Holidays in the United States
People in each culture celebrate Holidays. Although the word “holiday” literally means “holy day”, most American holidays are not religious, but commemorative in nature and origin.
In the strict sense, there are no national holidays in the US. Each of the 50 states establishes its own legal holidays. The federal government, through the president and Congress, can legally set holidays only for federal employees and for the District of Columbia. Most states, however, accept the federal legal government offices, and many (but not all) businesses are:
New Year’s Day (January 1);
Martin Luther King’s Birthday (3rd Monday in January);
Washington’s Birthday, sometimes called “Presidents’ Day” (3rd Monday in May);
Independence Day (July 4th);
Labour Day (1st Monday in September);
Columbus Day (2hd Monday in October);
Veteran’s Day (November 11th);
Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November);
Christmas Day (December 25th).
When New Year’s Day, Independence Day, or Christmas falls on a Sunday, the next day is also a holiday. When one of these holidays falls on a Saturday, the previous day is also a holiday. Federal government offices, including the post office are always closed on all federal legal holidays, whereas schools and businesses close on major holidays like Independence Day and Christmas but may not always be closed for example, on George Washington’s Birthday or Veteran’s Day.
Most state have holidays which are “observed” but are not necessary “legal”. The name of the holiday (e.g. Confederate Memorial Day) goes on the calendar (last Monday in April) for a state (Alabama, Mississippi), yet does not mean that businesses are always closed or children let out of school. There are also special days in most states (e.g. Volunteer Fireman Day, second Sunday in January in New Jersey) which are proclaimed, but have no effect otherwise. This is also true at the National Level. The President or Congress might proclaim a special day or week (e.g. National Employ and Handicapped Week, first week in October) in order to bring attention to a certain concern, interest group, or problem.
The many religious holidays such as Good Friday, Hanukkah or Ramadan are observed, of course, by legal status. Rather, each state states its own laws, and whether or not an employee is given time off also depends on labour agreement.
There are many traditional holidays, observed by a large number of Americans, which are also neither legal nor official. Among these are Grounding Day/ Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day (not just people with Irish ancestry will ”wear the green” on March 17), mother’s Day and Halloween (the last day of October).
The three holidays which were first observed in the USA but have now spread elsewhere are Labour Day (usually observed on March 1 elsewhere), Thanksgiving (in Canada), and Mother’s Day (wherever there are florists, greeting-card companies, candy manufacturers, and others).
Perhaps the two “most American” of the holidays are the Fourth of July – Independence Day – and Thanksgiving. The Fourth of July is like a big nation-wide birthday party. Yet, it’s a party that takes place in neighbourhoods, on beaches in parks, or on suburban lawns throughout the country. Some towns and cities have parades with bands and flags, and most politicians will try to give a patriotic speech or two, should anyone be willing to listen. But what makes the fourth of July is the atmosphere and enjoyment of, for instance, the family beach party, with hot dogs and hamburgers, volleyball, the fireworks and rackets at night (and, often, a sunburn and a headache the next morning). The nation’s birthday is also the nation’s greatest annual summer party.
Like Christmas, Thanksgiving is a day for families to come together. Traditional foods are prepared for the feast – turkey or ham, cranberry sauce and corn dishes, breads and rolls, and pumpkin pie. At the same time, Thanksgiving is a solemn occasion, a day to remember the many who are less well off, in America and throughout the world.