Holidays in the United States of America

1.

2.

New Year’s Day is January 1. The
celebration of this holiday begins
the night before, when Americans
gather to wish each other a happy
and prosperous coming year.
People gather in the streets of big
cities, they ring bells, blow
whistles and automobile horns.
Some people shake hands, kiss,
sing and shout “Happy New Year!”
The ball drop at Times
Square in New York City has
become a national New Year’s
festivity.

3.

On January 15, Americans celebrate
Martin Luther King’s birthday.
It is celebrated as a national holiday
dedicated to the life and ideals of the
black fighter for civil rights.
This day is a symbol of the peaceful
struggle of African-American
population for constitutional equality
and against racial discrimination.

4.

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated
on February 2 in the United States and
Canada.
In the United States, the most important
groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil who lives
in a burrow called Gobbler's Knob near
Punxsutawney.
If the hedgehog saw its shadow, then there
would be six more weeks of winter and if
the hedgehog did not see its shadow, it
would remain outside signifying an early
spring season.

5.

On February 14, Americans celebrate Valentine's
Day. It is the most romantic day on the calendar.
It’s a day of love and friendship.
On this day, Americans give special symbolic gifts to
people they love. They also send special greeting
cards called Valentines to such people. Most
commonly, the gifts are candy or flowers.

6.

Americans celebrate Presidents’ Day on the 3rd Monday of
February as a federal holiday commemorating the birthdays of
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
They call George Washington "the father of the country"
because he was the American general in the Revolutionary
War. He was elected the first president of the USA.
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president. He kept the country
together during the Civil War. Lincoln freed the slaves with
the Emancipation Proclamation.

7.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the
United States for remembering all
Americans who died while in the military
service, who gave their lives in past wars.
It is celebrated on the last Monday of
May. Schools, clubs and churches
decorate the cemeteries. They put up the
flags on the graves of the army, navy and
airmen. They hold memorial services in
churches, halls, parks and cemeteries.
There are also colourful parades and
sports competitions.

8.

In 1562, in France, Pop Gregory
introduced a new calendar for the
Christian world, and the new year fell
on January1. There were some people,
who hadn’t heard or didn’t believe the
change in the date, so they continued
to celebrate New Year’s Day on April
1. Others played tricks on them and
called them “April Fools.”
Today, April Fool’s jokes are played
mostly by children, who enjoy the
holiday very much.

9.

On the second Sunday of May American
families celebrate Mother’s Day.
The American incarnation of Mother’s Day
was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and
became an official U.S. holiday in 1914.
It celebrates motherhood and it is a time to
appreciate mothers and mother figures. Many
people give gifts, cards, flowers, candy, a
meal in a restaurant or other treats to their
mother and mother figures, including
grandmothers, great-grandmothers,
stepmothers, and foster mothers.

10.

The third Sunday in June is Father’s Day in the United
States. This day celebrates fatherhood and male
parenting.
The idea of a special day to honor fathers and celebrate
fatherhood was introduced from the United States.
There, a woman called Sonora Smart Dodd was
inspired by the American Mother’s Day celebrations to
plan a day to honor fathers.
This is a day when people remember their fathers with
presents and cards. People celebrate with family
gatherings, picnics and sports activities.
In the USA, Father’s Day has been celebrated in June
since 1910.

11.

On June 14,1777, Congress proposed
that the United States have a national
flag instead of the British Union Jack.
The thirteen stars of the flag
represented the thirteen new states.
The first official Flag Day was
observed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in 1893.
In August 1949, President Harry S.
Truman proclaimed June 14 as Flag
Day.
It is not a federal holiday, although
many people display flags outside their
homes and in their communities.

12.

Independence Day is observed on the
4th of July as the birthday of the United
States as a free and independent nation.
On July 4, 1776, the United States of
America proclaimed its independence
from England by signing the
Declaration of Independence.
Generally, picnics, parades and
firework displays are held all over the
country on this day.
Wherever Americans are around the
globe they will get together to celebrate
Independence Day.

13.

This holiday is observed on the first Monday
of September. Its purpose is to honor the
nation’s working people. In many cities the
day is marked by parades of working people
representing the labor unions.
Most Americans consider Labor Day the end
of the summer, and the beaches and other
popular resort areas are packed with people
enjoying one last three-day weekend. For
many students it marks the opening of the
school year.

14.

This day commemorates Italian navigator
Christopher Columbus’ landing in the
New World on October 12, 1492. Most
nations of the Americas observe this
holiday on October 12, but in the United
States, annual observances take place on
the second Monday in October. The
major celebration of the day takes place
in New York City, which holds a huge
parade each year.

15.

Halloween is a festival that takes place on
October 31. American children wear
colourful costumes and masks and go
trick-or-treating. Many of them carve
jack-o'-lanterns out of pumpkins.
Fortunetelling and storytelling about
ghosts and witches are popular activities.
Halloween developed from new
year festivals and festivals of
the dead. Christian church
established a festival on
November 1 called All Saints'
Day so that people could
continue to celebrate their
festivals.

16.

This holiday was originally called
Armistice Day and established to
honor Americans who had served in
World War I. It now honors veterans
of all wars in which the U.S. has
fought. Veterans’ organizations hold
parades, and the president places a
wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns
at Arlington National Cemetery in
Virginia.
All stand in silence for a few minutes
at eleven o’clock to honor the memory
of those who fought for peace.

17.

Thanksgiving Day is marked on the
fourth Thursday of November.It a
day for families and friends to get
together for a special meal. The
meal often includes a turkey,
potatoes, cranberry sauce and
pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving Day is a
time for many people to give thanks
for what they have.
When the first settlers landed in America, their first year was very hard
and many people died. But the Indians taught people how to plant corn
and wild vegetables and in autumn they got a large harvest.
Thanksgiving Day was their holiday, the day of giving thanks to God.

18.

Americans celebrate Christmas on
December 25.
It is a Christian holiday marking
the birth of Jesus Christ.
Decorating houses and yards
with lights, putting up Christmas
trees, church celebrations, a
special meal, giving gifts, and
sending greeting cards have
become holiday traditions even
for many non-Christian
Americans.
Children hang stockings for Santa
Claus to fill with gifts.

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Holidays go round and round.American Holidays: Traditions,
Poems, Songs:-СПб.: «Химера»,1998