why we celebrate festivals?
406018
Community flavor of joint living. Allows us to rejoice in our good will.
1054830
An original American Festival is the 4th- of July! Celebrating independence with food, fireworks, song and dance. The second, but most popular summer celebration. Labor Day more or less ends the summer season…but fall and winter are Great celebrations
703713
My family celebrates Christmas and we have Jewish friends who celebrate Hanukkah. It's fun to visit & join in thier celebrations and include them in ours.
73108
Celebration\nPongal is also known as Tamizhar Thirunal or The Festival of Tamils among the Tamil people. The Tamil language saying Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum (தை பிறந்தால் வழி பிறக்கும்) -- literally meaning, the birth of the month of Thai will pave way for new opportunities -- is often quoted with reference to the Pongal festival.\n\nUsually the festival falls in the middle of the month of January in the Western calendar. The festival is celebrated for four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (Dec/Jan) to the third day of Thai (Jan/Feb). The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials by setting fire on them to mark the end of old and emeregence of new.\n\nThe second day, Pongal, is the main day which falls on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 or January 15 in western calender). The Pongal day is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and Jaggery early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel — a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal (in Tamil). The moment the rice gets boiled over and bubbles out of the vessel, it is offered to the Sun God, a gesture which symbolises thanksgiving to the Sun for providing prosperity. People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other's homes, and exchange greetings.\n\nThe third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cattle, as they provide with milk and are used to plough the lands. Jallikattu, a violent taming the wild bull contest, marks the main event of this day. On the last day, Kanum Pongal — the word "kanum" literally meaning 'to view' — youngsters used to gather at river banks to view and select their future life partners (which has fallen out of practice currently). People, especially store-keepers visit beaches and theme parks during this day in modern times. During the pongal season, people eat sugar canes and decorate the houses with kolam.
184293
Nothing much, its the day of the saints Eftropios and Kleonikos but not a big celebration. Every single day we celebrate a saint.
870686
At the core holidays are great.  At the simplest level, they are a break from work and a chance to have fun with friends and family.  \n\nMany of the holidays are over the top.  Too many people worry at Christmas, but gifts and decorations.  There is also an incredible pressure to have the perfect Christmas, instead of the more possible goal of just having a good time.  This pressure wreaks the fun and celebration.
739340
cause it's the best way to celebrate God! God is everywhere, and so many descriptions of God remind us this fact, all the time!\nwhy you care so much about what kind of worship other peoples do?
764854
Christmas is the most important day for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. This is the most reconized celebrated holiday all over the world.  It is a great to go to church and sing praises for  him and God.  Also families and friends gather to exchange gifts and eat great food for this time.
780256
It is a way of showing how greatful and happy we are, for all the good food that has just been brought in from the fields, that has been grown and harvested.\n\nAnd greatful for our friends and families, where we live.\n\nWhen it began it celebrated the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock and having this good meal with the Native Americans, who showed them how to cook and prepare foods in this New World we call America.\n\nIt was also to be greatful to a higher power, but I think we have forgotten that.  I hope not. That is up to each individual choice.
966182
It is to commemorate the early pilgrims who came here, suffered greatly, and finally raised enough crops to have a harvest festival.  The pilgrims and the Indians, who were friendly for the most part, held a big feast to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for having survived.\n\nWe don't give gifts, but we have big family feasts, and often a tradition of watching the Macy's parade (from New York City) on TV, and then there are the football games.  \n\nOf course, there are households that do not have televisions, and even a few where the television is turned off and people play games or read or enjoy conversation.  But the heart of the holiday is the feast, usually including a roast turkey, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin or mince pies.  There are a lot of other things some people include, but those are the really traditional elements.
905691
I don't think that's weird. You're entitled to do what you want to do. In my family, we celebrate Easter, Halloween and Christmas and birthdays because those are the fun holidays for the kids. As for the rest of the holidays.....we pretty much do the same thing on those days as we do for any other.
459918
Love does bring people together for sure . For holidays does your family gettogether? Well thats love wanting to share things with those you love is natural . Love bonds us to oneanother makes us feel like we are apart of something special makes us whole .
742769
because some people like tradition
527088
There are so many cultures in the USA. I have even developed a different culture of my married son. We like different foods, we like to do different things and we have different Family activities. \n\nI guess an American culture is doing things the same. we all vote, we celebrate the fouth of july, we celebrate birthdays, we go to baseball games and eat hotdogs. We celebrate our freedom of speech, we enjoy the freedom of religeon, which includes if we want to celebrate the fourth of july. \n\nI think the main word for our cullture is freedom.
178628
It is a day of celebrating the Green people of our country and their culture.  It is a day when we remember their struggles and how they overcame oppression, racisim, and discrimination.  It reminds us that we need to embrace people of all colors.  Green is beautiful baby!
687098
Yes, I celebrate the eight traditional sabbats; or did while My Steve, my high priest, was alive.  Now I mostly note that they have come (he died just before Yule), and remember what we would have done in our rituals.\n\nI also celebrate the Christian holidays because my friends and neighbors include me in their celebrations, and I notice the Jewish holidays because Steve's mother and sister are Jews.  He was too, genetically, but he always said I liked Jews better than he did!\n\nPersonally, I say any excuse for a party!
637358
Because its cinco de mayo...and the united states is mostly mexican now anyway...so we celebrate too.