Другое : Traditions and Holidays
Traditions and Holidays
Traditions and
Holidays
Americans widely observe other
holidays which stem from traditions older than those of the United States. One
is Easter, the Christian feast of the Resurrection of Jesus. Easter always
falls on a Sunday. For most Americans, it is a day of worship and a gathering
of the family. Many follow old traditions such as the dyeing of hard-boiled
eggs and the giving of gifts of candy eggs, rabbits and chicks for the
children. Many households organize Easter egg hunts, in which children look for
dyed eggs hidden around the house or yard or in a park. The President of the
United States even has an annual Easter egg hunt on the lawn of the White House
the day after Easter, known as "Easter Monday."
The other holidays stemming from old
traditions are Christmas Day, December 25, and New Year's Day, January 1. The
American traditions of those days are generally the same as those in other
nations which observe them—but those who live in such nations may notice at
least some differences.
Christmas is a most important
religious holy day for Christians, who attend special church services to
celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Because it is a religious holy day,
it is not an official holiday. However, since most Americans are Christian, the
day is one on which most businesses are closed and the greatest possible number
of workers, including government employees, have the day off. Many places of
business even close early on the day before Christmas. When Christmas falls on
a Sunday, the next day is also a holiday.
Naturally Christians observe
Christmas according to the traditions of their particular church. Besides the
strictly religious traditions, however, other common Christmas practices are
observed by people who are not religious or who are not Christian. In this way,
some Christmas traditions have become American traditions. Among them:
Gift-giving is so common at
Christmas time that for most stores it means a sharp increase in sales. Stores,
in fact, are full of shoppers from Thanksgiving time in late November until the
day before Christmas. This situation has caused many religious people to
complain that the religious meaning of Christmas is being subverted, that
Christmas has become "commercial." Despite the criticism, Christmas
shopping is a major activity of many Americans in the month of December. Gifts
are given to children, members of the family and close friends. They are given
to people who have done favors for others or who work for them. Some people
bake cookies or make candies or other special food treats for friends and
neighbors. Many businesses give their workers a Christmas
"bonus"—gifts of extra money—to show appreciation for their work.
Christmas is also a time when most Americans show great generosity to others
less fortunate than they. They send money to hospitals or orphanages or
contribute to funds that help the poor.
Most Americans send greeting cards
to their friends and family at Christmas time. Some people who are friends or
relatives and live great distances from each other may not be much in contact
with each other during the year—but will usually exchange greeting cards and
often a Christmas letter telling their family news.
Santa Claus is a mythical man who is
said to live at the North Pole, where he makes toys throughout the year. The
Santa Claus character is derived from age-old stories about an early Christian
saint named Nicholas, known for his giving of gifts. Santa Claus, pictured as a
cheerful fat man with long white beard and dressed in a red suit, supposedly
visits the home of good children on the night before Christmas and leaves them
gifts. Very young American children look forward eagerly to Christmas morning,
when they find gifts he has left behind.
The decorating of homes for
Christmas is very common. Most Americans who observe
Christmas have a Christmas tree in
their homes. This may be a real evergreen tree or an artificial one. In either
case, the tree is decorated and trimmed with small lights and ornaments. Other
decorations such as lights and wreaths of evergreen and signs wishing people a
"Merry Christmas" can be found inside and outside of many homes.
A Christmas dinner, often with
turkey on the menu, for family and friends is also an American tradition; so
are parties for friends, family and co-workers. Besides the Christmas dinner,
many people hold other gala get-togethers just before and just after Christmas.
Although New Year's Day is also a
Christian holy day, it has a long secular tradition which makes it a holiday
for all Americans. Most of the celebrating of the holiday takes place the night
before, when Americans gather in homes or in restaurants or other public places
to enjoy food and beverages and to wish each other a happy and prosperous year
ahead. Balloons and paper streamers and horns and other noisemakers are all around
at midnight when the old year passes away and the new year arrives. One of the
more colorful and unusual observances of New Year's Day takes place in
Philadelphia, where large groups of people wearing unusual costumes parade
through the city with bands.
Valentine'e Day and
Halloween
One other day that most Americans
observe, even though it is not an official holiday, is February 14, Valentine's
Day, named for an early Christian martyr whose feast day was once observed on
that day. On this day, Americans give special symbolic gifts to people they
love. They also send special greeting cards called Valentines to such people.
Most commonly, the gifts are candy or flowers.
Halloween, the last day of October,
has a special significance for children, who dress in funny or ghostly costumes
and knock at neighborhood doors. After shouting "Trick or Treat!"
they are given gifts of candy or money. Originally a religious holiday—the
evening before All Saints or All-Hallows Day, Halloween is now celebrated by
Americans more according to ancient Celtic pagan traditions. Some children
collect money on this day to help children of other nations through the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Список литературы
Для
подготовки данной работы были использованы материалы с сайта http://linguistic.ru/
|