By Amelia Eisen, News Correspondent

December is here, which means two things: finals and holidays. The large variety of holiday celebrations going on at Northeastern this season will be a welcome distraction from studying for many students.

Christmas will be, as always, Dec. 25. Hanukkah begins Sunday, Dec. 9 and Kwanzaa begins Wednesday, Dec. 26. Although Christmas and Kwanzaa fall during winter break, Northeastern will hold celebrations for both. The university has already gotten into the holiday spirit, putting up decorations throughout campus.

Christmas

To celebrate Christmas before everyone goes home for break, the Catholic Center at NU will host its end of the year celebration Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Catholic Center at 68 St. Stephen St.

“There will be decorating, gingerbread houses, and Christmas caroling,” Brother Joe Donovan, director of the Catholic Center, said. The center will also be organizing programs to help out the community, through activities like sponsoring a family for Christmas and gathering gifts for children in need.

The Catholic Center will have its final Mass Dec. 9 at 12:30 p.m. at the Fenway Center, at 77 St. Stephen St. There will be no services after that, as the center does not organize anything for Christmas Eve or Day.

The final event at the Catholic Center will be its open house on Wednesday, Dec. 12 from 9-11 a.m., where students can come to sample Christmas cheer.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah starts Sunday, Dec. 9 at sundown and continues for eight nights, ending on Sunday, Dec. 16. Northeastern Hillel will have a Hanukkah party on Monday night starting at 5 p.m. at the Hillel Center at 70 St. Stephen St., which will include traditional foods, latke making, dreidel spinning and candle-lighting. They are expecting a turnout of around 50 people, Program Director Michelle Goldberg said. The Hillel will also light the menorah every night at the Hillel Center.

Kwanzaa

The John D. O’Bryant African American Institute will host a Kwanzaa celebration Friday, Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. at the Cabral Center. It will be a cultural celebration that consists of the telling of the Seven Principles, candle-lighting and dance, culminating with a feast of a variety of cultural foods. There will be about 150 people at the celebration, Assistant Director Keyla Jackson anticipates. On Dec. 7 at noon there will be a contemporary African dance class, and from 3-7 p.m. there will be an African marketplace with vendors selling cultural holiday gifts such as art, jewelry and books.

“It’s a wonderful experience,” Jackson said.