America is a large and diverse country, its’ cities filled with people from many different ethnic communities. As each of these communities has their own traditions, customs and celebrations that generates a lot of holidays and festivals which take place at about the same time as the corresponding ones in the home countries. Even so there are some American holidays that belong uniquely to America.
Holidays in America aim to cater for family enjoyment. Each holiday has certain traditions designed to be enjoyed by the whole family. Holidays like Christmas are events that everyone loves. Parents, because this is a time when the whole family gets together and enjoys a sumptuous meal and of course children love Christmas because of Santa Claus and all the presents that they hope to receive.
Even though Christmas is a Christian religious holiday it is celebrated by non Christians as well because much of the religious context of Christian holidays has been removed in latter years and Christmas and Easter especially have become quite commercialised. So even though Christian holidays are important to the Christian community, many other people feel free to enjoy celebrating those holidays purely for the spirit of enjoyment and sharing that they tend to foster.
The Fourth of July holiday is a great American holiday. On this day families traditionally gather to spend their time having fun. They prepare picnic style meals and barbeques whilst waiting for the ubiquitous Fourth of July Fireworks. This stunning display lights up the whole night sky as many families across America light the firecrackers that they have bought especially for this occasion.
There are many other American holidays that celebrate family values and having fun together. For example, Halloween when both young and old people dress in various costumes to have fun at night. Children love this holiday because they get to wear fancy costumes, go out with friends or a family member and collect lots of sweets whilst they are “trick or treating”. They also love watching the scary television programmes that are shown on this particular night.
Thanksgiving is another American holiday that is celebrated with great gusto as well. Here the main item of the day is the carefully oven roasted turkey that will be the centrepiece of most dinner tables. Families and friends will gather to enjoy the meal and afterwards watch the seasonal Thanksgiving NFL football games, play games in the garden or the house, or generally talk amongst themselves enjoy each other’s company.
With the history of its rich and culturally diverse background each of the American holidays has a unique style and personality. So whether you celebrate the holidays in the traditional American style or prefer to make your own traditions, there is much enjoyment for the whole family in each of the American holidays.