HolidaysinAmericaImportantHolidaysChristmasThanksgivingNewYear’sDayIndependenceDayLaborDayChristmasChristmasisaChristianholidaythatcelebratesthebirthofJesusChrist.ItiscelebratedonDecember25th.ItincludesChristmasEve.ChristmasDayandCarnival.ThanksgivingThanksgivingisanannualone-dayholidaytogivethanksforthethingsonehasattheendoftheharvestseason.ItisonthefourthThursdayinNovember.ThebestandmostattractiveisroastturkeyandPumpkinpie.NewYear’sDayJanuary1st.Thebeginningofanewyear.Everyonegoesouttovisittheirfamilyandfriends.Noise-makingisanotherancientcustom.Andalsoabigdinner.IndependenceDayIndependenceDayisoneofthemainstatutoryholidays,thedateofJuly4theachyeartocommemoratetheJuly4,1776ContinentalCongressformallyadoptedinPhiladelphia,theDeclarationofIndependence.Peoplegoouttoparade.LaborDayLaborDay,thefirstMondayinSeptember,isacreationofthelabormovementandisdedicatedtothesocialandeconomicachievementsofAmericanworkers.Peoplecangetaone-dayholiday.ChristmasDec.25FamiliesgettogetherandexchangegiftsErectChristmastreesinhomesandbusinesses.Religiousmeaning–celebratesthebirthofJesusChristHasbecomecommercialized–SantaClausDecoratingthetreeisafamilyactivityThedecoratedtreewithpresentsunderneathExchanginggiftsChristmasDinnerTraditionalfoodwasgoose,butturkeyismorecommonnow.SantaClausmythpromotedbybusinessestostimulatebuyingThanksgivingFourthThursdayinNovemberFamiliesgettogethertovisitandhaveaThanksgivingdinnerTraditionalfoodisturkeyCustomstartedwiththepilgrims–givingthanksfortheharvest.ThepilgrimswereoneofthefirstEuropeanstocometoAmerica–in1620.NewYearsCelebratedJanuary1.Everyoneisoptimisticthatthenewyearwillbebetterthantheoldyear.OutwiththeoldyearInwiththenewyearNewYear’sEveStayupuntilmidnighttowelcomeinthenewyear.Oftenatapartywithfriends.Atmidnighteveryoneshoutsandmakesnoise,kissesthepersontheybroughttotheparty.TheneveryonesingsAuldLangSyne.FireworksinTimesSquareinNewYork.IndependenceDayAlwayscelebratedonJuly4.July4,1776wasthedaytheUnitedStatesdeclareditselfindependentfromEngland.IndependenceDayIndependencedayiscelebratedwithfireworks!BostonWashington,DCLaborDayFirstMondayinSeptember.StartedinNewYorkCityin1882tocreatea“dayofffortheworkingcitizens”.Becameafederalholidayin1894.Allstatesrecognizeit.Symbolicendofsummer.Familiesoftendothingsoutdoors–picnics,camping,etc.ThenextschoolyearstartsrightafterLaborDay.END