Holidays in the U.S.
Every month of the year has something special to celebrate in the U.S. Throughout the years, the U.S.Congress has passed laws declaring special days as official observances known as federal holidays. Each federal holiday represents a day when federal employees and many other workers have a paid day off from their jobs. There are some holidays we celebrate that are not federal holidays but are very popular holidays to celebrate.
January
The first day of January is New Year's Day. This federal holiday celebrates the beginning of each New Year. People in the U.S. sometimes spend this day watching college football games and parades.
On the third Monday in January, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a federal holiday. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked to change laws so that all people in the U.S. would be treated fairly. He worked for change in the 1950s and 60s when many states had laws separating black and white people. Martin Luther King taught people to use peaceful demonstrations to change laws, instead of violence. Many laws were changed because of his work. Many people worked with him in the hope that the U.S. could be a fair country for all people.
In January or February many people in the U.S. celebrate the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year falls between January 10th and February 19th. The date changes because it is from a calendar based on the moon, not the sun. On this day, many families clean their homes of all the "old" and get ready for the New Year. They wear new clothes and share delicious food. They give each other red envelopes with money for good luck in the coming year. They also light firecrackers to chase away bad luck.
February
February 14th is Saint Valentine's Day. Saint Valentine's Day began in Europe and has been celebrated for hundreds of years. In the U.S. today, we remember friends and sweethearts with cards called valentines, flowers, chocolates or small gifts.
We celebrate Presidents' Day on the 3rd Monday of February as a federal holiday commemorating the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.. We call George Washington "the father of our country" because he was the American general in the Revolutionary War who led us to victory against England. He was elected our first president. Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president. He kept our country together during the Civil War when the Southern states wanted to form a separate country. Lincoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation.
March
March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. This holiday comes from Ireland. People wear 3-leaf shamrocks because St. Patrick used them to explain the Christian Trinity. Many people celebrate this holiday by wearing shamrocks or green clothing in honor of St. Patrick. Some people even drink green beer!
April
Holidays in the spring are celebrations of the rebirth of life. Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrated between March 13th and April 11th. Easter is a Christian holiday that is celebrated on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the U.S., people attend religious services and family gatherings like picnics. They hide colored eggs for children to find. Many children wake up to baskets filled with candy that the "Easter Bunny" has left for them.
May
Mother's Day is observed in the United States in honor of mothers on the second Sunday in May. Julia Ward Howe wrote a Mother's Day proclamation in 1870. She wanted to have an international day when all mothers of the world would stand up and speak for peace, so their sons would not have to die in war. In 1907, Anna Jarvis proposed a day to remember all mothers. Today, Mother's Day is a holiday to remember mothers with cards, flowers and presents.
Many people in the U.S. celebrate "el cinco de mayo". This means the 5th of May in Spanish. This holiday celebrates a battle won by Mexicans against the French. In some areas of the U.S., there are parades on this day. Many people eat Mexican food and listen to Mexican Music.
The last Monday in May is Memorial Day. Since 1868, this federal holiday has honored the Union Civil War soldiers who died. Now, we remember all soldiers who died for this country. People decorate soldiers' graves. Many people also decorate the graves of their families.
June
Flag Day on June 14th is the anniversary of the adoption of the American flag in 1777. It is not a federal holiday, although many people display flags outside their homes and in their communities.
The third Sunday in June is Father's Day in the United States. Father's Day was first observed in 1910 in Spokane, Washington. This is a day when people remember their fathers with presents and cards. People celebrate with family gatherings, picnics and sports activities.
July
The Fourth of July is a very important holiday in the U.S. We celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence by representatives of the thirteen American Colonies. On July 4, 1776, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, well-known patriots, declared the independence of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. This holiday is considered the `birthday of the United States of America.' It is the greatest non-religious holiday on the U.S. We celebrate this day with fireworks and parades.
August
During the month of August there are no major holidays to celebrate. Many families go on vacation or have picnics or go to the beach. August 26th is a day that is recognized and celebrated as Equality Day by individuals or groups because of the adoption of the 19th amendment to the Constitution in 1920. This amendment granted women the right to vote.
September
September has one federal holiday, Labor Day. It honors all working people in the U.S. and Canada. It began with a New York City parade in 1882 and is now celebrated on the first Monday in September. National Grandparents Day, which honors grandparents and the love they show to their children's children, is celebrated the first Sunday after Labor Day.
October
The 2nd Monday of October is Columbus Day, celebrating the historic trip of Christopher Columbus to the Americas in 1492. Because Columbus was Italian, this federal holiday is especially important to Italian-Americans but may not be celebrated in all states.
October 31st is Halloween. During the 19th century, immigrants to the United States brought Halloween customs. These customs have changed over the years. Children in costumes go from house to house saying "trick or treat." The treat usually given is candy and tricks are rarely done. A common symbol of Halloween is the jack-o-lantern, which is carved out of a pumpkin.
November
November 11th is Veteran's Day. This federal holiday honors the soldiers who fought in World War I and those who fought for the U.S. in all wars. We celebrate by displaying the American flag from our homes, having parades and decorating graves with flowers and flags.
Thanksgiving Day is the 4th Thursday in November and a federal holiday. On this day we remember how the Indians helped the Pilgrims by teaching them how to farm and hunt. On this day, we give thanks for food, our country, and our families.
December
In December we celebrate holidays of light and hope in the dark winter. There is an eight-day Jewish holiday known as Chanukah during which candles are lit on each day. December 12th is the holiday of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who appeared to a poor Indian in Mexico among winter flowers.
December 25th is Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Many people decorate their houses with Christmas trees and lights and give presents to family members. Children hang stockings for Santa Claus (St. Nicholas) to fill with gifts. Christmas is a federal holiday. The African-American holiday of Kwanzaa is the last week of December. Candles are lit to represent the virtues of the African-American people.
As you can see, we have much to celebrate in the U.S. Many holidays are uniquely our own and many have been borrowed from other countries. We are a country of many cultures and many holidays!
2月2日世界湿地日(World Wetlands Day)
2月14日情人节(Valentine's Day)
3月8日国际妇女节(International Women' Day)
3月14日白色情人节(White Day)
3月14日国际警察日(International Policemen' Day)
3月15日世界消费者权益日(World Consumer Right Day）
3月21日世界森林日（World Forest Day)
3月21日世界睡眠日(World Sleep Day)
3月22日世界水日(World Water Day)
3月23日世界气象日(World Meteorological Day)
3月24日世界防治结核病日(World Tuberculosis Day)
4月1日愚人节(April Fools' Day)
4月7日世界卫生日(World Health Day）
4月22日世界地球日(World Earth Day)
4月26日世界知识产权日(World Intellectual Property Day)
5月1日国际劳动节(International Labour Day)
5月3日世界哮喘日(World Asthma Day)
5月8日世界红十字日(World Red-Cross Day)
5月12日国际护士节(International Nurse Day)
5月15日国际家庭日(International Family Day)
5月17日世界电信日(World Telecommunications Day)
5月23日国际牛奶日(International Milk Day)
5月31日 世界无烟日(World No-Smoking Day)
6月1日 国际儿童节(International Children's Day)
6月5日世界环境日(International Environment Day)
6月17日世界防治荒漠化和干旱日(World Day to combat desertification)
6月23日国际奥林匹克日(International Olympic Day)
6月26日国际禁毒日(International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking)
7月1日国际建筑日（International Architecture Day)
6月26日国际禁毒日(International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking)
7月1日国际建筑日（International Architecture Day)
7月11日世界人口日(World Population Day)
8月12日国际青年节(International Youth Day)
9月8日国际扫盲日(International Anti-illiteracy Day)
9月16日国际臭氧层保护日(International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer)
9月21日世界停火日(World Cease-fire Day)
9月27日世界旅游日(World Tourism Day)
10月1日国际音乐日(International Music Day)
10月1日国际老年人日(International Day of Older Persons)
10月4日世界动物日(World Animal Day)
10月5日世界教师日(World Teachers' Day)
10月9日世界邮政日(World Post Day)
10月10日世界精神卫生日(World Mental Health Day)
10月14日世界标准日(World Standards Day)
10月15日国际盲人节(International Day of the Blind)
10月15日世界农村妇女日(World Rural Women's Day)
10月16日世界粮食日(World Food Day)
10月17日国际消除贫困日(International Day for the Eradication of Poverty)
10月24日联合国日(United Nations Day)
10月24日世界发展新闻日(World Development Information Day)
10月29日国际生物多样性日(International Biodiversity Day)
10月31日万圣节(Halloween)
11月14日世界糖尿病日(World Diabetes Day)
11月25日国际消除对妇女的暴力日(International Day For the elimination of Violence against
Women)
12月1日世界爱滋病日(World AIDS Day)
12月3日世界残疾人日(World Disabled Day）
12月9日世界足球日（World Football Day)
12月25日圣诞节(Christmas Day)
12月29日国际生物多样性日(International Biological Diversity Day)
春分月圆后的第一个星期日复活节(Easter Monday)
5月第二个星期日母亲节(Mother's Day)
6月第三个星期日父亲节(Father's Day)
9月第三个星期二国际和平日(International Peace Day)
9月第四个星期日国际聋人节(International Day of the Deaf)
10月的第一个星期一世界住房日(World Habitat Day)
10月的第二个星斯一加拿大感恩节(Thanksgiving Day)
10月第二个星期三国际减轻自然灾害日(International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction)
10月第二个星期四世界爱眼日(World Sight Day)
11月最后一个星期四美国感恩节(Thanksgiving Day)