American Holidays

The 31st of October is a very special holiday for children - Halloween. It’s a very good holiday for small children. They get all dressed up in some kind of costume. They take a big empty bag and walk around neighbourhood. They ask people a traditional question "Trick or treat?” Usually people give a treat: apples, cookies, oranges. The next thing they do is Jack o'lantern. They take a pumpkin, take the inside of it away, cut in it 2 eyes, a nose and a mouth. Then they put a candle inside and light it. The pumpkin looks mysterious. The children are very excited. That's one evening when parents allow them to stay out a little bit later than ordinary.

Thanksgiving Day is a very important American holiday. It is going to be always the fourth Thursday of November. It's one of the oldest holidays. It first started in 1621. The English pilgrims passed a very hard long winter. More than half of them died of cold and hunger. Those who stayed alive planted crops and after a very successful harvest killed many wild turkeys. They had a feast for a week. That was the first celebration of their thankfulness - Thanksgiving. Nowadays they have a big family diner. They always eat turkey. This is a long holiday: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They have a big football game on that day.

The Americans begin to celebrate New-Year on December, 24-th, on Christmas Eve. The family prepares for Christmas. They put a Christmas tree with a star on the top and, then toys and lights. Near Christmas tree they put stockings and fill them with different gifts: nuts, toys, fruits. The children believe that Santa Claus brings all these gifts.

The Americans welcome the New Year on December, 31. Ordinarily the people have big parties. Some prefer to go to the theatre or to a restaurant. Thousands of people welcome in the New Year in Times Square. Exactly at midnight they sing "Auld Lang Syne”.

Washington's Birthday is celebrated on February, 22. In the schools children usually mark this day by drawing cherries.

The second Sunday in May is called Mother's Day, and the third Sunday in June is Father's Day. The children give presents, especially flowers, take mothers to restaurants or to see a nice play or to hear a concert.

The next important national holiday is the 4-th July, Independence Day. The holiday dates back to 1744, when the Declaration of Independence from British was signed. On that day people go on picnics to the country or to the seashore or to the mountains. In the evening there are usually fireworks. There are lots of sports events on that day. They also have many parades.