In the United States, the period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is known as the holiday season because of the unusual number of holidays that fall between these two dates.

Thanksgiving, one of the biggest holidays, has already passed. Now, most people are looking forward to an even bigger holiday: Christmas.

Christmas

Christmas is a major holiday in the United States, perhaps the biggest in the entire year. Christmas Day takes place on December 25, with Christmas Eve celebrated the night before. Although Christmas is traditionally a Christian holiday, it has earned a certain amount of secular meaning in the United States, with many non-Christians participating in the traditions.

Giving gifts is one of the main features of Christmas for all who celebrate it. Traditionally, on Christmas morning, families exchange gifts. Many children believe that Santa Claus delivered their gifts the night before, and many leave milk and cookies out for Santa to eat when he visits the house.

The Christmas presents are left under a Christmas tree: an evergreen tree, kept in a family’s home, and decorated with ornaments and lights on the body of tree, with a star or angel usually placed on top. Many families, especially children, look forward to “trimming,” or decorating, the tree in the weeks that precede Christmas. The most famous Christmas tree is undoubtedly the giant one lit in New York’s Rockefeller Center each year.

Many people also decorate their homes and businesses with electric lights and other decorations. The traditional Christmas colors are red and green, but white and multicolored lights are also common. During the Christmas season, it’s also common to see wreaths of holly and mistletoe used as decorations. The tradition is that if you find yourself standing under the mistletoe with someone, you’re obliged to kiss each other; however, this has come to be more of a joke or source of cinematic romance than a strict tradition.

After opening presents on Christmas morning, many families eat dinner together in the afternoon. Turkey and ham are the most common entrees, but this varies according to individual tastes. Many families also attend religious services on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, and some go caroling (singing Christmas songs) in their neighborhoods.

Even if non-Christians don’t follow all of these traditions, many of them still take a day off on Christmas, and some even give gifts to each other on Christmas Day. December 25 is a federal holiday in the United States, so most businesses close for the day. Many Chinese restaurants, however, remain open on Christmas Day, and it has become a tradition for many non-Christians to take advantage of this fact and eat Chinese food on Christmas.

Other Holidays

Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are two other holidays celebrated around the time of Christmas in the United States. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that usually falls sometime during December. Hanukkah traditions include exchanging gifts; lighting candles; playing the game of dreidel; and eating latkes, which are fried potato pancakes.

Kwanzaa is observed between December 26 and January 1 each year. It was originally created as an alternative to Christmas that would pay homage to classical African cultures. Among other traditions, families who celebrate Kwanzaa light candles held in a kinara, whose shape represents African-American roots.

In addition to Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, there are still more holidays celebrated by other groups during this period, including Diwali, the Hindu “Festival of Light” (November 9 this year), and Las Posadas, which is celebrated by many Latin American Christians (December 16 to December 24).

The Holiday Spirit

Traditions in the United States vary from group to group; however, despite ethnic, racial, and religious differences, a holiday spirit still pervades the air throughout the month of December.

During the holiday season, there is a definite emphasis on thinking of others and helping those who are in need. Many people make an extra effort during this season to volunteer or donate to charity, and many nonprofit organizations hold successful toy drives for underprivileged children.

Many people also take extra time to see their families or go on vacation during this season. And of course, most come together to ring in the new year each December 31.

Although Christmas and other religious holidays are specific to certain groups, many other principles that are now associated with the holiday season—hope, peace, equality—are universal. Thus, the holiday season has a separate meaning that applies to everyone in the United States, regardless of smaller differences.

Happy Holidays!

Whatever your individual traditions are, we at Zhang & Associates would like to wish you the best of holidays and a happy new year.

First, we would like to send season’s greetings to all the USCIS officers who been overwhelmed with an increased caseload in the past few months. We are very thankful to them for all their hard work, and we hope they have a relaxing holiday season and joyful new year.

We’d also like to send our best wishes to the pro-immigration advocates and legislators who have worked in the interest of our clients this year. We wish them a holiday season full of good food and good company, and hope that they come back feeling refreshed after the new year.

We thank our clients for trusting us with their cases, and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the coming year. We hope your holiday season is filled with joy and laughter, and we send you best wishes and much success in the new year.

Finally, we want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and much success in the new year.

Happy holidays from Zhang & Associates!