Christmas in America home decoration. Decorations of American houses for Christmas
Throughout December, traditionally, American houses are buried in light illumination. Already tomorrow, December 25, many will turn off the garlands and lighting, but even today they don’t think about electricity bills here - the main thing is the holiday atmosphere. The most important thing for many families is to show people that they love Christmas.
In almost every area for Christmas, you can find several originally decorated houses that create a real festive mood.
The owners of these houses do not care about large electricity bills in December, because they find the time and energy to create a holiday for themselves and others.
Garage at home in California
Many of these houses are decorated in a new way for every Christmas and eventually become a kind of local attractions for tourists.
House in California
Notable Christmas sites include the small town of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, which transforms into fairy tale and lit up with thousands of lights. Outside of Christmas, this area is notable for its low crime rate and old houses, many of which are over a hundred years old. But the whole of December, Tale will be added to these pluses: residents spend about $ 20 thousand on house decorations, and the electricity bill for only one December can be more than $ 3 thousand.
The area began to be decorated in the early 80s, when the first unusually decorated house appeared here. This caused such a stir that it turned into a massive hobby - and the spirit of rivalry seized all the neighbors.
Portland, Oregon. Photo: Facebook/Portland's Christmas Street
But being the best on your street is one thing, but being the brightest on the planet is quite another. This was even filmed the film "Welcome or No Neighbors Entry" with Danny DeVito in the title role. According to the plot of the comedy, the hero De Vito sets himself the task of making his house visible from space with the help of Christmas decorations.
Inspired by this idea, students from the University of Leicester in the US decided to calculate how many garlands and light bulbs you need to hang on your house so that it can be seen from the ISS. After calculating the average power of LED bulbs used in garlands, as well as the level of light pollution, they came to the conclusion that a resident of an average American city (the same DeVito hero) needs to decorate his house (preferably the roof and the area around) with at least 2683 LED bulbs .
But this is an approximation. In the event that someone decides to actually “light up” their home, the number of luminous garlands will probably have to be increased.
Interesting fact! Did you know that, according to statistics, 18 cities in the United States are named Bethlehem. Bethlehem, Connecticut usually hosts a two-week choir festival in December. In Bethlehem in the states of North Carolina, Kentucky and Georgia - theatrical performances reenacting events in the biblical Bethlehem. Bethlehem in South Dakota has long been a city of refuge for religious Hasidic Jews. And the most famous of them is located in Pennsylvania, just a two-hour drive from Manhattan.
Every year, thousands of tourists come here, because since 1937 this city has maintained and developed the image of the "most Christmas" city in America.
Westchester, New York. Photo: Instagram/hellkittynyc
Birmingham, Alabama. Photo: facebook.com/larry donaldson
Dyker Heights, New York.
Dyker Heights, New York. Photo: facebook.com/Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
Castille, Georgia. Photo: facebook.com/ChristmasInCastille
Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Facebook/Mark Levine
Tamwater, Washington. Photo: facebook/CheriPiles
Denver, Colorado. Photo: Facebook/Jeremy David Lewis
Dyker Heights, New York. Photo: facebook.com/Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
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Christmas is one of the brightest and most beautiful Christian holidays. Millions of people are waiting for him with hope and joy in their hearts. A magical Christmas night even makes you forget about your affairs and worries for a very long time. Imbued with the fabulous spirit of the holiday, adults, like children, believe in miracles.
Christmas in the United States, as in other countries where the majority of the population is Catholic, is celebrated on December 25th. Despite the different religions of the country's multinational population, this holiday for Americans is one of the brightest and most colorful. The traditions and features of its celebration in the United States will be discussed.
Holiday preparations
Long before the long-awaited celebration, the Americans begin preparations for it. The streets of the cities are decorated with sparkling multi-colored lights of electric garlands. Many stores hire decorators to decorate their windows in the spirit of Christmas. Thus, the most famous department stores in Manhattan have been organizing an unspoken competition in the creativity of their halls and showcases for many years now.
Owners of houses and mansions participate in the pre-holiday decor race. All this sparkling beauty is visually conveyed by films about Christmas in the USA, the list of which American directors annually replenish with a new fabulous story.
On the streets of the cities, the ringing of the bell of Santa Claus is heard, foreshadowing a meeting with a kind wizard. Trade barkers, dressed in his costume, congratulate passers-by on the upcoming holiday and remind them of Christmas gifts. Large shopping centers invite specially trained actors to play the role of Santa and equip a fabulous residence where the wizard listens to the cherished desires of the kids.
The multinationality of the country also led to the diversity of Christmas traditions. So, the custom of dressing a fir tree came in together with immigrants from Germany. The famous Christmas carols got their distribution thanks to immigrants from England. And the various street decorations with luminous lanterns and garlands are elements of ancient Spanish traditions, when on Christmas Eve, imitating the illuminated path of Mary and Joseph, paper lanterns with a candle inside were placed along the streets.
Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas), who eventually turned into Santa Claus - the giver of gifts, was one of the most revered saints among Dutch Americans, but soon became one of the world's symbols personifying Christmas.
In the USA, Santa got his recognizable appearance and a red suit. The first to work on the now famous image was the cartoonist of Harper Weekly magazine Thomas Nast in 1863. It was completed for an advertising campaign for Coca-Cola in 1931 by artist Haddon Hubbard Sundblom.
Festive table
As mentioned above, the United States of America is a multinational country, respectively, the culinary preferences of its citizens are different.
Christmas in the USA for Americans with Scottish roots is unthinkable without serving a piglet to the festive table. An Irish Christmas table should have ham or turkey. For immigrants from Germany, the main dish of the holiday is a baked goose. Moreover, it is believed that the fatter and larger the bird, the more successful the coming year will be.
For Italian Americans, codfish is a must on the Christmas menu. However, the Irish custom won, and now most Americans cannot imagine a festive table for Christmas in the USA without the main dish - baked turkey.
christmas spirit
The approach of the long-awaited holiday is reminded not only by all kinds of sales. Christian churches are smartly decorated, and performances on the famous biblical theme are staged in school and preschool institutions.
Christmas for many Americans is not only an occasion to gather for a festive family table and exchange gifts. First of all, the great Christian holiday inspires faith in goodness and justice in the hearts of people. Therefore, on Christmas Eve, Americans devote great attention charity. They transfer funds to various funds to help those in need or join as volunteers in charity events.
Christmas movies
Cinema and television also contribute to creating a dreamlike mood. IN holidays on the television screens of the country a mass of entertainment programs, concerts and TV shows.
But in this colorful program there is always a place for films that have long been loved by the audience. For example, such a family film about Christmas in the United States as It's a Wonderful Life, first released in 1946, has long been an indispensable attribute of the holiday. Without this picture, Americans do not imagine Christmas television in the same way as our viewers do without the film "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" on New Year's holidays.
Paintings "Home Alone", "Miracle on 34th Street", "Bad Santa", "A Christmas Carol", "Exchange Vacation", "Sleepless in Seattle" and " Real love"is also on the list of films that Americans like to watch during the Christmas holidays.
Blessed theme
The kind and magical theme of the holiday is fertile ground for creativity, and every year the directors try to create a new interesting film about it. Christmas in the USA is also the time for the premiere of such films. So in 2015, films were released:
- Krampus: Stole Christmas (Directed by Michael Dougherty).
- Love the Coopers (Directed by Jesse Nelson).
- "Just in Time for Christmas" Directed by Sean McNamara.
- Christmas (directed by Jonathan Levin).
Despite the fact that the films did not receive laudatory reviews from critics, each found its audience and, perhaps, will become a favorite Christmas movie for someone.
A kaleidoscope of New Year and Christmas traditions different countries can be viewed for hours. Of course, it is best to compile it on your own experience, but while each of us has a collection of such observations, the Just There portal invites you to see the colorful world of traditions of other countries through the eyes of those who represent them.
With questions about the New Year holidays and Christmas secrets, we turned to Alexe Landrum, a girl who studied for several years in Vladivostok and then returned to her native Texas.
Alexa, hello! We wish you a Merry Christmas and, at the same time, a Happy New Year! How is Christmas and New Year traditionally celebrated in your country and state?
In the US, Christmas is much more important than the New Year, because for many it is, first of all, a religious holiday that symbolizes the birth of Christ. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. On the eve of this day, on Christmas Eve, theatrical performances showing the birth of Jesus are held in all churches. Also on this day, people get together, sing carols and arrange Christmas readings. Santa Claus and gifts are just an amazing added bonus to the celebration of Christmas, the main essence of the holiday for the people of the USA is, of course, not in this.
Christmas is considered a family holiday, so on the eve of Christmas everyone usually goes somewhere to spend time with our relatives and friends. On December 25, we gather with the whole family in order to exchange gifts and have dinner.
Each family has its own traditions, many of which have been passed down from generation to generation. So, how we celebrate Christmas can be very different from how other families celebrate this holiday.
The Christmas tree, for example, is decorated by most people I know, including my family, at the very beginning of December.
What is the menu holiday table, what dishes should be obligatory? What is usually cooked in your family on this day?
My family usually cooks turkey, ham, salad, sauce or gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn casserole, cranberry sauce, lettuce, and mac and cheese for Christmas. A holiday is not complete without desserts: pumpkin, cherry and walnut pies, fudge and cookies - this is what we usually treat ourselves to at Christmas.
My family is quite large, about 30 people, and December 25 is held at my great-grandfather's house.
This year, for Christmas, we decided to cook not only traditional dishes for this holiday, but also dishes such as lasagna, spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread.
Have you ever celebrated New Year in Russia? Did you like it?
Yes, of course, I celebrated New Year in Russia! I can say that this celebration was very different from how they celebrate the New Year in America. In Russia I spent the night with my Russian friends and with my family. That was great! We ate Olivier salad and sardines on bread and butter. In Texas, we never even tried that. And also, Santa Claus came to us, he gave us gifts. It was an amazing night. Celebrating the New Year in Russia is one of the things I miss in the States right now.
What is usually served for breakfast in an American family?
During the holidays, breakfast on our table is completely different. My father is very fond of waking up early and preparing morning meals for the whole family. As a rule, he prepares breakfast, which consists of an omelet, cheese and bacon wrapped in a tortilla - Tex-Mex. Many Texans and other Americans like to add hot sauce or salsa to their tortillas, whichever they prefer. On other holidays, pancakes, oatmeal or oatmeal are usually on the table.
Reference: "Tex-Mex", Tex-Mex cuisine, also Techno - a local variety of American cuisine in the Southwest of the United States of America, in which food products available in the US are merged with Mexican culinary traditions.
As for national dishes, what do you think is a must-try when visiting America for the first time? What to bring as a gift? Where to visit?
If you are planning to visit America for the first time, then barbecue is something you should definitely try! Each state has its own, special taste of barbecue.
If you want to bring something as a gift to your American friends, then you should know that we love chocolate, alcohol, as well as your traditional souvenirs: nesting dolls, amber and Khokhloma.
In the USA, indeed, there is something to see. I know that many Russians dream of visiting New York and California, but there are actually many more wonderful places in America! New York and California are just a small part of the USA. I would advise all tourists to rent a car and drive through those places in America that are not so often talked about. Look at our villages, national and state parks. I know I'm talking about this emotionally because I live in Texas and I love my state, my country very much. Dallas also has some great museums, including the Kennedy Museum.
I like traveling very much. One of the secrets I learned during my travels was the secret to properly packing bags. Many airlines require you to pay for excess baggage if the passenger has a bag that is too large. I want to tell you that in America, as in Russia, there are pharmacies and grocery stores on almost every corner, which means that many items can be bought right there, upon arrival. I used to take too many pairs of trousers, skirts, sweaters with me. Now I take with me as few clothes as possible and I always buy myself a couple of things in the place where I came to visit.
I think that for me all these clothes are great souvenirs, because every time I wear something from what I bought in another country, I mentally return to the place where I felt so good.
I hope that if you want to celebrate winter holidays in America, now you are definitely fully armed. Happy New Year!
25.12.2012 12:39
The most important of new year holidays in the US, it's certainly Christmas. In the country, every family celebrates Marry Christmas with pleasure.
Today we would like to talk about how this holiday is celebrated in the United States of America.
So, Christmas is a Christian holiday dedicated to the birth of Jesus Christ. In the US this is probably main holiday country, is officially celebrated on December 25, but, as a rule, ordinary Americans celebrate it for several days in a row.
On this occasion in primary schools and colleges for children have a Christmas break that lasts until the New Year.
For Americans, Christmas today is, first of all, a joyful holiday, which must be held in the family circle. It is customary to give gifts at Christmas. Relatives and friends, being at this moment far from home, tend to send Christmas gifts and cards with wishes for a Merry Christmas.
The main attribute of Christmas is the tree. The Americans put it in the largest room and decorate it with all kinds of toys and candles.
Unlike Russia, where main character Santa Claus, in the USA, children are waiting for Santa Claus, who will certainly come on Christmas night and bring a long-awaited gift. To do this, American children hang small stockings by the fireplaces, where Santa Claus puts gifts at night.
The tradition of hanging stockings on fireplaces originates from a legend according to which St. Nicholas gave poor dowry girls a purse of gold, putting his gifts in the stockings of the girls, which were hung out by the fireplace for the night to dry. Since then, little children believe that Santa Claus will come and also leave gifts for them in pre-arranged stockings.
Americans love to decorate their homes with holly, ivy and mistletoe on this holiday. These decorations came to the USA from England. So each of these plants, one way or another, is connected with the divine principle. For example, ivy represents immortality, holly inspires faith and hope in humanity, and mistletoe was considered a sacred plant long before the birth of Jesus Christ.
When it comes to Christmas food, in the US, the most important Christmas dish is roast turkey, as well as all kinds of cooked sweets, grandmother's cupcake recipes and much more. Turkey is cooked in every family here. Each family tries to cook the largest and most delicious turkey and invite relatives as much as possible. In addition, various sweets also predominate on the table.
Christmas in the United States is a federal holiday, an official day off.
culture
Christmas is one of the most beloved and long-awaited Christian holidays, celebrated all over the world, although on different dates. For many, this holiday is associated with happiness, fun and good mood, and this is at a time when the weather outside the window can leave much to be desired. At Christmas, it is customary to gather with family, friends and relatives and prepare delicious dishes, which will be discussed. Find out what dishes Christians from around the world prefer to treat themselves to at Christmas.
1) Eastern Europe
In the countries of Eastern Europe, on Christmas Eve, it is customary to cook lean dishes without meat, since before that it is customary to keep the Christmas fast. The next day you can cook meat dishes. It is customary for Slavic peoples to commemorate deceased relatives and loved ones on Christmas and even leave a place at the table with food for them.
Traditional Christmas dishes in the Czech Republic are fried carp and potato salad. This tradition appeared when the country began to large quantities to breed fish in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is also customary to prepare different Christmas cookies that are distributed to guests. Preparations for Christmas begin long before the holiday itself.
2) Peru
On Christmas Eve, the whole family usually gets together for a hearty dinner of turkey stuffed with minced meat and nuts and garnished with fresh pineapple slices and cherries, fried potatoes and applesauce. For dessert, marzipan, raisins, almonds and panettone pie with a cup of hot chocolate are served. At midnight, someone says toasts, people exchange wishes, hug. Then they take their places in the living room and begin to sing Christmas songs.
3) Finland
The Christmas table in Finland is rich in various dishes, most of which, however, are related to the season. The main dish is usually the Christmas ham, which is eaten with mustard or bread, not forgetting about other dishes. Fish can be served - lutefisk (fish soaked in alkali) or gravlax (salted salmon), as well as liver casserole with raisins, potatoes, rice and carrots. From drinks - mulled wine (warmed wine with spices).
4) Canada
In the English part of Canada, Christmas dinners are not much different from English or American ones. Traditionally, a stuffed turkey with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, vegetables is put on the table, and for dessert - raisin pudding. Eggnog - a milk punch with beaten eggs and alcohol - is a very popular drink during the winter holidays. They also serve cakes with butter cream, shortbread cookies, which are traditionally baked on the eve of Christmas.
Immigrants brought with them many of their dishes and traditions. In the French part of Canada, as you might guess, French customs are most followed.
5) Denmark
In Denmark, the traditional Christmas table is set on December 24th. They serve either baked pork or goose. The meat dish is served with potatoes, red cabbage or sauce. For dessert - rice pudding, often with almonds inside. Whoever gets a nut will be lucky next year. Traditional Christmas drinks are mulled wine and beer, which is specially made for Christmas. These drinks have a high alcohol content.
6) Holland
Christmas dinner in Holland is somewhat different from the traditions in neighboring countries. One of the Dutch traditions is "gourmet". Small groups of people get together, each brings his own frying pan and cooks his dish in small quantities. The owner prepares chopped vegetables in advance and different types meat and fish, shrimp. All dishes are complemented by different salads, fruits and sauces. The tradition probably came to Holland from Indonesia, a former colony.
The Dutch love to cook traditional European dishes for Christmas, including roast beef, rabbit, pheasant, or glazed ham. The meat is served with various vegetables and salads. IN last years in Holland, the traditions of the Anglo-Saxon countries became very popular. As in England, they began to cook turkeys for Christmas.
7) France
In France and some French-speaking countries, Christmas begins on the evening of December 24th. The French call this holiday reveillon(Dinner on Christmas night) from the word reveil– "awakening", as traditionally the participants have to stay up virtually all night or at least until midnight. Traditional dishes: goose or duck liver, oysters, smoked salmon, lobster, roast duck, goose or turkey with chestnuts. For dessert, a traditional Buch de Noel Christmas cake with chocolate or nut flavor, which is made in the shape of a log. From drinks usually prefer to drink champagne.
8) New Zealand
Due to the fact that New Zealand was a colony of Great Britain for a long time, many traditions of celebrating Christmas came here with the British. For Christmas, they cook a baked turkey with vegetables, sometimes stuffed, poured with cranberry sauce. Roasted ham can sometimes be served as a main dish, and lamb is also very popular here.
One important difference from English Christmas feasts is the absence of a goose, since these birds are not raised in New Zealand, and the government prohibits the import of foreign meat products. For dessert, in almost all cases, Christmas pudding (or raisin pudding) and sweet butter with brandy are prepared. These dishes also came from England. Many other dishes can also be found on the New Zealand Christmas table, including German muffins, the French Buch de Noel log cake, and the Italian panettone pie. However, these dishes are the exception rather than the rule. Since New Zealanders are forced to celebrate Christmas not in winter, but in summer, they like to celebrate it in nature, seasonal fruits and berries are served on the table. Also a very popular Christmas dessert is Pavlova cake made from whipped egg whites with fruit.
9) UK
For the British, Christmas celebrations begin in the afternoon. For a festive dinner, a baked turkey or goose (sometimes a duck, but this depends on the number of guests) is served. Sometimes they offer a baked ham or piglet, fried potatoes, boiled or steamed vegetables, especially Brussels sprouts, sausage stew, cranberry sauce. For dessert, pudding and sweet butter with brandy.
In England, the tradition of cooking a turkey for Christmas was born quite quickly. In the beginning, in medieval England, either peacock or wild boar was cooked as a main dish. After the French Jesuits brought turkeys to England, these birds have been a staple at Christmas since the 18th century.
In the UK, according to tradition, the sternum of a bird is divided at Christmas, thus predicting the future. This bone in the form of a slingshot is taken by 2 people who begin to pull both ends of it in different directions. As a result, after it breaks, the person who has a long bone in his hand remains the winner, he will be lucky all year, the other - on the contrary.
10) USA
Many Christmas traditions in the United States were borrowed from England and other European countries, however, this is not surprising, since the first settlers were Europeans. The main dishes for Christmas in America will be turkey, cranberry sauce, corn, pumpkin and green beans. Dessert is what the family likes according to ethnicity, but pumpkin pie, marzipan, biscuits, panettone pie, fruit cake, apple pie, carrot pie and others are often served. Roast beef can be substituted for turkey, as turkey is the main Thanksgiving meal in November.
In different states, it is customary to cook different dishes, for example, in Hawaii - teriyaki sauce, in Virginia - oysters and ham pie, and in the Midwest - dishes of the Scandinavian peoples - lutefisk, turnip dishes. In the southwest, especially in New Mexico, pozole soup, tamal (meat stewed with corn), bizcochito biscuits and others.
