Holidays and observances
Holidays and observances on December 31
10 holidays and special days are celebrated on December 31 around the world.
- 10observances
- 62events
Holidays and observances
Christian feast day:
Pope Sylvester I (Catholic Church)Pope Sylvester I was the bishop of Rome from 31 January 314 until his death on 31 December 335. He filled the See of Rome at an important era in the history of the Western Church, though very little is known of his life.
Christian feast day:
December 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)December 30 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - January 1- International Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan)International Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis is an annual public holiday in Azerbaijan celebrating the worldwide solidarity and unity of Azerbaijanis. The day was inspired by the dismantling of border fences between Soviet Azerbaijan and Iran in December 1989
New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
First Night (United States)First Night is a North American artistic and cultural celebration on New Year's Eve, taking place from afternoon until midnight. Some cities have all their events during the celebration outside, but some cities have events that are hosted indoors by organizati
New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
Last Day of the Year or Bisperás ng Bagong Taón, special holiday between Rizal Day and New Year's Day (Philippines)Public holidays in the Philippines are of two types: regular holidays and special non-working days.
New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
Novy God Eve (Russia)Novy God is a New Year holiday observed primarily in Russia and other post-Soviet states.
New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
Ōmisoka (Japan)Ōmisoka (大晦日) or ōtsugomori (大晦) is a Japanese traditional celebration on the last day of the year. Traditionally, it was held on the final day of the 12th lunar month. With Japan's switch to using the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, it i
New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
The first day of Hogmanay or "Auld Year's Night" (Scotland)Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the old year and the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year's Day and, in some cases, 2 January—a Scottish bank holiday. In a 
The seventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)The Twelve Days of Christmas, or Twelve Days of Christmastide, is the festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity of Jesus. In Western Christianity it begins with Christmas Day and includes Saint Stephen's Day, the Feast of Saint John the Apostle, Childe- The sixth and penultimate day of Kwanzaa (United States)A syllable is a basic unit of organization within a sequence of speech sounds, such as within a word. In phonology and studies of languages, syllables are often considered the "building blocks" of words. A syllable usually consists of a nucleus, which may be p
Frequently asked questions
What is celebrated on December 31?
10 observances are celebrated on December 31 around the world: Christian feast day: Pope Sylvester I (Catholic Church), Christian feast day: December 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), International Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan), New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: First Night (United States), New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: Last Day of the Year or Bisperás ng Bagong Taón, special holiday between Rizal Day and New Year's Day (Philippines), New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: Novy God Eve (Russia). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
What happened on December 31?
62 documented historical events happened on December 31, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at £45 per annum to the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and began brewing Guinness. On the same day, in another year: American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Quebec, British forces repulsed an attempt by the Continental Army to capture Quebec City and enlist French Canadian support. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
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