By Stephania Flores ’20
Ever wonder why holidays such as St. Valentine, St. Patrick, or Groundhog’s day, even exist? What are their purposes? Why do people celebrate them?
VALENTINE’S DAY, really? This holiday is an important day because it is where you show your love for the ones you care about; however, shouldn’t people show love and appreciation for each other every single day? Why create a holiday to show your love? Is it to rub it into people’s faces that you got balloons, flowers, or a gift card from a lover or friend? Or is it to show how much you cared about a certain person?
Another holiday is St. Patrick’s day, do you ever wonder what is the purpose of this holiday? Like why do people celebrate it? Umm.. Is it an excuse to wear green or for people to throw a massive parade by Chicago’s river? Well, if you do not know the answer, then do not worry you are not the only one.
Actually, it is a religious, Irish holiday to celebrate the death date of Saint Patrick. Yeah, people may say that “I am not Irish that is why I do not celebrate that holiday,” or “it is a religious holiday, it depends on the person.” Have you ever worn green on that day or gotten pitched by someone because you were not wearing green? You may be not celebrating it and many other Americans neither; however, many people join in or participate this holiday, so should people celebrate it even if it means nothing to them?
Now for the holiday that may question humanity: Groundhog Day. It is a day were a groundhog comes out from hibernation and if the animal shows a shadow, then spring will come earlier, and if not then it would be a long winter. The reason why people celebrate this holiday it is because it is a tradition, which is understandable. But technology has improved throughout the years, is it still necessary for this holiday to be celebrated?
At the end of the day, the important thing of all holidays is the following said by Xitlalli Mendoza, a freshman: the meaning behind that holiday and why you celebrate that holiday. Mendoza is not wrong to quote “what matters is what we celebrate.” If you want to celebrate a holiday you feel passionate about, then celebrate it.
The United States showed this in a big way. Many states across the U.S. join in to change Columbus’ day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the Native Americans and not a man that slaughtered many Native Americans. Lizbeth Martinez, a sophomore, criticized Columbus day by saying we should remove this holiday because “we shall not teach kids to follow the steps of this psychopath [Columbus] because in the future they may follow the steps of this person and justify their actions using this day.” She does have a point, such as slavery was justified using the Bible.
There are many holidays that might have a special place in your life such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, or the fourth of July. Brenda Hernandez, a senior, stated, “Thanksgiving to be the most important holiday because it is a time to be with the people you are grateful for. It also brings loved ones together.” If a holiday is special to someone, they should emphasize it.
At the end of the day, no matter what other people may say if you celebrate a certain holiday, celebrate it, and be proud of the reason why you celebrate it.
