Holidays have some long histories and some might be newer than you first thought. This is a partial list of holidays observed in the USA. We have lots of other holidays such as Halloween, which are not official holidays merely a social holiday. We have Fat Tuesday, and the Chinese New Year. Each one of these brings a little fun into our ordinary lives. They also bring with them various cultural celebrations. Since America is a huge melting pot, we find that holidays such as Cinco de Mayo have wiggled their way into our calendars and send us to our local Mexican restaurants for tacos and the many delicious dishes that our Mexican citizens have brought with them.
I've included several holidays that observe and remember those who fought during the Civil War. May we never forget the horror of war on our own soil between families, friends, and enemies, or the 250,000 black Confederate soldiers and even more who came along as support personnel. (There's a huge controversy as to the exact number of black Confederates. Maybe I'll blog about that one day.)
New Year's Day
January 1 has been celebrated
since 45 BC when the Julian calendar
went into effect. It was the celebration of Janus, the god of the gateways or
beginnings. Then we switched to Gregorian calendar, and January 1 marked the feast of naming and the circumcision of
Jesus.
Lee Jackson Day
Jan 19 Was first celebrated 1889. It was Robert E. Lee’s birthday and to pay honor to Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. It also was to remember when the confederate army
surrendered, ending the Civil War. Robert E. Lee surrender to Ulysses S. Grant
in Appomattox, VA, April 1865
Inauguration Day
January 20 since 1789 we’ve had swearing in ceremonies someplace in
Washington DC and on rare occasion under extreme circumstances it’s been done
without any pomp and circumstance.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Third Monday in January Became effective Jan 20 1986 It is Martin Luther King's birthday, Jan 15. It is a day of service and volunteering, to empower individuals, and strengthen communities.
George Washington’s Birthday/Presidents Day
Third Monday in February
Feb 22 is George Washington's birthday. It was first celebrated following his death 1799 and is considered a day to honor all presidents and their birthdays. Lincoln birthday is Feb 12
and was also celebrated. But the combined holiday as we know it now went into effect 1971
Memorial Day
Last
Monday in May or originally May 30 It is in remembrance of those who died during military service. The fourth Monday in
April or April 26, 1866 ,is Confederate Memorial Day in remembrance serving in the confederate
forces, and the end of the Civil War. It is celebrated by several states and not always in April.
Flag Day
June 14 1777 is to commemorate the adoption of our
flag.
Independence Day
July 4 was meant to be July 2 but the Continental Congress celebrated it for the
first time on July 4 ,1777. We were still at war with Britain.
Labor Day
First
Monday in September We celebrate the achievements and contributions of the
American workers, and it became a holiday in 1894.
Columbus Day
Second
Monday in October 1792 , but we know more
about Christopher Columbus today. I personally think this controversial
holiday will go away. Almost from the beginning there was opposition to it
because it was considered something the Catholics celebrated being Columbus
brought Catholicism to the New World. And a mostly protestant nation didn’t
like that. Also since he massacred the natives, he did little to win friends even today.
Veterans Day/Armistice Day/Remembrance Day
November 11 marks the
end of World War I, 11-11-1918. A year later, 1919 Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it and
it was adopted in 1926 as a day world peace.
Thanksgiving Day
4th
Thursday in November The first harvest festival was 1621 and consisted of 90 Native
Americans and 53 Pilgrims and feast lasted for several days. It’s been celebrated inconstantly since 1789 and became an official federal holiday in 1863 during the Civil War by President Lincoln as
the last Thursday in November and under Franklin Roosevelt it was changed to the 4th
Thursday.
Christmas Day
December 25 Was first celebrated in the year 336 AD.
The Pilgrims wouldn’t celebrate it. It was outlawed in Boston. But in
Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania where there were more German settlers, they
celebrated! In the early 1800’s Christmas gained popularity And in 1870 it became a federal holiday.
When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, it is usually
observed on the preceding Friday. When the holiday falls on a Sunday, it is
usually observed on the following Monday.
Thanks, E, for the great historical list of meaningful and important holidays that we observe. I must say I wasn't aware of Lee Jackson Day.
ReplyDeleteI'm from the North and I remember celebrating Lee Jackson Day as a child, but I guess I never really knew why until I was an adult and moved to the South.
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