Celebrating Holiday Traditions

Tracing The Roots Of American Halloween Traditions

Sam — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:00:11 +0000

As with many American holidays, Halloween was originally an attempt to combine ancient traditions with Catholic-sanctioned celebrations. Halloween was a Celtic practice which celebrated New Year. During the ancient times, the Celts believed that the souls of their dead ancestors return to earth on this day. With the passing of the centuries, the Halloween traditions of English colonials, particularly those of Irish descent, and American Indians meshed together to form a distinct set of American Halloween traditions.Halloween and its traditions have come a long way since the Irish and English immigrants had brought them to America. Nowadays, the holiday is more of a secular celebration that is almost completely devoid of its religious undertones. One proof of this is the drastic change in the practice of trick-or-treating.

Centuries ago, the Celts dressed up during their New Year (or Samhain) to honor the spirits of the dead. In those days, they typically wore costumes made from animal hides and skin and gather around sacred bonfires to tell each other’s fortunes for the coming year. In modern times, trick-or-treating originated from an English practice called going a-souling which permitted young children and poor people to visit houses to ask for treats such as ale, soul cakes, and money in exchange for saying prayers for the dead.

In the United States today, trick-or-treating has become a ritualized custom participated by the majority of the population. Children wearing costumes, most of which are still reflective of Halloween icons and symbols, go from house to house to ask for treats. House owners, on the other hand, prepare treats to avoid any “mischief” that may come from not giving out treats. It is uncommon for these idle threats to occur, however, since most people who live in neighborhoods with children prepare the treats in advance. Young and young at heart Americans who participate in trick-or-treat activities still wear costumes, but purely out of fun. There are also quite a lot of costume parties held annually to encourage people to celebrate the festive occasion.

Being closely associated with the dead, many Americans still believe in the superstitions that stir fear of the ghosts and supernatural entities. In the old times, ghosts are feared and dressing up was widely considered a good way of appeasing them. This also partially explains why people still go around in masks and costumes, and why activities directly associated with these beliefs are widespread. Ghost touring, watching horror movies, visiting haunted attractions, ghost hunting, and retelling of ghost stories are some of the most common ways that observe these popular beliefs.

Another distinct American Halloween tradition is the jack-o’-lantern, which is believed to have been derived from an old Irish legend called Stingy Jack and ancient English tradition of hanging carved turnips outside their homes to placate spirits. These practices were adopted by Americans in the 19th century and had evolved into traditions associated with Halloween. Thanks to the merging of century-old traditions from various cultures, Americans have created a celebration that has icons, imageries and customs that are distinctly American.

Tracing The Roots Of American Halloween Traditions is a post from: Celebrating Holiday Traditions

The Enduring Traditions Of Valentine’s Day

Sam — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:30 +0000

Although history cannot exactly pinpoint the connection of Saint Valentine with the love-filled holiday, the Valentine’s Day, many customs, traditions and rites have developed over the centuries to celebrate the spirit of romantic as well as platonic love. In America, there are a number of these that had become widely accepted and on many cases, became formal excuses to celebrate love between romantic couples.Sending of Valentine Cards

Whether it’s an e-card, a store-bought card, or a handwritten card, Valentine’s Day is second to Christmas in terms of the number of cards sent for the occasion. Approximately one billion cards are sent on this holiday alone.

Cards had always been the easiest way to greet on any occasion. But in early 18th century, there was a massive upsurge of valentines exchanged between people in America as well as in Europe. In a time when mechanized production of cards was nearly inexistent, Valentine cards were already mass-produced in factories to keep up with the demand. This ‘valentine fever’ was further encouraged with the introduction of lower postal rates, making it possible for almost all individuals to send cards to multiple recipients.

As if to confirm the widespread observance of this day, in 1849, a writer for Graham’s American Monthly put into paper the common view that this holiday had officially become a national holiday. It is also noteworthy that in 18th century England, the first book ever to contain guidelines and prototypes of valentine messages were published in The Young Man’s Valentine Writer.

Sending of gifts and flowers

The practice of sending cards on this day extended to sending out gifts, particularly sweet and flowers, some time ago. Valentine’s Day is the only day on the calendar when men are compelled to shop and send gifts to their loved ones.

Although many types of flowers are sent out on this day, the most popular valentine flower is the red rose, which is believed to be the ultimate expression of love. Chocolates, on the other hand, are usually packaged in red, heart-shaped boxes with intricate designs. Jewelries are also quite popular as gifts on this day, thanks to a marketing gimmick conceived several decades ago which encouraged males to give the diamonds and other precious stones instead of the more practical sweets and flowers.

The Tradition of Cupid

Cupid is a Roman god of love and beauty. Legend has it that Cupid was sent by his mother, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus, to Psyche out of jealousy. In the turn of events, Cupid fell in love with the princess which eventually caused her to become an immortal. Together, they produced a daughter, Hedone.

It is only logical to associate Valentine’s Day with an ancient icon of love – the winged, bow-bearing roman god, Cupid. In popular culture, he is often depicted as the entity that shoots arrows to inspire romantic love. American interpretation adopted a more innocent icon – the putto (naked baby common in Renaissance and Baroque art) that has wings, wears a diaper, and holds a bow. Sometimes the bow has a heart for its tip, depicting the image of Cupid’s main purpose as a Valentine’s Day icon.

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Remembering American Heroes On Memorial Day

Sam — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:20 +0000

The human sacrifice invested in preserving the United States of America’s freedom as well as its greatness is remembered once a year, every last Monday of May, in a day called the Memorial Day.

Memorial Day was originally declared to honor the brave service of those people who died during the Civil War. Nowadays, it commemorates the men and women who died in all wars where the United States had its participation, namely the Spanish-American War, the two World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Dessert Storm. What many Americans do not realize is that the ultimate sacrifice of the patriots, soldiers and their families deserve not only a day every year, but active participation in remembering their deeds and heroism. It is often too easy to forget these with the passage of time.

There are several traditions that had become directly associated with the holiday. Some of these are briefly discussed below:

Flying the American Flag and POW/MIA Flag

It is only fitting to fly the American flag at half-staff as well as the POW/MIA Flag until noon. These are, after all, the icons of American sovereignty and on many occasions, the ultimate symbols that commemorate the heroism of those who had fallen in the service of the country.

There are many traditions associated with the flag. For most Americans, placing these over the graves of those who have committed the ultimate sacrifice had become a custom. On this day, it is not uncommon to see flags in cemeteries where the remains of soldiers are buried.

Although a lot of people had already forgotten this custom, there are a few notable exceptions where annual observance of the tradition is still maintained. One good example happens at Arlington National Cemetery every year where the 3rd U.S. Infantry soldiers place small flags over the gravestones of the over 260,000 men and women every Thursday before the holiday. This site is then guarded to ensure that the flags remain in place during the weekend preceding the holiday. Another notable example is the practice of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in St. Louis which began in 1951. Every Memorial Day, these Scouts place small American flags on the gravestones of those who were buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Wearing of poppies

Moina Michael takes the credit of introducing the tradition of wearing red poppies during this day. She was the first to sell and wear these poppies during the days leading up to the holiday. This practice was later popularized by a certain Madame Guarin who, while visiting the United States, decided to adapt the red poppies to rally support for the widows and orphans of those who died in the line of duty.

Parades and Speeches

Parades and speeches in honor of the dead are also annually observed in various states around the United States. On many occasions, band concerts and programs that reflect the stories of the American Wars are also held to remember the deeds of the dead.

A patriotic holiday, the Memorial Day is among those few days in the American calendar of holidays whose meaning and significance are often forgotten nowadays.

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Observing The Thanksgiving Day

Sam — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:02:49 +0000

If there is one holiday that is down-right American, excluding of course Independence Day and George Washington’s birthday, Thanksgiving Day is one that will surely top anyone’s list. On this particular day, American families gather indoors to celebrate what was originally a pagan ritual of giving thanks for a good harvest.There are quite a lot of traditions associated with this holiday, among them are:

The Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

It makes one wonder, why is turkey served on Thanksgiving Day? Nobody knows the answer, but it has become one of the most popular traditions observed on this holiday that goes as far back as the first Thanksgiving feast. It is so popular that 95% of American families (according to the National Turkey Federation) prepare and eat turkey on this holiday. There are countless ways of preparing the bird on this day and regional differences are quite common. Sothern states for example, serve deep-fried turkey, while those Americans in Hawaii love rubbing the bird with coffee.

As part of the turkey tradition, breaking the wishbone is among the fun things Americans do after the dinner. Popular culture has it that whoever gets the larger bone gets to have their wish answered.

The dinner is not all about turkey, of course. Other popular dishes include mashed potato, baked pumpkin, apple pie, harvest bread, and other recipes that include the season’s harvest.

Thanksgiving Football

After the holiday dinner, men often congregate in front of the tube to watch their favorite teams play football while women clean up what’s left on the dinner table. The tradition began in 1876 and since then, became an integral part of the holiday. There are actually football teams that have been hosting annual Thanksgiving Day football games such as the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys.

Parading

When it comes to Thanksgiving parades, NYC Macy’s parade comes to mind. But do you know that while it is the most popular parade held on this holiday, it was not the first ever to do so? Philadelphia’s Gimbel’s Department Store takes the credit for the first Thanksgiving parade in American history. It was held in 1920 and was followed only 4 years after when Macy decided to start its own tradition of inviting people to celebrate in the streets.

The Tradition of Creating New Family Traditions

Thanksgiving is a festive occasion that gathers up families indoors for the celebration. For many, it is also the best time of the year to form new family traditions. Some families serve dinner on the same plate each year while others opt for more active traditions like throwing a pillow party on the eve or the night of the holiday, and for many large families, this day is perfect to draw names for Christmas since the Yuletide Season is just around the corner.

Giving Thanks

What is Thanksgiving Day without giving thanks for the blessings received the previous year? Saying prayers and attending church services as a family are two American Thanksgiving traditions that are bound to stick around for the years to come.

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Easter As Celebrated By American Christians

Sam — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:00:32 +0000

Easter is arguably the most important of all Christian holidays. After all, it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death, without which Christianity may be devoid of its very essence. As such, it is often celebrated with festivity that is incomparable with other Christian holidays.Like many traditions though, Christian or otherwise, the holiday and its symbolisms are dichotomous by nature. The holiday rooted from an old tradition of Saxons which celebrated the feast of Eastre, the goddess of spring. While trying to win the Anglo-Saxons over through conversion, 2nd century Christian missionaries slowly integrated Christian traditions with pagan celebrations. During this period, the feast of Eastre coincided with the observance of Christ’s Resurrection. It took some time until the pagan feast officially became a Christian celebration.

In America, as with other nations, Christians have their particular ways of celebrating the holiday. Discussed below are some of the most commonly observed traditions:

Easter Egg

A symbol of rebirth in ancient societies, this egg has become a widely celebrated tradition of this holiday. These are decorated eggs that are used in popular games like egg hunting and egg tapping. In America, many families still spend the holiday’s eve preparing the eggs for hunting the following morning, although some now prefer the more convenient chocolate eggs and plastic eggs which often carry small presents inside.

Easter Bunny

Closely associated with these eggs is the Easter Bunny. Like the tradition of the holiday itself, the rabbit is not a modern invention. It was the earthly symbol of Eastre and was the main object of worship of early Anglo-Saxons who believed in the goddess of spring. The Germans who immigrated in the United States a few centuries ago brought this tradition, but only after the Civil War did Americans truly adopted the Bunny as one of the holiday’s symbols. Nowadays, the Bunny has become the holiday’s version of Santa Claus. It is responsible for bringing gifts to good children during the morning’s egg hunt.

Attending Church Services and Feasting

On a spiritual level, American families attend the morning mass and services which are often followed by a feast or a party in the afternoon. Traditional holiday foods such as Sunday roast, Simnel cake, and hot cross buns are usually served at this feast with the addition of regional favorites depending on the nationality of the family or the practice it has adopted.

Mardi Gras

In some areas in the United States, particularly in New Orleans, Louisiana, Biloxi, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama, Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate the holiday by participating in a festival called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. This celebration is deeply rooted in areas where French colonials have established their settlements. A rather festive celebration, Mardi Gras permits people to ‘let it all out’ before the more solemn days of the lent season begin.

Easter as celebrated by American Christians may differ slightly when compared to the traditions and festivities held in other regions and countries. However, despite the differences, the American version of the holiday still has some semblance of the customs common with other cultures.

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Celebrating The Holiday Traditions Of American New Year

Sam — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:05:56 +0000

American New Year has no shortage of traditions, beliefs and customs thanks to its long history of observance. However, few of us know that these traditions did not originally root from American traditions. In fact, the tradition of celebrating New Year itself did not originate from American culture. It began as far back as 2000 B.C. in Mesopotamia and in March for the rest of the world, in time with the vernal equinox which normally occurs around spring.This changed only around a hundred years before the birth of Christ when Numa, the second King of Rome, added January and February to the civil calendar. Logically, the New Year that was celebrated on March 9 (the original first month of the previous calendar) was moved to January. This tradition did not exactly stick around through the passing of years. In fact, during the Middle Ages, Januarys 1st as the beginning of the year was abolished. This was reinstituted only after the invention of the Gregorian calendar in 1582.

So what are the traditions tied to New Year? To be exact, what traditions had been practiced all over the United States to celebrate the coming year?

Singing of the ‘Auld Lang Syne’

The tradition of singing the ‘Auld Lang Syne’ as popularized by Guy Lombardo was born on the New Year’s Eve of 1929 when Lombardo and his band played the song at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. In the succeeding years, the song was played every New Year’s Eve at Waldorf Astoria and was later aired over the radio and television in time with fireworks.

Dropping of the New Year Ball

One of the hallmarks of American New Year, the dropping of Time Square’s New Year Ball has been observed since 1907. It descends in exactly one minute and signals the beginning of the year once it reaches the bottom.

The Hoppin’ John

The New Year’s Dish, the Hoppin’ John, is the South’s version of the traditional Caribbean dish of rice and beans that has been served during New Year to invite prosperity. “Eat peas on New Year’s day to have plenty of everything the rest of the year,” so goes an old saying.

The Rose Bowl

Every year in Pasadena, California, thousands gather to watch the Tournament of Roses parade, or simply the Rose Parade. The tradition began as a way of showcasing California’s mild winter weather in 1890. Today’s Rose Parade is typically followed by the Rose Bowl, the college football game that was instituted in 1902 to help fund the parade.

New Year Resolution

In time with the coming spring, the Babylonians created their New Year resolutions to prepare for a better harvest. This tradition endured for centuries and reached the United States. Today, it has become an American and worldwide tradition to make and break New Year resolutions.

Fireworks and Noisemaking

What is American New Year without fireworks and noisemaking? This is probably the only time in the year when no one cares about silence. Ancient tradition has it that fireworks display and noisemaking dispel evil spirits. Nowadays, although this belief still endures, many Americans observe these traditions in the spirit of celebration.

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Celebrating The American Independence Day

Sam — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:00:05 +0000

No other day in the American calendar of holidays is as patriotic as the Independence Day. This day commemorates the reading and signing of America’s Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Because of its significance, a number of observances and customs have been developed. Curiously, among them is the adaptation of the date itself.

The Declaration of Independence was, in fact, prepared two days ahead. In John Adam’s letter to his wife, Abigail, he expressed that July 2, 1776 was “the most memorable epoch in the history of America”. It was the day the Congress approved the resolution, but as it turned out, many remembered the date of signing that was written on the document – July 4, 1776. Technically, the date of Independence is two days off. Towards the end of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, however, even they had come to believe that they actually signed the document on July 4, 1776 when most of the Founding Fathers, in fact, signed it two days earlier. Since then, the entire nation had considered the Fourth of July as the nation’s birthday.

Being the most important of all American holidays, the Fourth of July is marked by extensive patriotic displays. There are public and private events all over the nation that honor its patriots, heritage, history and people. Many politicians and public figures also make it a point to celebrate in the spirit of freedom and patriotism by giving speeches.

The day of American Independence happens to be a summer holiday. It is not surprising therefore that throughout the centuries, Americans have come to love celebrating it outdoors. It is perpetually associated with family picnics and barbeques, fireworks displays, parades, outdoor parties, and as was mentioned earlier, public events that give tribute to American heritage and heroes. It is also the day where extensive outdoor activities are simultaneously held nationwide. Frisbee, football, baseball and even face painting are popular during this day.

The patriotic displays do not end in the streets though. Even individual houses are decorated with patriotic decors. Usually, streamers, flags, and buntings that reflect the colors of the American flag are hung on the facades of houses across the country. Wearing shirts with these colors is also common.

Among the many highlights of this day are the fireworks. This custom, which began on July 4, 1977, had been adapted by nearly all states. Major displays are yearly seen in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Diego, St. Louis, and in Washington D.C. Michigan hosts the largest fireworks display on Independence Day every year over the Detroit River. More often than not, fireworks are accompanied by patriotic songs that are associated with the American War of Independence as well as the War of 1812. These include the national anthem, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, “America the Beautiful”, “God Bless America”, and depending on the region, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern America and “Dixie” in the south.

The “salute to the union” is also a tradition unique to the American way of celebrating its Independence Day. On this day at noon, all capable military bases in the United States hold a gun salute for each state.

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Celebrating Christmas…The American Way

Sam — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:00:21 +0000

The United States join the entire Christian world in celebrating the nativity of Jesus Christ every 25th of December. Although there are traditions that are unique to each state of America, the general celebration of American Christmas include traditions that were borrowed from many different cultures.

One of the most striking images of American Christmas is Santa Claus. Although very popular as an American icon of festive celebration and gift giving, the idea of “Santa” actually originated from Scandinavia. He’s been around since 17 centuries ago, but he was born in the United States only during the 1860’s when Dutch immigrants began calling him Santa Claus from their own Sinterklaas. Today’s Santa Claus was popularized by Thomas Naast’s caricatures published during the 19th century.

Another popular symbol of American Christmas is the Christmas tree. The tree, which is by large associated with the celebration of Christmas, actually began as a pagan custom that had nothing to do with Christmas at all. The Germans brought this tradition in America around the late 1700s and since then, the practice of displaying decorated authentic and plastic trees had become a custom during this season.

Caroling throughout the Yuletide Season historically came from Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th century Italian saint, and began as communal songs traditionally sung during various celebrations, including harvest season and Christmas. It was only during the recent centuries that carols had become a part of Christmas celebrations and Christian religious services.

Originally a pagan custom, burning Yule logs throughout the Christmas Eve and into the following day had become an American tradition. So is kissing under the mistletoe and the hanging of wreath. The former is of Scandinavian origin which obliged males and females who meet under the mistletoe to kiss. The latter, on the other hand, used to be a symbol of remembering the dead, eternity or immortality depending on the region of origin. It has become a popular Christmas decoration with the creation of the advent wreath which was adopted by Christians as a symbol of the Savior’s unending love for mankind. Today, many Americans use the wreath purely for its decorative value.

The Christmas stocking, on the other hand, is one of the recent additions to American Christmas. It was traditionally made of ordinary socks, but Christmas socks were eventually produced commercially. The custom began in Europe where the story of three poor girls and St. Nicholas spread sometime ago. Modern American children still believe that Santa places their gifts inside their stockings during Christmas. Thus, the practice lives on.

The season, particularly the Christmas Eve, is also associated with special dishes served after the midnight mass. In New England, for example, Lumberjack pie is quite popular. In Pennsylvania, sand tarts are served by Dutch families. Most Southern states offer Whiskey cakes and Hominy Grits Soufflé and Louisiana’s favorite is the Creole Gumbo.

American Christmas celebrations vary from one state to another and from one family to another. Nevertheless, most families enjoy the holidays in ways that are truly American.

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