1. Holidays, festivals and celebrations in UK and USA

2. January
1st (31st) – New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve (or Hogmanay in Scotland ) December), it is traditional to celebrate midnight with your friends or family. Usually people celebrate the event with delicious food and alcohol. Sometimes people have masquerade balls, party etc. It is celebrated with fireworks at night.
Many people make ‘New Year’s resolutions’, promising to achieve a goal or break a bad habit in the coming year.

3. 15th (or third Monday) – Martin Luther King Birthday
15th (or third Monday) – Martin Luther King Birthday. This day had been observed as a public holiday for many years in 27 states and Washington, D.C. Finally, in 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared the third Monday in January a federal legal holiday commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday.  Schools, offices and federal agencies are closed for the holiday.  All weekend, popular radio stations play songs and speeches that tell the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Television channels broadcast special programs with filmed highlights of Dr. King's life and times.

4. February
14th – Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air! Historically the Feast of St Valentine, who was secretly marrying and then he was killed. Nowadays this is a celebration of romance. Many people in the UK or USA go out for dinner with their sweethearts, and give them a Valentine’s card, chocolate or flowers.

5. 12th – Abraham Lincoln‘s Birthday - Various activities such as re-enactments, concerts and birthday parties are often organized for the day. 
22th – This federal holiday is formally called "Washington's Birthday" and is celebrated on the third Monday in February. However, it is a common practice (in some states) to celebrate the birthdays of both Presidents Lincoln and Washington on this day - Presidents’ Day.

6. March
1st – St David’s Day (Wales). St David is the patron saint of Wales, and March 1 is a celebration of Welsh culture. People in Wales might wear a daffodil and eat cawl, a soup of seasonal vegetables and lamb or bacon. Events are held across Wales, including a large parade in Cardiff.

7. 17th – St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland)
17th – St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland). The Feast of St Patrick is a national holiday in Ireland, and is now celebrated by Irish communities all around the world. In the UK, there are St Patrick’s Day events in cities including Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and London, as well as Belfast. Many people go out with friends, wearing green or a shamrock symbol (the lucky clover) and drinking Guinness, the Irish dark beer.

8. 30th – Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate motherhood, and to thank mothers for everything they do throughout the year. Many people give their mothers a card or gift, treat them to a day out or cook a meal.
- in USA second Monday of May

9. April
1st – April Fools’ Day. For one day of the year, it is acceptable – even encouraged! – to play tricks, pranks and practical jokes. Even newspapers, TV and radio shows often feature fake stories on April 1. It’s customary to reveal the joke by saying ‘April fool!’ (the person who falls for the joke is the ‘fool’), and to stop playing tricks at midday.
23rd – St George’s Day (England). The legend is that St George was a Roman soldier who killed a dragon to rescue a princess. He is now the patron saint of England, and this is England’s national day. You might still see St George’s Cross (a red cross on a white background, England’s national flag) or events with morris dancing (an English folk dance), but it is not a bank holiday and most people don’t hold special celebrations.

10. 18th–21st – Easter. Easter is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is always on a Sunday in March or April, and the previous Friday (Good Friday - the day on which Jesus was crucified) and following Monday (Easter Monday) are bank holidays. People celebrate Easter in different ways, but many give each other chocolate Easter eggs and eat ‘hot cross buns’ (sweet buns with a cross design), while children decorate eggs or take part in Easter egg hunts.

11. May
1st - It is when people celebrate the coming of summer with lots of different customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. copyright of protectbritain.com
Traditional English May Day celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and dancing around a Maypole.
30th – Memorial day. A day to honor the memory of those who have given their lives for their country. Flowers and flags are placed on the graves of the war dead in cemeteries in the U.S.A., Europe and the Pacific. There is a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

12. June
14th – The Queen’s Official Birthday. Although the Queen’s real birthday is on the 21st of April, it has been a tradition since 1748 to celebrate the king or queen’s birthday in June. A military parade known as Trooping the Colour is held in London, attended by the Royal Family.

13. 14th – Flag Day falls within National Flag Week, a time when Americans reflect on the foundations of the nation’s freedom. Many people in the United States honor this day by displaying the American flag at homes and public buildings. Other popular ways of observing this holiday include: flag-raising ceremonies; Flag Day services; school quizzes and essay competitions about the American flag; musical salutes; street parades; and awards for special recognition.

14. 15th – Father’s Day. Father’s Day is a day to show appreciation to fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers and fathers-in-law. Many people in the UK give their father a card or gift, have a meal together or go out for drinks.
- in USA third Sunday of June
21st – Summer Solstice. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, has its true moment in the sun as people come from across the country to celebrate the longest day and shortest night of the year. Stand inside the monument facing northeast through the entrance towards a stone outside the circle called the Heel Stone, and you'll see the sun rise over stone like a blazing fire. 

15. 23rd–July 6th – Wimbledon Tennis Championships
23rd–July 6th – Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Wimbledon, the world’s oldest tennis tournament, is a summer highlight for sports fans. Held at the All England Club in London since 1877, Wimbledon is known for the tennis players’ white dress code and the tradition for spectators to eat strawberries and cream.

16. July
4th – Independence day. It honors the day in 1776 when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, thus establishing the U.S.A. Each city and town has its own ceremony; there are parades, band concerts, speeches by public officials, and fireworks displays in the evening.

17. September
The first Monday - Labor Day is a day of rest in USA or the last chance for many people to go on trips before the summer ends. For students, it is the last chance to organize parties before school starts again. In some neighborhoods, people organize fireworks displays, barbecues and public arts or sports events. The football season starts on or around Labor Day and many teams play their first game of the year during Labor Day weekend.

18. October
12th – Columbus Day Officially, the people of the USA are invited to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of their country with church services and other activities. In some towns and cities, special church services, parades and large events are held. Most celebrations are concentrated around the Italian-American community. The celebrations in New York and San Francisco are particularly noteworthy. In Hawaii Columbus Day is also known as Landing Day or Discoverer's Day.

19. 31st – Halloween. The modern way of celebrating Halloween is based on the Christian feast of All Hallows’ Eve and the Celtic festival of Samhain. Children go trick-or-treating (knocking on neighbours’ doors to ask for sweets) bobbing apples or carve pumpkins, while older students go to parties and Halloween events at pubs, clubs or Students’ Unions – the important thing is to dress up some costume.

20. November
5th – Bonfire night/ Guy Fawkes Day. Celebration of UK. Historically, this marks the anniversary of Guy Fawkes’ plot to blow up the House of Lords and assassinate King James I in 1605 – the failed Gunpowder,Fawkes and the other conspirators were execured. Plot is remembered in the children’s rhyme ‘Remember, remember the 5th of November; gunpowder, treason and plot’. Today, it is commemorated with spectacular displays of fireworks and the burning of guys.

21. 11th – Remembrance Day. Every year, November 11 is a memorial day to honour members of the armed forces – the aim is to remember those who lost their lives in battle, so many peace campaigners also support the event. The symbol of Remembrance Day is a poppy, and each year the Royal British Legioncharity sells paper poppies to raise funds for veterans and their families. It is customary to observe a two-minute silence at 11am.
-in USA
Veterans Day is intended to honor and thank all military personnel who served the United States in all wars, particularly living veterans. 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. Some schools are closed on Veterans Day, while others do not close, but choose to mark the occasion with special assemblies or other activities.

22. Fourth Thursday – Thanksgiving Day
Fourth Thursday – Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and vegetables. Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have.
Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends.

23. 30th – St Andrew’s Day (Scotland)
30th – St Andrew’s Day (Scotland). Honouring its patron saint, St Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s national day. There are many events across Scotland, including traditional meals, poetry readings, bagpipe music and country dancing. This is a great opportunity to go to a ceilidh – a party with Gaelic folk music and dancing. Fortunately, there is usually a ‘dance caller’ to teach the steps!

24. 25th – Christmas. Most people in the UK or USA celebrate Christmas, even if they are not religious. There will be Christmas trees, presents, carol singing and mulled wine (warm, spiced red wine), mince pies (small pies with a sweet fruit filling). The traditional Christmas dinner is a whole roast turkey with roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and Christmas pudding for dessert (a steamed sponge pudding with dried fruit) – but each family has its own variations.
26th – Boxing Day. The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day, and is a bank holiday in the UK. It’s believed to have been named after the ‘Christmas box’ of money or gifts which employers used to give to servants and tradesmen. Nowadays, there are no particular Boxing Day customs, but most people spend the day with their families, going for a walk, watching sports or eating the Christmas leftovers.