Every culture past, present, and I feel confident in saying future, has partaken in celebrations of every sort. For thousands of years, what may be considered as minor occasions, have become grand events.
I’m not complaining though, and who would when there could be a party involved, and even more, the possibility of cake and ice-cream? If you ask me it’s a crucial part of society as we know it…the celebrating together, not the cake and ice-cream (this point is still up for debate though…). So, without further ado, I wanted to share some of the more prominent events that make people in our little corner of the world (the USA in case anyone was wondering), crank out the party tunes, and root beer, or regular beer even (*gasp*).
Weddings
These are obvious, everyone everywhere celebrates when two young people (or old, you know, no one’s judging) unite, and sometimes we wonder why we did so. At the time we hope for the best, and hopefully, it’s a continual celebration of a united family until death do them part.
Baby Showers
Most people are happy and in the mood to celebrate when a new addition to the family is on its way. After all who wouldn’t want to be joyful with the arrival of a cute baby? Granted, the methods of celebrating are different: some people think it’s cute to cover a room in frog decorations, and play silly games as a tribute to the almost new born…and I’m one of those people. Baby showers have become a rite of passage for many expectant parents.
Sweet Sixteen
This party celebrates the passing of a little girl into adulthood. It’s no wonder that when you’re sixteen you can legally drive alone. So celebrating this special age is seen as a big event. Many girls use white dresses that resemble wedding dresses but nowadays this doesn’t happen in every sweet sixteen party.
Birthday Parties
For the lucky few, and by few I mean most, a bash is thrown yearly to celebrate their entrance into the world. When I was a kid, it was celebrated with ice-cream, pizza, and video games. Oh yeah, those were the days where pin the tail on the donkey and hide and seek filled our afternoons.
Mother’s/Father’s Day
This has got to be my favorite thing to celebrate. Mom and dad, you’re both pretty awesome, so when this time of year rolls around, I pull out the big guns, along with almost every other kid in America.
Christmas
OK so even if everyone is not as big a fan of Mother’s and Father’s Day as I am, Christmas takes the cake as the king of all celebrations. Traditionally Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But even those that don’t have those religious beliefs, see it as a time to get together as a family and give gifts to each other. Decorating the tree, putting Christmas lights out in the yard, making eggnog and caroling in the neighborhood are some fun activities to do this time of year.
New Years
New Years celebrations usually have fireworks and champagne. Celebrating the passing of one year and the beginning of a new one is always a good thing. New beginnings, ideas and expectations of better things to come. It’s a positive way to start off each year.
So to finish off let’s reflect on the following question: Why do we celebrate? We do so because we feel the need to share our joy with others. A birthday, a birth, a graduation, a mother, a father, we celebrate because it’s in our nature to bond with others and feel a part of our friends’ and families’ lives.