Symbols to Illustrate the Different Holidays
Online marketers who wish to identify specific holidays within the season can apply these primary celebrations and their respective symbols and icons:
African-American -
Kwanzaa has become a Pan-African celebration of heritage and culture since its inception by Maulana Karenga in 1966. It is celebrated daily from December 26th to January 1st. Primary symbols: The Kinara, a menorah-like candelabra with seven candles; a communal cup; and the black, green and red flag.
Buddhism -
Bodhi Day celebrated on December 8 is the commemoration of Siddhartha Gautama attaining the enlightenment (Bodhi) that allowed him to become the Buddha. Primary symbols: The eight-spoked Dharma wheel; the Bodhi tree; Buddha's footprints; and a begging bowl.
Christianity -
Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on December 25. Primary symbols: The Christmas tree; holly; mistletoe; and the Yule log.
Hinduism -
Pancha Ganapati is a festival honoring Lord Ganesha and held between December 21 and 25. The primary Hindu holiday is the five day festival known as Diwali, which occurs in October or November. Primary symbols: The sitting elephant god Ganesha; the Aum or Om icon; the fire altar; and the saffron flag.
Judaism -
Hannukkah is an eight day festival commemorating the rededication of Jerusalem's Second Temple in 165 BCE and falls between late November and year's end, with December 20 being the 2011 date. Primary symbols: The Menorah candelabra; a Dreidel game; gelt coins; and the Hanukkah bush.
Islam -
Eid ul-Adha is the Festival of Sacrifice, which consecrates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael. The Islamic Calendar is based on the moon's orbit, not that of the Earth around the sun, so the date varies widely. It will be celebrated on November 7 in 2011, but rotates around to the summer within a decade. Primary symbols: The star and crescent; the green flag; and icons for Allah and the Shahada. Exercise extreme caution as Islam strictly prohibits any graphical representation of the Prophet Muhammad.
Secularism -
Festivus was popularized on Seinfeld and is still essentially a tongue-in-cheek anti-commercialism holiday that is held on December 23. Primary symbols: The Festivus pole; meatloaf; and a cake decorated with M&Ms.
There are many other celebrations around the time of the winter solstice, including various
paganist and
Saturnalist festivals;
Yalda is observed in Iran as the triumph of light over darkness; and
Zamenhof Day, where Esperantists commemorate their language's originator. In Australia and New Zealand it has become common to also celebrate a
Midwinter Christmas at the end of June, in the midst of the southern hemisphere's winter.
Go with the Pros
Benchmark Email offers special
email templates specifically for
Christmas,
Hanukkah,
Kwanzaa, and a host of more generic
Happy Holidays versions to suit any online marketing approach. These templates are fully capable of containing any form of video or animation you prefer and customizable to suit any of your seasonal promotional needs. From templates to deliverability, discuss your seasonal online marketing concepts with the professionals at Benchmark Email and discover just how profitable the holidays can be!
