

be

Andi 15:33

City? I'm pretty sure you'd be

Tanner 15:34

Be wrong. Anyway, that's,

Sups 15:38

Tanvi, you are so wrong. Where Mexico is.

Andi 15:41

super wrong. Yeah, it's, no,

Tanner 15:43

no, way. yeah, yeah. No,

Andi 15:44

No, no, it's, it's like way further south but like closer to like the Yucatan.

Sups 15:49

you said.

Andi 15:49

no, yeah, yeah, yeah, anyways, that's, it's unimportant, so

Tanner 15:55

flowers could still grow in the middle of winter?

Andi 15:57

Well, the thing is, it has to be miraculous that flowers would be growing in winter in December so like, I think that it's. Possible that there's enough of a shift in season and he said they were Castilian roses, which is interesting because that's means they're from Spain roses bloom in June so within this whole story and everything, it being December is the question. And the only thing that really gives us information is these flowers. And then the only other thing that I would say is, do they really do this right before

Tanner 16:25

before Christmas? Right. Christmas is

Andi 16:30

Right. Yeah. Like, Christmas is like I mean, among the biggest Catholic Christian holidays. And then you have another, major saint's day also in the same month, like.

Tanner 16:41

you could choose, why would you double up?

Andi 16:42

mean, you don't get to choose when the Virgin visits you. Mother Mary doesn't care. She doesn't have a concept of December. So the flowers thing is kind of the only context we get that can tell us about the time of year. So it certainly would... It wouldn't be a miracle in Europe or further north, if roses were blooming in December. The

Tanner 17:04

But The fact is that it's

Andi 17:05

Mexico. I don't know if in Mexico City, which is in the south part of Mexico

Tanner 17:09

South part of North America.

Sups 17:12

No, also south part of

Andi 17:15

You're, you're embarrassing yourself.

Tanner 17:17

So you're saying you believe this one. As Being in December. But it's weird that it's the same month as Christmas.

Andi 17:23

Yes.

Tanner 17:24

I don't have an inclination of when else it would

Andi 17:26

be. Yeah, so that's all we're working with.

Tanner 17:28

I guess, I'm gonna believe this for now.

Andi 17:30

Until when,

Tanner 17:31

Tanner? Until I have to

Andi 17:33

Okay. So like, that's only going to be a couple minutes because, Soops, could you please repeat the four festivals for us so that we can make our final guesses on which one we think is not in December.

Sups 17:45

our final guesses which one we're going to Festival number two, Dongzhi Festival, Festival number three, Bodhi Day, And festival number four, the Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Tanner 18:10

Okay? So it's between two and three for me.

Andi 18:12

Okay, for me, it's number two, because I'm fairly certain that Chinese traditional holidays come from the lunar calendar. That's why Chinese New Year is the Lunar New Year. So, why would they have a winter solstice holiday? I think this is a lunar holiday.

Tanner 18:30

I'm gonna

Andi 18:30

okay, I'm going to throw, Hail Mary, Hail Our Lady of Guadalupe. And I'm going to say that I think this is the autumn festival. I think this is celebrated in the fall, not the winter.

Tanner 18:43

based

Andi 18:44

But mostly I'm going based off the fact that I think it's a lunar calendar, so it should be a lunar holiday, not a solar one. And that's really all I got, because the other ones, I don't know why it would be any other month.

Tanner 18:57

calendar. you just don't have anything to go off of. Yeah, I totally understand your way of thinking, and that makes complete sense to me. I think you might be right. I'm gonna go with the third one, because I think.. The Buddhist holiday is just not in December,

Andi 19:10

Yeah, We could

Tanner 19:11

picked a different month.

Andi 19:12

Could be. I'm just putting my faith in Buddha and soups our, I should have known Buddha. And just kind of guess that that is the right day

Tanner 19:21

all right. you think Two,

Andi 19:23

one, yeah. Watch it be number one.

Tanner 19:25

No!

Sups 19:27

The one whicH is Lai is the festival number one, which is up Helya. It's not celebrated on the third Tuesday of December. It's celebrated on the last? Tuesday in January. 24 days from the Christmas Eve. The Scots used to celebrate as the officially to mark the end of the Yule season.

Andi 19:49

season. So It's very close to Burns Night,

Sups 19:56

Yes. That's why when

Tanner 19:58

mentioned Burns Night, So,

Andi 20:01

Very

Sups 20:02

So that's lasted Tuesday of January.

Tanner 20:04

Tuesday

Sups 20:05

That is up. Heli.

Tanner 20:07

10

Andi 20:07

Oh boy, I mean, I don't know how I would

Tanner 20:10

know how

Andi 20:12

Yule

Tanner 20:13

burn night.

Andi 20:14

log. sounds like Burns Night, but

Sups 20:17

is

Andi 20:17

a guy?

Tanner 20:18

it

Andi 20:19

But this is Burn Night, and then we have

Tanner 20:21

But

Sups 20:22

the

Tanner 20:23

Burn Night. It's two different things. December. like we said, like that's so

Andi 20:30

but I still stand by the statement of why would, why would it be the fourth Tuesday of January, though? I don't know. It more Wow, I I wouldn't have gotten that wouldn't have been my guess

Tanner 20:40

Yeah. Very surprised.

Andi 20:42

I should have known. All

Tanner 20:43

have known.

Andi 20:44

Thanks for listening to this episode of I should have known. We'll be continuing with our December y, winter y theme Next week, I will be your quiz master, and I will be inventing a Hallmark Christmas movie. So if you love those, be on the lookout for that. And as always, grandpa's, like, getting off.