While the month of December is overwhelmingly dominated by Christmas and New Year celebrations in the United States, across the cultures of Islam, people have various other festivities cherishing their rich traditions and historical heritage. Sheva Yeldayê/Shabe Yalda/Chelle, Şeb-i Arus, Nardugan, many national holidays (e.g. Quaid-e-Azam Day, Constitution Day, Independence Day, etc.), and cultural festivals (e.g. Douz Festival/Tunisia’s Festival of Sahara, etc.) are only some of those celebrations that bring joy to the homes of people around the Muslim world.
Yalda Night on December 21, the celebration of the longest night of the year, is probably the most well-known one. It is called Sheva Yeldayê in Kurdish, Shabe Yalda in Persian/Dari/Tajiki, or Shabe Chelle/Chille. This ancient tradition dates back to thousands of years ago pre-dating Islam. However, its significance has not faded away across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, parts of Turkiye and Azerbaijan. It marks the beginning of winter but also is “a night of love, light, and rebirth of the sun.” The same celebration is known as the Nardugan (birth of the sun) Bayramı among Turkic communities. For instance, in Tatarstan, this day represents “a time for reflection, setting goals for the future, and celebrating the resilience of life.”
Winter solstice is not the only celebration recognized across the Muslim world. Another highly revered occasion annually takes place in Turkiye on December 17, called by its Persian name Şeb-i Arus / Shabe Arus meaning Wedding Night. It is in memory of the night Mevlana Rumi reunited with the Creator in 1273 ACE. When Rumi passed away, he mentioned “Our death is an eternal wedding”, celebrating his departure from the earth and the worldly matters to finally unite with God. Every year, there is a big commemoration event with crowds coming from all over the world to see the ceremonies and the whirling dervishes in the city of Konya in central Turkiye to honor the passing of this universal figure.
That is not all though! A combination of both the modern era and continuing ancient celebrations fills the air across North African countries. One of those celebrations is the Douz Festival, also known as “the International Festival of the Sahara,” which takes place in Tunisia between December 25-28 every year. It is a celebration, which used to be a Bedouin bridal fair, eventually turned into a four day celebration that marks the richness of Bedouin culture and history. Not far from Tunisia, in Mauratina, a more recently developed festival is the Madayn Heritage Festival. Taking place around mid-December, this event is held to praise and acknowledge the importance of the ancient heritage cities of the country that are mostly located in the desert.
In Kuwait, early in December is the Al-Murabba Aniyah season, marking the arrival of cooler times of the year. Around the same time of the year (and sometimes before or later) in Oman, it is when the newly emerged Sohar Festival is celebrated with cultural activities, concerts, and family fun that “enhance Omani identity”. Their festivals of camels and horses take place in winter celebrating their heritage and folk culture. In Bahrain, the whole month of December is marked as a festive season with Muharraq Nights, family friendly Deerty Festival, Hawa al Manama, and winter markets. In the Republic of Dagestan region in the North Caucasus, the unique Igby Festival evolved from a local rural celebration to a larger cultural event. Although it does not have a fixed date, the start of this mid-winter celebration might sometimes collide in December.
There are also national holidays/days that are recognized across many majority Muslim nations. For instance, in Uzbekistan; December 8 is their Constitution Day; in Turkmenistan, December 12 is their Neutrality Day; and in Kazakhstan, December 16 marks their Independence Day while the same day is celebrated as Bijoy Dibosh (Victory Day) in Bangladesh and National Day in Bahrain. In the Selangor state of Malaysia, December 11 is marked as Sultan of Selangor’s Birthday, a state holiday observed regionally. In Qatar, December 18 is the Qatar National Day (Al-Yawm al-Waṭani al-Qatari) and December 25 in Pakistan is the Quaid-e-Azam Day, a public holiday, celebrating the birthday of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of the nation.
In addition to these celebrations, December 2025 has been extra special for the Muslim world with the arrival of the three blessed months of Rajab, Shaban, and Ramadan according to the Islamic Hijri calendar. The first Thursday of these months, Laylat-al Raghaib, the Night of Wishes, falls on December 25 this year. While the significance of this night is not recognized by all Islamic communities, it is a highly important night nation-wide in Turkiye and Iran and their diaspora communities. People perform prayers, hold spiritual gatherings, and make pastries and sweets to share with others on this blessed night of wishes of which origins go back to 11th century Jerusalem.
Considering how vast and diverse the Muslim world is, this list is just a taste of traditions. Some of these celebrations have existed for centuries, even thousands of years while some are less than a decade old. Each one marks either the significance of cultural roots, national pride, spirituality or combination of several of these elements fostering people’s connection to their faith, their ancestry, their land, heritage, and freedom. They are ways of expressing joy and building stronger ties to who they are and parts of their Muslim identities.
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