From Christmas to the Family Vacation

From Christmas to the family vacation the history of American holiday traditions and celebrations is complex. Immigration, cultural blendings, commercialization, politics, and even social upheaval are all intertwined in how we celebrate holidays today.

Our holiday traditions mirror the rich cultural diversity that is a very complicated American story. As it is Thanksgiving weekend, let’s start with that holiday. We will also delve into the story of popular and controversial celebrations. Then we will talk about Labor Day which is key to the family vacation road trip story.

Traditionally the Amercian Thanksgiving holiday commemorates the Pilgrims’ harvest meal shared with Native Americans. Traditions include elaborate feasts with turkey, stuffing, and pies, as well as parades like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Football games and volunteering in soup kitchens have become modern staples, reflecting gratitude and community spirit.
George Washington and other presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations. But the story of Thanksgiving as an official holiday begins with the Civil War and presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The idea for a national Thanksgiving holiday began in 1827 when magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale started a long campaign of articles and letters to presidents and governors.
President Franklin D Roosevelt created a bit of controversy when he tried to adjust the holiday date to extend the Chistmas shopping season. The holiday has become a symbol of American culture and a time for many to celebrate home and family, regardless of their religious or cultural background. And it is also intertwined with the great American road trip.
The Thanksgiving holiday is often the busiest travel weekend of the year in the US. The day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after typically being the busiest single travel days. In 2025 nearly 82 million people are projected to travel for Thanksgiving, with the majority driving and millions more flying.
Thanksgiving trivia – 1924: Macy’s started its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. The TV dinner was an accident, the result of a 1953 misorder of 260 tons of turkey at Thanksgiving that led to a salesman’s idea to package the leftovers into TV dinners. “Jingle Bells” was originally written by James Lord Pierpont for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. While presidents before George H.W. Bush had, “unofficially,” spared turkeys, the official pardoning tradition started with him in 1989. The first televised Thanksgiving game was in 1953.

The Role of Immigrants in Shaping Traditions

Immigrants have continually enriched America’s holiday landscape. As an example, German settlers introduced the Christmas tree and Easter bunny. Irish Americans popularized St. Patrick’s Day parades and green attire. African traditions evolved into Kwanzaa. Hispanic families contributed to vibrant celebrations like Cinco de Mayo. These customs fostered a sense of community for generations adapting to a new homeland.

How Christmas Was Once Outlawed

The “war on Christmas” has become a popular political flash point in recent years. Grounded in a quest for votes rather than reality, it is interesting to note that there was once real hostility toward the celebration of Christmas.

The banning of Christmas in colonial New England is a compelling historical chapter. In the 1600s, Puritans banned the holiday, citing its ties to pagan festivals and concern over public disorder. For decades, Christmas celebrations were muted, with work continuing as usual on December 25th. The repeal of these laws and the embrace of diverse immigrant customs gradually transformed Christmas into a central American holiday.

American Christmas commercialization began in the mid-19th century when merchants saw a marketing opportunity, reinforced by German-American traditions of a child-centered, gift-giving holiday. This and the establishment of large department stores in the 1870s, the mass production of goods, and the popularization of Santa Claus in advertising, notably by Coca-Cola, have all contributed to the transformation of Christmas into a major commercial event. This evolution transformed Christmas from a religious centered holiday into a nationwide, consumer-focused celebration.

Christmas trivia. Henry Cole sent the first Christmas card in 1843. In the 1870s large department stores began decorating with elaborate holiday displays. And in the early 20th century these stores began hosting Santa Claus in-store visits to attract shoppers. Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom in 1931 to create a “wholesome Santa” for its ads, leading to the familiar image of a jolly, red-suited figure that is now the global icon of the holiday. The 20th century saw the creation of iconic Christmas media like the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and animated specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas, which became both cultural phenomena and potent marketing tools. English immigrants introduced eggnog to the U.S. in the 1700s, and American colonists later substituted rum for the brandy or sherry used in Britain. The practice of wrapping gifts originated in ancient China, while other Asian cultures used cloth or silk to conceal gifts.

Political Use of Holidays: Agendas and Influence

Throughout history, politicians have leveraged holidays to rally the public, promote unity, or advance policy agendas. Presidents use Memorial Day and Veterans Day speeches to highlight national service and patriotism. Labor Day has been a focal point for labor union rallies and legislative announcements.

Even Thanksgiving proclamations have reflected shifting national priorities. Lincoln’s original declaration during the Civil War was a call for unity and thankfulness amid political divides.

Did you know that the first president to publicly spare a turkey was John F. Kennedy in 1963 who quipped, “We’ll just let this one grow. It’s our Thanksgiving present to him”? Or that President Calvin Coolidge presided over the first lighting of the National Christmas Tree in 1923?

Veterans Day

Veterans Day was originally “Armistice Day,” marking the armistice that ended World War one. The armistice took effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It was made a federal holiday in 1938 as Armistice Day, but the name change to Veterans Day occurred in 1954.

Veterans Day honors all who have served, while Memorial Day is specifically for those who died in service. It is often commemorated with parades, speeches, and ceremonies at war memorials. Speaking of war memorials, here is a travel tip that will enhance a Route 66 adventure.

Time Capsule

In Kingman, Arizona, a few blocks north of Route 66 at the historic Mohave County Courthouse stands a monument dedicated in 1928 with plaque that read, “IN MEMORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF MOHAVE COUNTY WHO SERVED IN THE WORLD WAR 1917 – 1918.” For several reasons this is a very rare WWI memorial.

The “Spirit of the American Doughboy” created by sculptor Earnest Moore Viquesney is one of the most popular WWI statues produced. It is estimated that a full ten percent of WWI memorials used this distinctive sculpture. But what makes this statue unique in KIngman is that it is one of three that were dedicated to a Native American. The dedication ceremony for the monument honored Sam Swaskegame of the Hualapai tribe who was killed in action in the Marne campaign battle of Blanc Mont, France on October 7, 1918.

The second statue on the monument is also a rarity. Created by the same sculptor, “The SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN NAVY” was not as popular as the doughboy. Only seven of these statues are known to exist.

Local volunteers started construction of the stone base for the WWI monument and the pond that would surround at the end of April 1928. Ora Gruninger, a Kingman contractor, supervised the work and spearheaded the collection of donations. The base cost $150. The $2,650 for the monument included $1,000 apiece for the statues with the remainder being used for the machine gun, and bronze plaque. The statues were shipped from Chicago on May 1, 1928.

This monument is a point of interest on the self guided historic walking Kingman Tour developed by Kingman Main Street.

Memorial Day

Established in 1868 after the Civil War as “Decoration Day,” Memorial Day is a tribute to those who have given their lives in military service. Observances include ceremonies at cemeteries, parades featuring veterans and marching bands, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags. With the rise in popularity of summer vacations it also marks the unofficial start of summer, with families gathering for picnics and the first road trips of the season.

National cemeteries are central to Memorial Day celebrations. They serve as the focal point for honoring fallen service members to ensure that the sacrifices of military personnel are remembered.

After World War I, the holiday’s scope expanded to include all American soldiers who died in any war. Designation as a federal holiday occured in 1971.

The name was officially changed from “Decoration Day” to “Memorial Day” in 1967. It has evolved into one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, with millions of Americans traveling more than 50 miles from home.

Columbus Day

Celebrations of Columbus Day are indicative of how complicated the American story is, and the challenges that come with celebrating our diversity. For the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage in 1892, following the lynchings of 11 Italian immigrants by a mob in New Orleans, President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day as a one-time national celebration. The lynchings reflected the widespread anti-Italian and anti-Catholic sentiment prevelant at the time.

Earlier celebrations of Columbus’s historic voyage were also rooted in politics. The first Columbus Day celebration took place on October 12, 1792, when the Columbian Order of New York, better known as the Tammany Society (the precursor to Tammany Hall), held an event to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the historic landing. The Columbus Obelisk in Baltimore was erected in 1792.

Many Italian Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage, and not of Columbus himself. The lobbying of Angelo Noce, an Italian-American immigrant in Denver is credited with the creation of the first statewide holiday. The proclamation was made by Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald in 1905.

In recent years there have been efforts to reconcile the celebration of Columbus and Italian heritage, with the impact of European colonization on native peoples. Establishment of Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations have been controversial. But they relfect the complexity of the American story, and the evolution of holiday celebrations.

The History and Evolution of Family Vacations

The tradition of the American family summer vacation evolved in tandem with a paradigm shift in society. This was fueled by a tsunami of technological advancement, a rising middle class, and the benefits of a powerful labor movement in the form of unions. And that takes us to a discussion about Labor Day.

An argument could easily be made that Labor Day, and what it represents, is the cornerstone for the American family vacation road trips. The Labor Day holiday weekend has also come to symbolize the end of summer travel.

When first established as a holiday it was celebrated with Union rallies, parades, and speeches. The holiday is built on the fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and paid vacations of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Consider this, in the 1830s, the average worker put in 70-hour weeks. That left little time for vacation planning! But the long hours coupled with poor working conditions and low wages did fuel a growing labor movement.

It was the violent Pullman Strike that had crippled the nations rail network which led President Grover Cleveland to sign a bill passed by Congress making Labor Day a national holiday on June 28, 1894. This move was partly to improve the government’s relationship with organized labor.

The labor movement’s success in securing shorter work weeks and paid leave meant families could travel. So, in the late 19^th century we see the first glimmers of what would become a multibillion dollar tourism industry.

In The Beginning

The League of American Bicyclists in the 1890s offered a wide array of benefits for members. This included discounts on bicycle touring vacation packages offered by hotels and even railroads.

In the early 20th century bicycles gave way to automobiles, and the idea of discovering America behind the wheel was promoted by manufacturers, and organizations such as AAA. The perception of adventure and excitment in a road trip was fueled by news stories and books.

The first coast-to-coast car trip by Horatio Jackson in 1903 proved the possibility of long-distance car travel. And that arduous journey captured the public’s imagination. Then with the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908, and the $5 work day six years later, cars became more accessible for a growing middle class.

Fast forward to the post WWII era. This is often referenced as the golden age of the American family vacation. Propsperity, station wagons, advertising campaigns, and development of a modern highway system led to an unprecedented travel boom. Remember “See the USA in Your Chevrolet?”

Motels, Auto Courts, & The Rise of Chains

When families first took to the road for a family adventure in the era of the Model T, campgrounds were the norm. To profit from the growing number of travelers communities often developed free campgrounds with showers, toilets, general stores and other amenities.

Then came auto courts and cabin camps for motorists, often clustered around service stations and diners. The Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, opened in 1925, featuring amenities like hot showers and private garages. But most important was an addition to the American lexicon – the term “motel” (motor hotel).

The postwar boom led to the establishment of corporate chains like Holiday Inn, HiWay House, and Howard Johnson’s, which revolutionized the travel industry. These generic businesses prioritized convenience, cleanliness, and family-friendly features.

National chains like Holiday Inn established by Kemmons Wilson in 1957 marked a shift toward consistency and standardization. These chains offered predictable quality making them more appealing to many travelers.

A few of these pioneering chains survived into the modern era. Others are nearly fogotten links in the evolution of vacation traditions.

The Hiway House motel chain was founded by Del Webb of Sun City fame in 1956. It and operated in the Southwestern United States until Webb sold the company in the 1960s. As a bit of trivia the only surviving original Hiway House with the same signage is the location in Albuquerque, NM, on Route 66.

Route 66: The Quintessential American Road Trip

Through the clever marketing campaigns and development of cooperative partnerships by the US Highway 66 Association established in early 1927, Route 66 became the symbol of road trip freedom, adventure, and discovery.

Through this association Route 66 was promoted with the 1928 Transcontinental Footrace “Bunion Derby.” And in 1932 US 66 was promoted as the road to the Olympics in Los Angeles. As the years passed, marketing strategies, neon signs and quirky roadside attractions as well as catchy slogans, turned it into an icon of American travel.

Today Route 66 is viewed as the quintesential American road trip. The highway even has an international fan club. There are Route 66 associations in Japan, Germany, Czechia, and Canada, and tour companies that specialize in Route 66 tours based in England, Germany, Australia, Czechia, and New Zealand.

Jim Hinckley’s America: Sharing the Story, Inspiring Journeys

Jim Hinckley’s America stands at the crossroads of history, travel, and storytelling. We are passionate about sharing the diverse, complicated, colorful and often controversial American story. And we are just as passionate about road trips that bring the American story to life. Our goal is simple: inspire adventure, foster appreciation for American heritage, and encourage everyone to explore, learn, and connect.

With that said, I have a couple of last notes to share. On December 7, our guest at Coffee With Jim will be Steve Clem who has a new book, Route 66 in Tulsa.

Speaking of books, and holiday traditions, have you given thought to what gift would be best for the road trip enthusiast in your family or circle of friends? How about Route 66: 100 Years, a Route 66 centennial anthology. This book chronicles the evolution of the US highway system from the American Plan pitched by Senator Henry Clay in the 1830s to the modern construction of an EV charging network along highways. It also chronicles the evolution of Route 66 from highway to icon.

Coauthors of the book include Dries Bessels, a founding member of the Dutch Route 66 Association, Greg Hasman, a journalist and photographer, Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, Joe Sonderman of the Missouri Route 66 Association, and author Cheryl Eichar Jett, a founder of the annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference.

At Jim Hinckley’s America we share America’s story and tell people where to go. Each podcast episode, social media post, and article from Jim Hinckley’s America is crafted to help listeners and readers discover the hidden gems and legendary highways that define America’s landscape.

Sponsors: Reflecting Passion and Vision

Our podcast and the Jim Hinckley’s America network is powered by a remarkable family of sponsors who mirror our commitment to the sharing of America’s story through travel and discovery, interaction and the celebration of holiday traditions. Here’s a detailed summary:

First, a hearty thanks to our supporters on Patreon. You are a sounding board, as well as partner. Many of our educational programs wouldn’t be possible without your support.
The Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico is more than just a place to lay a weary head. David Brenner’s attention to detail has transformed this venerable old motel into a destination, a living time capsule from the 1960s where the line between past and present is blurred.
Austin Coop at Two Lane America is more than a tour guide. He crafts memory making experiences, adventures to be shared with friends. From Route 66 to the scenic wonders of Yellowstone, Austin can ensure a tour with Two Lane America will be a holiday unlike no other.
The crew at RouteTrip USA designs unforgettable tailor-made road trips across the USA and Canada. Whether you dream of cruising Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, a rail holiday through the Canadian Rockies, or a once-in-a-lifetime journey through Yellowstone and the Rockies, they bring your adventure to life.
The Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri is the oldest continuously operated motel on Route 66. It is a tangible link to the infancy of Route 66 and to the highway’s future. Can a Route 66 adventure be considered complete without a stay at the Wagon Wheel Motel and a visit with Connie Echols?
Angela Moreland has transformed the 1950s Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas into something special, an almost magical place where the infectious magic of a Route 66 odyssey has been refined, distilled, and magnified.
Gilligan’s Route 66 Tours offers caravan tours or an innovative self-guided option that uses tech to provide you with a personalized guide for the adventure. As a bonus Sam knows the road, the people and the stories, and he knows the colorful personalities that he will introduce you to along the way. And if you really want to experience America, we suggest Sam’s guided tour along the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to New Orleans.
The Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park along Route 66 at the top of Nine Mile Hill west of Albuquerque is a delightful blending of past and present. A 1940s trading post, a full service modern RV park. A display of vintage travel trailers. And as a bonus, the owner Vickie Ashcraft shares our passion for telling people where to go. As the president of the Route 66 Association of New Mexico that has dedicated years to the Route 66 community, she is ideally suited for telling you where to go.
Deanna Nelson in Kingman, Arizona is more than a State Farm Insurance agent. She is a hometown hero, and a passionate supporter of projects that build a sense of community and that fuel the historic district renaissance.

Every sponsor reflects our passion for sharing America’s story, supporting grassroots tourism, and encouraging responsible interactive exploration. Their belief in our mission enables Jim Hinckley’s America to deliver rich, engaging content and continue expanding our community.

Community Invitation: Join Jim Hinckley’s America

Become part of our growing community! Follow Jim Hinckley’s America on Instagram, Facebook for lively discussions and trip tips, and YouTube for shared adventures. The website features articles, travel resources, and the embedded podcast player. Subscribe to Coffee With Jim on your favorite platform, and join us as we explore the highways, byways, and stories that make America extraordinary.

And as you celebrate Thanksgiving, and prepare for Christmas, give thought to the amazing American story that is made manifest in our holiday celebrations.