Holiday traditions Around The World
A holiday is basically a day set apart by law or custom where normal daily activities, particularly work or business including education, are either suspended or limited. In general, such holidays are meant to let people to commemorate or celebrate an occasion or even religious or cultural value. Holidays differ according to culture and region, but the most common ones include Christmas, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Easter, as well as the major national holidays of the USA. Some European countries also have their own national holidays; however, many of these are very similar to the major holidays celebrated in the United States.
In the United States, major holidays are observed during Christmas and New Year’s Day, while minor religious holidays are observed throughout the year, including Good Friday, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and a few others. Holidays are traditionally associated with different traditions or customs associated with a particular faith, nationality or culture. Some holidays have special meaning for the people who celebrate them. For example, people who mark anniversaries or special events such as weddings, birthdays or retirement with parties and barbecues often enjoy holiday celebrations.
The major religious holidays in the US are Christmas (which is currently celebrated around the globe on Christmas Day), New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Thanksgiving, Pearl Harbor’s anniversary, and Valentine’s Day. The majority of people celebrate at least one of these four, although some may choose to wait till a new year begins so they can obtain a free gift. Some people choose to skip one or more of the religious holidays in order to avoid creating conflict with other communities, schools and coworkers. For example, some employers do not celebrate Thanksgiving because they feel it disrupts their sales, while others refrain from observing Spring break because they want to avoid causing offense to other students, faculty or teachers. However, most schools, churches and businesses observe all religious holidays, especially during the spring break and the summer months.
Many companies and churches choose to observe a holiday on only one of the four major holidays so that they can keep their business running efficiently without having to worry about upsetting the others. For instance, many hotels choose to keep Easter Sunday separate from Christmas so that they can keep their rooms occupied as much as possible. Since Easter is a religious holiday, many employees will not think less of the hotel if they are forced to miss it. Holidays are especially popular among students because they feel free to visit their home church on any given day without having to worry about offending anyone.
Many US cities are famous for their beaches and therefore an important holiday for many Americans is their holiday in seaside cities like New York, Miami, or San Diego. This type of holiday is very popular worldwide and many Americans head to these beach destinations in the warmer months just to relax and have fun. Many tourists prefer the religious element of a trip to a holiday destination such as a religious pilgrimage to a historic site like Stonehenge, which is open to the public. Some of these religious holidays may even extend into September, making this peak season for vacation travel.
Every country celebrates a different holiday, but most all of them observe certain days each year when they are particularly sacred for their people. Since many of these holidays mark important religious events like Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July, many Americans choose to observe these holidays on the opposite side of the year. Although some countries do not celebrate all of the holidays that Americans do, a holiday may be observed as a “slip” instead of waiting for a national holiday to arrive. In addition to this, many states have created laws that give municipalities additional time during the fall months to have observances. Many cities also have become more creative with holiday menus and decorations, which make observances even more popular. When the holidays begin to fade away, a new year begins and new heights of excitement for American holiday celebrations begin to flourish once again.