One of the differences I notice between U.S. culture and the culture of India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Cambodia where I have lived is the way they celebrate holidays and festivals. In the Asian countries and in the United States, holidays are important, but in the U.S. our public holidays tend to be rather alike. Of course we do have seasonal aspects like Easter bunnies and Halloween costumes and Christmas trees, but festive days in the U.S. seem to me to be more time off from our regular work routine when we do fun things and less a celebration of the original origin and focus for the holiday. In the Asian countries people don’t just string up store-bought decorations like everyone else has, but the family, the church, the community come together to remember and enact the reason for the holiday.
