In the United States there are no federal (national) holidays. Legally,
the President and Congress can designate holidays only for federal
government employees. Each of the 50 states has the legal right to
determine which days will be holidays. Individual states may observe
federal holidays according to their own legislation. The dates of
these holidays are also decided by each state government, as well as
whether government offices are closed and whether employees have the
day off from work or not. In practice, however, most states observe
the holidays designated by the President and Congress. The following
ten holidays are proclaimed by the federal government:
New Year's Day is on January 1st
and marks the beginning of the New
Year according to the Julian Calendar. On this day, Americans make
resolutions for the New Year. The Tournament of Roses Parade in
Pasadena, California is watched on TV nationwide. As in other
English-speaking countries, the song "Auld Lang Syne is sung at the
stroke of midnight and champagne is opened.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday. Dr. King was a leading figure in the civil
rights movement. In 1986 President Ronald Reagan declared the third Monday in January a federal legal holiday commemorating
Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday. This is the only federal holiday
in honor of an African-American.
President's Day honors the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and of George Washington. Until 1971,
February 12 was observed to honor the birthday of Abraham Lincoln
and February 22 for George Washington's birthday. In 1971 President
Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal holiday, Presidents'
Day, to be observed on the third Monday of February, honoring all
past presidents of the United States of America.
Memorial Day is on the last Monday of May. There are many stories about the origins
of Memorial Day. It was first celebrated on May 30, 1868 in honor of
those that died in the Civil War but the Southern U.S. states
refused to celebrate the holiday. It was not until after World War I
that these states joined in the celebration, when it became a
holiday commemorating those who died fighting in any war. Since the
late 1950s on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers
of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the
more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They
then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each
flag remains standing. Memorial Day also marks the beginning of
summer.
Independence Day - The 4th of July is the celebration of
America's independence from British rule. The first 13 colonies that
would subsequently make the United States were dissatisfied with
having to pay taxes to England without being represented in the
Parliament of England. The growing unrest prompted King George to
send additional troops to control the rising rebellion. The colonies
then formed the First Continental Congress, and later the Second
Continental Congress, in an effort to reach an agreement with
England without declaring a war. By June 1776 a committee was formed
to draft a formal declaration of independence. The committee was
headed by Thomas Jefferson and included John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman and the Declaration of
Independence was proclaimed on July 4th. The Declaration also marked
the beginning of the American Revolution. Today, it is a day of
barbecues, parades, fireworks, picnics and beach parties.
Labor Day was first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York
City and was organized by the Central Labor Union. However, it was
not until 1894 that it Congress passed an act making the first
Monday in September of each year a legal holiday. Today, Labor Day
speeches are given by leading union officials, industrialists,
educators, clerics and government officials in honor of the American
worker. Labor Day also officially marks the end of summer. School
usually resumes the following day, after summer vacation. The day is
celebrated nationwide by barbecues.
Columbus Day is celebrated on
the second Monday in October in honor of Christopher Columbus who is
believed to be the first European to have discovered the Americas.
In 1905 Colorado was the first state to observe Columbus Day and in
1937 President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 as Columbus
Day. It is since 1971 that Columbus Day has been celebrated on the
second Monday of October.
Veterans' Day is on the second Monday in
November. First celebrated as Armistice Day in the United States on
November 11, 1919 to celebrate the end of World War I and to
remember the sacrifices that people made during the war to ensure a
lasting peace Armistice Day became a national holiday in 1938. In
1953 the town of Emporia, Kansas called the holiday Veterans' Day in
gratitude to the veterans of their town. In 1954 November 11th
became Veterans' Day in honor of veterans of all U.S. wars. In 1971
President Nixon declared it a federal holiday. On that day,
ceremonies and speeches are given and there is a moment of silence
at 11:00 in the morning, when Americans observe a moment of silence
to remember those who fought for our country. Nowadays, veterans
gather at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. to
commemorate those who died during the Vietnam War. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November. The Pilgrims who in the early days
came from England aboard the Mayflower were members of the English
Separatist Church fleeing religious persecution. They arrived at
Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620 and that first winter proved to
be difficult. The following year, however, the harvest was bountiful
and these first colonists decided to celebrate by having a feast
with the Indians who had helped the Pilgrims during that first
winter. The first "thanksgiving" celebration lasted for three days. Although thanksgiving feasts were celebrated almost every year
thereafter, it was not until October 1777 that all 13 colonies
celebrated Thanksgiving. In 1789 George Washington proclaimed a
National Day of Thanksgiving although that was met with opposition
by some. In 1863 President Lincoln designated the last Thursday in
November as Thanksgiving Day. In 1941 Congress proclaimed the fourth
Thursday in November to be a legal holiday in observance of
Thanksgiving.
 Nowadays, Thanksgiving is a family holiday that
unites all Americans regardless of religious or ethnic belonging. It
is a day for people to gather and express their gratitude for the
freedom and bounty of America. It is one of the biggest holidays and
is usually spread into a four-day weekend. Thanksgiving is
celebrated by serving turkey, which is believed to have been part of
the Pilgrims' feast. Other traditional meals include pumpkin pie,
potatoes, and cranberries.
Christmas marks the birth of Christ,
according to Christian religion, and is celebrated on December 25th.
The charm and spirit of Christmas appeal to everyone in America, not
only Christians, and this holiday is widely celebrated. Christmas
trees are put up as soon as early December, houses are decorated and
presents are exchanged among friends and relatives. Christmas
parties are given and community festivities are planned. Baking
cookies is part of the tradition and so is the scent of cinnamon in
the air. Santa Claus is not only in children's stories but also on
every corner. Various charities use the Santa figure with a bell to
appeal to people's generosity during this season of giving. (Complete article in current issue. Click
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