Do you have a preferred Easter candy? Marshmallow Peeps or perhaps jelly beans? Or maybe something else entirely?
Share why if you wish.
Category: Tradition
How Important Is Family?
Many of our holiday traditions are centered around family. But just how important are the people related to us, and how do they impact our lives?
If pop culture is to be believed, family is all important. Gathering together, exchanging gifts, eating a festive meal — that’s the image we have of the season. There are numerous songs, movies, and TV shows that make this point. Businesses even try and draw that comparison: “When you are here, you are family.”
But is that true? Of course, it is important to be supported and to be loved. That support and love, however, could just as easily come from friends or neighbors as from people who are genetically related.
In fact, who you are related to is somewhat random. Parents know that their kids can be wildly different from one another. One might be athletic, another studious and uncoordinated. One loud and outgoing, another quiet and shy. There is no guarantee that you will share traits or interests with someone who happens to be a sibling, parent, cousin, aunt or uncle.
It is difficult to deny, however, the role that our relatives play in our lives. Our parents provide guidance and support. Siblings are often drawn close from the shared formative experiences they have.
Is that simply a remnant of our evolutionary development? Humans evolved as hunter gatherers, where a tightly-woven clan probably increased the odds of survival. Of course, what was true for our ancestors may also be true for us.
As you maybe visiting some right now or in the past week or two, ask yourself: How important is family?
Related questions: Why do we feel the need to belong? How have your parents influenced you? What does the holiday mean to you? Is your pet part of your family?
Cookout Or Parade?
To celebrate a patriotic holiday, do you prefer to attend a parade, or go to a cookout? What makes one more appealing than the other?
Share why if you wish.
Cookout Or Parade?
Will You Be Celebrating New Year’s Eve With Other People?
More than perhaps any holiday, New Year’s Eve involves being social. Will you celebrate with others, or at home alone?
Share why if you wish.
How Does Christmas Impact You?
The Christmas holiday has a huge cultural footprint, for Christians and non-Christians alike. How does it impact you?
For Christians, the Christmas holiday holds special significance as the birth of Jesus Christ. But for people who practice a different religion, or even no religion at all, December 25th is still a significant day.
Many of the trappings of Christmas, as it is celebrated today, have little to do with Christianity. For example, Santa Claus is mentioned nowhere in the Bible. In fact, many of the ways of celebrating the holiday are borrowed from other cultures. This includes the decorated tree, the giving of gifts to family members, Santa Claus, and other parts of today’s holiday.
Regardless of the origins, however, Christmas decorations start to appear in stores months in advance. Many towns decorate outdoor trees and shrubs with lights, usually starting in early December. Some may also have a town Christmas Tree with an official lighting ceremony.
Christmas music can be heard in some places as early as October. It is almost inescapable for the week or two prior to the 25th. Carolers may even go from door to door singing holiday songs.
On the commercial side, retailers try to entice buyers with sales. Of course, the discounts are available to anyone, Christian or not.
On Christmas Day itself, most businesses are closed, so most everyone gets a day off, regardless of religious affiliation. In Jewish communities, for instance, it is common to have “December 25th concerts” (for obvious reasons, they are not called “Christmas concerts”).
What are some ways the season impacts you? How do you suppose it is different for people with different religious beliefs? Different economic backgrounds?
Related questions: What does the holiday mean to you? Does your holiday fill you with wonder? What makes a tradition?