December 21 Holidays

National Crossword Puzzle Day marks December 21, 1913, when Arthur Wynne published the first crossword puzzle in the New York World’s “Fun” supplement — a diamond-shaped grid he called “word-cross” whose format was standardized by the New York Times in 1942 and now generates an estimated $650 million in book sales annually. December Solstice is the astronomical event at which the Northern Hemisphere reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun — the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and the first official day of winter. Dongzhi — the Winter Solstice Festival — is a traditional Chinese holiday observed on or around the winter solstice, when families gather to eat tang yuan (glutinous rice balls in sweet broth) or dumplings, sharing a meal that celebrates family reunion and the return of longer days. National Coquito Day celebrates the Puerto Rican coconut rum punch — a holiday beverage made from coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, rum, vanilla, and spices — considered an essential part of Puerto Rican Christmas tradition.