In the US, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July are cornerstone holidays for Americans. For immigrants in the US, these holidays are celebrated in a unique way, often by mixing and blending in elements of their own cultures.
Thanksgiving, for example, may or may not be celebrated with a turkey. Instead, immigrants will incorporate their own food into the holiday celebration. “While we may not cook a turkey or have a more traditional Thanksgiving meal, we cook chicken biryani and other dishes like samosas while celebrating by having a potluck with close friends,” stated senior Aayush Deshpande. They still maintain the essence of Thanksgiving with a focus on family and gratitude but go about the celebration in their own way.
Immigrants also celebrate the Fourth of July by lighting fireworks or going out to watch firework shows. “We buy sparklers and light them for fun, and it is fun to see the fireworks in the sky,” said Deshpande. These American celebrations are fascinating to immigrants, and they are interested in partaking in those experiences.
Non-Christian immigrants still celebrate holidays like Christmas but add their own traditions to the festivities. “In our town, many people of Indian origin, including my family, celebrate Diwali by putting up lights outside their houses, and they keep them up for Christmas as well,” stated senior Nikhil Krishna Namshamgari.
With Diwali not being far from the winter season, it becomes easy for Indian immigrants to also celebrate the Christmas season while keeping lights up. Immigrants put up other sorts of decorations like trees as well because they look good in the wintertime.
Additionally, in the US, there has been an increase in knowledge about international culture with non-immigrants learning about cultural holidays like Holi and the Chinese New Year. As America is a land of immigrants, the country is slowly recognizing these various holidays from different cultures.
The months towards the end of the year are recognized as the festive season, and immigrants feel this joy too. This encourages them to celebrate and participate in these festivities. US holidays are very adaptive to other cultures due to their inclusive nature, and immigrants are encouraged to celebrate the spirit of American holidays in their own way.
