Christmas and New Year Traditions in America. Christmas in America: Mixing Rites and Traditions Family Christmas Eve
Christmas in the USA, as in Western Europe, is celebrated annually on December 25. This holiday is eagerly awaited by children and adults. This is not surprising, because the atmosphere of the holiday is present in everything - decorated streets and houses, waiting for Santa Claus and gifts, an abundance of delicious holiday dishes. All this creates an atmosphere of magic and expectation of something exciting. Even people who are not Christians, or consider themselves non-religious, celebrate this holiday with pleasure.
The tradition of gift-giving at Christmas has become so popular that most stores fill their warehouses long before the holiday starts. Advertisements for Christmas gifts filled the airwaves of most television and radio channels, as well as Internet sites. This trend is very outrageous believers. They believe that everyone has forgotten about the religious meaning of Christmas and the holiday has become purely commercial. Despite such criticism, Christmas shopping is one of the top activities for many Americans in December each year. Gifts are given to children, family members, close friends, employees, as well as people who once rendered you a favor.
In addition to gifts, many Americans bake cookies, pies and other spices, which they distribute to their friends and neighbors on the eve of the holiday. Many companies give their employees a Christmas bonus in the form of an additional bonus or some kind of family vacation.
On Christmas Eve, many Americans show generosity to people in need. They send money to hospitals, orphanages, or just give it to beggars on the street. Despite the fact that social networks and email have taken over the main niche of messaging in our time, many Americans still send Christmas cards to each other at Christmas.
Due to the fact that the United States is a multinational country, there are various traditions for celebrating Christmas. Many of them came to the US from the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Mexico.
What do Americans eat for Christmas?
Traditional American Christmas dishes are turkey or ham with cranberry sauce. Serving just such treats at the Christmas table is also inherent in the inhabitants of Western Europe. Families who immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe cook stuffed turkey, Polish sausages (kielbasa), cabbage dishes and various soups. Most Italian expats prefer lasagna.
Tamale is a traditional Christmas dish in the southwestern United States. This is a corn tortilla wrapped in corn leaves with meat, cheese, vegetable or fruit filling. The tamale is steamed and the corn leaves are peeled before eating.
Home decoration
Americans love to decorate their homes for Christmas. There are unspoken competitions among the neighbors: "Who has the best decorated house?" Rooftops, smokers, windows, and even doghouses are festooned with hundreds of colorful light bulbs. At the entrance to the house there are decorated Christmas trees, statues of Santa Claus, deer, gnomes, as well as large snowmen. It is customary to hang wreaths with the inscription "Merry Christmas" on the door. Often, Americans use popcorn to create a Christmas wreath.
On Christmas Eve, the streets of both small towns and huge metropolitan areas are also decorated with lights. The most famous Christmas lights in the United States are lit in New York's Rockefeller Center square. There is also a huge Christmas tree, near which a free skating rink operates around the clock. Thousands of people come to the main Christmas square to plunge into the festive atmosphere and get in the Christmas mood.
celebration Christmas in the South-West USA different from traditional American customs and more like celebrating Christmas in northern Mexico. These traditions include elements of the ancient Spanish holidays "Luminarias" or "Farolitos". Candles are inserted into paper bags filled with sand and placed along the roads, imitating the illuminated path of Mary and Joseph.
Throughout December, traditionally, American houses are buried in light illumination. Already tomorrow, December 25, many will turn off the garlands and lighting, but even today they don’t think about electricity bills here - the main thing is the holiday atmosphere. The most important thing for many families is to show people that they love Christmas.
In almost every area for Christmas, you can find several originally decorated houses that create a real festive mood.
The owners of these houses do not care about large electricity bills in December, because they find the time and energy to create a holiday for themselves and others.
Garage at home in California
Many of these houses are decorated in a new way for every Christmas and eventually become a kind of local attractions for tourists.
House in California
Among the significant Christmas places is the small town of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, which transforms into a fairy tale for Christmas and lights up with thousands of lights. Outside of Christmas, this area is notable for its low crime rate and old houses, many of which are over a hundred years old. But the whole of December, Tale will be added to these pluses: residents spend about $ 20 thousand on house decorations, and the electricity bill for only one December can be more than $ 3 thousand.
The area began to be decorated in the early 80s, when the first unusually decorated house appeared here. This caused such a stir that it turned into a massive hobby - and the spirit of rivalry seized all the neighbors.
Portland, Oregon. Photo: Facebook/Portland's Christmas Street
But being the best on your street is one thing, but being the brightest on the planet is quite another. This was even filmed the film "Welcome or No Neighbors Entry" with Danny DeVito in the title role. According to the plot of the comedy, the hero De Vito sets himself the task of making his house visible from space with the help of Christmas decorations.
Inspired by this idea, students from the University of Leicester in the US decided to calculate how many garlands and light bulbs you need to hang on your house so that it can be seen from the ISS. After calculating the average power of LED bulbs used in garlands, as well as the level of light pollution, they came to the conclusion that a resident of an average American city (the same hero of DeVito) needs to decorate his house (preferably the roof and the area around) with at least 2683 LED bulbs .
But this is an approximation. In the event that someone decides to actually “light up” their home, the number of luminous garlands will probably have to be increased.
Interesting fact! Did you know that, according to statistics, 18 cities in the United States are named Bethlehem. Bethlehem, Connecticut usually hosts a two-week choir festival in December. In Bethlehem in the states of North Carolina, Kentucky and Georgia - theatrical performances reenacting events in the biblical Bethlehem. Bethlehem in South Dakota has long been a city of refuge for religious Hasidic Jews. And the most famous of them is located in Pennsylvania, just a two-hour drive from Manhattan.
Every year, thousands of tourists come here, because since 1937 this city has maintained and developed the image of the "most Christmas" city in America.
Westchester, New York. Photo: Instagram/hellkittynyc
Birmingham, Alabama. Photo: facebook.com/larry donaldson
Dyker Heights, New York.
Dyker Heights, New York. Photo: facebook.com/Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
Castille, Georgia. Photo: facebook.com/ChristmasInCastille
Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Facebook/Mark Levine
Tamwater, Washington. Photo: facebook/CheriPiles
Denver, Colorado. Photo: Facebook/Jeremy David Lewis
Dyker Heights, New York. Photo: facebook.com/Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
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25.12.2012 12:39
The most important of the New Year holidays in the USA is, of course, Christmas. In the country, every family celebrates Marry Christmas with pleasure.
Today we would like to talk about how this holiday is celebrated in the United States of America.
So, Christmas is a Christian holiday dedicated to the birth of Jesus Christ. In the USA, this, probably the main holiday of the country, is officially celebrated on December 25, but, as a rule, ordinary Americans celebrate it for several days in a row.
On this occasion, elementary schools and colleges have a Christmas break for children, which lasts until the New Year.
For Americans, Christmas today is, first of all, a joyful holiday, which must be held in the family circle. It is customary to give gifts at Christmas. Relatives and friends, being at this moment far from home, tend to send Christmas gifts and cards with wishes for a Merry Christmas.
The main attribute of Christmas is the tree. The Americans put it in the largest room and decorate it with all kinds of toys and candles.
Unlike Russia, where the main character is Santa Claus, in the United States, children are waiting for Santa Claus, who will certainly come on Christmas night and bring a long-awaited gift. To do this, American children hang small stockings by the fireplaces, where Santa Claus puts gifts at night.
The tradition of hanging stockings on fireplaces originates from a legend according to which St. Nicholas gave poor dowry girls a purse of gold, putting his gifts in the girls' stockings, which were hung out by the fireplace to dry at night. Since then, little children believe that Santa Claus will come and also leave gifts for them in pre-arranged stockings.
Americans love to decorate their homes with holly, ivy and mistletoe on this holiday. These decorations came to the USA from England. So each of these plants, one way or another, is connected with the divine principle. For example, ivy represents immortality, holly inspires faith and hope in humanity, and mistletoe was considered a sacred plant long before the birth of Jesus Christ.
When it comes to Christmas food, in the US, the most important Christmas food is roast turkey, as well as all kinds of cooked sweets, grandmother's cupcake recipes and much more. Turkey is cooked in every family here. Each family tries to cook the largest and most delicious turkey and invite relatives as much as possible. In addition, various sweets also predominate on the table.
Christmas in the United States is a federal holiday, an official day off.
culture
Christmas is one of the most beloved and long-awaited Christian holidays, celebrated all over the world, although on different dates. For many, this holiday is associated with happiness, fun and good mood, and this is at a time when the weather outside the window can leave much to be desired. At Christmas, it is customary to gather with family, friends and relatives and prepare delicious dishes, which will be discussed. Find out what dishes Christians from around the world prefer to treat themselves to at Christmas.
1) Eastern Europe
In the countries of Eastern Europe, on Christmas Eve, it is customary to cook lean dishes without meat, since before that it is customary to keep the Christmas fast. The next day you can cook meat dishes. It is customary for Slavic peoples to commemorate deceased relatives and loved ones on Christmas and even leave a place at the table with food for them.
Traditional Christmas dishes in the Czech Republic are fried carp and potato salad. This tradition appeared when the country began to breed fish in large quantities in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is also customary to prepare different Christmas cookies that are distributed to guests. Preparations for Christmas begin long before the holiday itself.
2) Peru
On Christmas Eve, the whole family usually gets together for a hearty dinner of turkey stuffed with minced meat and nuts and garnished with fresh slices of pineapple and cherries, fried potatoes and applesauce. For dessert, marzipan, raisins, almonds and panettone pie with a cup of hot chocolate are served. At midnight, someone says toasts, people exchange wishes, hug. Then they take their places in the living room and begin to sing Christmas songs.
3) Finland
The Christmas table in Finland is rich in various dishes, most of which, however, are related to the season. The main dish is usually the Christmas ham, which is eaten with mustard or bread, not forgetting about other dishes. Fish can be served - lutefisk (fish soaked in alkali) or gravlax (salted salmon), as well as liver casserole with raisins, potatoes, rice and carrots. From drinks - mulled wine (warmed wine with spices).
4) Canada
In the English part of Canada, Christmas dinners are not much different from English or American ones. Traditionally, a stuffed turkey with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, vegetables is put on the table, and for dessert - raisin pudding. Eggnog - a milk punch with beaten eggs and alcohol - is a very popular drink during the winter holidays. They also serve cakes with butter cream, shortbread cookies, which are traditionally baked on the eve of Christmas.
Immigrants brought with them many of their dishes and traditions. In the French part of Canada, as you might guess, French customs are most followed.
5) Denmark
In Denmark, the traditional Christmas table is set on December 24th. They serve either baked pork or goose. The meat dish is served with potatoes, red cabbage or sauce. For dessert - rice pudding, often with almonds inside. Anyone who gets a nut will be lucky next year. Traditional Christmas drinks are mulled wine and beer, which is specially made for Christmas. These drinks have a high alcohol content.
6) Holland
Christmas dinner in Holland is somewhat different from the traditions in neighboring countries. One of the Dutch traditions is "gourmet". Small groups of people get together, each brings his own frying pan and cooks his dish in small quantities. The owner prepares chopped vegetables and various types of meat and fish, shrimp in advance. All dishes are complemented by different salads, fruits and sauces. The tradition probably came to Holland from Indonesia, a former colony.
The Dutch love to cook traditional European dishes for Christmas, including roast beef, rabbit, pheasant, or glazed ham. The meat is served with various vegetables and salads. In recent years, the traditions of the Anglo-Saxon countries have become very popular in Holland. As in England, they began to cook turkeys for Christmas.
7) France
In France and some French-speaking countries, Christmas begins on the evening of December 24th. The French call this holiday reveillon(Dinner on Christmas night) from the word reveil– "awakening", as traditionally the participants have to stay up virtually all night or at least until midnight. Traditional dishes: goose or duck liver, oysters, smoked salmon, lobster, roast duck, goose or turkey with chestnuts. For dessert, a traditional Buch de Noel Christmas cake with chocolate or nut flavor, which is made in the shape of a log. From drinks usually prefer to drink champagne.
8) New Zealand
Due to the fact that New Zealand was a colony of Great Britain for a long time, many traditions of celebrating Christmas came here with the British. For Christmas, they cook a baked turkey with vegetables, sometimes stuffed, poured with cranberry sauce. Roasted ham can sometimes be served as a main dish, and lamb is also very popular here.
One important difference from English Christmas feasts is the absence of a goose, since these birds are not raised in New Zealand, and the government prohibits the import of foreign meat products. For dessert, in almost all cases, Christmas pudding (or raisin pudding) and sweet butter with brandy are prepared. These dishes also came from England. Many other dishes can also be found on the New Zealand Christmas table, including German muffins, the French Buch de Noel log cake, and the Italian panettone pie. However, these dishes are the exception rather than the rule. Since New Zealanders are forced to celebrate Christmas not in winter, but in summer, they like to celebrate it in nature, seasonal fruits and berries are served on the table. Also a very popular Christmas dessert is Pavlova cake made from whipped egg whites with fruit.
9) UK
For the British, Christmas celebrations begin in the afternoon. For a festive dinner, they serve a baked turkey or goose (sometimes a duck, but this depends on the number of guests), sometimes they offer a baked ham or pig, fried potatoes, boiled or steamed vegetables, especially Brussels sprouts, sausage stew, cranberry sauce. For dessert, pudding and sweet butter with brandy.
In England, the tradition of cooking a turkey for Christmas was born quite quickly. In the beginning, in medieval England, either peacock or wild boar was cooked as a main dish. After the French Jesuits brought turkeys to England, these birds have been a staple at Christmas since the 18th century.
In the UK, according to tradition, the sternum of a bird is divided at Christmas, thus predicting the future. This bone in the form of a slingshot is taken by 2 people who begin to pull both ends of it in different directions. As a result, after it breaks, the person who has a long bone in his hand remains the winner, he will be lucky all year, the other - on the contrary.
10) USA
Many Christmas traditions in the United States were borrowed from England and other European countries, however, this is not surprising, since the first settlers were Europeans. The main dishes for Christmas in America will be turkey, cranberry sauce, corn, pumpkin and green beans. Dessert is what the family likes according to ethnicity, but pumpkin pie, marzipan, biscuits, panettone pie, fruit cake, apple pie, carrot pie and others are often served. Roast beef can be substituted for turkey, as turkey is the main Thanksgiving meal in November.
In different states, it is customary to cook different dishes, for example, in Hawaii - teriyaki sauce, in Virginia - oysters and ham pie, and in the Midwest - dishes of the Scandinavian peoples - lutefisk, turnip dishes. In the southwest, especially in New Mexico, pozole soup, tamal (meat stewed with corn), bizcochito biscuits and others.
In the US, one of the most anticipated holidays is Christmas. The Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches celebrate this day on December 25, with the only caveat that all churches celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar (i.e. modern), and the Orthodox according to the Julian. According to the latest on December 25, according to the old style, it falls on January 7, according to the new one.
It's no secret that in the USA (in my opinion and in Europe) Christmas is a more solemn and long-awaited holiday than the New Year.
In America, they prepare for it more carefully and reverently. Houses are decorated not only inside, but also outside.
These days, the interiors of American huts don't differ much from Russian ones. The main attributes here are the familiar spruce hung with glass, multi-colored balls, garlands, sweets and artificial snowflakes. The main distinguishing accent of American compositions from Russian ones is religious themes.
To the ever-red Santa Claus and his brown-silly deer are added airy, innocent angels, Jesus in the form of a baby and various biblical motifs.
The outdoor decorations of the houses cause more delight.
Photos of the brightest.
Last year we also decorated our hut. The purchase of garlands, Christmas trees, toys, decorations, extension cords, adapters cost us $500.
This time, my wife is on duty for Christmas in the hospital around the clock, so they refused to decorate the house.
Many Americans try to dress up their home. There are approximately 40% of houses on our street that have at least two garlands and one statue of Santa Claus or, at worst, a snowman (rubber snowman).
