Christmas is a Christian holiday that has evolved into an event celebrated worldwide with varied traditions. For Christians, December 25th is a day to honor the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of Christianity.
Christmas is celebrated around the world with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Popular customs include
attending church services, sharing meals with friends and family, sharing gifts, caroling, and decorating trees.
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For many, Christmas is a season filled with merriment and joy, and brings together people of different religions, cultures, and backgrounds.
Jennifer Guiterrez-Wu
Resident
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December Dates to Note
Information courtesy of
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A joyous preparation for the annual remembrance of the incarnation of Jesus’s birth. Wreaths and Advent calendars are hung, Jesse trees are pitched, and it is a time of festivity and prayer for Christians.
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December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
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Designed to raise awareness in regards to persons with disabilities in order to improve their lives and provide them with equal opportunity.
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Observed by Buddhists to commemorate the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, first experienced enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, India.
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December 10: International Human Rights Day
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Established by the United Nations in 1948 to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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December 12: Feast Day at Our Lady of Guadalupe
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For Christians, this feast day commemorates the appearance of the
Virgin Mary near Mexico City in 1531.
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December 12: Eid Milad Un Nabi
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An Islamic holiday commemorating the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. During this celebration, homes and mosques are decorated, large parades take place, and those observing the holiday participate in charity events.
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The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is celebrated around the world for eight days and nights. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees or Israelites over the Greek-Syrian ruler, Antiochus about 2200 years ago. It is a reflection of the right to be different.
A menorah is a special nine-branched candelabrum in which one candle is added each night for a total of 8 nights of the holiday. The date of this, and all Jewish holidays change from year to year as they are based on a lunar calendar.
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December 16-24: Las Posadas
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A nine-day, Christian celebration in Mexico commemorating the trials Mary and Joseph endured during their journey to Bethlehem.
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December 21: The Winter Solstice/ Yule
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For Pagans and Wiccans, the shortest day of the year represents a celebration focusing on rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings as the sun makes way back to the earth. A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky.
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The Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus
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December 26 – January 1: Kwanzaa
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A holiday started by Maulana Karenga in 1966 to celebrate universal African-American heritage.
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Grand Rounds
Thursday, December 19th, 8:00a - 9:00a
Old Clinic Auditorium (Rm. 4008)
Nina Jain, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
UNC Pediatric Endocrinology
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Safe Zone Training
Registration is open for a Health Care Safe Zone training offered by the School of Medicine on
January 17, 2020, 8a-12p
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If you are interested in more information about the training or would like to register, please visit the
DEI Certificate Program webpage
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Alternatively, the Department of Pediatrics is hosting a Safe Zone Training on
The Standard Safe Zone is a 4-hour training is designed to introduce concepts, terminology and resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Safe Zone trainees develop:
- A deeper awareness of personal ideas, stereotypes, and assumptions related to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA) individuals
- An increased comfort level in addressing concepts and language regarding LGBTIQA communities with the university community and with individuals
- An increased awareness of services on campus that support LGBTIQA and allied individuals
- A network of community and campus staff, faculty, and students to support people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions on campus.
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DEI Certificate Program
The DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Certificate Program is a new initiative from the SOM Office of Inclusive Excellence in support of the 2019 SOM Strategic Plan to foster an inclusive workplace environment. The program’s curriculum offers workshops and trainings designed to broaden awareness about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics among the SOM faculty/staff and deepen engagement with and between individuals in the SOM at all levels – from patients to leadership. The workshops offered as part of the certificate program address a broad array of DEI topics, including those related to race and ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, culture and religion, socioeconomic status, and more.
For details on program curriculum visit the Office of Inclusive Excellence website.
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Stuart Gold, Committee Chair
Christian Lawrence
Robin Howard
Jennifer McElroy
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Nina Jain
Jessie Feudale
Hadley Kifner
Ian Buchanan
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Kenya McNeal-Trice
Benny Joyner
Jennifer Gutierrez-Wu
Zachary Pettigrew
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