Mother’s Day
Mother's Day in the United States is usually celebrate on the second Sunday of May.Many people give gifts, cards, flowers, candy, a meal in a restaurant or other treats to their mother and mother figures, including grandmothers, great-grandmothers, stepmothers, and foster mothers.���
Did You Know?
More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year. These holiday chats with Mom often cause phone traffic to spike by as much as 37 percent.
Liza Smirnova
The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. �It complements Father's Day, a similar celebration honoring fathers.
http://www.history.com/topics/mothers-day
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/mothers-day
Groundhog Day
The celebration of Groundhog Day began with the Germans. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob made on February 2nd, 1887. The groundhog was given the name "Punxsutawney Phil”. On February 2nd, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob to predict the weather for the rest of the winter.
Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow. According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. According to Groundhog Day organizers, the rodents' forecasts are accurate 75% to 90% of the time.
Arina Pirozhkova
National Freedom Day
National Freedom Day is an observance in the United States that honors the signing of a resolution that proposed the 13th amendment of the nation's constitution on February 1, 1865.
Nastya Ustyuzhanina
Abraham Lincoln, who was the president at the time, signed the resolution to outlaw slavery. This anniversary is annually observed on February 1.
Many people in the United States reflect on and remember the importance of freedom on National Freedom Day.
For some people, it is a time to promote good will, equality, and to appreciate freedom. Wreath-laying at the Liberty Bell has also been a tradition to mark National Freedom Day for many years.Other events include annual breakfasts, luncheons, musical entertainment, film screenings, and literature meetings that explore the theme about freedom.
Some educational institutions may incorporate themes relating to National Freedom Day as part of class discussion, readings, and other learning activities that explore the importance of the day and its history.
Nastya Ustyuzhanina
Father’s Day
Sasha Kamenskih
In June of every year, Americans celebrate Father’s day. Father's Day is a modern holiday so different families have their own traditions. Many people send give cards or gifts to their fathers.
In the days and weeks before Father's Day, many schools and Sunday schools help to prepare a handmade card or small gift for their fathers. Father's Day is not a federal holiday.
All stores are open or closed, just as they are on any other Sunday in the year.
There are a range of events, which have inspired the idea of Father's Day.
One of these was the start of the Mother's Day tradition.
The first time Father's Day was held in June was in 1910.
This holiday was officially recognized as a holiday in 1972 by President Nixon.
National Waffle Day
National Waffle Day (not to be confused with International Waffle Day which is observed on 25th March) is celebrated in the United States each year on August 24th.This is a day that you can waffle on issues and decisions.And, it certainly is a day to eat waffles.
The holiday commemorates the first U.S. patent of the waffle iron, which was received by Cornelius Swarthout on August 24, 1869.
The waffle was actually started in Greece in the 1300s when the Greeks used two pans to cook cakes in between them.These cakes were topped with herbs and cheese.Pancake syrup wasn't around back then.
Waffles are commonly eaten as breakfast or a snack. They are also an occasional dinner meal for some people. To celebrate this day if you don't own a waffle iron then visit a restaurant that features waffles and eat your fill!
http://webclipart.about.com/od/events/ss/National-Waffle-Day.htm
http://www.squidoo.com/national-waffle-day
Liza Uvarova
Flag Day
In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. Exactly 108 years ago, Bernard Cigrand — a teacher from Waubeka, put a small American flag with 38 stars on his desk at the Stony Hill School. The teacher, asked his students to write an essay about the flag. They wrote what the flag meant to them as a celebration of the flag's "birthday." A year later, he published in Chicago's Argus newspaper his first public proposal to create a national holiday to honor the flag.
His dream really came true in 1894 when, on the third Saturday of June, the first general public children's celebrations of Flag Day in Chicago were held. The celebration spread around the United States. Flag Day festival had become so important that, on May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson wrote Proclamation calling for a nationwide celebration of Flag Day on June 14 of each year.
Today, on this day every year, Americans decorate the houses with flags, showing their patriotism.
http://www.cute-calendar.com/event/flag-day/5760-usa.html
Maria Shembek
Halloween
Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits that should be avoided at all costs. Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.
http://www.halloween-website.com/party-guides.htm
The tradition of children wearing Halloween costumes originated from when the Celts lit bonfires and dressed up during ceremonies celebrating Samhain. Decked out in animal heads and full animal skin costumes, they proceeded to read each other's fortunes and tell stories.
Nikita Matveev
It is marked by parades and church services and in many places the American flag is hung at half mast. A period of silence lasting two minutes may be held at 11am.Veterans Day is officially observed on November 11. However, if it falls on a week day, many communities hold their celebrations on the weekend closest to this date. This is to enable more people to attend and participate in the events. Federal Government offices are closed on November 11.
In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. Veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.Veterans Day is intended to honor and thank all military personnel who served the United States in all wars, particularly living veterans.
Veterans day
Andrey Melanchuk
Random Acts of Kindness Day is a holiday celebrated each year on February 17.
The original founer of Random Acts of Kindness Day is Josh de Jong.
He was sitting in rush-hour traffic one day, watching some typical road rage, when the idea for Random Acts of Kindness Day struck him. He wondered what his country would be like if for only one day everyone was nice to one another.
This holiday was originated non-casual. Nowadays there are not many people can show a real kindness. Unusual Day spontaneous acts of kindness - a good cause to help unknown people selflessly, say the word of love your family and friends.
In unison with the World Kindness Movement, the idea of taking one day to do something nice for another person, stranger or not, continues to grow. Societies around the world recognized the importance and power of kindness.
Liza Solodova
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-a-random-act-of-kindness/
http://www.viza-usa.ru/info/prazdniki/Random_Acts_of_Kindness_Day.html
Random Acts of Kindness Day
Christmas holiday
Christmas holiday is not simply a faith but a worldwide phenomenon. The origin of the festival can actually be traced back to the pagan era even before Jesus Christ was born. The winter solstice was celebrated in ancient Rome and Greece with a lot of pomp and splendor.
December 25th celebrations welcome 15 days of Christmastide, joy and festive spirit. Children look forward to gifts, traditional conifers, tuck shops, greeting cards and most importantly the much awaited Christmas break.
Vildan Khuzin
Saint Patrick's day
Saint Patrick is one of Ireland's patron saints. Ancestors of the American Irish came to America.. It was to escape poverty and starvation. People often wear green clothing. Food and some drinks green because green is color of Ireland.
Shamrock is a leaf of the clover and symbol of the Holy Trinity. In Chicago people dye the River green to celebrate this day. Holiday is popular that it as celebrate by many Americans because it is merry.
Sonya Maslenok