Christmas in the United States of America
The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people celebrate Christmas, because of its multi-cultural nature. Many customs are similar to ones in the UK, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Mexico.
Christmas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation).
"Christmas Day" redirects here. For other uses, see Christmas Day (disambiguation).
For Christmas traditions worldwide, see Christmas traditions.
Christmas
Christmas Day
Leon Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated in the United States on June 25. It is the halfway mark to Christmas.
The exact origin of Leon Day is unknown. However, it is clear why it was named so: Leon is Noel (another name for Christmas) spelled backwards. The date of June 25 marks the turning point when Christmas begins to come closer on the calendar.
Although Leon Day is not an official holiday, it is celebrated by many businesses and organizations in a number of ways. For example, retailers may offer special deals and promotions. Some radio stations play Christmas music during the day. For many crafters, Leon Day is a time to start making decorations and gifts for Christmas.
Nonprofit organizations and charities may hold fundraisers to remind people that donations are appreciated all year round, and not exclusively during the Christmas season. For example, the Salvation Army sometimes observes Leon Day with launching an out-of-season Christmas kettle campaign.
Some people celebrate Leon Day as a mini Christmas. They get out Christmas decorations, put on ugly holidays sweaters and Santa hats, watch their favorite Christmas movies, and treat themselves to eggnog, gingerbread, and candy canes.
Worship of the shepherds by bronzino.jpg
A depiction of the Nativity scene
Also called Noël, Nativity, Xmas
Observed by Christians, many non-Christians[1][2]
Type Christian, cultural
Significance Commemoration of the Nativity of Jesus
Celebrations Gift-giving, family and other social gatherings, symbolic decoration, feasting etc.
Observances Church services
Date
December 25: Western Christianity and some Eastern churches
January 7 [O.S. December 25]: Most Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches[3][4]
January 6: Some Anabaptists, such as the Amish[5] and Armenian Apostolic Church[6][7]
January 19 [O.S. January 6]: Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem[8]
June 15 [Haziran 15]: Islam[9] (not commemorated)
Frequency Annual
Related to Christmastide, Christmas Eve, Advent, Annunciation, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Nativity Fast, Nativity of Christ, Old Christmas, Yule, St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25[a][10][11][12] as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.[2][13][14] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night;[15] in some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave.[16] Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations,[17][18][19] is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians,[20] as well as culturally by many non-Christians,[1][21] and forms an integral part of the holiday season centered around it.
The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies.[22] When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.[23]
Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, the church in the early fourth century fixed the date as December 25.[24][25][26] This corresponds to the date of the solstice on the Roman calendar.[27] Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world. However, some Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to a January date in the Gregorian calendar. For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than knowing Jesus' exact birth date, is considered to be the primary purpose in celebrating Christmas.[28][29][30][31]
The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.[32] Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas music and caroling, lighting a Christingle, viewing a Nativity play, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special meal, pulling Christmas crackers and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore.[33] Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
The traditional meal for Western European families is turkey or ham with cranberry sauce. Families from Eastern European origins favour turkey with trimmings, keilbasi (a Polish sausage), cabbage dishes, and soups; and some Italian families prefer lasagne!
Some Americans use pop-corn threaded on string to help decorate their Christmas Tree! Making gingerbread houses is also popular to make and eat at Christmas!
Many Americans, especially Christians will go to Church to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Many churches have special Christmas Carol services and events where the story of Christmas is told.
In New England (the American States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine), there are shops called 'Christmas Shops' that only sell Christmas decorations and toys all the year round!
Americans also send out Christmas Cards, like Carol singing and there's the unusual custom of the Christmas Pickle!
People in America like to decorate the outsides of their houses with lights and sometimes even statues of Santa Claus, Snowmen and Reindeer. Some cookies and glass of milk are often left out as a snack for Santa on Christmas Eve!
Towns and cities often decorate the streets with lights to celebrate Christmas. Perhaps the most famous Christmas street lights in the USA are at the Rockefeller Center in New York where there is a huge Christmas Tree with a public ice skating rink in front of it over Christmas and the New Year.
In Hawaii, Santa is called Kanakaloka!
Customs such as Mumming take place in some communities. On New Year's Day in Philadelphia there is a Mummer's Day parade which lasts over six hours! Clubs called "New Years Associations" perform in amazing costumes which take months to make. There are four categories (Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades) which are judged. You can find out more on the official website: www.phillymummers.com (goes to another site).
In the Southwest USA, there are some special customs which have some similarities to those in parts of Mexico. These include 'luminarias' or 'farolitos' which are paper sacks partly filled with sand and then have a candle put in them. They are lit on Christmas Eve and are put the edges of paths. They represent 'lighting the way' for somewhere for Mary and Joseph to stay.
A popular food at Christmas in the Southwest USA are tamales. You can find out more about Christmas traditions in the Southwest USA on www.lonestarwesterndecor.com/vibrant-christmas-traditions-of-the-southwest.html (goes to another site).
In the south of Louisiana, on Christmas Eve, families in small communities along the Mississippi River light bonfires along the levees (the high river banks) to help 'Papa Noel' (the name for Santa in French as Louisiana has a strong historical connection with France) find his way to the children's homes!
The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people celebrate Christmas, because of its multi-cultural nature. Many customs are similar to ones in the UK, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Mexico.
Christmas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation).
"Christmas Day" redirects here. For other uses, see Christmas Day (disambiguation).
For Christmas traditions worldwide, see Christmas traditions.
Christmas
Christmas Day
Leon Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated in the United States on June 25. It is the halfway mark to Christmas.
The exact origin of Leon Day is unknown. However, it is clear why it was named so: Leon is Noel (another name for Christmas) spelled backwards. The date of June 25 marks the turning point when Christmas begins to come closer on the calendar.
Although Leon Day is not an official holiday, it is celebrated by many businesses and organizations in a number of ways. For example, retailers may offer special deals and promotions. Some radio stations play Christmas music during the day. For many crafters, Leon Day is a time to start making decorations and gifts for Christmas.
Nonprofit organizations and charities may hold fundraisers to remind people that donations are appreciated all year round, and not exclusively during the Christmas season. For example, the Salvation Army sometimes observes Leon Day with launching an out-of-season Christmas kettle campaign.
Some people celebrate Leon Day as a mini Christmas. They get out Christmas decorations, put on ugly holidays sweaters and Santa hats, watch their favorite Christmas movies, and treat themselves to eggnog, gingerbread, and candy canes.
Worship of the shepherds by bronzino.jpg
A depiction of the Nativity scene
Also called Noël, Nativity, Xmas
Observed by Christians, many non-Christians[1][2]
Type Christian, cultural
Significance Commemoration of the Nativity of Jesus
Celebrations Gift-giving, family and other social gatherings, symbolic decoration, feasting etc.
Observances Church services
Date
December 25: Western Christianity and some Eastern churches
January 7 [O.S. December 25]: Most Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches[3][4]
January 6: Some Anabaptists, such as the Amish[5] and Armenian Apostolic Church[6][7]
January 19 [O.S. January 6]: Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem[8]
June 15 [Haziran 15]: Islam[9] (not commemorated)
Frequency Annual
Related to Christmastide, Christmas Eve, Advent, Annunciation, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Nativity Fast, Nativity of Christ, Old Christmas, Yule, St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25[a][10][11][12] as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.[2][13][14] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night;[15] in some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave.[16] Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations,[17][18][19] is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians,[20] as well as culturally by many non-Christians,[1][21] and forms an integral part of the holiday season centered around it.
The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies.[22] When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.[23]
Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, the church in the early fourth century fixed the date as December 25.[24][25][26] This corresponds to the date of the solstice on the Roman calendar.[27] Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world. However, some Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to a January date in the Gregorian calendar. For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than knowing Jesus' exact birth date, is considered to be the primary purpose in celebrating Christmas.[28][29][30][31]
The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.[32] Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas music and caroling, lighting a Christingle, viewing a Nativity play, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special meal, pulling Christmas crackers and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore.[33] Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
The traditional meal for Western European families is turkey or ham with cranberry sauce. Families from Eastern European origins favour turkey with trimmings, keilbasi (a Polish sausage), cabbage dishes, and soups; and some Italian families prefer lasagne!
Some Americans use pop-corn threaded on string to help decorate their Christmas Tree! Making gingerbread houses is also popular to make and eat at Christmas!
Many Americans, especially Christians will go to Church to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Many churches have special Christmas Carol services and events where the story of Christmas is told.
In New England (the American States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine), there are shops called 'Christmas Shops' that only sell Christmas decorations and toys all the year round!
Americans also send out Christmas Cards, like Carol singing and there's the unusual custom of the Christmas Pickle!
People in America like to decorate the outsides of their houses with lights and sometimes even statues of Santa Claus, Snowmen and Reindeer. Some cookies and glass of milk are often left out as a snack for Santa on Christmas Eve!
Towns and cities often decorate the streets with lights to celebrate Christmas. Perhaps the most famous Christmas street lights in the USA are at the Rockefeller Center in New York where there is a huge Christmas Tree with a public ice skating rink in front of it over Christmas and the New Year.
In Hawaii, Santa is called Kanakaloka!
Customs such as Mumming take place in some communities. On New Year's Day in Philadelphia there is a Mummer's Day parade which lasts over six hours! Clubs called "New Years Associations" perform in amazing costumes which take months to make. There are four categories (Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades) which are judged. You can find out more on the official website: www.phillymummers.com (goes to another site).
In the Southwest USA, there are some special customs which have some similarities to those in parts of Mexico. These include 'luminarias' or 'farolitos' which are paper sacks partly filled with sand and then have a candle put in them. They are lit on Christmas Eve and are put the edges of paths. They represent 'lighting the way' for somewhere for Mary and Joseph to stay.
A popular food at Christmas in the Southwest USA are tamales. You can find out more about Christmas traditions in the Southwest USA on www.lonestarwesterndecor.com/vibrant-christmas-traditions-of-the-southwest.html (goes to another site).
In the south of Louisiana, on Christmas Eve, families in small communities along the Mississippi River light bonfires along the levees (the high river banks) to help 'Papa Noel' (the name for Santa in French as Louisiana has a strong historical connection with France) find his way to the children's homes!
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