U.S. holidays

I'm guessing that our non-U.S. members are a little puzzled over our holidays.

Columbus Day? He missed China by a long ways. What most of us don't recognize is that he missed North America, too. He discovered the Caribbean Islands. He was the first cruise ship to visit those islands.

I mean...Hollowe'en? Sure, it came from old European traditions, but we've certainly put our own spin on it. "Free candy? They're giving out free candy? How do I get in on this?" And pumpkins. And, of course, black cats.

Next, Thanksgiving. We eat stuff most Europeans think is cattle feed or inedible (Pumpkins, again. Corn. Sweet potatoes. Turkey.) Then we sit and watch parades and football. Then we go Christmas shopping.

And Christmas. Charles Dickens (who more or less invented the way the holiday is celebrated in England and the U.S.) would turn over in his grave, and wish he had a stake of holly through his heart. (Did you know his Christmas story essentially saved his career and his fortune?)

And we won't mention New Years eve.

So...have I missed any?

hmm.....Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, President's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Do you remember back in school? Geography usually included some teaching about a region's culture (not just resources). Do you know other countries teach this, too?

If anyone is online reading your post you can probably be sure they're well aware of the big holidays here, if they don't celebrate them in much the same form themselves (at least in Europe). Many of the same foods have worked their way into other countries - just like some have here. Though a lot of holiday foods are still mostly unknown here.
I had a friend who was thrilled that julmust was on shelves again - I bet we only have two or three active members who even know what this is. (sounds gross...) Who knows what mämmi is? (NorthernGlow - no helping them if you read this! )

If anything we here in the US are fairly ignorant of foreign holidays and culture specific ways they're celebrated.

As for Columbus Day, that's pretty much unimportant unless one has a government job.

Halloween is celebrated in Bulgaria, but there is no trick or treating going on- we just dressed up in costumes and went to parties..but it is one of those holidays like cinco de mayo in the US, it is really just a reason to party- it doesn't come from our culture...which reminds me you also forgot St. Patrick's day and Mardi Gras...They are some of my favorite holidays
Thanks to Hollywood movies, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are also well known, but not celebrated over there..
And then Christmas and Easter are Christian holidays- not American...

Originally Posted by strange_wings

As for Columbus Day, that's pretty much unimportant unless one has a government job.

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LOL Tell that to my bosses. Even though I don't have a government job per se, we are contracted by the US Dept of Education. But we have to work that day.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

As for Columbus Day, that's pretty much unimportant unless one has a government job.

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We have the same thing with Remembrance Day - Government jobs, banks and schools close but the rest of us work with just a 2 minute silence at 11 am.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Charles Dickens (who more or less invented the way the holiday is celebrated in England and the U.S.) would turn over in his grave, and wish he had a stake of holly through his heart. (Did you know his Christmas story essentially saved his career and his fortune?)

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And heres the very house where he wrote A Christmas Carol. I was in London 3 weeks ago and his house is now a museum with it's original furniture

utopia - I forgot all about movies and tv shows. I have friends that mostly taught themselves English from watching them. They definitely know our holidays, though a few small details may still be confusing since some stuff gets distorted a bit in film.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

We have the same thing with Remembrance Day - Government jobs, banks and schools close but the rest of us work with just a 2 minute silence at 11 am.

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We actually have several days like this - most of the ones that otto listed are, for example. For most of us it's just another day and only noticed if we need to go somewhere that is closed.

I suppose one difference would be that in some countries days like that are given off. They get better holidays and time off (for a lot of things) as far as work is concerned.

We have the whole Halloween thing in our little country too but I have learnt a lot about U.S holidays since joining here.

For some strange reason here in England we tend to celebrate St atricks day more than St Georges day- St Patricks day is just usually a load of men on the p*ss and then a load of trouble !! I will just stick to the usual thanks, mainly christmas-I love christmas.x

Originally Posted by strange_wings

.......Who knows what mämmi is? (NorthernGlow - no helping them if you read this!

)

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I do. But I'll skip the mämmi and the salmiakki and stick with my pulla!

I think my point was as much HOW we celebrate, as WHAT we celebrate!

My sister was born on St. Patrick's Day, and I recall it being a bigger holiday (but not one officially observed) when I was young, 50 years ago.

Every country has its holidays that are peculiar to that country and which make little sense elsewhere. France once celebrated over 100 religious holidays every year, for example.

Of course we celebrate Columbus day. For most of our history we have been a patriarchal society. Do you think the men really wanted to admit that Columbus got lost? Oh no, they wanted everyone to think he meant to do that. While every woman in the nation was busy rolling her eyes, the men celebrated yet another of their number who got lost because he doesn't ask directions.

Columbus is a bad guy around here (so many Native Americans). So the state changed the name of the holiday to "Native American Day". Meh. Nobody pays any attention to that holiday except federal and state employees, so nobody really cares what it's called.

I work for the U.S. Postal Service, and we get 10 federal holidays a year. For some reason I can never remember all of them, let me try (easier in writing than verbally): Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Columbus Day (since it's federal, not state ), Memorial Day and Independence Day. Dang, that's only 9.....ah ha! Labor Day. OK, that's all of them.

I personally love memorial day...of course with all that shopping what isn't there to love! Celebrating holidays is a good way to be a patriot

I have issues with many of our holidays. Columbus day being one, but who really celebrates that? It is a day off, thats about it. Thanksgiving being another one. I know, and I still pig out with the rest of the country, but exactly what are we celebrating here? Yay, the Native Americans gave some desperate people help and were rewarded for that by being slaughtered and systematically destroyed as a culture. Whoo hoo. Pass the potatoes and turn the volume up on that football game.
Memorial Day has been turned into the start of Summer and just an excuse to drink and party and pig out some more. That is not what the day is about.
St Patrick's Day, well, turn everything green and drink and stuff your face some more.
Don't even get me started on Christmas and Easter.

Halloween's orgins come from Paganisim (Samhian) and isnt strictly american either. Different countries may celebrate it in different ways or for different reasons, but most know of the holiday. Also while American Thanksgiving is in Novemeber some other countries DO have a thanksgiving day...just at different times. Canada i think does. Christmas is celebrated all over the world as is New Years (though in China they Celebrate it in the end of January)



I think it is more American traditions that would baffle non americans more so than the holidays themselves. And even so, there was a time most of our traditions had meaning...even giving candy on halloween and dressing up...however these days most holidays are just too commercialized.

Originally Posted by oodlesofpoodles

Halloween's orgins come from Paganisim (Samhian) and isnt strictly american either. Different countries may celebrate it in different ways or for different reasons, but most know of the holiday.

Also while American Thanksgiving is in Novemeber some other countries DO have a thanksgiving day...just at different times. Canada i think does. Christmas is celebrated all over the world as is New Years (though in China they Celebrate it in the end of January)

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Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October and it usually falls on your Columbus day. Holland celebrates Christmas on December 6 (St. Nick's day) which is also my hubby's birthday and he is Dutch background so that's the only reason I know that. I'm not certain but I think Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on our (Catholic) Epiphany which is January 6.

Trillcat you are right about most of the holidays and how far removed from what we are celebrating they have become. St Patricks day is a CATHOLIC feast day celebrating an IRISH saint...why do we use it as an excuse go bar hopping?

I am not going to lie, i celebrate most holidays...but many of them i celebrate what they are today, not what they are MEANT to be...its pretty sad. Many of the holidays i celebrate in my own way anyway. Instead of Christmas i celebrate Yule...instead of easter i celebrate Ostara. But then...i dont get off work for Pagan holidays lol.

Yes i know about December 6th and it makes a lot of sense that it would be celebrated that day. I am sure many countries celebrate at different times, but many of the big "American" holidays are not american at all...that was the basic point i was trying to make