Liya Abil- Week 8- Approaching the Holidays
I love the holidays. I especially love how much America cares about the holidays. The moment December begins, houses are decorated and lit up, stores are overflowing with holiday decor, and Christmas trees are put up in every mall. These small acts are able to spread happiness and the holiday spirit.
The effort that people put into making the holidays feel magical is able to connect everyone. They are able to bring people together: Older siblings come home from college to celebrate with their families. Friends go out to ice skate or stay in and exchange presents. Communities join together in order to watch their city’s tree being lit.
The main holidays celebrated in America during this time are Christmas, Hanukkah, and a few others that come from different religions and cultures. We are so lucky and advantaged to live in an inclusive country with religious freedom as all of these occasions can be celebrated together. Despite celebrating different things, simply the holiday spirit can bring people together and put aside their differences.
I feel that the holidays have grown and expanded past religion or culture. I am hosting a Secret Santa with some of my friends for Christmas, even though most of them are Hindu or another religion. Instead of celebrating Christmas, we are celebrating our friendship and showing our gratitude for one another.
The holidays in America are a magical time in which interpersonal connections with family and friends are reinforced, kindness and compassion is spread, everyone is unified.
Hi Liya! I liked the topic you chose for your blog post this week. As the holiday season approaches, I hear Christmas music playing in more places and I am reminded of how beautiful this time of year is. I remember coming together with friends (regardless of our religious differences, as you mentioned) to have a good time with each other, whether it be going on a trip or having a nice meal at someone’s house. Your assertion that the holidays are a “magical time” really resonates with me because of the nostalgia I have about this time of the year—when I was younger, I would always be traveling during winter break, resulting in me having memories of spending Christmas all over California. One of my favorite Christmas trips was actually to Universal Studios; I remember walking through the park, decorated with beautiful lighting, with jolly Christmas music playing in the background, and spending time with my family on various rides. Beyond the timely topic you selected for this blog post, the personal examples you bring up really solidify your claims that the holidays are a time of unification, compassion, and community.
ReplyDeleteHi Liya! Your blog on Christmas was a really interesting read, since I’ve never considered Christmas as a holiday that, like you said, expanded past culture and religion. Although I put up Christmas lights, I have never really celebrated Christmas as much as many of my peers. Instead of spending Christmas around a Christmas tree or having a Christmas dinner with my family, I spend my holiday seasons traveling to different holiday destinations such as New York City and Florida with my family. Also, having finals right before Christmas definitely does not make it easy to maintain a cheerful Christmas spirit. Although I don’t celebrate Christmas conventionally, after reading your blog I’ve realized that I still celebrate Christmas in some shape or form, which is what makes the holiday so interesting. There are so many different ways that people can celebrate Christmas and show their holiday spirit, and that’s what makes this holiday so universal to people despite their cultural and global differences. I also agree with your statement that American tends to care a lot about the holidays, with holiday themes shops, Christmas themed ads, and holiday movies that are classics, such as Home Alone and The Grinch. The amount of effort put into celebrating the holidays definitely makes December a really important month for a lot of Americans.
ReplyDeleteHey Liya! It's great that you chose this topic just as Christmas and winter break are arriving. Recently, I was asked the question "How is Christmas different for different people?" for a school article. I thought about it, and I realized that many of my peers and friends don't celebrate Christmas the way that I do. For example, they don't exchange gifts or decorate and get a christmas tree. I can see why some people might not decorate, as it is time consuming and not everyone has the time in their life to chop down a christmas tree (or buy one and bring it home), and it is sometimes hard to decorate your house with lights as well. Exchanging christmas gifts, however, is a staple of christmas time for the majority of people, and it's surprising to see someone not doing that. Most of my friends, however, at least spend Christmas time with their family and have a large family dinner, which is another common thing for families to do during christmas. This winter break, I plan on hanging out with my family and traveling to Miami or New York (if it's not too cold), and then exchanging gifts when we come back. Christmas is among one of the most popular holidays in the United States, and is a time that makes America America. When I was volunteering to teach Taiwanese kids over Zoom English, I learned that in Taiwan they do not exchange gifts, which they thought was really sad.
ReplyDeleteHey Liya! I too love the holidays. Personally, my family does not celebrate it, no tree, no gifts, but still I just love the vibes. At school everyone is excited for winter break and the end of finals, still most find the time to celebrate winter week. The excitment to wear a santa hat or drink hot coco, it is all just so fun and cozy. I like to think about how in the colder areas of the U.S people get to wake up to snow and wear lots of festive gear to keep warm. Still although it does not snow here in Fremont, I always associate the cold mornings were you can see your breathe as a sign that Christmas is coming. It is easy to romantize life with the jolly holiday around, winter mornings are not pleasant but still we are able to find the good in it. People are also more charitable around Christmas, which is sweet. Just the idea of staying cozy and happy is my cup of hot coco.
ReplyDeleteHi Liya! Ahh this is such an exciting blog post! I think the holiday culture is one of the most beautiful things about America. While I’m not Christian, I think there’s something more captivating about the Christmas season that extends beyond its religious aspect. By simply walking through the streets, you feel this comforting embrace of the festive atmosphere that permeates the air, as twinkling lights adorn homes, elaborate christmas tree ornaments peak through windows, and passerby wearing christmas socks and sweaters smile in greeting, radiating the joy of the season. It’s like you said: there’s this “magical feel” to it all. Whether a Christmas tree stands in the living room or not, I have always found myself appreciative of the enchanting ambiance of the Christmas season. My own family started celebrating and embracing Christmas traditions only when I was in the sixth grade, hanging ornaments on our brand new Christmas and later hosting a festive gathering too. I recall finding myself shocked that my mom embraced such an idea, despite our non-Christian background. That particular winter, I had just gotten surgery and was in pain, and I soon came to understand that my mom had finally come to see Christmas for the beauty and happiness it brings.
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