This week, let’s talk about what is typically considered to be “American” at Christmastime.
Christmas is celebrated very differently here in Japan. It is usually when a boyfriend will reserve a very nice hotel room for him and his girlfriend, and they will eat a nice Christmas dinner at the hotel and spend the night together. This is something I did when I was first in Japan back in the 1990s when I was in the U.S. Air Force.
But, Christmas in America is very different. When I was a child, my family had a tradition that we could open one present under the Christmas Tree the night before Christmas on December 24. The next morning my brother and I would wake up early on Christmas day and wake up our parents, so we could open up the rest of our presents (that we thought Santa Claus brought us) including the ones we had in our red and white stockings that hung by the fireplace. We would then go to our grandparents where we would receive envelopes with money inside and eat a big dinner with all the trimmings (Turkey or Ham, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry, mashed potatoes, stuffing if we had turkey). Sometimes we visited our local church too. Of course many Christians believe that this is baby Jesus’s birthday and that is the true meaning of Christmas. Others who don’t practice any religion think of it as vacation time off from work and to be with family and friends.
Many people associate Santa Claus with this holiday season, but there are actually two separate traditions that make up the whole Santa myth.
The first tradition comes from Scandinavia, and it doesn’t include any elves or reindeer. In fact, there is no character like Santa at all! Instead, these winter celebrations feature gifts left for you under the tree (a tree is never safe in Scandinavian culture).
This gift-giving ritual was brought over by early German immigrants and spread throughout Europe. When Americans adopted these customs, they usually modified them by adding a personification of the spirit of giving.
But none of those characters fit the true meaning of Christmas, which is gratitude. The decorations and food and presents under the tree celebrate not just how much you gave someone else, but also how much you received from them. So today, let us take a closer look at the origins of the Santa myth!
Disclaimer: The following article is intended as general entertainment. These facts may not be appropriate for children, parents, or sensitive viewers.
The Christmas season is a great time to shop
This year, you can spend your holidays shopping online! Gone are the days when people would wake only to rely on lining up at shopping malls on Black Friday and all the way leading up to the day before Christmas Day to buy family and friends presents. Nowadays, people surf the Internet to catch online deals from the likes of Amazon or Walmart and other popular websites to catch up on all of their Christmas shopping.
There are also apps on smartphones to help you save money that people use instead of paper coupons from years past. These applications make it easy to choose and find something worthy for someone else, which is perfect because we all know that not everyone finds the same thing fun or entertaining.
Make a list and get rid of things
Check out the YouTube video a little over 13 minutes long above to show you what Christmas looks like for many families in America.
When people talk about how expensive living in America is, they usually mention the cost of food or gas or shopping. But what most people don’t realize is that you can easily spend lots of money celebrating Christmas in America!
A few years ago, I heard someone say something like, “Why doesn’t anyone do X anymore? “It used to be people took their holidays very seriously.”
I wondered what this person meant by “taking their holidays very seriously.” For me, taking my holiday as seriously as possible means going away for two weeks every December.
But I know plenty of other Americans who use the word “holiday” more loosely than I do. They may only have one day off work, some people even skip vacation days altogether, so they can focus on working while they are home for the season.
So what does it mean when people say that we Americans no longer celebrate our holidays properly? Why should we even care if people call themselves christians or whatever else but never take a break from the job year after year?
It makes us seem less important to ourselves. To ourselves and others
Donate to a charity that you like
Recent trends in giving have shifted towards online donations via websites such as PayPal or Amazon’s Fundraising Platform. This is typically done through credit cards so that the donation can be categorized as business spending, which costs less for a limited amount of time.
Many charities will allow you to choose whether your contribution goes directly into their accounts or if it is routed through another organization that benefits from the funds later.
Try new foods
There’s nothing like trying something new for us foodies! We love trying all sorts of different dishes, snacks, and drinks and then talking about them with fellow food lovers.
As Americans, we are very special in how we enjoy our cuisine. Our national identity is tied to our culinary heritage and spirit.
So when you find yourself asking what kind of food people have around their house this time-of-year, look no further than “American holiday food.” You will probably see some recipes that include ham or turkey and things like green beans, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
While these are definitely part of American holiday favorites, they are not necessarily representative of the season as a whole.
What makes an American holiday more appropriate than any other time of year is having chocolate or peppermint flavored everything! (I mean, who could forget about those sweet treats?)
This influence is especially strong during the winter months, which is why most countries associate winter weather with gifts, decorations, and sweets.
When December comes around, it’s hard to get through the day without eating something delicious, if only out of desperation because there isn’t much else available.
Celebrate with friends and family
This holiday season, instead of buying expensive decorations or traveling to visit families in other states for the holidays, make some new traditions!
Invite people you know to watch football together or go out for a pizza night after the game. You can also invite them over for dessert and then play board games like Clue, Monopoly, Risk, etc. until late nights.
Festivities should be friend-friendly and not cost too much money. If someone brings food, that’s totally okay!
After all the festivities are done, spend time talking about things and laughing at how hard everyone has worked during the week. Then, take this opportunity to say your goodbyes for the next few weeks since most students have a half-month break before classes start back up again.
Get a housewarming present
Even if you’ve been friends for years, your friend who just moved into their new apartment or house deserves a special gift to welcome them into the community.
A great way to do this is by buying them a food item that they can use to greet guests at home. A very popular choice is having them plant a flower bed in their kitchen or living room area. They will then grow beautiful flowers every season!
Many people buy plants as a birthday gift or anniversary present because it gives someone under budget a small token that will brighten up their life over time. It is also a nice reminder of what we are here for – to enjoy our lives and the surrounding things which make us happy.
Take up volunteering
While some people feel stressed during the holiday season, spending lots of money to celebrate with friends and family, others experience stress from overworking and rushing to meet deadlines.
Many companies make a big deal about their holidays or gratitude programs that reward employees for their hard work with gifts or paid vacations.
You can easily contribute your time instead of money by offering your services at a nearby children’s hospital, retirement home, or non-profit organization. Not only will you enjoy it, but everyone else will appreciate your help as well.
By donating our time, we show strangers in need just how much they mean to us while we help someone less fortunate than ourselves, it makes us feel good inside that we helped another person who needs a helping hand. It also gives those organizations the resources needed to continue doing what they do best!
These are all great ways to spend your winter break. No matter if you’re rich or poor, there’s something in the way to benefit yourself and society as a whole.
From my family to yours, have a very special holiday season. As a special present for reading this blog post you can take 20% off a 40-minute lesson. Go to book a lesson on my website https://www.myjseonline.com/ja/レッスンを予約する/ Use coupon code: HolidayGift20 on check out page where it says promo code. You have some time to use the code. Make sure to book a lesson by February 20, 2023. Note: Lesson dates are only one week out. So plan accordingly. The light colored (clickable) lessons are what are available on the booking calendar for Full Private Lesson with Jim 40 minutes. The code is not good for the 20-minute lessons.