The Importance of Holidays

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When it comes to days of the year, holidays are some of the most special. Holidays are more than just having a good time. They’re all about being with friends and family, as well as cherishing our love for one another. Holidays give people the perfect opportunity to come together, now that COVID-19 seems more manageable. They are also times of learning, as they teach us valuable life lessons.

Holidays and their Meanings

Like other people, I believe that every holiday has a special purpose and meaning. Chinese New Year, which my family and I usually celebrate with family friends who are Chinese-American, is about welcoming positive things. Valentine’s Day is about showing love for one another. Passover is about freedom from tyranny and oppression. Easter is all about rebirth. Earth Day is about caring for the environment. Mother’s Day is about maternal love. Father’s Day is about paternal love, and the 4th of July is about America’s birthday and the true meaning of the American spirit.

Rosh Hashanah is about starting a positive new life, Halloween is about facing and coping with your fears, and Thanksgiving Day, which my family and I always celebrate, is about showing gratitude for one another. Chanukah is about rekindling hope, Christmas is about caring and giving to others, and New Year’s Eve is about making room for positive memories.

On Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Chanukah, my family and I celebrate with family friends who are Jewish. Like Chinese New Year, it’s about connecting with both our culture and those of other people. Eating the foods that are served on certain holidays is like tasting other cultures, too.

What Holidays Represent

Holidays represent how we are connected to the natural world, as well as familial love and friendship. Since many of the holidays we love have dark origins, holidays can also be about learning from the past and making way for the future.

For example, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day (formerly Columbus Day), we can learn about the European settlers’ treatment of the Native Americans to ensure it never happens again. Although many holidays are commercialized, that doesn’t stop us from understanding how strong our love for others is.

In addition, celebrating holidays is like entering another world, since doing so can be a way to delve into other cultures and learn about them. Holidays are also celebrated when it comes to the seasons and seasonal changes.

Other lessons I learned from holidays are that connecting with the people we love is what allows us to thrive. Celebrations also help us come to terms with our lives, as well as those of other people.

Holidays Today

Holidays are more than just special times with friends and loved ones. They are about making room for positive memories and showing love for one another. Holidays amaze me so much that they inspire me to create stories set in holiday lands, and on certain holidays, that involve people learning life lessons with friends and family, coping with negativity, and learning about self-discovery. To me, holidays are days that are both wonderful and important.

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