New Year's Day, is the first
day of the year, in the Gregorian calendar, falling exactly one week
after Christmas Day of the previous year. In modern times, it is
January 1. In most countries, it is a holiday.
t is a holy day to many of those who still use the Julian calendar,
which includes followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches,
and is celebrated on January 14 of the Gregorian calendar due to
differences between the two calendars. It is usually celebrated with
Fireworks, from London at 0:00 to America, at 0:00. |
Martin Luther King Day.
Honors Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights leader;
combined with other holidays in several states (traditionally
January 15).
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Washington's Birthday
(Third Monday in January)
Washington's Birthday was first declared a federal holiday
by an 1879 act of Congress. The Monday Holiday Law, enacted in 1968,
shifted the date of the commemoration of Washington's Birthday from
February 22 to the third Monday in February.
Many people now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and
consider it a day honoring all American Presidents. However, neither
the Monday Holiday Law nor any subsequent law changed the name of
the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents' Day.
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Memorial Day (Last Monday
of May) Honors the nation's war dead; marks the unofficial
beginning of summer. (traditionally May 30)
It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday
commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to
their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died
during the American Civil War.
After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any
war or military action. One of the longest standing traditions is
the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in
conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. It is also traditionally
viewed as the beginning of summer by many, for many schools are
dismissed around Memorial Day.
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Independence Day
Celebrates Declaration of Independence, also called the Fourth
of July.
The United States Declaration of Independence was an act
of the Second Continental Congress, adopted on July 4, 1776, which
declared that the Thirteen Colonies in North America were "Free and
Independent States" and that "all political connection between them
and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally
dissolved."
The document, formally entitled The unanimous Declaration of the
thirteen United States of America, explained the justifications
for separation from the British crown, and was an expansion of
Richard Henry Lee's Resolution (passed by Congress in July 2), which
first proclaimed independence. An engrossed copy of the Declaration
was signed by most of the delegates on August 2 and is now on
display in the National Archives and Records Administration in
Washington, D.C.
The Declaration is considered to be the founding
document of the United States of America, where July 4 is celebrated
as Independence Day and the nation's birthday. At the time the
Declaration was issued, the American colonies were "united" in
declaring their independence from Great Britain. John Hancock was
the first to sign the Declaration of Independence.
US President Abraham Lincoln succinctly explained the central
importance of the Declaration to American history in his Gettysburg
Address of 1863:
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| Labor Day is
a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday
in September. The holiday began in 1882, originating from a desire
by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the "working
man". It is still celebrated mainly as a day of rest and marks the
symbolic end of summer for many. Labor Day became a federal holiday
by Act of Congress in 1894. is a United States federal holiday that
takes place on the first Monday in September. The holiday began in
1882, originating from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create
a day off for the "working man". It is still celebrated mainly as a
day of rest and marks the symbolic end of summer for many. Labor Day
became a federal holiday by Act of Congress in 1894. |
| Columbus Day
Honors Christopher Columbus, traditional discoverer of the Americas.
In some areas it is also a celebration of Italian culture and
heritage. (traditionally October 12); celebrated as American Indian
Heritage Day and Fraternal Day in Alabama;celebrated as Native
American Day in South Dakota.[ |
| Veterans Day
Honors all veterans of the United States armed forces. A
traditional observation is a moment of silence at 11 AM remembering
those who fought for peace. (Commemorates the cease-fire in the 1918
armistice which was scheduled for "the eleventh hour of the eleventh
day of the eleventh month.") |
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Thanksgiving, in the United
States, Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is an annual
one-day holiday to give thanks, traditionally to God,for the things
one has at the end of the harvest season. It is celebrated on the
fourth Thursday of November (i.e. the Thursday falling between
November 22 and November 28). The period from Thanksgiving Day to
New Year's Day is often collectively referred to as the "holiday
season," and the holiday itself is often nicknamed Turkey Day.
Thanksgiving is generally considered a secular holiday, and is not
directly based in religious canon or dogma. |
| Christmas is
an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Christmas
festivities often combine the commemoration of Jesus' birth with
various secular customs, many of which have been influenced by
earlier winter festivals. The date as a birthdate for Jesus is
traditional, and is not considered to be his actual date of birth.
In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on
December 25. Christmas Eve is the preceding day, December 24. In the
United Kingdom and many countries of the Commonwealth, Boxing Day is
the following day, December 26. In Catholic countries, Saint
Stephen's Day or the Feast of St. Stephen is December 26.
The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6.
Eastern Orthodox Churches that still use the Julian Calendar
celebrate Christmas on the Julian version of 25 December, which is
January 7 on the more widely used Gregorian calendar, because the
two calendars are now 13 days apart. (Armenians who use the Julian
Calendar celebrate Christmas on the Julian version of Jan. 6, which
is Jan. 19 on the Gregorian calendar.)
The word "Christmas" is a contraction of two words "Christ's
mass" and is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and
Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.
In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ
(chi), is the first letter of Christ (Χριστός). Since the
mid-16th century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, was used
as an abbreviation for Christ. Thus, Xmas is an abbreviation
for Christmas.
After the conversion of Anglo-Saxons in England from their
indigenous Anglo-Saxon polytheism (a form of Germanic paganism) in
the very early 7th century, Christmas was called geol, which
was the name of the native Germanic pre-Christian solstice festival
that fell on that date. From geol, the current English word
Yule is derived. Many customs associated with modern
Christmas were derived from Germanic paganism.
The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after
Charlemagne was crowned on Christmas Day in 800. Around the 12th
century, the remnants of the former Saturnalian traditions of the
Romans were transferred to the Twelve Days of Christmas (26 December
- 6 January). Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public
festival, incorporating ivy, holly, and other evergreens, as well as
gift-giving.
Modern traditions have come to include the display of Nativity
scenes, Holly and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards,
and the arrival of Father Christmas or Santa Claus on Christmas Eve
or Christmas morning. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion
of goodwill and peace.
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