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Global Holidays, History, and a Saxophone-Playing Santa
What holidays are being celebrated around the world between November, December, and January—and how do we really know where they come from?
In this episode of The CultureHug Podcast, we explore global holidays through their sources, origin stories, and cultural meanings, looking beyond Christian-centered traditions to understand how different communities mark this season.
We raise thoughtful questions about holidays like Kwanzaa—its creation in California, its role in the Black equality movement, and what respectful participation looks like for people outside the culture.
We also look at how holidays are celebrated in non-Christian countries, how traditions change across borders, and what it means to engage respectfully—especially when living in an English-speaking world shaped by many cultures.
And along the way, we stumble into an unexpected cultural mystery: why Santa is holding a saxophone in China 🎷—a reminder that global traditions are rarely what we assume.
This episode isn’t here to tell you what to celebrate—it’s here to help you expand your view.
Resources:
This episode includes AI-generated content.
In this episode of The CultureHug Podcast, we explore global holidays through their sources, origin stories, and cultural meanings, looking beyond Christian-centered traditions to understand how different communities mark this season.
We raise thoughtful questions about holidays like Kwanzaa—its creation in California, its role in the Black equality movement, and what respectful participation looks like for people outside the culture.
We also look at how holidays are celebrated in non-Christian countries, how traditions change across borders, and what it means to engage respectfully—especially when living in an English-speaking world shaped by many cultures.
And along the way, we stumble into an unexpected cultural mystery: why Santa is holding a saxophone in China 🎷—a reminder that global traditions are rarely what we assume.
This episode isn’t here to tell you what to celebrate—it’s here to help you expand your view.
Resources:
- Chiu, C. (2024, December 24). 9 fascinating things about Christmas in China. China Admissions.
- Haidar, A. (2024, December 25). How Christmas is celebrated in Central Asia. The Times of Central Asia.
- Leone, M. (2011, April 20). The commercialization of Christmas in American society. Warrington College of Business Administration.
- Le Roux, K., Crowe, R., & Vroegop, A. (2025, September 29). What religious holidays are happening in November and December? Interfaith America.
- Li, L., & Zhang, G. (2014, January). A reflection on “Christmas fever” in China in the globalizing world. Global Journal of Sociology and Anthropology.
- Long, D. K. (2025). Christmas in Vietnam: Traditions, history, and significance. Vietnam Is Awesome.
- McClain, J. (2022, December 20). Who waged the very first “war on Christmas”? NYU News.
- National Museum of African American History & Culture. (n.d.). Kwanzaa. Smithsonian Institution.
- Pruitt, S. (2025, March 2). The war of words behind “Happy Holidays”. History.com.
- Stirling, A. (2014, December 26). What is the difference: Russian vs. Western Christmas? Liden & Denz.
- Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. (2017). Diwali. Tanenbaum.
- Wikipedia contributors. (2010, November 9). Holiday greetings. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
- Williams, E. (2025, September 20). 14 winter holiday celebrations from around the world. Better Homes & Gardens.
- Zanini, A. (n.d.). Christmas in the Arab world. NaTakallam.
This episode includes AI-generated content.
View all episodes
By Culture HugWhat holidays are being celebrated around the world between November, December, and January—and how do we really know where they come from?
In this episode of The CultureHug Podcast, we explore global holidays through their sources, origin stories, and cultural meanings, looking beyond Christian-centered traditions to understand how different communities mark this season.
We raise thoughtful questions about holidays like Kwanzaa—its creation in California, its role in the Black equality movement, and what respectful participation looks like for people outside the culture.
We also look at how holidays are celebrated in non-Christian countries, how traditions change across borders, and what it means to engage respectfully—especially when living in an English-speaking world shaped by many cultures.
And along the way, we stumble into an unexpected cultural mystery: why Santa is holding a saxophone in China 🎷—a reminder that global traditions are rarely what we assume.
This episode isn’t here to tell you what to celebrate—it’s here to help you expand your view.
Resources:
This episode includes AI-generated content.
In this episode of The CultureHug Podcast, we explore global holidays through their sources, origin stories, and cultural meanings, looking beyond Christian-centered traditions to understand how different communities mark this season.
We raise thoughtful questions about holidays like Kwanzaa—its creation in California, its role in the Black equality movement, and what respectful participation looks like for people outside the culture.
We also look at how holidays are celebrated in non-Christian countries, how traditions change across borders, and what it means to engage respectfully—especially when living in an English-speaking world shaped by many cultures.
And along the way, we stumble into an unexpected cultural mystery: why Santa is holding a saxophone in China 🎷—a reminder that global traditions are rarely what we assume.
This episode isn’t here to tell you what to celebrate—it’s here to help you expand your view.
Resources:
- Chiu, C. (2024, December 24). 9 fascinating things about Christmas in China. China Admissions.
- Haidar, A. (2024, December 25). How Christmas is celebrated in Central Asia. The Times of Central Asia.
- Leone, M. (2011, April 20). The commercialization of Christmas in American society. Warrington College of Business Administration.
- Le Roux, K., Crowe, R., & Vroegop, A. (2025, September 29). What religious holidays are happening in November and December? Interfaith America.
- Li, L., & Zhang, G. (2014, January). A reflection on “Christmas fever” in China in the globalizing world. Global Journal of Sociology and Anthropology.
- Long, D. K. (2025). Christmas in Vietnam: Traditions, history, and significance. Vietnam Is Awesome.
- McClain, J. (2022, December 20). Who waged the very first “war on Christmas”? NYU News.
- National Museum of African American History & Culture. (n.d.). Kwanzaa. Smithsonian Institution.
- Pruitt, S. (2025, March 2). The war of words behind “Happy Holidays”. History.com.
- Stirling, A. (2014, December 26). What is the difference: Russian vs. Western Christmas? Liden & Denz.
- Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. (2017). Diwali. Tanenbaum.
- Wikipedia contributors. (2010, November 9). Holiday greetings. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
- Williams, E. (2025, September 20). 14 winter holiday celebrations from around the world. Better Homes & Gardens.
- Zanini, A. (n.d.). Christmas in the Arab world. NaTakallam.
This episode includes AI-generated content.