USA traditions

American movies and series have shown us the customs of the American people on countless occasions. We can probably name a few without thinking too much about them. However, they have other very curious that you may not have noticed. We review them below!

Christmas and New Year

Christmas is a very special time for Americans so they take great pains to decorate the streets and their own homes with typical Christmas decorations such as lights, mistletoe, garlands and the typical Christmas fir tree, around which are placed the gifts that will be opened on December 25 in the morning after Santa Claus has passed through the houses of the children who have behaved well. In his task, he is helped by an elf who watches from a bookshelf, known as The Elf on the Shelf.

To welcome in the new year, big parties are organized the night before that last until the next morning. One of the most iconic places to meet on December 31 is Times Square in New York, where a huge crystal ball will usher in the new year by going down during the countdown.

Thanksgiving

Along with Christmas it is one of the most familiar traditions in the United States. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November and its origin dates back to the time of the first American settlers.

According to the chronicles, it was the year 1620 when a group of European settlers settled in Massachusetts after crossing the Atlantic in search of a better life. They went through many hardships until, after a very harsh winter, they managed to bring their crops to fruition thanks to the collaboration of the native Wampanoag, who helped them grow corn, squash or barley. The settlers, tremendously grateful, prepared a great party to thank God.

From that moment, Thanksgiving took center stage until President Abraham Lincoln instituted a national Thanksgiving Day in 1863. in a letter that established the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving and worship to God.

The purpose of this celebration, as its name indicates, is to thank God for everything one has in life. On the night of November 24, entire families gather around a table to taste the traditional roasted stuffed turkey and the typical pumpkin pie, among other delicacies.

Día de la Independencia

Image | Lazaron San Luis

It is one of the most important and popular holidays in the United States. Every year, the 4th of July commemorates the independence of the United Kingdom in 1776 when the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.

Being a national holiday, many events are organized in cities such as parades or fireworks shows.

Halloween

Halloween

If there is a custom in the United States that we have seen countless times on television and in the cinema, it is Haloween. It has always been so successful that it has been exported to many countries.

Halloween takes place on the night of October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. It has its roots in an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, which means end of summer. This pagan festival took place at the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the Celtic New Year coinciding with the autumn solstice.

On Halloween night it was believed that the spirits of the deceased walked among the living. That is why it was customary to perform rituals to communicate with the dead and light a candle so that they would find their way to the afterlife.

Today, Halloween is very different. People dress up and decorate houses with horror and mystery themes. Children roam neighborhoods looking for treats and challenging neighbors with a trick or a treat. The emblem of this tradition is a pumpkin, the interior of which is emptied to place a candle inside and the exterior is carved with dark faces.

Easter

Image | Pixabay

Easter in the United States marks the end of Holy Week with a tradition that is a cross between religion and custom and takes place on Easter Sunday. While in Spain we have the steps of Holy Week, In the United States, they organize an activity dedicated to the little ones called Easter Egg Hunts, with the Easter bunny as the main character.

This tradition in the United States consists of hiding Easter eggs in a certain area, be it a garden, a patio, a play area ... and the children have to look for them. Even the White House participates in this custom at Easter and celebrates its own Easter Egg Hunts at the residence of the President of the United States.

Weddings and funerals

Thames Town wedding

Americans like to celebrate weddings in style. More is more. They organize them in various places such as gardens, beaches, halls or churches. The banquet is usually very well decorated and has abundant food for all the guests. It is customary that at that time the godmother and best man of the wedding make an endearing and funny speech in front of all the guests in tribute to the bride and groom.

Afterwards, a large wedding cake is taken out that, as in other countries, the bride and groom have to cut and during the dance the bride throws her bridal bouquet to the single women who have attended the party as tradition says that who catches him will be the next to marry. In other countries like Spain, for example, if the brides are religious, they usually give their bouquet to the Virgin who has more devotion to ask for protection from their family. Others deliver their bouquet directly to a person they hold dear, such as a sister or a mother.

Regarding funerals, when someone dies it is customary to organize it in a church or at home, where people who knew the deceased go to accompany the family in such difficult moments. In case of not being able to go, it is typical to send the family a bouquet of flowers. Afterwards, a procession is made to the burial place and after it, the family offers the assistants a small banquet in the family home to remember the deceased.


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*