American holidays

Here is a list of American holidays, when they are celebrated, and some information about how they are celebrated.

Holiday	Time of Year	Type of Celebration
New Year’s Eve	Evening of December 31	People dress up to go out to dinner, movies, theater, or parties. Most parties begin at 9 or 10 p.m.
New Year’ s Day	January 1	People relax from previous evening’s festivities. They may visit with friends. Many watch college football games on television.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday.	January 15	Some schools and businesses close in honor of this civil rights leader.
Valentine’s Day	February 14	Children exchange greeting cards in school. Sweethearts exchange cards. Men give flowers or candy to the women they love (wife, daughter, mother, girlfriend).
Presidents’ Day (Combined celebration of Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday	Third Monday in February	Many schools close for one week vacation. Banks and the post office close for the day.
St. Patrick’s Day	March 17	Irish holiday, celebrated with parades. People wear green.
April Fool’s Day	April 1	A day when people, especially children, like to play tricks on others.
Passover.	Eight days in the spring	Jewish religious holiday celebrating Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt. On the first two nights, Jewish people have a traditional family meal called a Many schools close seder.
Easter	A Sunday in the spring	Christian religious holiday. Some people stay home from work or school on the preceding Friday (Good Friday). On Easter Sunday, Christian families attend church and gather for traditional meals. (In addition, many Americans enjoy buying chocolate Easter bunnies, candy eggs, and jelly beans. There for one week vacation. Banks are Easter eggs hunts, and children color Easter eggs.)
Mother’s day	First Sunday in May	The extended family gathers; mothers and grandmothers receive cards and gifts.
Memorial Day	Last Monday in May	A day honoring all who have died in war. Schools and all government offices and businesses are closed.
Father’s Day	Third Sunday in June	Families gather; fathers and grandfathers receive cards and gifts.
Independence Day	July 4	The day that the United States declared independence from England is celebrated with parades, picnics, barbecues. and fireworks.
Labor Day	First Monday in September	The final summer vacation day before school begins. People go to picnics and have outdoor parties with family and friends.
Rosh Hashanah	Two days in the fall	Jewish New Year, celebrated by going to synagogue.
Yom Kippur	Tenth day following Rosh Hashanah	Day of Atonement in the Jewish religion; Jews fast and go to synagogue.
Columbus Day	October 12	The day Christopher Columbus discovered America. Schools, banks, and post offices are closed.
Veteran’s Day	Fourth Monday in October	A day honoring all people who have served in the armed forces; people display flags, and there are parades.
Halloween	October 31	Children dress up in costumes and go door to door saying “trick or treat”. They expect people to give them candy.
Thanksgiving	Fourth Thursday in November	Commemorates the Pilgrims’ first harvest in the New World. Celebrated with a large meal, traditionally roast turkey.
Hanukkah	Eight days in late fall	The Jewish Festival of Lights; families light candles and exchange small gifts on each of the eight nights.
Christmas	December 25	Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Families
		gather to exchange gifts and eat a traditional meal. Families decorate Christmas trees with ornaments and sing songs. Santa Claus, a fat, jolly man in a white beard, brings gifts to all.