The United States of America is a land known for its freedom. It is the birthplace of humanity’s greatest minds and people who have impacted countless lives throughout history.
The American spirit consists of the pursuit of happiness and liberty through hard work and innovation.
One can see this in how many holidays are commemorated in America that celebrate previous historical events that changed the course of time or brought about a new revolution in thinking or technology.
The United States has a lot of holidays. From Presidents’ Day to Columbus Day, there are many days that people celebrate and give thanks for the things they have in their lives. Here is a list of some U.S. holidays and what they stand for:
New Year’s Day (January 1st):
New Year’s Day is celebrated by various festivities such as countdown parties and fireworks at midnight.
It is also best known for its traditions like kissing under the Mistletoe, Auld Lang Syne at midnight, and exchanging presents and resolutions on New Year’s Day.
The party starts on December 31st at midnight and ends on January 1st. Many restaurants and hotels are booked during this time because people take their friends out to eat to welcome the New Year or sometimes spend it at home with family banquets.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 15th)
January 15th was declared a national holiday in 1986 in honor of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Day is celebrated by holding parades in various cities to commemorate his fight against racial segregation and holding peace marches.
This Day is believed to be one of the many ways America has tried its best to rectify the mistakes of past generations mistakes that were tainted by racism.
The US Postal Services also releases commemorative stamps on this Day every year since 1978, when it first began recognizing it.
Presidents’ Day (Third Monday of February)
The third Monday of February is celebrated as Presidents’ Day in honor of the President and how he serves his people.
It is a national holiday, which gives us a three-day weekend to spend with family or do some traveling tours.
Mardi Gras – French for Fat Tuesday (February/March – Varies according to Lunar Schedule)
Mardi Gras is a tradition that begins before Lent. This is a period where Catholics refrain from eating meat every Wednesday and Friday during a six-week span from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday.
Mardi Gras is so-called because it happens on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. It is a festival of indulgence celebrated by people who refrain from food daily as a form of sacrifice and abstinence from worldly pleasures.
Parties usually start two weeks before Fat Tuesday to celebrate with family and friends. Everyone wears masks and costumes during that time.
The festivities consist of music, dancing, parades with floats, costumes, masks, and beads thrown from balconies or streets because they signify prosperity.
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Patrick’s Day (March 17th)
St Patrick’s Day is a celebration for Irish immigrants in America where everyone puts on their green clothes to represent luck and celebrate togetherness.
Although St. Patrick’s Day is not a federal holiday, many like to join in the celebrations.
They drink large amounts of alcohol, such as beer and whiskey, dance, and play music together.
People wear green clothes to represent luck because St Patrick was said to have driven away all the snakes from Ireland, which had no snakes because the Ice Age wiped them out.
It is also believed that he used the three-leafed clover as a symbol of the Trinity to remind people about God’s existence.
Earth Day (April 22nd)
Earth day is celebrated across America on April 22nd to increase environmental protection awareness.
Many organizations hold rallies and gatherings where scientists give speeches discussing how pollution, deforestation, greenhouse gasses, etc., are destroying our planet.
Other than this, people plant more trees on Earth day than on any other single day of the year.
Memorial Day (Last Monday of May)
Memorial Day is celebrated to remember the soldiers who died fighting for their country during wars.
It was originally started in 1868 to commemorate Union soldiers who had died during the American civil war but has more recently expanded to include all fallen heroes who have perished while fighting on behalf of America.
Many people visit veterans’ cemeteries, pay tribute by laying wreaths, and poppies at memorials, and observe a minute’s silence during this time.
This American holiday is extremely important because it reminds us that freedom comes with great sacrifices.
Independence Day (July 4th)
Independence Day is one of America’s most widely celebrated holidays because it was the day America declared its independence from Britain after being a colony for almost two centuries.
People decorate their houses with red, white, and blue flags and wear clothes that are either of those colors or have an American flag printed on them.
This holiday is important because it reminds us of the sacrifices made to gain our freedom and how far we’ve come as a nation, and it inspires everyone to respect this country’s laws and constitution.
Thanksgiving (November 26th)
Thanksgiving is an annual U.S. holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. All federal, state, and local government offices, as well as schools, are closed to give Americans a chance to celebrate with their families.
They eat turkey meat that was boiled or roasted for several hours or even days before being served up hot with other dishes like mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.
This tradition can be traced back to English settlers who arrived in America seeking religious freedom after living under the rule of the Anglican Church for many centuries and included prayers and singing psalms before eating turkey and pumpkins because these were two foods they found growing wild without having to plant anything themselves. Fellow travelers had to spend most of their time clearing woods before planting something like wheat, corn, and barley.
Election Day (November 8th)
Election Day occurs every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, when Americans vote for their new President, senator, congressman, etc.
This day is important because voting rights were granted to African-Americans after being given citizenship by the Civil Rights Act Of 1964, while women got theirs back after passing the 19th amendment two years later in 1920.
Sarah Grimke went out of her way to campaign for equal voting rights for women by writing many articles, which were distributed throughout the country through underground networks.
Labor Day (First Monday of September)
Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of every September, representing a celebration for workers all over America.
The date was chosen as the first Monday because it represented a time when schools reopen so children can resume their education after enjoying summer vacations with their families.
This tradition has recently been replaced by parents who send their kids off to school even before kindergarten starts so they can enjoy some last days of freedom during the Labour day weekend.
This holiday originates in New York, where trade unions would gather together and march to show their strength and power after working hard as a group throughout the summer.
This holiday is significant because Peter McGuire and Matthew Maguire, who were trade unionists in New York, organized a general strike back in 1883.
Many workers gathered together at New York’s city hall before marching down Fifth Avenue towards Union Square.
They held speeches about how unfair capitalism was towards workers who spent most of their time working nonstop only to receive crumbs as pay while bosses earned hundreds or thousands of times more than them.
Veterans Day (November 11th)
Veterans Day falls on November 11th every year and honors all who served in America’s armed forces, either in times of war or peace.
This holiday is significant because it is used to honor all those who fought for American independence in 1775, known as Lexington and concord, where Minutemen began fighting against British troops before receiving reinforcements from George Washington’s army.
Ceremonies that will happen across the country. Ways to commemorate Veterans Day is to take time out from your busy schedule to say thank you with a small donation or volunteer work at an event near you. These simple gestures go a long way.
Remember, our military members should not be limited solely within November, so show some appreciation all year round.
Christmas (December 25th)
Christmas is regarded as one of the most important holidays in America because it is when families gather together and exchange gifts.
Children are extremely excited about getting new toys. Other than exchanging presents with immediate family members, many people indulge in shopping sprees by buying gifts for their friends and relatives before sending them via postal services or visiting malls that organize special events every year, like ice skating shows or live stage performances.
Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s celebrated in many ways, and people often exchange gifts with family members and friends.
Many Christians observe this Day as an important religious observance on December 25th each year.
Many families take this opportunity to spend time together and do activities such as a Bible Quiz.
Constitution Day (September 17th)
Constitution Day is celebrated on September 17th to mark the occasion when America adopted its constitution at the Philadelphia convention hall in 1787 after working hard on writing it for almost five years.
Laws were made according to democratic principles by men who had experience running their colonies before moving to a new country where they could start afresh and create history by building a nation from scratch.
This day is important because it commemorates the first time our founding fathers sat together as members of an assembly and laid down ground rules based on what would be best for all Americans living in every state without any discrimination between rich or poor, young or old.
Everyone could enjoy equal rights and opportunities under the law.
Halloween (October 31st)
Halloween is the festival where people dress up as different characters from fiction, like vampires, witches, werewolves, etc., before going door to door trick-or-treating to receive candies from neighbors during this night of mischief.
Teenagers enjoy hosting parties at homes where they dress up as famous celebrities or horror film stars while police forces spend the Day patrolling neighborhoods making sure everything remains peaceful.
This holiday has its origins in All Hallow’s eve. This was a Catholic festival celebrated by Irish and Scottish immigrants living in America centuries ago. It marked the end of the harvest season when winter was fast approaching, and people had to return home before frosty nights set in with heavy snowfall.
This festival is important because it provides an opportunity for parents to educate their children about different supernatural creatures, so they grow up aware of the difference between dark and light, good and bad, etc.
Culture, Tradition, and Custom
Most of these holidays are celebrated on different days, with others having their names changed to honor someone important in history or for political reasons.
This is why it is important for people who want to become citizens of any country to find out all they can learn about its culture, traditions, and customs before moving there so as not to offend anybody.
