What ever happened to Holidays and family traditions?
822764
agree with you as the best times I remember were family orientated. seems as though modern society in having to make a living has taken over
938964
Them could be: Christmas Traditions Around the World\nFELIZ NAVIDAD\nFeliz Navidad\nFeliz Navidad\nFeliz Navidad\nProspero ano y felicidad\n\nHow other people around the world celebrate christmas.\nEach hall way can be decorated  in a different theme. \n\nOn Christmas morning, boys and girls around the world will waken early and run excitedly downstairs to see what Santa Claus has left for them... \n\nWell, that's not exactly how it goes -- for around the world children celebrate the Christmas holidays in many different ways. \n\nhttp://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm\n\nThese are just some examples I got from the net. Click on Site above it will take you to all different catigories of countries that celebrate christmas differently!\n\nIn Mexico\nChristmas festivities begin with "Las Posadas," nine days from [December 16 to December 24] of lively parties. In villages and urban neighborhoods throughout Mexico, youngsters gather each afternoon to re-enact the holy family's quest for lodging in Bethlehem … The parade stops at a designated house to sing a traditional [song]. Holiday festivities end on "Noche Buena" (Christmas Eve) when families head home for a traditional Christmas supper and opening of gifts for the children. December 25th is set aside as a day to rest and enjoy the holiday. [On Christmas Eve] my family gathers for a traditional Christmas supper: "tamales" and Champurrado (corn gruel), or other traditional dishes. We dance and wait for 12 midnight to exchange and open gifts! Most relatives stay for the leftovers the next day.\n\nIn Germany, the 6th of December is a special day:\n...There's a special tradition all over Germany on December 6th. [On] the evening of December 5th you put your cleaned (big) boots outside the house in front of the door (or inside). Some people also put a plate there or on the windowsill. The bread in the plate is for the white horse of Santa Claus ... In the morning you see that Santa Claus really was at your house and put nice things into the boots or plates, e.g., all kinds of nuts, oranges, apples, sweets, chocolate, small presents ... But if you [weren't] well behaved the whole year you only get a switch so that your parents can punish you, but they don't!\nKristine and Wiebke, Germany\n\nAnd in Italy, January 6th is a day long-awaited by many children:\nThe 6th of January is the day on which the three Wise Men arrive at the Bethlehem cave in which kid Jesus is and give him gold, incense and myrrh and for this reason in Italy children receive presents traditionally brought by the "Befana," a good old witch who comes into their homes through the chimney. This is the last day to the Christmas holiday in Italy.\nElisbetta, Italy\n\nIn Sweden, December 13th is a special day that children look forward to all year long:\nSaint Lucia [Day] is celebrated all over Sweden on December 13th. The custom with the girl dressed in white with candles on her head has a complicated background ... In our school we celebrate Saint Lucia Day outside very early in the morning while it's still dark. Our Saint Lucia is coming in a carriage pulled by a very small horse. She is followed by Santa Claus on a big horse and a lot of girls and boys in white gowns and a lot of candles. They all sing traditional Christmas songs and read poems. After the ceremony we all eat ginger cookies and bread with saffron. To celebrate is very important to Swedish people.\nClass 4c in Nasbyparksskolan
1066568
there's a whole lot and it will depend on which part of the country you're interested in. mostly, these are festivities of a town, city or province that coincide with the birth/death/any special event of that place's patron saint.\n\nbut for those observed nation-wide, there are only three major celebrations:\n\nreligious events in the philippines are particularly noteworthy. the whole lenten season is observed and the holy week can either be spent piously or by going on out-of-town holidays and vacations.\n\nthe first and second of november is observed solemnly and is dedicated to deceased relatives and friends.\n\nand then there's christmas season. the time frame for this season starts at 1 dec until the feast of the three kings (around the first week of january). unofficially, christmas season starts around 3 nov (see above). decorations are set up, parties left and right, gift-buying craze hits everyone. and it doesn't on the 25th of december either. there's another big celebration in each house come 31 dec, for the new year's eve.\n\nother holidays (usually with historical backgrounds) like independence day, labor day, etc. are just taken in as a welcome break from the work/school week. nothing really special for individuals.\n\ncheck out the link below for the specific dates of festivities in specific areas.\n\nhope this helps =)
435171
Christ's birthday, but most people think of it as a holiday getting together with family and friends...presents....unfortunately people get so tied up with that that they miss the true meaning of Christmas =(
712670
I am the ONLY one of my immediate family (by that I mean of my brothers and my parents) who moved away. I had 3 brothers, but 2 of them have died by suicide, unfortunately. My parent are in their early 70's, and I don't know how much longer we will have them with us. While I have my own little family, (wonderful hubby, 2 grown daughters, even a granddaughter), at Holidays, my heart still goes "home" to where my parents are. It's for this exact reason that the traditional turkey with all the trimmings means so very much to me. It gives me the memories of the whole family, alive and well, gathered together around the table enjoying the festivities. My heart (and stomach) go home 1200 km away, for the Holidays.
953141
I am in my early 40's and have been cooking Thanksgiving (and dinner every Sunday) for my family since I was 32.  I have 3 brothers and all there children plus 6 kids of my own, grandchildren, plus my father.   My mother passed away several yrs ago and the duty fell upon me. I have tried to keep the tradition of family dinners every sundy,  plus holidays going the way my mother did for us.
871211
My parents are divorced, so we have separate celebrations with their extended families. Usually on Christmas Eve we go to my Grandma's (Mum's side) and have a casual help-yourself christmas dinner and drinks with cold chicken, ham, turkey,salads and Nan usually makes trifle. After dinner we have present opening, then we sit and talk and watch the kids play with their new toys and be all excited and cute. Then everybody gradually heads home. Then on Christmas morning we (my sisters and I) open presents from Mum because we live with her. We laze around in our pyjamas for a while relaxing, then we head off to Dad's place. We usually have a lunch very similar to the dinner at Grandma's, cold meats and salads, then we open presents and then we relax for the rest of the day and have leftovers for dinner. And then it's all over and we enjoy the holidays : ) I hope that was enlightening, and hope you have a safe and happy Christmas : )
1170777
lol, they werent born on holidays.  We named certain days after them and made them HOLIDAYS.
453477
These are our most important traditions concerning special holidays during the year.\n\nhttp://www.czechheritage.net/nameday.html\n\nCzech republic is a country of many traditions, usually based on superstitions, for example eating a specific food on a specific day may either bring you luck or troubles. People in small villages usually use things such as flowers to predict the future, for example girls try to foretell when will they get married and what shall their husband be like...
180331
wow, what a good question, I hope people with interesting racial ideas about colonisation and the genocide of the native people go into more detail than I I have time for right now.\n\nwhy the holiday ... its a part of the story the country tells itself, to define itself.  every country has a "once upon a time, there was ...this place... and then some people came and did amazing things... and that's why we exist!" whatever, and down through the centuries, certain people who were real at some point get mythologized, like columbus and davy crockett.  these figures are always white european males, but that's how it goes.  \n\nbut its changing - we already have martin luther king day, so I have hope for a better story for the future...
843567
In America, we celebrate plenty of different holidays. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, Halloween, Independence Day, St. Patricks Day, Easter, New Years (January1st), Labor Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day. Even some from different ethnicity, Tet (Chinese New Years), Cinco de Mayo, Hannukah (Not sure I spelled that right), Kwanza, and plenty more that I can't think of right now.\nI don't specifically have a favourite holiday, but if I had to choose, I'd say Christmas, and I know a lot of people love this holiday too, but I love it because it brings everyone together and puts a great smile onto our faces. Don't get me wrong, I love the presents, decorating, and Christmas shopping, but one of the best parts is, it gets everyone in a good mood, and I like that about people, it let's them forget some of there troubles and let's them just have fun because it's such an important day to us and our families, and let us enjoy our fun traditions. And I really mean it, not trying to be cheesy.
401056
Almost all of the customs here in the US (other than Native American) come from somewhere else. Most of our major holidays are based on traditions from other countries; we have st. patrick's day, valentines day, christmas, easter, cinco de mayo, and many others that were all brought here from elsewhere. We are a malting pot, and all the settlers brought their customs and traditions with them. Different parts of the country may place emphasis on different cultural traditions depending on the general base of their population or the population that settled that area.
997057
They are not mutually exclusive, I send a e-mail every Christmas to my family you could say that is my tradition yet it is in the form of modern technology...I also can make my grandmas recipes in a microwave... so you see where I am going here. Traditions are rituals we do to feel connected to someone/thing.  You can speed these things up with modernizations though.
968284
well from the 60s here.i remember the Christmas trees .the large ones with the big branches that i cant seem to find any more and the large lights with the tincle and all the snow on the ground[upstate NY] and my dad was alive .and my grandma too.i guess it was special not for what i got but the people i loved were together.merry christmas to you.
937539
Really sad isn't it.  I remember when I was a kid, and going to gramas house, and everyone sitting down around a huge table every sunday and eating dinner.  Now none of my family even get together for thanksgiving anymore.
507776
The traditions that our family has built up over the years.  the colors, the music, the emphasis on good will and giving to others, the smells of the tree, gingerbread, fires in the fireplace, and the wamr comfort of being at home with family.
702203
Well, religious people are always religious regardless of the occasion...\n\nBut yeah actually it was meant to be a sort of patriotic celebration of the survival of the (religious, granted) pilgrims through the first harsh year after coming to America. That's why it's only celebrated in the US. There isn't any global religious significance.\n\nThe dinner goes much like Christmas around here, big dinner that's usually turkey, and the family sitting around the table (hopefully) enjoying each other's company. There aren't any gifts exchanged usually, except maybe something for the hostess like wine or flowers. There aren't really any Thanksgiving lights or songs to speak of.\n\nWhen I lived in Europe I missed my family more at Thanksgiving than I did at Christmas, oddly enough. I guess maybe because there were some Christmas celebrations going on that were very fun.\n\nIt might be seen as a sort of warm-up for the Christmas holiday (or Yule for me... same difference).