USA-HOLIDAYS-美国重要节日的介绍ppt课件

1、USA FEDERAL HOLIDAYS,In the United States, afederal holidayis apublic holidayrecognized by theUnited States federal government. Non-essential federal government offices are closed. All federal employees are paid for the holiday; those who are required to work on the holiday should receive holiday pa

2、y for that day in addition to their ordinary wages,Constitutionally, there are no national holidays in the United States because Congress only has authority to create holidays for federal institutions (including federally owned properties) and employees, and for the District of Columbia. Instead, th

3、ere are federal holidays, state holidays, city holidays, and so on,New Years Day JANUARY 1,Celebrates beginning of theGregorian calendaryear. Festivities often include countdowns to midnight (12:00 AM) on the preceding evening,Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Third Monday in January,HonorsMartin Luther K

4、ing, Jr.,Civil Rightsleader, who was actually born on January 15, 1929; combined with other holidays in several states,Washingtons Birthday Third Monday in February,HonorsGeorge Washington. Often popularly, but erroneously, observed as Presidents Day in recognition of other American presidents, such

5、 as Abraham Lincoln (who was born February 12). The legal name of the federal holiday, however, remains Washingtons Birthday. (It was historically observed on February 22, prior to passage of theUniform Monday Holiday Actby Congress.,Memorial Day Last Monday in May,Also known as Decoration Day, Memo

6、rial Day originated in the19th centuryas a day to remember the soldiers who gave their lives in theAmerican Civil Warby decorating their graves with flowers. Later, the practice of decorating graves came to include members of ones own family, whether they saw military service or not. Memorial Day is

7、 traditionally the beginning of the summer recreational season in America. (It was historically observed on May 30, prior to theUniform Monday Holiday Act.,Independence Day July 4,Celebrates the adoption of theDeclaration of Independence. Also popularly known as the Fourth of July,Labor Day First Mo

8、nday in September,Celebrates achievements of workers and the labor movement. Labor Day traditionally marks the end of the summer recreational season in America. The following day often marks the beginning of autumn classes in primary and secondary schools,Columbus Day Second Monday in October,Celebr

9、ated since 1792 in New York City, honors the arrival ofChristopher Columbusin the America who landed in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492 (according to the Julian calendar). In some areas it is also a celebration ofItalian-American culture and heritage. Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

10、 set aside Columbus Day in 1934 as a federal holiday at the behest of theKnights of Columbus(historically observed on October 12, prior to theUniform Monday Holiday Act,Veterans Day November 11,Also known asArmistice Day, and (although rarely in the US) occasionally called Remembrance Day, Veterans

11、Day is the American name for the international holiday which commemorates the signing of the Armistice endingWorld War I. In the United States, the holiday honors all veterans of theUnited States Armed Forces, whether or not they have served in a conflict; but it especially honors the surviving vete

12、rans ofWorld War II, theKorean War, theVietnam War, thePersian Gulf War, theIraq War, and theWar in Afghanistan. The American holiday was briefly moved to the final Monday in October under theUniform Monday Holiday Act, but the change was greatly disliked and soundly criticized among other reasons,

13、because it put Veterans Day out of sync with international observance; so it was restored to November 11,Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November,Americans have a turkey dinner such as the dinner shared by Native Americans and the Pilgrims atPlymouth, Massachusetts. Historically, Thanksgiving wa

14、s observed on various days, although by the 1930s it was observed on the last Thursday of November. PresidentFranklin Delano Rooseveltfixed it on the fourth Thursday of November, at the request of numerous powerful American merchants. (Many Americans also receive the Friday following Thanksgiving Da

15、y off work, and so many people begin their Christmas shopping on that Friday,Christmas Day December 25,Aworldwideholiday that celebratesthe birthofJesus Christ. Popular aspects of the holiday include decorations, emphasis on family togetherness, and gift giving. Designated a federal holiday by Congr

16、ess and PresidentUlysses S. Grantin 1870,Other religious, traditional, and informal holidays celebrated in the United States,Groundhog Day February 2,The day on which folklore states that the behavior of agroundhogemerging from its burrow is said to predict the onset of Spring,Valentines Day Februar

17、y 14,St. Valentines Day, or simply Valentines Day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. Modern traditional celebration of love and romance, including the exchange of cards,candy, flowers, and other gifts,Saint Patr

18、icks Day March 17,A holiday honoringSaint Patrickthat celebratesIrishculture. Primary activity is simply the wearing of green clothing (wearing o the green), although drinking beer dyed green is also popular. Big parades in some cities, such as inNew York City,April Fools Day April 1,A day that peop

19、le commonly play tricks or jokes on family, friends, and coworkers, especially in English-speaking nations. Sometimes called the Feast of All Fools as a play on the feast days of saints; there is no evidence the holiday has any Christian religious origins,Easter March 22 to April 25,Many Americans d

20、ecorate hard-boiled eggs and givebasketsof candy, fruit, toys and so on, especially to children; but gifts of age-appropriate Easter baskets for the elderly, the infirm and the needy are increasingly popular. An annualEaster Egg Rollhas been held on theWhite House South Lawn for young children onEaster MondaysincePresident Hayesstarted the tradition in 1878.28Not a federal holiday because of theFirst Amendmentprohibition on establishment of reli