In the United States of America, the end of the year is always a hectic time of year. The fourth quarter of the year is the last three months: October, November, and December. All these months have holidays that are celebrated in the United States. So, the end of year for the typical citizen is packed with planning for events, visiting family members, and spending money on gifts for others. It can be a very stressful time for some, and a very happy time for others. Either way, the spirit of these traditions makes up for all the troubles.

In October, the main holiday that is celebrated is Halloween. But Halloween is not just one day on the calendar, it is a holiday that spans the entire month. Americans love Halloween and the culture that comes with it. People use the holiday as an excuse to decorate their homes, their offices, and dress up in costume on a random day of the week. Even though Halloween is only on October 31st, people are in the spooky mood all month long and do things to celebrate the holiday, like watching scary movies, giving out candy at work, and decorations being put up throughout cities. Advertising is also a huge part of this holiday as well. Similar to Christmas, companies make advertisements themed around the holiday and businesses play Halloween themed music. It is a very advertiser-friendly holiday, which attributes to its great success in the country.

Next, November is a calmer month compared to October. This month is usually quiet until it gets to around the third week, when Thanksgiving rolls around. Similar to Chuseok in South Korea, American thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for family and enjoy good food. Unlike Chuseok, American thanksgiving is only celebrated on the day of the holiday. People are not given extra time off from work for the holiday. Typically, people will get the day after Thanksgiving off from work, but that is it. In the United States, a thanksgiving feast usually consists of a roast turkey, ham, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. Family members will all gather in one place and will bring different parts of the feast to come together and have one big dinner.

Then finally, December is the final month of the year where there is the most stress. This month is so stressful because of Christmas, the final big holiday of the year. Like Halloween, Christmas puts pressure on everyone from the beginning of the month. The stress comes from the fact that people need to buy presents for their friends and family. Christmas is more intense than Halloween because Christmas advertisements and decorations will start going up before December has even started.

Unlike Christmas in South Korea, it is more of a family holiday than a couple’s holiday. People who are in relationships will do special favors for each other during the holiday season, but Christmas is focused on family-time and going to Church. It is usually kept to immediate family and very close friends, so it’s not a huge gathering of people from outside your home. And after all the stress of Christmas, there is only a week until New Years Eve. This is a more relaxing because people usually go out with friends and drink alcohol, like champagne, to celebrate the end of the year.  

From October to December, schedules are packed for Americans until the beginning of the new year. Starting with a month of Halloween, preparing your food to bring to Thanksgiving, and then planning the rest of year finding Christmas presents for friends and family, there is never a break. While it may seem very stressful at first, getting into the holiday spirit makes it very fun. That is the aspect of end-of-year culture in America that is probably the most important. The spirit and joy of each holiday makes it all worthwhile.