Enjoy a peek at just some of the creative seasonal décor throughout Winona Health!

There is enormous diversity within and among holiday traditions and their recognition. Not everyone celebrates holidays, or the same holidays that you might. Some observe holidays with cultural or family traditions rather than religious ones.

Information about these holidays that occur during this seasonal period, and others, can be found at Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding and on many other websites.

• Bodhi Day. This Buddhist holiday, which commemorates the day that Siddhartha Guatama, the historical Buddha, experienced enlightenment, is traditionally celebrated on December 8.
• Christmas. This celebration of the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, takes place every year on December 25. For Eastern Orthodox Christians, it takes place on January 7.
• Diwali. The dates for this five-day Hindu Festival of Lights fall in October or November. It began on Monday, October 24 in 2022 and will begin Sunday, November 12 in 2023.
• Eid al-Fitr. This celebration that marks the end of Ramadan in the Muslim faith has shifting dates. It was on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, and it will be Saturday, April 22 in 2023.
• Hanukkah. In 2022, this eight-day Jewish holiday will begin at sundown on December 18 and end on the evening of December 26.
• Kwanzaa. This weeklong secular holiday honoring African-American heritage is celebrated December 26 through January 1 each year.
• Lunar New Year. This traditional Chinese holiday marking the end of winter and is tied to the lunar calendar. The Lunar New Year began on Tuesday, February 1 in 2022 and will fall on Sunday, January 22 in 2023.
• Yule. This Wiccan or pagan celebration of the winter solstice and begins every year between Dec. 20 and Dec. 23. In 2022 it will be on December 21. It is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. (What does pagan mean? Pagan is derived from the Late Latin paganus, which was used at the end of the Roman Empire to name those who practiced a religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.)

We hope that we all can share in a common theme among these celebrations — the positive feeling people experience while on holiday and during holiday periods.

Many people also experience sadness during the holidays. If you are experiencing sadness or loneliness, we encourage you to reach out to others. If you feel like you need help from a professional, schedule an appointment with your primary healthcare provider. Winona Health SmartExam is also an option for mental health care.

If you need to talk to someone about your mental health immediately, call 988. Information about other resources can be found at MentalHealth.gov.