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Americans Celebrate a Variety of Federal Holidays and Other National

Americans Celebrate a Variety of Federal Holidays and Other National

Outcomes:

• You will be able to identify and name the most common American holidays and compare them to holidays in your own country and other countries. (Bloom's digital taxonomy lowest level, (remembering). • You will be able to classify the American holidays according to which month they are celebrated in. (understanding) • You will compare the holidays and o match the American in one column to its definition in (analyzing) o determine which month has the most American holiday celebrations (analyzing) o Answer some critical questions about American holidays (evaluating) o Create a calendar that includes all of the holidays covered in the course including holidays in your own country. You choose to make a PowerPoint or blog post to present your work to the class. (creating)

Americans The following celebrate a are variety of federal American holidays and federal other national holidays and observances other throughout the common year. American national holidays can be observances secular, . Federal religious, holidays are international, or indicated as uniquely such. American. .

American Holidays Official information and services from the U.S. government from: http://www.usa.gov/citizens/holidays.shtml

New Year's Day is January 1. The celebration of this federal holiday Valentine's Day is falls on a Sunday begins the night before, when celebrated on 14. that varies from year to year. Americans gather to wish each other a The day was named after Easter is a Christian holiday happy and prosperous coming year. an early Christian martyr, celebrating the resurrection of Many Americans make New Year's and on Valentine's Day, Jesus Christ. For Christians, resolutions. Americans give presents Easter is a day of religious like candy or flowers to the services and the gathering of Martin Luther King Day is a federal ones they love. The first family. Many Americans follow holiday celebrated on the third mass-produced valentine old traditions of coloring hard- Monday in January. The Reverend cards were sold in the boiled eggs and giving children Martin Luther King, Jr. was an African- American clergyman who is . baskets of candy.

recognized for his tireless efforts to 's Birthday is Day is observed on win civil rights for all people through a federal holiday observed 22. First celebrated in 1970 in the nonviolent means. the third Monday of , it inspired national Day is February 2, and February to honor George legislation such as the Clean Air has been celebrated since 1887. On Washington, the first and Clean Water Acts. , crowds gather in President of the United is designed to promote , Punxsutawney, , to see States. This date is encourage respect for life on if groundhog commonly called earth, and highlight concern over sees his shadow after emerging Presidents' Day and many of the soil, air, and from his burrow, thus predicting six groups honor the legacy of water. more weeks of winter . past presidents on this ate.

National was is the first Monday Day is a federal proclaimed as the last Friday in of . This federal holiday celebrated on the fourth April by President holiday honors the nation's Thursday in . The holiday in 1970. A number of state Arbor working people, typically with began in 1621, when Puritans, who Days are observed at other times . For most Americans had just enjoyed a bountiful harvest, to coincide with the best tree it marks the end of the showed their gratitude to the Native planting weather, from January vacation and Americans for their help by hosting a and February in the south to May the start of the school year. feast to give thanks. The in the far north. The observance Thanksgiving feast became a is a federal began in 1872, when Nebraska national tradition and almost always holiday celebrated on the settlers and homesteaders were includes some of the foods served at second Monday in . urged to plant trees on the largely the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry The day commemorates treeless plains. sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. , 1492, when

Italian navigator Christopher , celebrated 14, Columbus landed in the New has been a presidentially . The holiday was first proclaimed observance since proclaimed in 1937 by 1916. Although Flag Day is not Pearl Harbor is President Franklin D. a federal holiday, Americans are December 7. In 1994, Congress Roosevelt. encouraged to display the flag designated this national observance to honor the more than 2,400 military outside their homes and businesses. service personnel who died on this date in 1941, during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, , by celebrates fathers Father's Day Japanese forces. The attack on Pearl Mother's Day celebrates mothers every third Sunday of June. Harbor caused the United States to every second Sunday of May. Father's Day began in 1909 in enter World War II. President , who Spokane, Washington, when a issued a proclamation in 1914, daughter requested a special Day is a federal holiday asked Americans to give a public day to honor her father, a Civil celebrated on December 25. expression of reverence to War who raised his Christmas is a Christian holiday mothers on this day. Carnations children after his wife died. The marking the birth of the Christ Child. have come to represent Mother's first presidential proclamation Decorating houses and yards with Day, following President William honoring fathers was issued in lights, putting up Christmas trees, McKinley's habit of always wearing 1966 by President Lyndon giving gifts, and sending greeting a white carnation, his mother's Johnson. cards have become traditions even favorite flower. for many non-Christian Americans. is celebrated on is a federal holiday October 31. On Halloween, observed the last Monday of May. American children dress up in It originally honored the people funny or scary costumes and go killed in the , "trick or treating" by knocking on Other Celebrations but has become a day on which doors in their neighborhood. The Various ethnic and religious the American dead of all wars, neighbors are expected to groups in America celebrate days and the dead generally, are respond by giving them small with special meaning to them remembered in special programs gifts of candy or money. even though these are not held in cemeteries, churches, and national holidays. Jews, for other public meeting places. The example, observe their high holy flying of the American flag is days in September, Muslims widespread. celebrate , African Day is celebrated on Americans celebrate , . Originally called Irish Americans celebrate the old , this federal country's patron saint, St. Patrick, holiday was established to honor Americans who had on 17, and is Independence Dayis July 4. This the day before the Christian federal holiday honors the nation's served in , but it now honors veterans of all wars season of Lent begins and is a big birthday - the signing of the in which the U.S. has fought. occasion in New Orleans, Declaration of Independence on Veterans' organizations hold Louisiana, where huge parades July 4, 1776. It is a day of picnics parades, and e president and wild revels take place. There and patriotic parades, a night of places a on the Tomb of are many other such religious and concerts and fireworks. The flying the Unknowns at Arlington ethnic celebrations in the United f the American flag is widespread. National Cemetery in . States ACTIVITY Choose a month and enter all the holidays in that calendar page. If you have time, you may complete several pages or even make a complete calendar for extra credit.

QUESTIONS Answer three of the following questions 1. How many holidays are federal holidays?

2. Which month has the most holidays?

3. Which season has the most holidays? a. summer b. winter c. spring d.

4. Name a holiday that is just for children.

5. Which holidays are religious holidays?

6. Name a holiday that honors a person.

7. Are there any holidays listed that you have never heard of?

8. Can you name a holiday that is not listed in the glossary?

MATCHING Match the holidays to the explanations. A. American dead of all wars, and the dead ___New Year's Day generally, are remembered.

___Thanksgiving Day B. This federal holiday honors the nation's working people ___Memorial Day C. This day is designed to promote ecology, ___ Independence Day encourage respect for life on earth, and highlight concern over pollution of the soil, air, and water. ___Labor Day

___Earth Day D. Americans gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous coming year.

E. The holiday began in 1621, when Puritans, who had just enjoyed a bountiful harvest, showed their gratitude to the Native Americans for their help by hosting a feast to give thanks.

F. This federal holiday honors the nation's birthday - the signing of the Declaration of

Independence on July 4, 1776.

Project: Research 2 holidays in any country and compare them to the corresponding American holidays. Post your resulting information as an essay, video, podcast, PowerPoint, or other medium into a blog or wiki. Comment on and evaluate two of your classmates' products and post to the discussion forum. ANSWER KEY

QUESTIONS Answer three of the following questions.

1. How many holidays are federal holidays? Ten.

Thursday, January 1 New Year’s Day

Monday, January 19 Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, February 16* Washington’s Birthday

Monday, May 25 Memorial Day

Friday, July 3** Independence Day

Monday, September 7 Labor Day

Monday, October 12 Columbus Day

Wednesday, November 11

Thursday, November 26 Thanksgiving Day

Friday, December 25 Christmas Day

2. Which month has the most holidays? May

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

2 3 0 3 4 2 1 0 1 2 2 2

3. Which season has the most holidays? a. summer b. winter c. spring d. autumn

Winter 7 Spring 7 Summer 3 Autumn 5

Dec, Jan, Feb Mar, April, May June, July, Aug Sept, Oct, Nov

4. Name a holiday that is just for children. Halloween

5. Which holidays are religious holidays? Easter, Christmas 6. Name a holiday that honors a person. Martin Luther King Day, Washington's Birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Columbus Day

7. Are there any holidays listed that you have never heard of? ___

8. Can you name a holiday that is not listed in the glossary? St. Patrick's Day, March 17th; April fool's, April 1st.

9. Why do you think that people celebrate more in some than others? (Accept any answer) Ex. holidays are tied to their religious roots, which in turn bear a relationship to the season changes.

"For winter observances, we can go back even farther in history to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, times of the great stone builders of northern , roughly 4000 to 1500 BCE. Their rituals are lost to us, but simple or grandly awesome, there are hundreds of these monuments and circles surviving, dotted across the landscape. All investigated have been found to have significant solar and lunar alignments to one or more of the eight old holidays: the , the , or the cross- quarter days." (from http://westbynorthwest.org/winter01/mary.light.shtml )

MATCHING Match the holidays to the explanations.

___New Year's Day A. American dead of all wars, and the dead generally, are remembered. ___Thanksgiving Day B. This federal holiday honors the nation's ___Memorial Day working people

___ Independence Day C. This day is designed to promote ecology, encourage respect for life on earth, and highlight ___Labor Day concern over pollution of the soil, air, and water.

___Earth Day D. Americans gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous coming year.

E. The holiday began in 1621, when Puritans, who had just enjoyed a bountiful harvest, showed their gratitude to the Native Americans for their help by hosting a feast to give thanks.

F. This federal holiday honors the nation's birthday - the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

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