1. American Society & Culture Week 14
American Holidays

2. Getting Started…
Without looking at your book, how many American holidays do you know about? Work with a partner to make a list.

3. Which holidays do these photos represent?
, guomii.com, itunes.apple.com , animals.nationalgeographic.com

4. 1. Christmas
Date: December 25, “The Christmas Season” is the name given to the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas day, a time when there are countless celebrations and preparations in celebration of Christmas.
Purpose: For Christians, this holiday is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. For those who are not Christians, this holiday is widely celebrated in other ways.
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5. 1. Christmas Traditions: Christmas trees
Christmas cookies & cookie exchange
Christmas parties with friends, family, coworkers, many groups of people. It’s common to attend 5-15 Christmas parties & gatherings during December
Christmas decorations, lights, driving to look at lights on homes
Christmas Eve service at church
Christmas concerts
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6. 1. Christmas Traditions:
Taking photos with Santa Claus (圣诞老人) at shopping malls
Christmas dinner with family; Christmas Day is often just for families.
An important season for giving food, gifts, and help to those people who have less food and money to celebrate Christmas
Exchanging Christmas gifts- friends, families, “Secret Santas” (any gift is okay, something special, unique, and surprising)
“Black Friday”- the day after Thanksgiving, stores open early and shoppers rush to begin buying gifts and decorations.
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7. Let’s Review… 1. What does Christmas traditionally celebrate?
2. What is the English name for圣诞老人?
3. What is the day after Thanksgiving called?
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8. 2. Thanksgiving Date: Last Thursday in November
Purpose: Give thanks for all the blessings in life, friends, family, etc.
Traditions:
Gather at the home of a relative to visit and eat dinner together, common even if the relative lives a little far away. The traditional thanksgiving meal sometimes includes of roast turkey stuffed with herb-flavored bread, cranberry jelly, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie. Other dishes may vary depending on location: ham, sweet potatoes, creamed corn.

9. 2. Thanksgiving
Usually a three day holiday from work and school (Wednesday through Friday)
Thanksgiving football games on TV or live at schools. Some men gather to play their own football games.
Many cities hold Thanksgiving Day parades (游行); Most common: Macy’s Day Parade (in New York City), often watched on TV ,

10. 3. Independence Day/ Fourth of July
Date: July 4th
Purpose: To remember and celebrate the day America declared its independence from England on July 4, 1776.
Traditions:
Most companies give employees a day off of work.
Most towns & cities hold parades.
Friends and families gather for outdoor picnics & barbecues.
In the evenings, thousands of cities have large, beautiful displays of fireworks for everyone to gather and watch.

11. Let’s Review… 1. When is Thanksgiving held?
2. What sport is most commonly connected to Thanksgiving?
3. What do most Americans do in the evening on July 4?
4. What is the name of an event that often takes place on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July?

12. 4. New Year’s Day/ New Year’s Eve
Date: December 31/ January 1
Purpose: To celebrate the passing of one year and the beginning of a new one.
Traditions:
Friends and family often gather together at parties.
Dancing, drinking alcohol, eating lots of food.
Watching the ball drop on TV from New York City Times Square.
Kissing somebody at midnight.
Making New Year’s resolutions, plans and goals for the new year.

13. 5. Easter
Date: Date varies each year; Always on Sunday in late March or April
Purpose: For Christians, this holiday is a time to remember and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection (复活). Many people who are not Christians also celebrate Easter in different ways.
Traditions:
Many people, even those who do not usually attend, go to church on Sunday morning.
Families eat a big lunch together in the afternoon.

14. 5. Easter
Some families enjoy buying new dresses or other clothes for Easter.
Painting eggs.
Easter egg hunts.
Taking photos with “The Easter Bunny”
“Lent”: Lent is the name for the 40 days before Easter. Some Christians will choose to give something up during lent (eg. watching TV, eating some kind of food, etc.).

15. 6. Valentine’s Day Date: February 14
Purpose: Boyfriends/ girlfriends, husbands/ wives, and good friends express love to one another.
Traditions:
Children in school exchange Valentine’s Day cards and candy.
Hundreds of cards and lots of candy, stuffed animals, and small gifts are exchanged between friends and families.
Lovers exchange gifts and usually go on a romantic date in the evening.
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16. Let’s Review… 1. What do some people do at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
2. What does Easter traditionally celebrate?
3. When is Valentine’s Day celebrated?

17. 6. Halloween Date: October 31
Purpose: For most people in modern America, Halloween is simply regarded as a fun holiday.
Traditions:
In the weeks before Halloween, families go to pumpkin patches to choose pumpkins and paint or carve them before displaying them outside their homes.
In the evening, children wear costumes and go trick-or-treating, knocking on neighbors’ doors and gathering candy.
Some people prefer fall parties rather than trick-or-treating and will gather to do many fall activities.
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18. 7. Mother’s Day/ Father’s Day
Date: Mother’s Day is the 2nd Sunday in May; Father’s Day is the 3rd Sunday in June.
Purpose: Express appreciation for mothers and fathers, including grandmothers and grandfathers.
Traditions:
Families usually eat lunch or dinner together and give a gift to their mother or father.
Family members who live far away will call one another to wish each other a happy day.
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19. 8. Memorial Day Date: Last Monday of May
Purpose: To remember those people who have died while serving America.
Traditions:
Many companies & schools give employees a day off of work.
Some cities hold parades.
Friends and families gather for outdoor picnics & barbecues.

20. 9. President’s Day Date: 3rd Monday of February
Purpose: To celebrate American presidents, specifically Washington (born February 22nd) and Lincoln (born February 12th)
Traditions:
Employees and students often have a one day holiday from work or school.

21. 10. Veteran’s Day (退伍军人节)
Date: November 11 (the anniversary of the ending of World War 1)
Purpose: Honor all American veterans (老兵), living and dead.
Traditions:
There are often special parades held by or in honor of veterans.
Sometimes there are patriotic programs to honor veterans.
Veteran’s Day at Arlington Cemetery:
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22. 11. Labor Day Date: 1st Monday in September
Purpose: Celebrates economic and social contributions of working people.
Traditions:
Employees and students often have a one day holiday from work or school.
Friends and coworkers often gather for picnics.

23. 12. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Date: 3rd Monday of January
Purpose: Honor the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Traditions: Some businesses choose to take a holiday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day rather than President’s Day.

24. Some Other Days:
April Fool’s Day (April 1)- not a real holiday, we sometimes play some simple jokes/ pranks on each other.
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)- a holiday with Irish background, color green is popular
Groundhog’s Day (February 2nd)- Legend says that when the groundhog (美洲旱獭) comes out in the morning, if it can see its shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If not, spring is on its way.

25. Let’s Review… 1. What do children often wear on Halloween?
2. What 2 things do families often do to pumpkins in the weeks before Halloween?
3. When is Mother’s Day? Father’s Day?
4. Which 2 presidents are remembered on President’s Day?
5. What happens if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2?