The thing about Christmas and its pop culture

Much time spent as an adolescent in America I learned to buy into its culture as a need to blend in with a new community. It was a wonderful, tremendous country full of freedom and opportunities. Being the largest economy in the world, the US is known for its highly influential export of pop culture—thanks to Hollywood and the boom of the entertainment industry as early as the 1920s. All was done through the media industry (I’d like to call “pop culture”) via movies, TV shows, music, and so on.

However, the biggest of them all being celebrated worldwide today is major US Holidays such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the birth of Jesus Christ called Christmas... There are many people across the world who take part in all or some of these holidays without knowing the origin or why they're celebrating (except for the excuses to party, and to live! That’s why we all are on this earth anyway).

Being back in Vietnam does sound a little strange to hear people wishing me Merry Christmas every year. Initially I only assumed they were religious, so I replied, Merry Christmas to you and yours! But recently I stopped and asked. Is Christmas part of your religion? Some said yes, and some said no.

When I left America, I stopped celebrating US national holidays (except for New Year’s because it’s just one big fun party, and it does have sentimental meaning to me as I reflect on my progress both in life and work). I stopped celebrating mostly because I no longer feel the need to blend in with the US culture and the community I used to live in. Not that it is bad, just has very little meaning to me being on this side of the world today.

It has been a few years with no Easter, no July 4th, no Halloween, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas… I no longer put lots of effort in decorating and making it a tradition as it used to be. I no longer chase the thing everyone is expected to do that most Americans do. After all, for me today it's a pop culture thing. And in replacement of it, I celebrate ALL Vietnamese holidays wholeheartedly.

When someone wishes you Merry Christmas or other US holidays… is that a pop culture thing they just said? Or is it a religious thing? Does it have actual genuine wishes behind…? Depending on the answer, you might be entering into a more meaningful conversation and your wishes to them become more sincere, not just a pop culture thing anymore. My advice, don’t do it without knowing and because that's what everyone else is doing. It renders very little meaning.

So whatever holidays you’re celebrating, best wishes.
Happy Holidays to all!

P.S. Guess where the above photo come from!?!!