In this article, I will be ranking my personal favorite and least favorite holidays that are celebrated within the United States. To clarify, I will not be listing them all, as I do not believe it would be fair to rank a holiday such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and compare it to a holiday like Christmas. Now, let’s start with the order.
- Halloween
Halloween is overall a fun occasion. There are costumes, parties, candy, horror movies, and haunted houses. Many people who enjoy this holiday celebrate it throughout the entire month, rather than just one day. Although it is not a federal holiday, the majority of people do celebrate this day whether it is kids trick-or-treating with parents or friends, or others simply having a get-together. Personally, it is my favorite time of year, as I enjoy the spookiness of the season and dressing up.
- Thanksgiving Day
Second on the list is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is wonderful, as there are plenty of delicious foods to cook and bake during this holiday. This holiday is also a time when families and friends get together and remember what they are thankful for in their lives. Gratitude is an important emotion to reflect on, and this holiday is the perfect time to be mindful of the great components of one’s life.
- Christmas & Christmas Eve
Christmas is a holiday where friends and family spend time with one another that typically lasts around a few days. This holiday is very important, as many people travel to be with their loved ones during this time. Although a religious holiday, many non-religious people celebrate this holiday as well, whether it be just to have a big dinner or share gift-giving with family members or friends. This time of year also lasts quite a bit, as many people begin celebrating this holiday around the time after Thanksgiving. Besides the food and gifts, it is also fun to see others’ lights and decorations, as well as to decorate one’s own home if they please.
- Fourth of July
Now, it is great news that our country was able to gain its independence from the British in 1776, but, I do not particularly enjoy certain aspects of the holiday. In many families, including my own, they typically get together for dinner and have a nice time together. As a child, it was more fun to experience, but nowadays, the noise of my family’s fireworks and hearing all of the neighbors continuously light up the sky every night during the entire first week of July brings a less-than-enjoyable aspect to the table. Although the noise of the fireworks annoys me and scares pets and animals, there are still some positive points to note, like a family barbeque cookout and the freeness of the summertime.
- New Year’s Day & Eve
New Year’s Day sounds like a wonderful time to welcome a new year in our lives, but truly, it is full of nothing but empty promises. There is nothing special about this holiday, as all we are is celebrating a new calendar year. Many people also tend to make a list of “New Year’s Resolutions,” but how many people actually achieve their New Year goals? Overall, it’s just another average day that people try to make in our country. There are no special traditions that celebrate our new year either, unlike the Lunar New Year Festival celebrated in many Asian countries. Fireworks are often used on this holiday similar to the Fourth of July, and as previously mentioned, I am not a fan.