IGNIS Young Reporter
rations in the USA
In the United States, Thanksgiving, at the end of
November, marks a major family holiday weekend.
Then, commercially, the day aft er Thanksgiving,
Christmas kicks off with a major unoffi cial holiday:
Black Friday, known for the chaos caused by
promotional sales from many major retailers. It
starts the Christmas shopping period and has
been the busiest shopping day in the USA in the
entire year since 2005. As time goes on, it becomes
more hectic and more and more well known. There
have been reports of violence, injuries and deaths
due to stampedes. Billions of dollars are spent
during this 4-day weekend, encouraging retailers to
go to greater measures to get customers through
the door. Some stores are starting to open their
doors from midnight to midnight.
Aft er the chaos of Black Friday, December
brings Christmas, celebrated by non-religious
people as a time for family and by Christians as
commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. First
is the period of Advent, spread over the four
Sundays before Christmas Day. Advent means
‘coming’ in Latin, and Christians use this time for
spiritual preparation, remembering the meaning
of Christmas (Jesus coming into the world for us).
Following the winter solstice, December 24th,
Christmas Eve, marks the end of the advent period
and, in some countries, workers get the day off
to do last minute preparations for Christmas Eve
or Christmas Day. Carolling, hanging stockings or
pillowcases, hanging ivy, holly or mistletoe and
of course decorating a tree are some of the main
customs done on Christmas Eve.
IGNIS
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