I have just learned it this year, and apparently it is a tradition which became popular in the ‘50s.
Making gingerbread houses, to be eaten strictly on Christmas Day, is also a popular tradition in the United States.
This year I decided to spend a traditional American Christmas since I didn’t go back to Italy for the holidays as my time off has been cut short by work commitments.
In the United States, many traditions related to the Christmas holidays were brought by the various waves of immigrants who arrived in the country over time in search of a better life, while others were born as part of a cultural phenomenon.
During the Christmas period Americans love decorating the outside of their homes with lights and perhaps with inflatables of Santa Claus, snowmen and reindeer.
A widespread custom dear to Americans to celebrate this holiday is sending Christmas cards to all friends and acquaintances, especially if they are far away.
Many families take photos specifically for this season to make such cards and some families every year try to recreate funny and funnier photos and cards.
American cities are a spectacle at Christmas, and so was Austin: the streets are set up with lights, trees and Christmas decorations to celebrate Christmas everywhere even though here is a taboo to say ‘Merry Christmas’ and most say ‘Happy Holidays’ to be more inclusive of other cultures and religions.
Here in Texas, Christmas has Mexican influences so it’s possible to see traditions such as that of the 'luminarias' or 'farolitos', which are paper bags partially filled with sand with a candle inside. They are lit on Christmas Eve and are placed on the sides of the streets. They represent the lighting of the road that the Virgin Mary and Joseph traveled through.
Hanging the Christmas gherkin on the tree is a tradition which is speculated to have originated in Germany, but it is most commonly associated with American Christmas practices and is one of the most unusual. Pickles have relatively little to do with holiday menus in the US. However, many families have a Christmas tree ornament in the shape of a pickled gherkin hanging on the tree, but somewhat hidden. The game is all there, that is, whoever among the children of the family manages to find the pickle first wins an extra gift, or is the first person to open a present on Christmas morning.
The main course present on almost all tables is the famous stuffed turkey; this dish is not only the protagonist of Thanksgiving, but also of Christmas lunch.
As an alternative to turkey, some also cook beef or goose, while many Italian-American families also cook lasagna or ziti pasta.
The most cooked dessert in December is certainly the Mince Pie, a shortcrust pastry or puff pastry tart filled with fruit and spices of British origins.
The other desserts symbolizing the holidays are also the delicious English Christmas Pudding, a sort of pudding made with dried fruit, apples and spices and the now famous Eggnog, a very typical alcoholic and non-alcoholic hot Christmas drink, made mainly with egg and spices.
Christmas carols that are religious in nature (as opposed to Christmas songs like Jingle Bells or White Christmas) are one of the most beloved Christmas traditions in the United States. When the carolers or Christmas singers dressed in Victorian clothes, show up at the door of the house to sing Christmas carols, it is customary to thank them by offering them some hot eggnog and biscuits, or by giving a small tip.
In the United States, the gifts brought by Santa Claus are not only under the tree, but appear in stockings hanging from the fireplace together with sweets.
American stockings are an ancient tradition inherited from the populations of Protestant countries and Germanic-Scandinavian culture. The American custom of hanging stockings also brings out the creativity of the adults in the family. Proof of this is the practice of making personalized socks for each member of the family (even pets!): while there are those who hang the classic red and white socks, there are those who, when decorating the house for Christmas, bring out real and own heirlooms: socks that are actually treasure chests of memories, decorated by time, and made with love.
Doing charity, as also happens for Thanksgiving, in the United States it is very common to create and work as volunteers in soup kitchens for the poorest and the homeless, especially in large metropolises.
It is a way to give back and many charity associations (such as the Salvation Army) collect change people want to share in front of department stores and supermarkets.
How is this holiday celebrated in Japan?
