hi everyone I'm Alisha the fourth of July is also known as Independence Day
it commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th
1776 think of it as America's birthday
when most people think about July 4th they think about fireworks but do you
know why Americans display fireworks on the 4th will show you the answer at the
end of this video Americans kick up their heels on this
holiday in many ways but people mostly go to picnics and barbecues it's also a
day to be patriotic so you'll often see the American flag and people dressed in
red white and blue parades are another common sight on the fourth of July
especially during the daytime why do they take place during the day because
as soon as it gets dark Americans gathered to watch magnificent fireworks
in the night sky some families set off small fireworks in their driveways and
some gather in parks or by the sea to see the larger more professional
firework displays the most outstanding firework displays take place in New York
City and Washington DC both of these displays are televised
nationally and the president even attends the display in Washington DC
on the 4th of July you'll hear the u.s. national anthem the star-spangled banner
the words were written by Francis Scott Key who was inspired to write the lyrics
after witnessing the Battle of Fort McHenry in the war of 1812
and now here's the answer to the quiz why do Americans shoot fireworks on the
4th the custom of shooting off fireworks on Independence Day can be traced back
to a quote by our second president John Adams he said that he believes that July
4th should be celebrated by pomp and parade with shows games sports guns
bells bonfires and illuminations hi everyone I'm Alicia Columbus Day
celebrates the day that Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas
the holiday is celebrated on October 12th and in some cities there are very
large parades and many other events it's particularly popular in US cities with
large Italian populations that would celebrated nationwide
a famous American charity organization is named after Christopher Columbus and
takes part in celebrations during Columbus Day can you guess which one
will show you the answer at the end of this video in Italian American
communities particularly in the larger cities in the u.s. Columbus Day is very
much tied to a celebration of their heritage in addition to the celebration
of Columbus's arrival in the Americas cultural and religious images and
symbols specific to Italian Americans are abundant in Columbus Day parades if
there's one thing that defines Columbus Day celebrations in the u.s. it's the
parade New York City is particularly well known for its large Columbus Day
parade San Francisco has the longest-running Columbus Day celebration
in the United States dating back to 1868 Columbus Day in the u.s. is not
celebrated in every state in fact some US states do not recognize it at all and
many schools remain open on the day there is controversy surrounding this
holiday and it's been changed to a celebration of Native American cultures
in some areas
Columbus didn't realize he'd arrived in the Americas this is why Native
Americans are sometimes referred to as Indians which incidentally some say is
politically incorrect Columbus initially thought he was in the East Indies and
now here's the answer to the quiz do you know a famous American charity
organization that's named after Christopher Columbus and takes part in
celebrations on Columbus Day the Knights of Columbus is a charitable organization
with very strong Italian and Catholic roots they participate in just about
every Columbus Day celebration you'll find them marching among the
participants in any large parade to be sure hi everyone I'm Alisha Thanksgiving
is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States it also marks the
beginning of the holiday season the weeks leading up to Christmas Hanukkah
Kwanzaa and the winter solstice which are all widely celebrated holidays in
the US for retailers Thanksgiving begins their busiest season Thanksgiving is
celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November Thanksgiving was founded as a
national holiday by one of the most famous presidents of the United States
do you know who it might have been we'll show you the answer at the end of this
video Thanksgiving to a large extent is about
having a feast with friends and family turkey is the traditional main course
with yams squash pumpkin pie cranberries and other rich and filling foods
rounding out the meal some families spend weeks preparing for their
Thanksgiving feast and to stuff oneself is most certainly encouraged the
Thanksgiving meal of today is rooted in the meal that the pilgrims from Europe
shared with the Native Americans on the first Thanksgiving
this was quite a feast turkey duck goose squash corn and a plethora of other
foods were shared between the Europeans and the Native Americans
this original fate was said to go on for three full days football is another
tradition during Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States
watching the football game while preparing the Thanksgiving meal is an
important part of the celebration for many families families that arm sports
fans however may opt to spend the time out
I'd enjoying the crisp autumn air or may find other diversions to enjoy while the
turkey cooks
Thanksgiving is not a uniquely American holiday there are similar celebrations
in Canada for instance the concept behind the holiday showing thankfulness
by having a feast spans many cultures and now here's the answer to the quiz do
you know who founded Thanksgiving is a national holiday Abraham Lincoln
established Thanksgiving during the dark days of the American Civil War even
though the holiday was officially born during this conflict it's more
associated with the initially good relations between the first European
immigrants and the Native Americans hi everyone
I'm Alicia Martin Luther King jr. Day is held on the third Monday in January
every year in the United States this holiday is dedicated to the slain civil
rights leader who advocated nonviolent action as a way to reform discriminatory
laws in the United States Martin Luther King jr. Day was not accepted by all 50
states right away it was signed into law in 1983 do you know when all 50 states
adopted it will show you the answer at the end of this video
Martin Luther King jr. Day is a federally recognized holiday but there
are celebrations in some cities and not in others Martin Luther King jr. Day is
tied to the civil rights struggles of the 20th century and beyond it's very
much associated with the struggles of the african-american community in
particular but it's also celebrated by most people in the US as a unifying
holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Junior's legacy is a complex endeavor
for most people what he fought for and how he fought for it are equally
important King advocated for the rights of African Americans and other groups
who were discriminated against via racist laws he also advocated
nonviolence in the images of riot police beating unarmed nonviolent civil rights
protesters in the 1960s are largely credited with swaying public opinion
teaching African American history is a major component of many Martin Luther
King jr. Day celebrations in fact many of these celebrations and events try to
inform people about other civil rights leaders who were instrumental in
reforming exclusionary laws in the US
you
Martin Luther King jr. Day is also celebrated in Hiroshima Japan where it
is nearly as significant as it is in the u.s. the City of Toronto and Canada also
holds festivities in honor of Martin Luther King jr. and now here's the
answer to the quiz do you know when all 50 states adopted Martin Luther King jr.
Day Martin Luther King jr. Day was not officially recognized by every state
until 2000 though President Reagan signed it into law in 1983 many states
resisted the holiday or tried to term it something else such as human rights day
in Utah hi everyone I'm Alicia on the third Monday of February every year the
United States pays tribute to its first president George Washington Washington's
birthday is a federal holiday and federal government workers get the day
off it's not as widely celebrated as some other national holidays however
sometimes the holiday is referred to as Presidents Day there's a rather odd
tradition associated with Washington's Birthday and Presidents Day try to guess
what it is we'll show you the answer at the end of this video
Washington's Birthday is not among the u.s. holidays that are associated with
large-scale celebrations there are celebrations in some cities but compared
to other major holidays in the United States this one is rather reserved in
nature Washington's Birthday is often part of the combined Presidents Day
celebration most of the time Presidents Day emphasizes the two people who are
generally considered to be the greatest presidents of the United States George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln Washington's birthday is culturally
significant to the United States because of General Washington's revered place in
history he was the first American president and beyond that he was handed
a unanimous electoral college victory to win that office he is also the most
celebrated general in the Revolutionary Army that defeated the British the
biggest celebrations of his holiday are held at the George Washington birthplace
nat'l monument in Virginia and at Mount Vernon
George Washington designed the first metal intended for the average soldier
the Purple Heart one of the most respected US service medals in existence
is given to soldiers who were injured in battle and it was designed by Washington
himself and now here's the answer to the quiz believe it or not sales are a
tremendous part of the traditional Washington's Birthday and Presidents Day
celebrations furniture stores and car dealerships are particularly notable for
holding sales on this day hi everyone I'm Alicia groundhog day is a fun
tradition in the United States it's not a national holiday and nobody gets a day
off but everybody waits to see whether the groundhog predicts that spring will
come early or late it takes place on February 2nd
Punxsutawney appeared in a popular movie about Groundhog Day can you guess what
the movie was called will show you the answer at the end of this video
Groundhog Day comes at the time of year when winter has dragged on for quite a
while and when people are ready for spring of course the groundhog really
cannot predict whether spring will come early or late but when he predicts that
spring is on its way soon people are generally much more chipper
Groundhog Day might not be a national holiday but it's certainly an important
and well-known tradition in the United States Punxsutawney Pennsylvania which
is as close to the national capital for the holiday as there is receives
approximately 40,000 people every year who come to celebrate the day Groundhog
Day involves a rather simple tradition when the groundhog looks out of his
burrow his prediction is based upon his choice to either go back into his burrow
or to come out if the weather is cloudy and he doesn't see his shadow the legend
holds that he'll stay out of his burrow signaling that spring is on its way soon
if he sees his shadow and goes back into his burrow it means that there are six
more weeks of winter on the way
Groundhog Day is for kicks and not about being accurate according to most
reputable sources the accuracy of Punxsutawney Phil or any other groundhog
is close enough to and as significant as the accuracy of chance and now here's
the answer to the quiz do you know the movie in which Punxsutawney appeared
that was about Groundhog Day not too surprisingly the film that featured
Punxsutawney Pennsylvania was called Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray
the film's plot centered around Bill Murray's character living the same day
over and over again which happened to be Groundhog Day how was this lesson did
you learn something interesting had you heard of this holiday before please
leave a comment at English class 101.com until next time
you