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Martin Luther King Day
It is observed on the third Monday in the month of January. This
day is celebrated commemorating the birth (January 15) of the
Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
St.
Valentine's Day - February 14
St. Valentine's Day is one of the most commercialized days after
Christmas. On this day lovers exchange their vows of love through
greeting cards, flowers and gifts.
Presidents Day
"Presidents' Day" takes place the third Monday in February. First
President George Washington was born on February 22, and sixteenth
President Abraham Lincoln on February 12. Some states observe
both days. Banks will be closed and stores have major sales on
this holiday.
St.
Patrick's Day
This is not an official holiday but is celebrated widely by the
people with Irish background throughout the country. Many people
wear Green on this day.
April Fool's Day
This is celebrated on 1st of April but it is not an official holiday.
On this day tricks are played to fool people.
Easter
It is always celebrated on a Sunday preceded by Good Friday. Resurrection
of Christ is celebrated on this day. Brightly painted Easter eggs
are an attraction of this day.
Passover
It is a Jewish holiday celebrating survival of Jews in Egypt.
It is celebrated with a special ritual dinner called "seder".
Patriots Day - April 19th
It is celebrated in only a few states of New England. It commemorates
an important day in American history: The beginning of the American
Revolution against Great Britain in Lexington, Massachusetts on
April 19, 1775.
Mother's Day
It is generally celebrated on the second Sunday in May. The card
and gift stores are very busy for this day, since mothers have
a lot of importance in American Culture. Father's Day It is celebrated
on the third Sunday in June. Memorial Day Observed on the last
Monday of May. It commemorates Americans who fought and died in
many wars for the nation. The famous "Indianapolis 500" auto race
is held on Memorial Day.
Flag
Day - June 14
Commemorates the adoption of the first American flag created by
Betsy Ross in Philadelphia on June 14, 1776. Large American flags
are often displayed on Flag Day
Independence Day- July 4th
It is a national holiday and a very important day in the American
history. It is America's birthday, commemorating the day in 1776
when the United States declared its independence from Great Britain.
It is celebrated with softball games, parades, community and family
picnics and, especially, fireworks.
Labor Day
It is an official national holiday and falls on the first Monday
in September. Its purpose is to commemorate the American working
tradition. Many Americans have picnics on Labor Day or go away
for a three-day weekend.
Columbus Day
Celebrated on October 12th or second Monday in October
commemorating the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
on October 12, 1942. It is an official holiday and stores have
large sales on this day.
Halloween
Is always celebrated on October 31st and is not an
official holiday. On Halloween, children dress up in costumes
(often "scary" costumes such as ghosts and witches) and go from
door to door begging for candy. This is called "trick-or-treating."
The children shout, "trick-or-treat", meaning that the adult will
be the subject of a trick or prank if no candy is given.
Schools have Halloween parties. Adults also often have their own
Halloween costume parties. A special Halloween children's custom
is to carve a "Jack-O-Lantern" by making a face on a hollowed-out
pumpkin, then placing a lit candle inside so the outline of the
face glows in the night
Election Day
Election Day for all national and most state and local elections
is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Many
smaller communities may have their local elections at varying
times during the year.
Veterans Day
Celebrated on 11th of November in honor of the veterans
of American wars.
Thanksgiving
Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November it is a major national
holiday. Schools are usually closed this day and the Friday after,
creating a four-day weekend during which college students often
come home to be with their families. It is associated with the
"Pilgrim Fathers," early settlers to Massachusetts who in 1621
gave God their thanks for having survived a hard winter. On this
day, families re-unite for large dinners.
The traditional meal served on this day is turkey with stuffing,
cranberry sauce, candied sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Informally
this day is also known as Turkey day. This day, Americans eat
until they are totally incapacitated. Many stores start their
Christmas sales on this day.
The
Christmas Season
Christmas celebrated on 25th December has lot of importance
associated with it in the American culture. It celebrates the
birth of Christ and is important for the 85% of Americans who
are practicing or nominal Christians, many Christmas rituals are
of pagan or secular origin. Christmas also serves as the holiday
celebrating winter. Nearly every business closes on Christmas,
and sometimes on Christmas Eve. Many people, whether Christian
or not, will have a Christmas tree, usually an evergreen (fir,
pine or spruce), which they will decorate with ornaments and tinsel.
Artificial trees are also sold for this purpose.
Christmas music includes old English "carols", which are
religious, and secular songs like the popular "Jingle Bells",
"White Christmas" and "Rudolph - the Red Nosed Reindeer" which
have winter rather than religious themes. Christmas music can
be found in hundreds of varieties, from singers like Bing Crosby,
whose albums sell year after year, to electronic Christmas carols.
Television in December is heavily Christmas oriented, especially
for children. The secular Christmas film It's A Wonderful Life
(1946), about a man in a "typical" American community, is frequently
shown. It is not uncommon to find this film playing on two or
three television channels at the same time, at any hour of the
day.
Kwanzaa
It is a holiday celebrated by many African Americans from December
26 through January 1. Created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga,
Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits," celebrates the oneness and
goodness of life, and puts particular emphasis on family life
and African-American continuity with the past.
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