'Tis the Season

It’s that time of year again in America.As the month of November begins, everyday décor in stores and many homes is exchanged for holiday season trimmings.With Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, family visits and dinners are planned, gifts are bought and wrapped, and strings of lights are hung from trees.Americans everywhere distract themselves with these festivities, successfully spiting the advent of winter’s chill.The feelings evoked by holidays are probably similar to the fondness Chinese holidays bring throughout the year.The unique intricacies of our holidays, however, are expectantly different.

The first of the winter holiday season truly begins with Thanksgiving, a traditional that reaches back to the first settlers in America.In the early 1600’s, settlers in America had a feast of thanksgiving after surviving treacherous winters and, with the help of Native Indians, producing a fruitful harvest.Today Thanksgiving is a day set aside as a day for thankfulness, and usually occurs on the fourth Thursday of November.Personally, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.The premise is simple and meaningful, and the activities are family-oriented.Because the holiday falls on a Thursday, many Americans enjoy a four day holiday.Professionals and students alike head to their parents’ home for this break.The most common means of celebration is a large family dinner.In fact, this meal is more akin to a feast, with a traditional menu including a full turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, bread stuffing, green beans, and pumpkin pie for dessert.Secret family recipes for these dishes, passed down over several generations, are likely employed on Thanksgiving.Families may use the meal to catch up with relatives from out of town or engage in a traditional conversation about why they are thankful this year.

As soon as Thanksgiving ends, one will be heavily accosted by reminders that Christmas is one month away.Other holidays celebrated by Americans, such as the Jewish Chanukah or African Kwanza, also fall on December dates.For most Americans, this translates into a gift-giving month.Every advertisement seems to incorporate holiday gift-giving, imploring us to buy, buy, buy.Some jobs will give a holiday or Christmas bonus to their employees with the built-in assumption that December is hard on the family wallet.Shopping malls will hire an obligatory Santa who will visit with children and pose for photos.I visited China during a December and witnessed a scene quite different from in America.Several men dressed as Santa entertained a group of school children.In America, children are taught that Santa Claus truly exists.Parents use elaborate schemes to convince their children Santa is real.My parents, for example, changed their handwriting to craft letters to me from Santa.If a parent in America saw more than one Santa, they would probably divert their children’s attention or cover their eyes!I discovered the truth at age eight when I stayed awake on Christmas Eve and saw my parents sneaking the presents out of their hiding places.

Like Thanksgiving, the Christmas holiday is another occasion for a feasting and family gathering.A Christmas dinner is often prepared, complete with either ham or turkey.Tales of weight gain in America during the holiday season are not jokes.The holiday season is a favorite time for baking apple pie, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and other unhealthy, delicious sweets.The big family meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas lead to an American favorite: leftovers.Usually enough food is left after the meal is served so that we can enjoy the decadent home-cooked food long enough to affect our waistlines.

A general piece of advice for the holidays in America is to avoid procrastination.

Amongst all the high spirits of Americans during the holiday season, there are moments of near insanity for those who put off shopping or making other arrangements.For instance, the most popular item on children’s wish lists each year can cause a great deal of stress.Popular toys may sell out, leaving parents with the task of waiting in long lines or scouring the internet to find the prized item.Making travel arrangements over the holidays via airplane become costlier as the holidays approach.When planning large family meals, the day before the holiday is not ideal for leisurely shopping.Grocery stores, like shopping malls, are usually crowded with last minute shoppers.

The holiday season wraps up with New Year’s Eve on December 31st.A popular question during this time of year is: “What are you doing for New Year’s?”Most cities have fireworks displays or other activities in the evening.Spending New Year’s Eve in a big city, especially New York City.Aside from Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve is the holiday celebration most likely to involve a date.Many Americans participate in making New Year’s Resolutions on what they will or will not do during the upcoming year.Reversing the weight gain of the holidays often pops up on resolutions.Most resolutions are quickly broken.Gyms are extra crowded after New Year’s, but quickly return to normal usage after a few weeks.

The holiday season in America translates to a time for family, feasting, and jovial times – a likely common ground with Chinese holidays.Nostalgia is abounding as holiday scents and sights remain relatively unchanged each year.