Celebrations

The closest approach to a list of national holidays is the 10 federal holidays, which represent vacation days given to employees of the federal government and which are often also given as paid holidays by state and private employers: New Year’s Day, the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., Washington’s birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This federal holiday list scarcely defines what Americans see as events worth celebrating since it omits three of the holidays that Americans celebrate most enthusiastically: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Halloween.

(source: Culture and Customs of the United States, B.F. Shearer)

New Year's Day

date: 1 January

  

Probably the most famous tradition in the United States is the dropping of the New Year ball in Times Square, New York City, at 11:59 P.M. Thousands gather to watch the ball make its one-minute descent, arriving exactly at midnight. The tradition first began in 1907. The original ball was made of iron and wood; the current ball is made of Waterford Crystal, weighs 1,070 pounds, and is six feet in diameter.

 

A traditional southern New Year's dish is Hoppin' John—black eyed peas and ham hocks. An old saying goes, "Eat peas on New Year's day to have plenty of everything the rest of the year." The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. One tradition common in the Southern USA is that each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to assure that the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance.

New Year's resolution are also very common. Probably Americans have similar wishes as ordinary person around the world. Like to...

 or to...

or maybe to...

Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

date: Third Monday in January

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. He is referenced as a human rights icon today.He was the chief spokesman of the nonviolent civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. 

After King's death, United States Representative John Conyers introduced a bill in Congress to make King's birthday a national holiday. It is also a national holiday in American Samoa, Guam, US Virgin Islands.

People march in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. (AP Photo/The Francisco Bee, Christian Parey. (Photo published in Culture and Customs of the United States by Shear

              Groundhog Day

date: February 2  

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.

 

                                    

The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. They celebrate the holiday with a social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment.

Washington's Birthday or President's Day 

date: the third Monday of February

According to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of both Presidents Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. It turns out that whether you honor one or the other or both of these presidents may depend on where you live.

Parade in Alexandria - Washington's Hometown

Washington's Birthday officially honors the life and work of George Washington, the first president of the United States. The day commemorates past presidents of the USA. Some states pay particular attention to Abraham Lincoln, as his birthday was also in mid-February. In the weeks or days leading up to the holiday, schools often organize events and lessons for students about the presidents of the United States and George Washington in particular. It is a popular day for stores to start their sales.

Many businesses are open as usual and many stores hold sales on Washington's Birthday. Many delivery services, except for the Post Office, have a regular service and many, but not all, public transit systems operate on regular schedules. Some schools close for the whole week for a mid-winter recess. According to some government sources, Indiana observes the Washington's birthday holiday in December.

Memorial Day

date: the last Monday of May.

Formerly known as Decoration Day.  By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as people visited the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 pm local time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries.

It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family gatherings, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events such as the Indianapolis 500 auto race, held since 1911 on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Start of the First Indianapolis 500, 1911

Independence Day

date: 4th of July

Commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Patriotic displays and family events are organized throughout the United States. The celebrations have deep roots in the American tradition of political freedom.

http://www.history.com/videos/fourth-of-july-history#fourth-of-july-history

Symbols - The most common Independence Day symbol is the American flag. Its design is displayed in all possible ways on July 4 and can be seen in front of homes and buildings. Other symbols associated with Independence Day are the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island in New York and the fireworks viewed all over the United States. 

The most common way of celebrating Fourth of July are of course fireworks - this tradition is noticeable all over the country. Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner", "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", "This Land Is Your Land", "Stars and Stripes Forever", and, regionally, "Yankee Doodle" in northeastern states and "Dixie" in southern states. 

Columbus Day

date: the second Monday of October

Columbus Day remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492. This holiday is controversial because the European settlement in the Americas led to the demise of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples. 

Officially, the people of the USA are invited to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of their country with church services and other activities. In some towns and cities, special church services, parades and large events are held. Most celebrations are concentrated around the Italian-American community. The celebrations in New York and San Francisco are particularly noteworthy. In Hawaii Columbus Day is also known as Landing Day or Discoverer's Day.

Columbus Day parade

 Not all parts of the United States celebrate Columbus Day. It is not a public holiday in California, Nevada and Hawaii. Moreover, Native Americans’ Day is celebrated in South Dakota, while Indigenous People’s Day is celebrated in Berkeley, California.

Halloween

date: October 31

Halloween originated as a pagan festival in parts of Northern Europe, particularly around what is now the United Kingdom. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is a time when magic is most potent and spirits can make contact with the physical world. In Christian times, it became a celebration of the evening before All Saints’ Day. Immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought the holiday to the United States.

Trick - or - treating

Trick-or-treating or "Guising", is a customary practice for children on Halloween in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy (or, in some cultures, money) with the question "Trick or treat?". The "trick" is a (usually idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.

Some families carve lanterns with 'scary' faces out of pumpkins or other vegetables or decorate their homes and gardens in Halloween style. These were traditionally intended to ward off evil spirits. If you are at home on Halloween, it is a good idea to have a bowl of small presents or sweets to offer to anyone who knocks on your door. This will help you to please the little spirits in your neighborhood!

Thanksgiving

date: the fourth Thursday in November

First Thanksgiving

When these first Pilgrims landed in America, they founded a colony called Plymouth. However, half of them did not survive the severe winter. The others did not die but only because the native Indians called Wampanoag agreed to help them and taught them how to plant corn. In October 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the Pilgrims held a feast to celebrate the good harvest and to thank God for his blessings. The main dish was roast turkey. The Pilgrims called that day Thanksgiving Day. The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians also to the feast. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.

Simpson's Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and vegetables. Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have. 

Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends.

Martyna