Whether it be decorating a Christmas tree or trick or treating, our “American” holiday traditions all come from somewhere.

Usually, they come from immigrants bringing their traditions to the United States, and from there, they are shaped into larger and more prominent traditions and holidays that we coin as our own.

While this is a perfectly acceptable practice, and crucial to understanding and accepting cultures around the world, there can be downsides. When we celebrate holidays without knowing their true meaning or disregard the cultural significance, we simultaneously neglect other cultures and past traditions.

Below are a few holidays that have fallen victim to this phenomenon, and how it has impacted us and our celebrations.

Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo, a phrase that translates to “fifth of May” in Spanish, is a celebration of the Mexican victory over the French at the battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. Cinco de Mayo is a minor celebration in Mexico, and it is not recognized as a federal holiday.
Despite this, celebrations are common in the U.S. Larger festivities are typically held in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations, and are interpreted as celebrations of Mexican heritage and culture.
The problem with Cinco de Mayo festivities in the U.S does not lie in celebrating Mexican heritage, but in misinformation surrounding the holiday and Mexican culture.
According to Bryan University, Only 1 in 10 individuals know that Cinco de Mayo represents the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla.
Misconceptions and a lack of awareness about Cinco de Mayo and cultural celebrations in general can lead to the reiteration of harmful stereotypes and cultural appropriation.
During celebrations, it is common to see people dressed in fake mustaches and sombreros. When Cinco de Mayo and other holidays are reduced to stereotypical symbols of their culture, it stops us from truly understanding and appreciating other cultures.
It is imperative we educate ourselves on the history of other cultures’ celebrations before celebrating them ourselves to avoid misconstruing them and truly appreciate them for what they are.

Saint Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day began in Ireland as a religious holiday that was celebrated among families. The holiday was a way to commemorate the death of St. Patrick, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, therefore becoming the country’s patron saint.
St. Patricks Day was once a quiet holiday celebrated with small feasts among families. That is until Irish immigrants brought their St. Patrick’s Day traditions to the United States, and from there the holiday blossomed. It is now celebrated through parades and parties across every continent. It is also notoriously known as a holiday where drinking is the main festivity.
The problem, again, does not lie in Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations themselves, and drinking during the holiday is not necessarily an issue either. Despite this, consuming copious and unhealthy amounts of alcohol during St. Patricks Day has been normalized. This is when problems start to arise.
In 2024, Ohio law enforcement arrested 959 people for DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Nationwide, 272 people died in drunk driving crashes during St. Patrick’s Day.
Luckily, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun to make billboards and ads targeted toward people who know they will be drinking on St. Patrick’s Day, urging them to designate a sober driver for safer travels. This is one step in the right direction, but it is important that our society begins to recognize how dangerous unhealthy drinking during holidays can be. It does not only put you in danger, but families and strangers around you in danger.

Christmas

Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25. It was originally celebrated through feasts, caroling and charitable acts, but it is now more commonly marked as a day for opening presents in the morning with family, followed by Christmas dinner.

While gift-giving has been a Christmas tradition for decades, it has not always been such a prominent aspect of the holiday.

Consumerism during the holiday season has caused Christmas to become an over-commercialized holiday, making material goods the most important part of the holiday season. Whether it be Christmas decor selling on store shelves months before the holiday season, Black Friday and pre-holiday sales incentivizing unnecessary purchases or gift expectations, the focus of Christmas has shifted from religion and caring for others, to goods.

This becomes an even more upsetting reality when, according to a CBS News article from 2022, more than half of U.S. adults say that it is hard for them to afford holiday gift-giving.

Putting an emphasis on gift giving not only puts stress on the giver financially and emotionally, but it causes us to forget the true meaning of Christmas: spending time with family, helping others, and if you are Christian, celebrating the birth of Jesus.

While eradicating gift-giving for the holidays as a whole would be extreme, it is important that our society takes steps towards decentralizing gifts as the main event of Christmas time. Spending time with family and friends, or volunteering at local events in the name of the holiday season are steps we can all take towards a more fulfilling and true Christmas.