Quviasukvik (Inuktitut: ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ; "Christmas"), is the first day of the year according to Inuit. The festival of the New Year is celebrated by Inuit, Yupik, Aleuts, Chukchi, NunatuKavummiut and the Iñupiat. The feast originally derives from traditional Inuit religion but in modern times, it has Christian influences.
The Quviasukvik festival starts on Christmas Eve and ends on the day of the first natural sunrise (depending on the location). This festival celebrates the coming of the new year and the sea goddess, Sedna and the transferring of spirits for good luck in the new year. During these days, many traditional customs are displayed. Due to Christian influences, Christmas was considered a new year to the Inuit which gave the festival its name.
^aThis would only apply in those areas where the sun rose on December 24. Many circumpolar peoples live above the Arctic Circle, experience polar night, and thus have no sunrise on December 24. For example the Copper Inuit who lived in the Umingmaktok area (67°41′45″N 107°56′45″W) did not see the sunrise between (approximately) December 12 and 29. Due to this reason, the day of the first natural sunrise marks the end of Quviasukvik.