Holidays

UNITED STATES HOLIDAYS

There are several holidays celebrated in the United States. Listed below are some of them.

• New Year’s, Jan 1. This is a very happy holiday celebrated with parades and sporting events, such as football. (Not soccer, but college football teams.) We stay up to at least midnight on Dec 31 to welcome in the New Year. It is a custom to kiss your spouse and lovedones at exactly midnight. We think about the past year and set personal goals for the coming year.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan 19. This holiday celebrates the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. who was an African American, non-violent activist in the Southern states of the United States. His leadership in the United States led to passage of a law granting equal rights andpreventing discrimination. He was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

• Valentine’s Day, February 14. On Valentine’s Day lovers express their love for each other by giving cards, flowers, and candy.

• Memorial Day, May 30. This holiday honors those who died for their country. Flowers and American flags are placed on thousands of graves.

• Mother’sDay, May 10. A holiday to honor mother’s. A present and flowers are given to mother’s on this day. We do not allow mother’s to cook on this day. It is a day of rest for them

• Father’s Day, June 21. A holiday to honor father’s. On this day a gift and a Father’s Day card are given to father’s from their children.

• Independence Day, July 4. Independence Day, also know as theFourth of July, is a holiday that celebrates our independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. This was the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is a very patriotic day with fireworks and great celebration.

• Labor Day, September 7. This holiday began in 1882 and gives a day off from work. It is a day of rest and parades. It also marks the symbolic end of summerin the United States.

• Thanksgiving, November 26. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest (food) and to express gratitude in general. This is my favorite holiday as there is a great variety of food prepared that day. We always eat turkey on this day. Families gather together on this day for a good dinner. There are parades and sporting events.

• Christmas,December 25. Christmas is a very important Christian holiday in the United States. It is a celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. A Christmas tree with lights and decorations is prepared. Gifts are wrapped and placed under the tree, to be opened on Christmas Day. We attend church on Christmas Eve, which is the night before Christmas.

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ABOUT AMERICANHOLIDAYS:

Which holiday in the United States honors those who have died for their country? _________________.

______________ celebrates the birth of Christ.

The United States celebration of independence from Great Britain occurs on ________________.

What is the name of the holiday when lovers express their love for each other? ____________________.

________________ is Mike’sfavorite holiday. It is a day to eat turkey, be with family, and give thanks.

Who is the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize? ____________________.

DICTIONARY OF WORDS

celebrate celebar

parade el desfile

midnight la medianoche

spouse el / la cónyuge

activist activista (I am not sure this is correct.)

discrimination la discriminación

express espresar

gravela tumba

independence la independencia (el Día de la Independencia)

patriotic patriótico

fireworks los fuegos artificiales

symbolic el símbolo

harvest it means to bring in the food from the fields, such as corn, lettuce, potatoes, etc.

gratitude agradecido

variety la variedad

decoration decorar

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