Christmas is one of the brightest and most beautiful Christian holidays. Millions of people are waiting for him with hope and joy in their hearts. The magical Christmas night for even very serious people makes you forget about your affairs and concerns for a while. Imbued with the fabulous spirit of the holiday, adults, like children, believe in miracles.
Christmas in the United States, as in other countries where most of the population is Catholic, is celebrated on December 25. Despite the different religions of the country's multinational population, this holiday is one of the brightest and most colorful for Americans. The traditions and features of its celebration in the United States will be discussed.
Preparations for the holiday
Long before the long-awaited triumph, the Americans begin preparations for it. City streets are decorated with sparkling multi-colored lights of electric garlands. Many stores hire decorators to decorate their windows in the spirit of Christmas. So, the most famous Manhattan department stores have been organizing a tacit competition for the year in the creativity of the Christmas decoration of their halls and shop windows.
The owners of houses and mansions participate in the pre-holiday decor race. Films about Christmas in the USA clearly convey all this sparkling beauty, the list of which American directors annually replenish with a new fairy tale story.
On the streets of cities, the bell of Santa Claus is heard, foreshadowing a meeting with the good magician. Trading barkers dressed in his suit congratulate passersby on the upcoming holiday and remind them of Christmas gifts. Large shopping centers for the role of Santa invite specially trained actors and equip a fabulous residence, where the wizard listens to the cherished desires of the kids.
How to celebrate Christmas in the USA
The multinationality of the country led to the diversity of Christmas traditions. So, the custom of dressing up a spruce came to the United States of America along with immigrants from Germany. Famous Christmas carols have spread thanks to immigrants from England. A varied decoration of the streets with luminous lanterns and garlands is an element of the old Spanish traditions, when on Christmas Eve, imitating the illuminated path of Mary and Joseph, paper lanterns were displayed along the streets with a candle inside.
Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas), which over time turned Santa Claus - the giver of gifts, was one of the most revered saints among Americans of Dutch origin, but soon became one of the world symbols that personify Christmas.
In the US, Santa got his recognizable looks and red suit. The first now famous image was worked on by the cartoonist of Harper Weekly magazine Thomas Nast in 1863. He completed it for the Coca-Cola advertising campaign in 1931 by artist Haddon Hubbard Sandblom.
Festive table
As mentioned above, the United States is a multinational country, respectively, the culinary preferences of its citizens are different.
Christmas in the USA for Americans with Scottish roots is unthinkable without a piglet serving the festive table. An Irish Christmas table should have ham or turkey. For immigrants from Germany, the main dish of the holiday is a baked goose. Moreover, it is believed that the fatter and larger the bird, the more successful the coming year will be.
For Americans of Italian descent, a cod dish is required on the Christmas menu. However, the Irish custom prevailed, and now most Americans cannot imagine a festive table for Christmas in the United States without the main dish - baked turkey.
Christmas spirit
Not only all kinds of Christmas markets and sales remind of the approaching long-awaited holiday. Christian churches are elegantly decorated, and performances on the famous biblical theme are staged in school and preschool institutions.
Christmas for many Americans is not only an occasion to gather at a festive family table and exchange gifts. First of all, the great Christian holiday instills in the hearts of people faith in goodness and justice. Therefore, Americans on Christmas Eve pay great attention to charity. They transfer funds to various funds to help those in need or join as charity volunteers.
Christmas movies
Cinema and television also contribute to creating a fabulous mood. On holidays, a lot of entertainment programs, concerts and TV shows are shown on the country's television screens.
But in this colorful program, there is always a place for films that have long been loved by the viewer. For example, such a family film about Christmas in the USA as “This Beautiful Life”, which was first released in 1946, has long been an indispensable attribute of the holiday. Without this picture, Americans cannot imagine Christmas television like our viewer without the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” on New Year's holidays.
Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street, Bad Santa, Christmas Story, Exchange Holidays, Sleepless in Seattle and Real Love are also on the list of films that Americans like to watch during the christmas holidays.
Blessed topic
The kind and magical theme of the holiday is fertile ground for creativity, and every year the directors try to create a new interesting film about it. Christmas in the USA is also the time of the premieres of such films. So in 2015, the films were released:
- “Krampus: The Thief of Christmas” (directed by Michael Dougherty).
- Love Cooper (directed by Jesse Nelson).
- “Just Before Christmas” (directed by Sean McNamara).
- “Christmas” (directed by Jonathan Levin).
Despite the fact that the paintings did not receive laudatory reviews from critics, each found its own audience and, perhaps, for someone it will become a favorite Christmas film.