HOLIDAYS

The United States of America's history is reflected in its holidays.  Since we all participate in the holidays, it is a good idea that you understand their significance and how we celebrate them.

COLUMBUS DAY

History

There is some controversy over whether or not Christopher Columbus was the first European explorer to discover the Americas. As a tradition we accept that Columbus was the first person to land on the shores of the Caribbean Islands, and that he opened up the Western part of the world to Europe.

Columbus Day was first celebrated in New York City on October 12, 1866. However, it was not called Columbus Day until October 12, 1869 when San Francisco held a celebration honoring Christopher Columbus.

Colorado was the first State to observe Columbus Day in 1905. In 1937 President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 to be Columbus Day.

Since 1971 we celebrate Columbus Day on every second Monday of October.

How to celebrate

There is no common way to celebrate Columbus Day. Most cities will have a parade and a festival on the Saturday before. Columbus Day itself is generally a bank holiday, which means that banks are closed but those of us that do not work in banks usually have to go to work.

THANKSGIVING

History

The fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day. On Thanksgiving, Americans give thanks for the blessings they have enjoyed during the year. Families get together and enjoy a huge feast.

Thanksgiving was first celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The pilgrims had immigrated to America from England in 1620 in a quest for religious freedom. They had been persecuted in their home country because of their choice of religion. The pilgrims were inexperienced and poorly equipped for what lay ahead. They suffered great losses during the first winter.

During the spring of 1621 a local Indian tribe offered the pilgrims assistance. They taught the pilgrims hunting, fishing, and farming. They taught the pilgrims how to plant the indigenous corn, pumpkin, and beans. That year the pilgrims enjoyed a successful harvest because of the help they received from the Indians. In 1621 Governor William Bradford issued a proclamation establishing a day of Thanksgiving to God. The governor also invited the pilgrim's Indian neighbors to participate in the Thanksgiving feast. The Indians supplied five deer for the feast. Turkeys were hunted for the occasion, and corn, pumpkins, and cranberries were cooked.

In 1676 the governing council of Charleston, Massachusetts declared June 29, 1676 a day of Thanksgiving.

The first time that all thirteen colonies celebrated Thanksgiving Day together was in October 1777. From 1777 to 1783 Thanksgiving Days were proclaimed annually by the US Congress.  These usually occurred in December.

George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday in 1789. However, not all the colonies participated in this holiday.

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as a national holiday and since then Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated yearly.

How to celebrate

American families celebrate Thanksgiving Day by gathering together and eating a big feast. Families travel from all parts of the country to be together. It is the busiest time of the year for airline travel.

A traditional Thanksgiving Day feast consists of turkey, stuffing, corn, cranberries, potatoes, ham, pumpkin pie, and any other favorite dishes that a family might want to eat.

On Thanksgiving Day, Americans remember all that they have to be thankful for. It is a non-denominational "religious" holiday celebrated by all, in a country that forbids the establishment of religion in public life. The US Constitution deals with religion in two ways; it guarantees everyone the right to practice their own religion; and it forbids the government from establishing, assisting, or promoting religion.

All offices and most stores are closed.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

History

The American Independence Day is celebrated each year on July 4. On July 4, 1776 the United States of America claimed its independence from England. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and it was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 when the President of the Congress, John Hancock, accepted it and was the first to sign it.

It was an act of treason against the British government. In American slang, your "John Hancock" is your signature.

The most compelling words in the Declaration of Independence are:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.

The Declaration of Independence led to the War of Independence between Britain and the thirteen colonies.  To view the entire document – click here.

How to celebrate

Americans usually celebrate Independence Day with friendly gatherings, barbeques, and fireworks.

The United States Flag is flown all over the country on this day.

Church bells ring throughout the nation on Independence Day in honor of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell which first rang out the colonies’ claim of independence.

After dark, fireworks displays are set off all around the country in honor of Independence Day. It is a glorious celebration for Americans.

MEMORIAL DAY

History

Memorial Day is celebrated in order to pay tribute to those Americans who died in service to their country. Before Memorial Day was proclaimed a holiday, men and women in America would take one day and remember the soldiers who had died in service. They would decorate their graves with flags and flowers. This became known as Decoration Day.

Memorial Day was first proclaimed a holiday on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.  It was first observed on May 30, 1868. On that day, flowers were placed at the graves of Civil War soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1968 Congress proclaimed that Memorial Day would be celebrated the last Monday in May, and would be observed as a Federal holiday by all states.

How to Celebrate

Americans celebrate Memorial Day in their own personal ways.

Some of the ways that Americans choose to celebrate Memorial Day are:

  Visiting cemeteries

  Placing flowers or flags at the graves of soldiers who have died in service

  Flying the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Flag

  Flying the United States Flag at half staff until noon

  Taking a moment to participate in the "National Moment of Remembrance" which occurs at 3:00 pm on Memorial Day. It is a time set by the government to pause and remember the soldiers who died in service.

All offices are closed. Many stores have sales. People regard it as the start of the summer which lasts until Labor Day.

VETERANS' DAY

History

After World War 1, an unknown American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This grave of the Unknown Soldier has become a focal point of remembrance for the nation's veterans.

Many countries around the world had participated in similar ceremonies. These ceremonies had occurred on November 11, 1918. This day became known as Armistice Day.

America recognized Armistice Day as a holiday in 1926 through a Congressional Resolution.

After World War 2 and the Korean War, Congress decided to change Armistice Day into Veterans' Day, acknowledging all of the soldiers who served in all wars. In 1954 President Eisenhower proclaimed November 11 as Veterans' Day.

In 1968 a law passed to change Veterans' Day from November 11 to the fourth Monday in October. However, in 1978 Congress changed Veterans' Day back to November 11.

How to Celebrate

At Arlington National Cemetery at 11:00 am on November 11, a color guard combined of all branches of military service "Presents Arms" at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A presidential wreath is laid by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a tribute to the dead Veterans. During this time "taps" is played by the bugler.

In other parts of the country similar public ceremonies occur, parades are held, and some people throw parties in honor of our Veterans.

It is also appropriate to fly the United States Flag at your home in honor of our Veterans. All stores and some offices are open.

FLAG DAY

History

On June 14, 1777 the Stars and Stripes pattern of the United States Flag was adopted by the Continental Congress. Flag Day was first celebrated in 1877, the centennial of the United States Flag's birth. President Woodrow Wilson officially established Flag Day on May 30, 1916. However, it was not until 1949 when Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress that Flag Day (June 14) became a national day of observance.

The United States Flag has been redesigned many times. Today the United States Flag has thirteen alternating red and white stripes representing the first thirteen colonies of England that became States. It also has a blue box in the upper left hand corner which contains fifty stars, one for each state. The last star was added in 1960 for the State of Hawaii.

How to Celebrate

Flag Day is not a day off from work. However, there are ways it can be celebrated. The best way to celebrate Flag Day is to fly the flag at your home.

History

Presidents Day was initially celebrated to honor two of the United States' greatest Presidents:  George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Until 1971 their birthdays were celebrated separately. February 12 was observed in honor of Abraham Lincoln, and February 22 was observed in honor of George Washington.

In 1971 President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday in honor of all of the past and present United Sates Presidents to be celebrated on the third Monday in February called Presidents Day.

George Washington

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. He was appointed as Commander in Chief of the revolutionary forces in 1775.

After the Revolutionary War was won the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written. These two documents called for a President. George Washington was chosen as the first President of this new country.

Americans celebrated Washington's birthday while he was still alive. He was the first man, who was not a king, to have his birthday celebrated by the public while he was still alive.

Abraham Lincoln

Born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Kentucky, he was raised by uneducated and poor parents. He had very little formal education, but eventually became a lawyer. He was first elected as President in 1860 and re-elected for a second term. He was the president of a country with a major conflict. The agricultural southern states regarded slavery as the economic backbone to their existence. However, the industrial north with only small farms did not have a need for a large agricultural labor force. The northern states were opposed to slavery. The southern states, in order to maintain their slave labor, decided that they would secede from the Union and formed a separate nation known as the Confederate States of America.

In 1860, a major political issue was at stake. The United States symbolized a working democracy. If the southern states were allowed to secede, the United States democracy would prove to have been a failure because a minority could merely disregard the decision of the majority. Lincoln was faced with the horrible task of choosing whether brother would fight brother to maintain the democratic ideal or whether the country would disintegrate and blood would be spared. Lincoln would not allow the southern states to secede and the Civil War followed. Lincoln said:

"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free."

At the end of the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was adopted, freeing all slaves.

How to Celebrate

Presidents' Day may mean a day off from work for you.  Sales are held throughout the malls in America. It is a great day to go shopping.

There is no formal way of celebrating Presidents' Day.

History

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great civil rights leader in America during the 1960s. His most famous speech was his "I Have a Dream" speech which he gave in Washington D.C. in March 1963.

In his speech he said:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."

Ronald Reagan signed legislation proclaiming Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday in November 1983. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

How to Celebrate

There is no traditional way to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Many Americans celebrate it with a day off from work.

LABOR DAY

History

Labor Day was originally observed to remember the work that Americans do throughout the year at their jobs or businesses.  In recent times it has been a day of relaxation, rather than a remembrance of business and work.

Peter McGuire suggested the celebration of the first Labor Day on September 5, 1882 with a parade in New York City. After the parade there were picnics and fireworks in honor of Labor Day.

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law that stated that the first Monday in September was to be observed as Labor Day.

How to Celebrate

Labor Day is not only a day to relax, but also a chance for one last summer party. Children in America begin school the day after Labor Day.

Most people throw parties in their backyards or at the beach. Labor Day marks the end of summer.

HALLOWEEN

History

Halloween had its origin in a Roman Catholic Decree of 1835AD when November 1 was declared a holiday to honor all saints. Hallow means holy or saintly. The word Halloween is an abbreviation of All Hallows Eve the night before All Saints Day. Halloween gets its name from a Christian source, but the customs originate from two pagan sources: An ancient Celtic festival to honor Samhein - Lord of Death, and a Roman festival to honor the goddess of gardens and orchids - Pomona. The Halloween colors, orange and black, represent both festivals; harvest time and death.

In the United States of America children go "trick or treating" on Halloween night. On October 31 the children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door saying "trick or treat." The adults will hand the children a piece of candy. If the adults refuse to hand out candy, the children may play a prank on them like soaping windows, decorating the front of the house with bathroom tissue, or writing on the house with chalk or crayons.

This tradition dates back to England during the early All Souls' Day parades. When the Europeans came to America they brought their different Halloween customs with them. By the 1920s and 1930s Halloween had become a secular, community-centered holiday.

How to Celebrate

Halloween is a workday. However, at night the children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door asking for candy by saying "trick or treat."

Adults will stay at home and pass out candy to the children. Adults and children alike may choose to go to costume parties or community festivals instead of trick or treating.

Whatever children choose to do on Halloween, undoubtedly they will come away with a lot of candy.

Halloween is also a time for making Jack-O-Lanterns. The Jack-O-Lantern is also of Celtic origin.

How to Make a Jack-O-Lantern

The top of the pumpkin is cut out which becomes the lid. Then the pumpkin is hollowed out and holes are cut in the shell to make eyes, nose, and mouth. A candle is put inside and the lid is replaced.

CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR

These are holidays in the U.S.A. and are celebrated much the same as in most Western countries.

The Business Calendar

See EasyWayUSA – Business, for comments on business activities during the year.