LANGUAGE AND AREA TRADITIONS CUSTOMS HOLIDAYS AND MANNERS

LANGUAGE AND AREA TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, HOLIDAYS AND MANNERS IN THE USA Julia Veklich

TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS , HOLIDAYS AND MANNERS IN THE USA PLAN 1. Federal holidays 2. Official holidays 3. Religious holidays 4. Traditional holidays 5. Wedding Traditions • the preparation • the ceremony • the reception • wedding presents 6. Christening 7. Manners

TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS , HOLIDAYS AND MANNERS IN THE USA Each of the fifty states in the USA establishes their own legal holidays. The federal government, through the President and congress, can legally set holidays only for federal employees and for the District of Columbia states however accept the federal legal holidays which are:

Federal holidays are designated by Congress in Title V of the United States Code (5 U. S. C. § 6103). If a holiday falls on a Saturday it is celebrated the preceding Friday; if a holiday falls on a Sunday it is celebrated the following Monday. Most, but not all, states and most private businesses also observe a Sunday holiday on the following Monday.

FEEDERAL HOLIDAYS Date Official Name Remarks January 1 Celebrates beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. Festivities include counting down New Year's Day to midnight (12: 00 AM) on the preceding night, New Year's Eve. Traditional end of holiday season. Third Monday in January Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. , or Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Honors Martin Luther King, Jr. , Civil Rights leader, who was actually born on January 15, 1929; combined with other holidays in several states.

FEEDERAL HOLIDAYS January 20, the first January 20 th following a Presidential election Observed only by federal government employees in Washington D. C. , and the border counties of Maryland Virginia, in order to relieve congestion that occurs with this major event. Swearing-in of President of the United States Inauguration and Vice President of the United States. Celebrated every fourth Day year. Note: Takes place on January 21 if the 20 th is a Sunday (although the President is still privately inaugurated on the 20 th). If Inauguration Day falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the preceding Friday or following Monday is not a Federal Holiday

FEEDERAL HOLIDAYS Third Monday in February Washington's Birthday was first declared a federal holiday by an 1879 act of Congress. The Uniform Holidays Act, 1968, shifted the date of the commemoration of Washington's Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February. Many Washington's people now refer to this holiday Birthday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. However, neither the Uniform Holidays Act nor any subsequent law changed the name of the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents' Day.

FEEDERAL HOLIDAYS Last Monday in May Honors the nation's war dead from the Civil War onwards; marks the unofficial Memorial Day beginning of the summer season. (traditionally May 30, shifted by the Uniform Holidays Act 1968) July 4 Celebrates Declaration of Independence, also called the Fourth of Day July. First Monday in September Labor Day Celebrates the achievements of workers and the labor movement; marks the unofficial end of the summer season.

FEEDERAL HOLIDAYS Second Monday in October Novembe r 11 Honors Christopher Columbus, traditional discoverer of the Americas. In some areas it is also a celebration of Italian culture and heritage. (traditionally October 12); Columbus celebrated as American Indian Heritage Day and Fraternal Day in Alabama; celebrated as Native American Day in South Dakota. In Hawaii, it is celebrated as Discoverer's Day, though is not an official state holiday. Veterans Day Honors all veterans of the United States armed forces. A traditional observation is a moment of silence at 11: 00 a. m. remembering those killed in war. (Commemorates the 1918 armistice, which began at "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. ")

FEEDERAL HOLIDAYS Fourth Thursday in November December 25 Thanksgiving Day Traditionally celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest. Traditionally includes the consumption of a turkey dinner Traditional start of the holiday season. (Note: Thanksgiving is not celebrated on the same day in Canada). Christmas Day Celebrates the Nativity of Jesus. Some people consider aspects of this religious holiday, such as giving gifts and decorating a Christmas tree, to be secular rather than explicitly Christian.

Weeks Constitution Week National Flag Week National Forest Products Week National Poison Prevention Week National Safe Boating Week National School Lunch Week National Transportation Week Police Week Save Your Vision Week National Friendship Week

2. OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS Christmas Thanksgiving day New Year President’s day Easter Independence day Memorial day Veterans day Columbus day Martin Luther King Day

Thanksgiving day In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a time for family, food, and football, and marks the unofficial beginning to the winter holiday season.

Thanksgiving day Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has officially been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. As a federal and popular holiday in the U. S. , Thanksgiving is one of the "big six" major holidays of the year.

Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday generally observed on December 25 (with alternative days of January 7 for many Orthodox churches, January 6 for the Armenian Apostolic Church and January 19 for the Armenians of Jerusalem and the Holy Land) to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity.

Easter (Old English: Ēostre) or Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα, Paskha; Aramaic: פסחא Pasḥa; from Hebrew: פסח Pesaḥ)[1] is a Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament. [2][3] Easter is preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday, commemorating Maundy and the Last Supper, [4][5] as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. [

Easter For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the family gathering. Many Americans maintain the old traditions of coloring hard boiled eggs and giving children candy baskets, all symbols of fertility.

New Year's Day is January 1. The celebration of this holiday begins the evening before, when people gather to wish each other a happy coming year.

New Year's Day Observed by Type Significance Date Observances Related to Almost all users of the Gregorian calendar and others International The first day of the Gregorian year January 1 Making New Year's resolutions, parades, additional sporting events, fireworks New Year's Eve, the previous day

New Year's Day In the southern United States, people traditionally prepare a meal of collard greens and blackeyed peas for a year of good luck. A dime is often placed beneath the plate as a part of the tradition. Ski jumping in Garmisch. Partenkirchen in Germany, a part of the Four Hills Tournament. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, it is common to celebrate New Year's Day with a meal of pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes. The practice comes from a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition that dictates these foods will bring good luck in the new year.

INDEPENDENCE DAY 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.

INDEPENDENCE DAY Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies, and 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.

PRESIDENT’S DAY Washington's Birthday officially honors the life and work of George Washington, the first president of the United States. The day commemorates past presidents of the USA. Washington's Birthday is sometimes known as Presidents' Day. This is because while most states have adopted Washington's Birthday, some states officially celebrate Presidents' Day. Some states pay particular attention to Abraham Lincoln, as his birthday was also in mid-February. In the weeks or days leading up to the holiday, schools often organize events and lessons for students about the presidents of the United States and George Washington in particular. It is a popular day for stores to start their sales. The US federal holiday is on the third Monday of February each year, but records show that George Washington's birthday is on February 22.

Memorial Day: Memorial Day is celebrated on the 4 th Monday of May, this holiday honors the deceased. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

COLUMBUS DAY Columbus Day: On October twelfth, 1492, Italian navigator Christopher Columbus landed in America: the New World. Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus' voyage since the colonial period. Actual observance varies in different parts of the United States, ranging from large-scale parades and events to complete non-observance. Most states celebrate Columbus Day as an official state holiday, though many mark it as a "Day of Observance" or "Recognition" and three do not recognize it at all. Most states (including states where it's not a legal holiday) close schools and other state services, while others operate as normal.

VETERANS DAY Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring armed service veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11 th hour of the 11 th day of the 11 th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. ) Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all US military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.

LABOUR / LABOR DAY This holiday, which always is observed on the first Monday of September has been a federal holiday since 1894, but was observed in some places before that day as a result of a campaign by an early organization of workers called the Knights of Labor. Its purpose is to honor the nation's working people. In many cities the day is marked by parades of working people representing the labor unions.

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY Martin Luther King Day: The Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior, an African American clergyman, is considered a great American because of his vigilant efforts to win civil rights for all people through nonviolent protest. It is celebsated on the 3 rd Monday of January.

Religious holidays Good Friday Ramadan Hanukkah St. Patrick’s Day

GOOD FRIDAY (western – Easter) Friday of Holy Week, when Western Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Good Friday is a holiday in some individual counties and municipalities, as well as a state holiday in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee and Texas. State and local government offices and courts are closed, as well as state-chartered banks and in these jurisdictions. Federal banks and post offices that are located in buildings that close for Good Friday and Easter will also be closed. Good Friday is also a holiday in U. S. territories of Guam, U. S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Many public and private schools; some colleges, universities and private-sector businesses; and financial markets are closed on Good Friday.

Hanukkah (Hebrew: , חנכה Tiberian: Ḥănukkāh, usually spelled , חנוכה pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew; also romanized as Chanukah, Chanukkah, or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2 nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25 th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

RAMADANthe Islamic calendar. It Ramadan is the ninth month in is a period of reading the entire Qur'an, prayer, fasting, charity-giving and self-accountability for Muslims in the USA. The first verses of the Koran (Qu'ran) were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during the last third of Ramadan, making this an especially holy period. Ramadan is also a month for acts of charity. Some Islamic centers and organizations actively take part in charity events and activities such as giving basic necessities, including food and clothing, to the homeless or donating school equipment to schools. Some schools for students of Islamic faith may hold special events to welcome Ramadan. Some school authorities may issue requests on or prior to Ramadan, asking staff members at all schools within a district to help Muslim students perform their fasting ritual.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY St. Patrick’s Day occurs on March 17 and is day to remember one of Ireland’s patron saints, St Patrick. It largely celebrates Irish. American culture in the United States, and the use of the colour green is predominant.

Traditional holidays Valentine’s Day Mother’s Day Halloween Father's Day

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.

Attributes of St. Valentine’s day ♥ A lace ♥ A ribbon ♥ Red roses ♥ Cupid ♥ The Endless-Love Knot

The United States celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May

Father's Day is a widely known celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in many countries and on other days elsewhere.

Halloween is an annual holiday observed on October 31, which commonly includes activities such as trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

4. WEDDING TRADITIONS A lot of people still retain a number of their ethnic wedding traditions, and this, too, has become part and parcel of the “American” wedding ceremony. In the U. S. we are very comfortable in allowing a wide diversity of traditions and ceremonies. Old wedding traditions may have held that a prospective groom had to ask the bride’s father for his blessing, but that tradition is seldom respected any longer, if it was ever respected to a wide degree in the U. S

THE PREPARATION A Traditional United States wedding is a fairly large and elaborate affair, especially when it is the first wedding for the bride. Traditionally the bride wears a while wedding dress and white wedding veil. During the bridal shower the bride-to-be will receive small gifts, often of a humorous nature, often gifts for use on the honeymoon.

A RELIGIOUS SETTING A religious setting, such as a church, synagogue or mosque is not mandatory, the more traditional U. S. weddings do take place in a religious setting. Family and friends are formally invited. Ushers seat guests, there are bride’s maids, a best man, flower girls, a ring bearer, music.

THE CEREMONY The traditional ceremony itself is often conducted by a religious leader known to the bride and the groom. The ceremony may include wedding vows written by the bride and the groom, in which they speak of their love and their desire to make their partner safe, happy and secure, and to be faithful to their partner and their partner alone for the rest of their lives.

THE RECEPTION A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held usually as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married couple. Hosts provide their choice of food and drink, although a wedding cake is popular. Entertaining guests after a wedding ceremony is traditional in most societies, and can last anywhere from half an hour to many hours or even days. Following the reception the couple traditionally goes on a honeymoon, during which their marriage is consummated. A honeymoon may last from several days to two or more weeks.

WEDDING PRESENTS Gifts are an important part of the U. S. wedding tradition. Gifts are given to help the new couple establish a new home together. A couple may “register” at a specific store where their gift needs are tracked. This allows well -wishers to not only purchase gifts that are truly useful to the new couple, but to also be assured that no one else has purchased the same gift.

5. CHRISTENING Rather than having Christenings, some parents have opted for a Naming Ceremony. Both Christenings and Naming Ceremonies have similar elements in that they welcome the child into the community. The difference is that in a Christening you're welcoming the child into the Church community where as in a Naming Ceremony you're welcoming the child into your own community of family and friends.

Naming Ceremony In a Naming Ceremony the promises are made by the parents and the supporting adults. They are of love and support for the child where as in a Christening the promises are committing the child to be brought up in the Christian faith.

7. MANNERS Americans often greet total strangers, particularly in small towns and communities. When introduced to someone, it’s common to follow the cue of the person performing the introduction. E. g. if someone is introduced as George, you can usually call him George.

MANNERS After you’ve been introduced to someone, you usually say something like “Pleased to meet you” or “My pleasure” and shake hands with a firm grip (although more common among men).

MANNERS Americans don’t have status or inherited titles ( e. g. Sir or Lord) but do defer to people with professional title which has been earned. They include foreign diplomats members of the Senate (Senator) or Congress (Congressman/Congresswom an), judges, medical doctors and others with a doctorate, military officers.

MANNERS If you’re invited to dinner, it’s customary to take along a small present, e. g. flowers, a plant, chocolates etc.

MANNERS Some families say grace before meals, so follow your host’s example before tucking in.

MANNERS Don’t overstay your welcome. This becomes obvious when your host starts looking at his watch, talking about his early start the next day, yawning, or in desperation, falling asleep.