It’s that time of year. Beginning in December comes the holiday season. People celebrate Christmas in many countries worldwide. More than 160 countries celebrate Christmas. From Canada to Japan to Russia, each country has its traditions.
When Christmas comes, so do many exciting things such as food, presents, songs, and other traditions. So many fun things happen during the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”- Andy Williams. During the holiday season in the United States, people commonly put up festive decorations such as lights, Christmas trees, and wreaths. Foods and drinks like candy canes, cookies, hot cocoa, and apple cider are all sweet treats to enjoy during the holiday season.
The United States is one of many countries celebrating a holiday around this time of year. The Romans celebrated the festival of Saturnalia between the 17th and 25th of December. It paid tribute to Saturn – the God of Agriculture and Harvest. Some traditions involved with this festival were sacrifices, banquets, gift-giving, and partying. The Christians stole the idea of Christmas from the pagan culture. The pagan culture is the original origin of Christmas. Just like us, pagans practice the same traditions we do. A Hispanic tradition practiced throughout Latin America during Christmas is opening gifts and presents at midnight.
While many people may celebrate Christmas, why do people celebrate it? Christmas Day is the 25th. Christmas has gained so much popularity because over 63% of all Americans are Christian. Jesus Christ is why it is called Christmas: we are celebrating his birthday. Many Christians usually go to church during Christmas weekend to celebrate this day.
Another exciting thing to look forward to nearing Christmas time is Santa Claus. Santa Claus is what many kids around the world believe in. A common tradition that people do for Christmas is to lay out cookies and milk for Santa. Santa is “always watching” and knows if you are “naughty or nice.” This superstition is from a lyric in “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” Many say you will get coal if you are on the naughty list. Santa is the staple of Christmas in the United States and the holiday season for many people.
At Lafayette, many people celebrate in different ways. The Times interviewed 18 students and asked them what traditions they practiced during the Holiday season. Almost everyone interviewed said they opened and gave presents to family and friends. One student said that after they opened presents, they watched the NBA Christmas Day games while eating lunch. Some students said they celebrated and opened gifts at their grandparents’ house. One of the 18 students I interviewed mentioned that their tradition was to open presents at midnight on December 24th.
Everyone I asked said they had a big feast at the end of the day. Another thing that Americans love to do during the Christmas season is to listen to festive music. One staple Christmas song is “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey. Some other popular joyful songs are “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, “Last Christmas” by Wham!, and “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens. These songs are frequently played during Christmas, generating significant revenue for these artists yearly.
Christmas is coming up, which also brings along its frigid weather. Due to cold temperatures in late December, snow is very common. A white and snowy Christmas morning is a “dream” occurrence, according to a poll by NKyTribune completed by 28% of Kentuckians. Forecasters estimate that just over 26.6% of Americans will experience a “White Christmas” this year. According to Shane Co., Christmas is statistically the most loved holiday in the U.S., so Merry Christmas!
