Christmas in the United States straddles both a religous observance and a secular celebration embodying the country's cultural diversity. Mostly Christian country, the United States Christmas is basically a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The American history of Christmas dates back principally to European traditions carried over by the First Nations settlers from England, Germany and the Netherlands.
These traditions included everything from religious services (like church services) to secular practices of the time such as decorating a Christmas tree and giving presents. Christmas began as a very religious holiday up until church services, and then moved to family! But early 19th century saw a transition in the direction of more secular practices, as commercialism increased and family-oriented celebrations took precedence. (Handler, 2013).
Christmas in the U.S. is still very much a Christian holiday with church services a big deal for many families. Mass attendance singing carols, taking part in nativity plays depicting Christ's birth are the central religious activities usually. While Protestant denominations, especially in the Midwest and South will underscore the religious interpretation of Christmas; Catholics and Orthodox Christians are celebrating with more elaborate liturgical traditions (Meyer, 2015). They are testaments to the nation's Christian heritage and still a big part for many Americans during the holiday season.
Christmas gift exchange is a principal part of American celebrations on this holiday.
The tradition is rooted in both Christian (the gifts to Christ child) and non-secular consumption symbolism. Loved ones, families and friends exchange gifts in acts of love & appreciation Homes are decorated with Christmas trees, lights and ornaments, and neighborhoods compete to have the best display (Klein, 2016).
Christmas celebrations in the U.S. varies greatly from region to region and cultural communities. Although the general template of Christmas remains the same as framework, the celebration can be supplemented with traditional and regional festivities. As an example, in Hispanic neighborhoods Christmas parties usually have "Las Posadas" ( a reenactment of Mary's search for a place to stay leading to nine nights of celebration with food and family music). Across the same vein, soul food traditions like ham (the traditional African American's holiday ham), collard greens and sweet potatoes will be found on many Christmas tables (Smith, 2018).
References:
- Handler, R. (2013). Christmas in America: A Historical Overview. Journal of American History, 89(1), 134-156.
- Klein, A. (2016). The Commercialization of Christmas: From Santa Claus to Consumerism. Journal of Popular Culture, 49(2), 220-235. the United States. Sociology of Religion, 76(3), 375-392.
- Commercial Phenomenon. American Economic Review, 107(6), 1532-1548.
- States: A Comparative Approach. Ethnology, 57(4), 299-314.
Enesh MERETGULYYEVA,
a student of Dovletmammet Azadi
Turkmen National Institute of World Languages.