Holidays and celebrations in the USA Autumn

Holidays and celebrations in the USA

Autumn holidays Halloween is a special holiday for English and American children. They celebrate it on October 31 st. It is on the day before All Saints' Day. The origins of Halloween are very ancient. One of the symbols of this festival are large orange pumpkin lanterns called Jack o' Lanterns. The lanterns are made from pumpkins carved in the appearance of a scary face. They have got a candle inside and they are hung on trees or put by windows, so you can see them in the dark. Children make the lanterns to frighten witches and ghosts. In the evening children put on scary costumes and masks and they go out. In the street you can see ghosts, witches, skeletons, pirates, wizards and other different costumes. They go from house to house, they knock on the door and when people open, children say: Trick or treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat! People usually give them money, sweets, candies, apples and nuts. But sometimes children get nothing, so they Halloween

Dishes List of foods associated with Halloween: • • • Barmbrack (Ireland) Bonfire toffee (Great Britain) Candy apples/toffee apples (Great Britain and Ireland) Candy apples, Candy corn, candy pumpkins (North America) Monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells) (Scotland Ireland) Caramel apples Caramel corn Colcannon (Ireland; see below) Novelty candy shaped like skulls, pumpkins, bats, worms, etc. Pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread Roasted pumpkin seeds Roasted sweet corn

There’s a lot of scary tricks in Halloween’s celebration

Thanksgiving Day ● Celebrated on the 4 th Thursday in November; ● History : Separatists from England came to New World to find religious freedom. The journey took 65 days. On December 11, 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and began to explore this place to build a colony. Many of them died in first winter, but Indians help them survive, help them to use land in a productive way. And when the first harvest happen they shared a meal together to celebrate this occasion.

Dishes: ● Turkey : this is the star of any Thanksgiving day - sometimes the holiday is even called as “Turkey Day” ; ● Pumpkin Pie : a sweet dessert. It is a symbol of harvest time and can be eaten also at Halloween ; ● Mashed Potatoes : is a dish prepared by mashing boiled potatoes ; ● Gravy : is a sauce, made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during the cooking ; ● Stuffing : bread crumbs, onion, celery and variety of species make this dish complete. It is traditionally cooked inside the turkey.

Winter holidays • • • Christmas Many people in the US celebrate on December 25; the day celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth; they erect Christmas trees, decorate their homes, visit family or friends and exchange gifts.

Symbols ● Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, Santa - was a real person. He was a kind bishop who brought presents to children and needy people. ● Mistletoe - symbol of freedom. By kissing under the mistletoe people support tradition of peace today. ● Wreath - typically are made with Holly and Ivy. They may also be made of Laurel leaves. Wreaths are circular to emphasize the idea of continuity of life. ● Christmas Stocking - There is a legend that St. Nick, who wanted to help a poor family, threw gold coins down their chimney. And they fell

Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grundsaudaag, Murmeltiertag) is a day celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.

Statue of groundhog Wiarton Willie in Wiarton, Ontario

Spring holidays Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It is named after Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services, and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.

United States Saint Patrick's Day, while not a legal holiday anywhere in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognised and celebrated throughout the country. It is observed as a celebration of Irish and Irish American culture. Celebrations include prominent displays of the colour green, eating and drinking, religious observances, and numerous parades. The holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late eighteenth century.

Easter ● Easter Sunday 2014 on April 20 ● What do people do? ● Many churches hold special services on Easter Sunday, which celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Many people also decorate eggs. These can be hard boiled eggs that can be eaten, but may also be model eggs made of plastic, chocolate, candy etc. It is also common to organize Easter egg hunts. People, especially children then search for them.

The Bible makes no mention of rabbit which delivers decorated eggs, chocolate and other types of candy and gifts to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday. The exact origins of this mythical creature are unclear, but rabbits, known to prolific animals, are an ancient symbol of new life. According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in 1700 s with German immigrants who transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare. Their children made nests in which this creatures could lay colored eggs. Now children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.

Summer holidays Father’s Day in the United States is on the third Sunday of June. It is celebrated the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children’s lives. Its origins may lie in a memorial service held for a large group of men, many of them fathers, who were killed in a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia in 1907.

What do people do? On Father’s Day families usually spend time together and have a small party or dinner. It is not common to go out to a restaurant However, it is usual for the families make Dad’s favourite food. This often means “men” type food like steak or barbeque. Father’s Day is not a federal holiday. Businesses any stores are open or closed, just as they are on any other Sunday. Restaurants may be busier than usual, as some people take their fathers out for a treat.

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain(now officially known as the United Kingdom). Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States

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