The Largest Natural Disasters Occurring on Christmas and New Year: A Geological and Climatic Chronicle of Festivals The festive days of Christmas and New Year in the Northern Hemisphere coincide with the peak activity of many extreme natural processes: winter storms, cyclones, and in the Southern Hemisphere, the height of the rainy and hot season. The coincidence of calendar holidays with the peak geophysical activity has repeatedly led to disasters, the scale of which was exacerbated by human factors — the relaxation of infrastructure and reduced readiness due to holiday weekends. Tectonic Disasters: Christmas Earthquakes Earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. Date: December 26, morning (Boxing Day, the day after Christmas). Mechanism: The MEGANadige at the junction of the Indian-Australian and Burmese plates. Epicenter — west of northern Sumatra. Magnitude Mw 9.1–9.3, the third strongest earthquake in the history of seismic observations. Consequences: A series of tsunamis up to 15–30 meters high struck the coasts of 14 countries in the Indian Ocean. Between 225,000 and 300,000 people were killed, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in history. The disaster was exacerbated by the complete absence of a tsunami warning system in the region and the festive morning when many people were on the beaches. Earthquake in Guatemala on December 25, 1913. Date: December 25, around 18:30. Mechanism: Deep-focus earthquake with a magnitude of M 7.2–7.6 associated with the subduction of the Cocos plate under the Caribbean. Consequences: Severe destruction in Guatemala and El Salvador, felt in Mexico. About 150–200 people were killed, and thousands were left homeless. The destruction occurred during the celebration, which increased the number of victims. Climatic and hydro-meteorological disasters: winter storms and floodsHurricane "Kiara" (European storm) and the Mont-Seni disaster on December 24–25, 1999. Date: The peak of the storm occurred ... Read more