December is here at last! Depending on your location it can be time for lots of snow, or maybe just hopes for snow in time for Christmas. Either way, December is a great time for unique content that revolves around the Christmas holiday, and even some that takes a peek toward the coming New Year.
Before listing the actual holidays and fun birthdays for December, here are a few suggestions for content series or campaigns that fit the December / holiday season.

Tip or Product/Service of the Day

Following a “12 Days of Christmas” theme, you could consider sharing 12 of your most popular products or services over a span of 12 days, or even a favorite consumer tip for the holidays over 12 days. Begin early enough to solicit input from your followers on social media and include their tips and suggestions, giving credit to the authors.

Year-End / Predictive Listicles

List content is always popular and listed topics always rank high in searches. Consider publishing your retrospective or predictive content in the form of a top 10 listicle. Here are a few ideas.

• “The 10 Best Meals of 2018” (Variations: Christmas/Thanksgiving/Holiday meals)
• “The 10 Best Christmas Cookie Recipes of 2018” (or desserts, party food, etc.)
• “10 Construction Projects That Changed the World in 2018”
• “10 Ways the Trump Administration Changed American Politics in 2018”
• “The 10 Best Catches: 2018’s Competitive Fishing Recap” (or 10 celebrity marriages)
• “The 10 Best American Cars of 2018” (or best whatever applies in your industry)
• “Top 10 Marketing Trends for 2019”
• “The 10 Most Anticipated Gadgets of 2019”
• “The 10 Most Wanted Christmas Gifts of 2018”

Holidays

December 1: World AIDS Day
HIV/AIDS is one of the world’s largest medical crises. It is estimated that approximately 40 million people in the world currently suffer from AIDS. About one million are in the United States. Each year, over 40,000 new cases are reported in the U.S. alone. On this day, promote education about this disease, and protection against it. Encourage others to help people with AIDS and donate to the fight to end this disease.
December 2: Chanukah
Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, (commonly called Hanukah) celebrates victory from Greek religious persecution. The Jewish victory was led by the Maccabees in the year 167 B.C. Upon returning to the temple to rededicate it and relight the Menorah, the Maccabees found only one small flask of oil, enough to light the Menorah for just one day. However, the flask of oil lasted eight days. Therefore, the celebration lasts eight days. This is also why it is called the Festival of Lights. Small gifts are given to family and friends each of the eight days of Chanukah.
December 2: Advent
Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas. It is a holy season in the Christian calendar and the beginning of the liturgical calendar. Christians wait and prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus, whose birth we celebrate on Christmas. In the early days of the Christian church, Advent was a time of prayer and confession. Today, Advent is more a time of preparation and expectation of the coming of the Lord. Various symbols are used in celebrations, such as wreaths and candles.
December 7: Pearl Harbor Day
Pearl Harbor Day commemorates the Japanese attack on the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack began at dawn December 7, 1941. It crippled the U.S. Pacific Fleet and propelled the U.S. into active participation in World War II. During the attack at Pearl Harbor, over 2,400 American serviceman and 68 civilians were killed. Five of the eight battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or sinking, and virtually all ships were damaged. On Pearl Harbor Day, U.S. flags are flown at half-staff. On December 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated in a speech to Congress it was “…a day that will live in infamy.”
December 21: Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice marks the beginning of winter and is the shortest day of the year. At the North Pole, the sun never rises on this day. It is not the coldest days of winter, as the northern hemisphere continues to lose more heat than it gains. This will continue until late in winter, as the longer daylight hours at that point begin to have a net warming affect. For thousands of years, Winter Solstice has celebrated the new solar year. It celebrates the return of the sun, as every day now will see more sun. The sun is at its southernmost point, and now begins its long, six month journey north.
December 25: Christmas
Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year. Christmas has both a strong religious and traditional meaning. It has a certain feel, all to itself, that you usually do not feel at any other time of the year. It creates within most a sense of kindness and concern for fellow man. At no other time are we more generous and giving. It creates a sense of family and belonging. Merry Christmas!
December 26: Boxing Day
If Christmas falls on a Friday or a Saturday, Boxing Day is the following Monday. It is celebrated in England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other former British Commonwealth countries. Boxing Day was an expression of appreciation and thanks, much like Christmas tips are today. The roots of the holiday goes back to the Middle Ages. On this day, members of the merchant class would take boxes, fill them with food and fruits, and give them to servants, tradespeople, and the less fortunate. Today, the giving of boxes includes filling boxes with food and clothing for the needy and performing volunteer work.
 

Birthdays

• December 1, 1949 – Pablo Escobar, Columbian drug lord
• December 2, 1981 – Britney Spears, singer
• December 5, 1901 – Walt Disney, American entrepreneur and entertainer
• December 8, 1936 – David Carradine, actor
• December 9, 1916 – Kirk Douglas, actor
• December 12, 1915 – Frank Sinatra, singer and actor
• December 13, 1967 – Jamie Foxx, actor
• December 13, 1989 – Taylor Swift, singer
• December 16, 1770 – Ludwig van Beethoven, composer
• December 17, 1936 – Pope Francis
• December 18, 1878 – Joseph Stalin, former dictator of Russia
• December 18, 1946 – Steven Spielberg, filmmaker
• December 18, 1963 – Brad Pitt, actor
• December 21, 1948 – Samuel L. Jackson, actor
• December 22, 1962 – Ralph Fiennes, actor (Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies)
• December 24, 1905 – Howard Hughes, inventor, philanthropist
• December 25, 1899 – Humphrey Bogart, actor
• December 25, 1949 – Sissy Spacek, actress
• December 28, 1856 – Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States
• December 28, 1954 – Denzel Washington, actor

 
What special days or observances grab your interest in December? Are there holiday events or happenings that will attract customers or impact your business? Share them in the comments and of course, share them with your readers! Until next month (and next year), stay warm, enjoy any snow you get, give plenty of gifts, and as always, keep writing!