U.S. holidays

[junebugbear07]

But it is about what YOU do for that holiday. Thanksgiving our whole family gets together and we have our old pastor and his wife over. We celebrate our thanks for what we have. Often times my grandpa makes a speach about family and he comes to tears while doing it, its those traditions that make the holidays memorable and meaningful to you. I love Thanksgiving because it is a time of giving, yah it has been commercialized but with food drives and more people in the spirit to donate food and volunteer at shelters and soup kitchens, i think it is good for the community (although people should be giving all year around

). Also my ancestors John and Sarah Eaton came to this wonderful country on the Mayflower and I am proud of what they did for leaving England was a major endeavor in itself. Yes the meaning of these holidays get lost in the media and commercializing but if you remember the meaning, then does it really matter??

Christmas is a time where I get to see my uncle from Alabama, I see him once a year. I love our traditions of our Progressive dinner, going and seeing lights, caroling, attending the late night mass on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning breakfast, there is nothing like the feeling of being with your family and celebrating, I love to decorate the Christmas tree, and setting up the manger with Jesus and Mary and the angel. This to me means more than anything, being with family. Now I will say Columbus day is relatively a joke, we should be celebrating that Americo Verspuce....however you spell his name who I think really found America and i think our country was named after??? I could be wrong.

 

[ut0pia]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

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.

You're right ukranians and russians and all nationalities who are members of the russian orthodox church celebrate Christmas on January 7th, I think. It is because they are still using a Julian calendar which is 13 days ahead of the gregorian calendar, the gregorian calendar was introduced by a catholic pope so orthodox Christians will not use it..
It is so confusing because Easter is 13 days after the catholic/protestant Easter too. In Bulgaria we celebrate Easter with the orthodox tradition (13 days later) but we celebrate Christmas on Dec 25th. And, we also celebrate December 6th as St. Nick's day by serving meals that have fish as the main ingredient and giving gifts to people named Nikolai..

 

[ink]

Originally Posted by Trillcat

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.

Good, so I'm not the only one who feels this way.

 

[mrblanche]

Not sure I could go through life complaining about all the holidays celebrated in a country. Just roll with it, and avoid ulcers. I assure you they weren't adopted just to offend you.