Traditions and everyday life in USA

Festivals, family customs, favourite places and everyday traditions, written by members of Global Penfriends who live in USA. Each cultural keepsake is a short note about life where they are.

1,389 keepsakes from USA · page 2 of 47
Tradition

Kwanza

Created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili…

Shared by mellow.oranges
Southern American Cakes
Tradition

Southern American Cakes

We love big, layered Southern cakes in my family! My great grandmother, the first generation born free from slavery, worked at a fancy hotel as a baker, and every Easter, she would bake a cake in every bright color you can…

Shared by linosity
Street Roots
Everyday life

Street Roots

Street Roots is a non-profit in Portland, Oregon, committed to providing income opportunities for unhoused people through its weekly newspaper, sold by people who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. In addition to the weekly…

Shared by tangerineb0y
Canandaigua Lake
Place

Canandaigua Lake

This is beautiful Canandaigua Lake. It is one of my favorite places in my country. It is part of the eleven Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The entire area is called the Finger Lakes region. The lakes are long and thin, they…

Shared by oof_sydney
Fun Drink, Boston Cooler
Activity

Fun Drink, Boston Cooler

In Michigan, USA we have a special drink we like to enjoy in the summertime. It's called the "Boston Cooler" or a "Vernors float". No, it's not a Boston thing but a very Detroit thing! They believe the name comes from the…

Shared by Mare 08
Lake George - Saint Cloud
Place

Lake George - Saint Cloud

This urban lake is an oasis, just steps from the hustle and bustle of downtown St. Cloud. Surrounded by gorgeous walking paths, water features, bench and picnic areas, and even a beach, this is the ideal location in St. Cloud for…

Shared by BBDesign
Halloween traditions
Tradition

Halloween traditions

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. Halloween involves these 4 things: Costumes: People dress up in outfits ranging from ghosts, witches, and monsters to pop-culture characters and superheroes. Trick-or-Treating…

Shared by single Girl
Living in the Southern States.
Faith

Living in the Southern States.

I have many fun events that go on where I live . Since I live in Texas we have a lot of Mexican restaurants and events like festa and the day of the dead . In the United States we celebrate holidays that involves are country like…

Shared by Timareanna
Dallas college
Place

Dallas college

My cultural keepsake is my college, Dallas College. It’s a big part of my daily life and shows what being a student in the U.S. is really like.Dallas College is super diverse. You see students from different backgrounds, ages…

Shared by BunLuv
Halloween celebrations
Tradition

Halloween celebrations

Originally called Samhain by the Celts, it has been morphed into this wonderful holiday of open yet innocent debauchery, costumes, candy, and a fabulous excuse to watch (and get away with) B grade horror movies. The wonderful…

Shared by RemyDrawStuff
Is it a tamal, or is it bad?
Tradition

Is it a tamal, or is it bad?

The title is the only dad joke my Mexican father ever told me. In English, it means “Is it a tamal, or is it bad?” It’s funnier when spoken. However, it speaks to a longstanding traditional dish seen throughout many Latinx…

Shared by LenaDoña
English fun time
Activity

English fun time

my english teacher is this super cool, short hispanic dude who’s a h u g e nerd. like i’m talkin funko pop figures, always making references to animes and shows, has a fullmetal alchemist lanyard, carries dnd dice with him at a l…

Shared by ~REDACTED~
Gumbo in the Pot!
Everyday life

Gumbo in the Pot!

Where I am from, there is a traditional dish. That is the ultimate of ultimate cultural collision dishes. This dish is a combination of western European, African, Caribbean, Native American and Chinese influence. a lot of places…

Shared by LaStar20
Transportation in NYC
Activity

Transportation in NYC

All around the world people use different forms of transportation to get from one place to another. In some countries, animals are the go to source to move around. In New York City, a small yellow card called the MetroCard can…

Shared by LizzyAngel
The Great Lakes & Islands
Place

The Great Lakes & Islands

The Great Lakes surrounding Michigan contain more than 35,000 islands scattered throughout the fresh waters. One of the most famous and popular is called Mackinaw Island. Those who travel to Mackinaw Island should know that there…

Shared by Bloomer
The American Dream City, Arlington Texas
Place

The American Dream City, Arlington Texas

Arlington, Texas, calls itself "The American Dream City" because of its history of growth, diverse opportunities, and iconic American attractions like the Dallas Cowboys (America's Team), Texas Rangers (America's Pastime), and…

Shared by s.foster88
Where Halloween began
Tradition

Where Halloween began

celebrated on November 1 to mark the end of the harvest and the start of the dark winter, a time when the Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead blurred on the night of October 31. In the 8th century, the…

Shared by otterrice
Tuttle Creek River Pond State Park
Place

Tuttle Creek River Pond State Park

Tuttle Creek River Pond State Park is a simple but fun place for family camping. There is a swimming beach for sand castles, shell or rock collecting, or swimming. Nice views of simple landscape, nature and wildlife. We camp in…

Shared by D’Zeron
Gen Con gaming convention
Event

Gen Con gaming convention

Gen Con is a four day long gaming convention that my family and I attend every year. You can play games, meet celebrities, go to concerts, dress up in cosplay, and so much more. One of our Gen Con traditions is to play Dungeons…

Shared by ChamomileKitty
Casino Pier Boardwalk
Place

Casino Pier Boardwalk

Casino Pier Boardwalk in Seaside Heights is one of the best spots on the Jersey Shore. It’s got everything you could want—thrilling rides like the Hydrus roller coaster, a giant Ferris wheel that lights up at night, and tons of…

Shared by fuhgeddaboutitandwriteme
The Fourth of July
Tradition

The Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is a big holiday in America, we celebrate with barbeques and fireworks and parties. I live close to Washington D.C. On the Fourth of July a big firework show is held to celebrate. You can pretty much see the…

Shared by Louloulai
Star Spangled Banner
Tradition

Star Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defense of Fort McHenry" a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the…

Shared by sydneykaye
Tulip Time Festival, Michigan
Tradition

Tulip Time Festival, Michigan

The Tulip Time Festival is an annual celebration of Dutch heritage and tulip blooms, held each spring in the city of Holland, Michigan. It's known for its displays of millions of tulips lining streets, parks and gardens. The…

Shared by NPL
Graduation party
Event

Graduation party

After highschool graduation all the students who fundraised enough money get to go on a trip all night long with their friends. Graduation parties can be anything from arcades to bowling alleys. For our school we went to a…

Shared by TigerRose
Valentine’s Day!
Everyday life

Valentine’s Day!

I know other countries celebrate Valentine's Day, but I don’t have too many other traditions. It’s usually celebrated with a significant other, but it’s usually between my friends and family. My dad always gives my mom, my little…

Shared by Laney Szyperski
homecoming
Event

homecoming

Every year in around mid-october, schools everywhere throw this huge celebration called homecoming. It’s basically a back to school dance where everyone gets dressed up and girls get their hair and make up done, and get pictures…

Shared by vok77
Hurricane Ian, Florida 2022
Everyday life

Hurricane Ian, Florida 2022

Southwest and Central Florida just got hit with a record hurricane stretching from October 26th to October 27th. The damages were devastating, but i have never seen so many people come together to help each other in such hard…

Shared by Sunshin3
Mount Rainier, Washington
Tradition

Mount Rainier, Washington

In the state of Washington, especially around Seattle, Mount Rainier (or Tahoma as it is called locally, which is the mountain's native name) has become a local celebrity. It is very rainy and overcast up here so on the uncommon…

Shared by Squirmy Wormy
Eid celebrations in the USA
Faith

Eid celebrations in the USA

The day before Eid i make sure all my clothes are ready and clean. It gets hard to fall asleep from how excited i am. In the morning i wake up early and dress up in my new clothes and then my dad and older brother would give me…

Shared by Wagiha or Wagon
Traditional holidays
Tradition

Traditional holidays

Americans like to participate in all kinds of traditions for holidays. My pictures are from Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas. On Thanksgiving, we eat a large meal together and say what we are thankful for. On Halloween, we…

Shared by Mike F

Want to hear about life in USA first-hand? Write to a penpal who lives there.

Find penpals in USA