Christmas

by Tanhia Karen García Gómez

The Christmas traditions are influences of several parts of the world. A tradition very common in many places is to sing carols in groups walking on the streets from house to house, this event is known as caroling. “Christmas Carols” give an atmosphere of happiness, hope and celebration, in the house or any other place where it is listened to.

During Christmas, it is common that families send “Christmas Cards” to family and friends, even and they haven’t been seen physically in much time. It is part of the sense of Christmas to reach and to unite to the humanity.

Much people wait for every year the snow.  Many activities come with the snow, including go in sleigh, to ski, to do “ snowmen ”, throwing balls of snow to the other people, and, later the activity returning to the house to take hot chocolate and to warm up themselves and to dry themselves in front of the fire.

Also are very common cooking cakes in family. Most popular they are the sugar cakes. The process is simple, but to be in company of the family is what it makes special, from beating the mass, decorating each cake and finally to cook it.

An element characteristic of Christmas is the decoration of the house. It is very common, that the garden is decorated with lights. The most symbolic element of decoration is the tree or Christmas pine. In the United States, it is very common that the Christmas pine is natural. . One of the most special moments is the process to install the Christmas pine, is the adjustment or decoration of the same, also, the more exciting thing is that it is realized in family.

Santa Claus is the main image of Christmas in the United States. Santa Claus, or San Nicholas, with her particular red shelter arrives at all the houses through the chimneys.

References

http://www.mty.itesm.mx/

http://www.turismoeeuu.com/gente-y-costumbres/

Davis, Fred (1992). Fashion, Culture, and Identity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 69.

Thanksgiving Day

By Laura Estrada

This day is traditional in the United States of America; it usually is celebrating the fourth Thursday of November although it used to be the last Thursday of November.

This day is celebrated in appreciation for good harvest. The first time of this celebration was in Florida. The first national day of thanksgiving was celebrated by the president Lincoln in 1863 and he proclaim that is going to be held every year from then on.

American people organize a dinner this day with their family. In some homes is common offer a prayer before to eat. Often people cook a big roast or baked turkey. Traditionally this turkey is accompanied with a filling made with corn bread and sage.

Usually the turkey is serving with cranberry sauce red, some vegetables, and sweet potatoes, some desserts like a pumpkin, nut or apple pie.

This day is famous because is a holiday in the Unites States celebrated by all American families so is a good day to go out shopping and buy the ingredients to the turkey. Supermarkets and malls are full and are good business for the traders. The most business and offices are closed this day, but some stores, shopping centers, restaurants and pubs remain open

Thanksgiving Day is considered by many people as the favorite holiday in USA because the family are bring together around the table for dinner.

After sharing dinner people preferred diversions like watching football games and for others like take a nap or simplify spend time with their family.

 RESOURCES

Thanksgiving Day (en inglés). Encyclopedia Britannica. Consultado el 27-11-2009.

Morill, Ann "Thanksgiving and Other Harvest Festivals" Infobase Publishing, ISBN 1-60413-096-2 p.28

Una historia del día de acción de gracias “thanksgiving day” By Jhon Manuel Cáceres in 2008.

E JOURNAL USA. Sociedad y valores estadounidenses. Julio 2004.  “Celebra el día de acción de gracias” por Neil Klopfenstein

Thanksgiving Day

by Juan Manuel Hernández Vences

Thanksgiving Day is a celebration that most people of United States and Canada celebrate during the holidays. This celebration is each year, the exactly date is on the second Monday of October in Canada, and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. This celebration is a long tradition that people doing with their families. Most people say that when this celebration ends at the next day all things are very cheap in the malls, and the people start to shop for Christmas.

According to this story the principal reason to realize this action is to remember when the Indians helped immigrants who left England, and came to American soil and had a very difficult time. They had nothing to eat and the Indians helped them to not starve.

Actually the American families celebrate this day making family reunions, inviting all the friends and people that don´t have family. Together give thanks to god for all good days and the health all the year, also the people go at the store and buy a lot of things that they need to celebrate this action with the family and friends. The traditional menu is roast turkey, mashed potatoes, caramelized sweet potatoes, green beans and carrots glazed; the typical dessert is pumpkin pie or pecan nuts.

Many people think that this day of Thanksgiving is a wonderful celebration, which gives them a long weekend and enjoy a delicious dinner. Others may think that just the day of Thanksgiving is the beginning of Christmas celebrations. You can go United States of America and celebrate this day if have family there or if don’t have family is not important because you can celebrate this day in a restaurant or wherever you want. The important reason is to give thanks.

References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving 

Baker, James W. (2009). Thanksgiving: the biography of an American holiday. UPNE. pp. 273.

Halloween

By Guadalupe Miranda

Halloween is a festival celebrated in some countries as: United States, Canada, Ireland, etc., on the night of October 31. Its origin is the Celtic Festival and the Christian holiday of All Saints Day

In 1840 this festival comes to America. Irish immigrants passed versions of the tradition during the Great Irish Famine and they were who spread the custom to carve the "Jack-o'-lantern" (hollow giant pumpkin with a candle inside), inspired by the legend of "Stingy Jack."

photo by Shannon Buckley-Shaklee

However, the party did not start mass held until 1921. That year was the first Halloween parade in Minnesota and other states then followed. The party gradually acquired popularity in the coming decades and the internationalization of Halloween took place in the late 70's and early 80's thanks to movies and television series.

This day is often associated with the colors orange, black and purple. The typical activities include the famous Halloween trick and costume parties, besides bonfires, visiting haunted houses, jokes, reading scary stories and watching horror movies.

photo by Shannon Buckley-Shaklee

But the most important legend says: the door between the living world of the beyond opened and the spirits of the dead were a procession in the villages where they lived. On this night the spirits visited the houses of their relatives, and they had to put a candle in the window of the house for each deceased in the family. If there was a candle in memory of each deceased, spirits did not disturb the family, if not, the spirits disturbed at night and they could have terrible nightmares.

Now, Halloween is one of the most important dates in United States. Some Latin American countries have their own traditions and celebrations for this day, but they agree in its meaning: the union or extreme closeness of the living world and the kingdom of the dead.

U.S.A INDEPENDENCE DAY

by Mónica (Moni) Gabriella Ortega Macedo

The U.S.A was formed by people who came from different countries, for example: The Netherlands,Sweden, Germany, France, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but the main country was England. They came because they wanted freedom; others left their country to escape the war.

The thirteen colonies developed on British traditions, but suddenly they realized that English people devalued the power of the king, and the Americans started to do the same. Americans claimed their rights. That was how the idea of independence started.

After Britain won a costly war with France, the thirteen colonies were asked to:

• ·       Provide food and lodging to the royal solders.
• ·       Americans weren’t allowed to have lands.
• ·       Pay the debt of the war.

After those acts the thirteen colonies were encouraged by the discourse of Samuel Adams and later by Geroge Washinton, to fought for the country’s independence.

After a time of fighting the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1776. U.S.A become a free nation with universal rights.

That was a little bit of the history of U.S.A independence. But how do the Americans celebrate this day?

The celebration starts one night before the fourth of July with bonfires and fireworks.

During the day, families get together to make a picnic with typical American food. The most common colors, blue, white and red. are used in clothes, balloons, and streamers.

Patriotic songs are listened as the national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner", "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", "My Country, 'Thais of Thee", "This Land Is Your Land", "Stars and Stripes Forever", all this songs remain the independence war.

Another important event, which takes place on Washington D.C at the middle of the day, is the traditional parade. It is full of balloons and streamers with the traditional colors. In the parade, perform famous bands from all around the country, this bands consists on musical instruments as drums and fifes. It is a wonderful and colorful show.

Another event that caught the eye of the spectators, are the giant balloons of Samuel Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson, which parade along the streets of the city.

I think the celebration of the fourth of July is very important for the American culture, because is the birthday of a free nation, and represents the effort of the people who fought to obtain the independence.

http://www.july4thparade.com/facts_history.html

http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/bbf/biblioteca.htm

CELEBRATION IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (INDEPENDENCE DAY 4 JULY)

by Giovanni Mejia Pedroza 

Independence Day in United States of America is the 4^th July in 1776 on day the country was separated from the British Empire. The hero was George Washington and he want be president.  Washington has a very big statue in a town that has his name.

Every year Americans celebrate this day with a lot of things. For example the big parade on the streets in memory of their heroes, each states traditionally celebrated with plays in their parks, various competitions, the most popular is to eat hot dogs, Who eats the most dogs is the winner, there is also racing and fireworks.

Also the people make representation of theirs heroes of the independence in some schools and in the tethers a lot of people stay with their family and make “barbecues” this are very popular here. 

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

The statue of liberty represent the “freedom." in 1886 France gave the statue to United States because United States was 10 years of independence,  because they had a good relationship. Was inaugurated on October 28^TH and the statue stay in New York, in the island of liberty together the river Hudson. Now the Statue of Liberty is a symbol representative of United States many people from other countries visit the statue because is one of the biggest attractions on the world.

When you visit the statue you can enter in this. The statue has inside stairs and you can climb it. When you arrive at the hand you can see the city of New York. You can also be in the crown and enjoy how beautiful is the city. 

The Big Ben

by Yoana (Onix) Escamilla Santoyo

This famous tower, best known as The Big Ben clock tower, is located in London. Investigators say that it was called because of its clock’s hour bell, the largest clock bell. The others are used as quarter bells, some others say that Benjamin was the name of the first commissioner of works and it was named in his honor.

The importance of this clock is the largest in Great-Britain and English people see it, as a symbol of London. Everybody trust completely on it, it has rarely failed during its long life, “rarely” because it is said that once, it stopped, this happened during the cleaning and maintenance of the clock, it did not work  about 6 weeks  but after that, it has not stopped .

Indeed, it is one of the first attractions in London, tourists go in there just to admire the structure of this tower, and however the interior of the tower is not opened to visitors.

The engineering of the clock is amazing, it is protected from the different changes of the hard weather and because of that it is so famous and reliable. The dials are beautiful, at the base of each clock dial, it’s an inscription on gilt letters is the Latin inscription: “Domine salvam fac reginam nostram victoriam primam” which means “Oh lord, keep safe our queen Victoria the first”.

The Big Ben is at the north end of the palace of Westminster and believe it or not, the clock you see nowadays it is not the first one.

Long time ago the old palace of Westminster was destroyed after a terrible event, it burnt  completely and  this happened during the kingdom of king Edward I , who after that invited an overall architects in a commission  to select the best to do the new parliament built it in a neo-gothic style.

The Big Ben is also part of the traditions in London, the sounds of its bells are always the entry of the New year. If you live in London you cannot miss it .I would like to go there one day and start a new year with the sound of the bells of The Big Ben.


References:
http://www.parliament.uk/bigben
Big Ben: The Great Clock and the Bells at the Palace of Westminster :By Chris McKay
Publisher:   Oxford University Press, USA Number Of Pages:   288 Publication Date:   2010-06-11 ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0199585695 ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780199585694

More PDF: http://pdfebooksfreedownload.com/2010/09/big-ben-the-great-clock-and-the-bells-at-the-palace-of-westminster.html#ixzz1x4ldaFLX