Everyone has holiday expectations and dreams of the perfect Thanksgiving, a magical Christmas and a prosperous New Year. While these expectations are what most strive for, it is not always how these occasions happen. Setting realistic expectations that leave room for mishaps that may occur will perhaps save you from suffering undue disappointments.
There is nothing wrong with planning for a perfect holiday, but when things do not go as planned it can be devastating for some. Couples who are experiencing their first Thanksgiving together is a perfect example. To begin with, preparing the first Thanksgiving meal for everyone in the family is stressful enough, but if something does not turn out as planned, it can reduce a person to tears. The same goes for a single parent whose finances are now limited. Knowing that your children are expecting as much, if not more than what they got for Christmas in the past is stressful and disheartening knowing that you cannot possibly grant their wishes.
Because of the economic situation, it has put many in a bind for the holidays. Some are wit...
When the great holiday of Thanksgiving comes to mind, most people think of becoming total gluttons and gorging themselves with a seemingly unending amount of food. Others might think of the time spent with family and friends. The whole basis of the holiday is family togetherness, fellowship, and thankfulness for blessings received during the previous year.
Christmas has consumed itself. At its conception, it was a fine idea, and I imagine that at one point its execution worked very much as it was intended to. These days, however, its meaning has been perverted; its true purpose ignored and replaced with a purpose imagined by those who merely go through the motions, without actually knowing why they do so.
When I think about Thanksgiving and Christmas, the first thought that comes to mind is the good food. Every year my family and I prepare many homemade dishes to celebrate the holidays. For Thanksgiving, my family and I will go all out the way in preparing dinner. We will actually start preparing the food two days in advance, so we can make sure that we have everything is prepared. The food is traditional with Thanksgiving, turkey, ham, collard greens, yams, stuffing, egg nog, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie. For Christmas, my family does not prepare as much food as we do ...
Finding focus and the true reason of Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations can not only make them enjoyable but meaningful and magical.
In this case has done as such. Santa was every parents wing man to keep their children on the straight and narrow. Children learned the importance of Santa's motto and by reflecting it in their life how even the simplest true hearted deed, could bring forth a big positive change. It gave the knowledge and confidence to make a difference. Instead parents become guilt ridden and buy the present anyway. This defeats what the list was all about and hour children learn nothing. No lessons no growth just stuck in the mold. Was is so bad to keep a bit of hope?
The festive season is ripe with rich food, sugary treats and alcohol – making it tempting to over-indulge. What's more, all of the festivities can seriously mess with your workout routine! The best way to survive the holidays is to eat in moderation, make wise food choices, and continue to exercise – even if you simply take a walk around the park, or do some squats and lunges at home.
Thanksgiving is undoubtedly a holiday to celebrate family. It also celebrates many other things, as the name suggests. Thanksgiving is a holiday to give thanks for the things that a person has rather than to wish for more things. Accomplishments and shiny cars are not part of the essence of Thanksgiving, as these do not have the inherent humbleness expected of the holiday. This air of humility and frugality, harkening back to the days of the pilgrims and Native Americans, is probably what lead Ellen Goodman to describe the holiday as a suppressing of individualism. However, the rift between individuality and family that Goodman describes in Thanksgiving is not as deep as she makes it seem, and Thanksgiving Day is hardly the only day of the
Christmas is almost here again, but have you ever thought how odd some of the holiday traditions are and how they became so popular? Buying a pine tree, setting it up in your house and then decorating it with festive lights and ornaments; hanging up stockings filled with candy over the fireplace; or how an old guy in a red-suit comes to your house the night before Christmas and leaves presents. This, too many Americans is normal, but why? Learning about these holiday traditions will get you into the Christmas spirit and show you what Christmas is truly about.
Turkey. Mashed potatoes. Ham. Stuffing. Gravy. Pumpkin Pie. Friends. Love. Joy. Family. Laughter. What do all of these things bring to mind? Thanksgiving Day. The tradition of Thanksgiving began in the early 1600s shortly after pilgrims’ ships landed on American soil. To celebrate their arrival and all of their successful harvests, they feasted merrily and gave thanks for a time of such great fortune. From that point on, American people made it a point to honor the holiday around the same time each year. Since those times, however, Thanksgiving traditions have changed significantly. Today, Americans are more focused on getting to their stores early as possible before the much anticipated Black Friday begins. Businesses have recognized this
another Christmas working in retail. Although this is the first year I won’t be spending
For most, Thanksgiving is a holiday spent with family and delicious food, but for others, it is a day consisting of tremendous planning in hopes for a major haul of “discounted” items. In the United States, it is safe to say that Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events each year. In recent years the public's participation in Black Friday has continued to decline, stated by the National Retail Federation. ”Thirty-five percent of consumers who plan to shop during Thanksgiving week say they will do so on Black Friday, down from 51 percent last year and 59 percent the year before, according to consumer markets research from PwC, the professional services giant.” (Bhattarai). I personally have never been
As I skim through the Chadwick’s mail-order catalog, I come across a woman, who looks as if she is in her mid-thirties, standing outside on the snow-covered ground. Her gloved hand is arched back in a ready-to-throw position with a snowball resting in her palm. The woman is wearing a ¾ length gray wool coat and black leather gloves, which catches my eye. The serene, white-topped leaves of the pine trees lean in different directions, waiting for spring to arrive. “Winter is a breeze if you buy this coat” is the message I receive from this friendly-gestured woman. This warm, easy feeling especially comes into play during the holiday season when we buy gifts for our friends and family.
Christmas is the most popular holiday in all of the land. Mostly everyone loves Christmas. There are three categories of Christmas people. Number one; the haters. They despise Christmas and think it is the devil and nothing good comes from lying to children and giving gifts for absolutely no reason at all. Number two; the average person. The ones who just buy the gifts, wear the holiday sweaters, and go to the annual Christmas gathering at Grandma’s where gifts and laughs are exchanged. Number three; the die hard Santa’s of the group. The few mothers or fathers who decorate the day after Halloween to get into the Christmas spirit. The tree is up on November first and the Christmas lights are hung all year round. They make sure to go black friday shopping to get everyone a gift, even cousin Nicholas, who is three times removed. Christmas is
Holiday shopping, for me, is a nightmare because of the abundance of crowds, all of the fighting and competitiveness. I believe those last minute shoppers are the worst, they are the ones that are rude and impatient. For some people, with lots of patience, dealing with holiday shoppers is a good experience. For people like me, who has very little patience, it is a dreadful experience. Another aspect of shopping during the holidays is dealing with tired, overworked and frustrated employees. They are just trying to get their jobs done as quickly as possible, so they can go home to their families. Meanwhile, you have those employees that are cheerful and are eager to help the distraught shoppers. Also, during the holidays horrible accidents can occur often at this time of year. I am going to portray the dangers and mishaps that can occur during the holidays. I am not anti-holiday, but the older I get the more I don't have any desire to be exposed to all of the potential chaos.
Holidays are a celebration and an enjoyment of festivities. Although they are a commonality across the world, holidays differ between countries and cultures. But, what many do not realize is that holidays are ultimately ideology driven, that is that the group that celebrates these holidays follows a certain set of ideas and beliefs. Whether the ideology is religion based, or politically based, all holidays are centered around ideologies.