World Holidays
by: Jarred Morris and Amanda Brandon
World Holidays are a great time for families to get together to enjoy the holidays. Holidays are celebrated differently according to different cultures. Easter and the Fourth of July have interesting histories. People have different ways of celebrating these holidays which makes them more special for families.
The first holiday, Easter, is a very special spring holiday. According to theholidayspot.com, Easter is probably the oldest Christian Holiday. Easter was named after Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. The name was switched so that people would start to accept Christianity. Senior Amanda Harris said, "I spend Easter with my family in Mitchell, Indiana and have an Easter egg hunt." Senior Jenna Rice said, "I spend Easter at home and we have an Easter egg hunt in the backyard."
The Fourth of July was the day when America gained its independence from Britain. Many people celebrate this day with different activities. According to history.com, the Fourth of July is celebrated with pageants and firing of fireworks in the city. People celebrate the Fourth of July in different places with different people.
Picnics or even just getting together with family members are some ways to spend the fourth. Harris said she goes to Golf Shores whereas Rice said she usually goes to New York to grandparents' house or goes to see the fireworks over the river.
These holidays are fun to celebrate with friends and family. Christmas and Thanksgiving are two more holidays which have interesting histories.
The term "Thanksgiving" is often linked to turkey, pumpkin pie, and dressing; however, thanksgiving has a more historical meaning which helps us understand the history of the holiday. Signature sophomore Katy Ritz agrees. "Thanksgiving is typically known for stuffing and all sorts of pies, but it must have a background." This holiday was brought about because of the pilgrims, a discriminated church sect desperately in need of tolerance. These pilgrims fled their land of Holland to America aboard the Mayflower. The pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Even though they had lost a portion of original travelers and struggled through a bad winter, the harvest of 1621 left a huge impact on the lives of these newcomers. With this bounty of crops, the pilgrims became fed and nourished. The remaining colonists, who did not benefit from the harvest bounty, set out in search for wild ducks and geese to celebrate the catastrophe, along with other dishes. This celebration became known as "thanksgiving". The feast included fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, venison, and plums. The feast lasted for 3 days. It did not occur the next year; however, it began again in 1623. The feast began as a symbol of thankfulness and gratitude, and as time went on, it became a yearly celebration all around the world. The feast was also apparent in October of 1777 when the British were defeated at Saratoga. Every president after Lincoln proclaimed this celebration as a holiday. Today, we celebrate thanksgiving on every 4th Thursday of November. Often, on this day of recognition, families gather together and celebrate. Ritz acknowledges, "My family usually goes to my sister's house or we cook at our house. Either way, my family gets together".
"Christmas" is a contraction meaning "Christ's mass." In the American (English) tradition, Christmas day is often begun with the opening of gifts delivered by jolly old St. Nick. St. Nick is a figure from the past that has remained part of the Christmas celebration for mainly children. St. Nick (Santa) is a figure most popular among small children. He is a make-believe figure who makes Christmas more enjoyable for small children. For many years, this way of remembrance has been practiced. The custom of gift-giving goes back to Roman festivals of saturnalia and calends. The very first gifts start as twigs, a symbol of luck, and rapidly escalate to large, expensive gifts. According to KCRA news, in the year of 2007, electronic sales are expected to climb to an incredible $160 billion, rising 8% from last year. Sig freshman, Zoe Breeze backs up this statement by saying, "We usually spend most of our extra money on Christmas, and by the time the holiday is over, it seems like we are broke. I believe it is the most expensive holiday." Consumers generally spend approximately $358 per household on electronic devises. Typically, Americans buy the most expensive gifts, and buy in bulk. This escalating spending can be positive and negative at the same time. The positive aspect is how much it is helping Americas economy prosper; however, at the same time, Americans are losing sight of the true meaning of Christmas, and as a result, other countries, who are unfortunate, aren't able to celebrate. If Americans did not spend as much money during the holidays, the remaining amount per family could be used to help other countries less fortunate than we are. The most traditional Christmas themes include goodwill, compassion, and peace. Carols are traditionally sung to spread love and hope to all. Much of the popular carols we sing today were written in the nineteenth century. Along with thanksgiving, Christmas is often celebrated with food and family gatherings. Breeze expresses, "I am so busy on Christmas. I visit nearly five people's houses every year". For many religious groups, Jesus Christ is the ultimate symbol and reason for Christmas. The nativity refers to the birth of baby Jesus as a gift to the world. He was born of the Virgin Mary on December 25th and became a sacred gift to all people who believed in his name. Christian practicer's believe that by giving gifts, we are showing others love as Jesus showed us hundreds of years ago.
Sources:
www.theholidayspot.com/easter/history/easter_history.htm
www.history.com/minisites/fourthofjuly/viewPage?pageId=50553