National Holidays in the USA

INTRODUCTION People in every culture celebrate holidays. Although the word "holiday" literally means "holy day," most American holidays are not religious, but commemorative in nature and origin. Because the nation is blessed with rich ethnic heritage it is possible to trace some of the American holidays to diverse cultural sources and traditions, but all holidays have taken on a distinctively American flavor. In the United States, the word "holiday" is synonymous with "celebration" The United States, like other nations, sets aside a number of days each year to commemorate events, people or public occasions. These holidays typically are marked by a general suspension of work and business activity, and by public and/or religious ceremonies. Technically, the United States does not celebrate national holidays, but Congress has designated 10 “legal public holidays,” during which most federal institutions are closed and most federal employees are excused from work. Although the individual states and private businesses are not required to observe these, in practice all states, and nearly all employers, observe the majority of them. Since 1870, more than 1,100 different proposals have been introduced in Congress to establish permanent federal holidays. Only 10, however, have thus far been approved. They are: New Year's Day (January 1) Martin Luther King Day (traditional - January 15) (official - third Monday in January) Presidents' Day (traditional - February 12 & February 22) (official - third Monday in February) Memorial Day (traditional - May 30) (official - last Monday in May) Independence Day (July 4) Labor Day (first Monday in September) Columbus Day (traditional - October 12) (official - second Monday in October) Veterans' Day (traditional - November 11) (official - second Monday in November) Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November) Christmas Day (December 25)