CC BY
28
UDK 004.02:004.5:004.9
Haknazarova Z.U.
21 school teacher of English language Jizzakh region, Sharaf Rashidov District
AMERICAN HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS
Abstract: the article tells about holidays and traditions in the United States of America. The so-called legal holidays include Christmas, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and others.
Key words: customs, traditions, holiday, ceremonies, sweets, families, celebrations, presents, religious holidays.
American Holidays is an introductory survey of the historical and social background of American holidays. 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! "
Christmas is a religious holiday celebrated on the 25th of December. On this day Americans celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and sing Christmas carols. Another important tradition is sending Christmas cards. People start sending cards to their relatives and friends early in December. Going home for Christmas, is another good tradition. Christmas is considered to be a family celebration and every person must come back home on this day. This means that at Christmas, American houses are full of aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives who might not see each other for a year. Americans put up a Christmas tree and decorate it with toys and sweets. There are religious ceremonies at churches on Christmas Day and families usually attend them. The Christmas table is very big. You can see turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, pies and other food. In the morning children hurry to the Christmas tree to look for presents. They hang big colourful socks for Santa Claus to put presents inside. Everybody starts unwrapping presents and thanking each other.
New Year's Day is celebrated on the 1st of January, but Americans begin celebrating it on the 31st of December. There is a big celebration in Times Square in New York City on this day. New Year's Day is not as widely celebrated as Christmas. On January 1 Americans visit friends, relatives and neighbours. There are parties and a lot of food. People watch television together and write New Year's resolutions. Throughout the country, parties are traditionally thrown on New Year's Eve, Dec 31st, to bring in the New Year. Times Square, in New York
City celebrates with a giant ball drop, which is broadcast all over the world. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve people will kiss, honk car horns, bang pots and pans; blow whistles and make sounds with other noisemakers. The song "Auld Lang Syne" is played at the stroke of midnight to ring out the old and bring in the new. Some eat a soul food of black-eyed peas and rice called Hoppin' John. Cake and champagne are also consumed for "good luck". On New Year's Day, the popular sport of American football is televised all day long and special parties called Football Parties are thrown. Popular foods of the day are: beer, soda, large sandwiches up to 5 feet long called submarine sandwiches, potato chips, potato salad, pizza, pretzels, nuts, and candy. Those who do not watch football usually go shopping. Stores refer to the wives of men who watch the sports programming as Football Widows to dramatize the popularity of the sport. Happy New Year!
President's Day is the combined celebrations of the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The original version of the holiday was in commemoration of George Washington's birthday in 1796 (the last full year of his presidency). In 1796, many Americans celebrated his birthday on the 22nd of February, and by the early 19th century, Washington's Birthday had taken firm root in the American experience as a bona fide national holiday. Then along came Abraham Lincoln, another revered president and fellow February baby (born on the 12th of the month). The first formal observance of his birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln's Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington's, it did become a legal holiday in several states. Apparently, while the holiday in February is still officially known as Washington's Birthday (at least according to the Office of Personnel Management), it has become popularly (and, perhaps in some cases at the state level, legally) known as "President's Day". This has made the third Monday in February a day for honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, as well as all the other men who have served as president. (Yes, it is true. All of our presidents have been men, so far.)
Memorial Day is on the last Monday of May. On this day Americans honour the memories of their dead relatives. This day is also the beginning of summer. Americans go to relax at the beach or go to the mountains.
St. Patrick's Day honors Saint Patrick. It is also a celebration of Irish culture. In many cities there are St. Patrick's Day parades. In New York City, it is celebrated with a parade down Fifth Avenue, with people drinking "coll" beer and eating corned beef and cabbage, traditional Irish foods. Most people, Irish or not, wear col1 on this day.
Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the first of April. One common trick on April Fools Day, or All Fool's Day, is pointing down to a friend's shoe and saying, "Your shoelace is untied." Teachers in the nineteenth century used to say to pupils, "Look! A flock of geese!" and point up. School children might tell a classmate that school has been canceled. Whatever
the trick, if the innocent victim falls for the joke the prankster yells, "April Fool". Most April Fools jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. The cleverest April Fools joke is the one where everyone laughs, especially the person upon whom the joke is played.
Independence Day is one of the most important holidays in America. It is celebrated on the 4th of July. On this day in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. There are picnics, parades and fireworks all over the country on Independence Day. Americans do not work: they have day-long picnics with their favourite food like hot-dogs, hamburgers, potato salad and others.
Halloween is a holiday celebrated mostly by children and the young. On the 31st of October they dress as vampires, witches and ghosts and go from house to house saying trick or treat. People should give them a treat otherwise, the children will play a trick on them.
Thanksgiving is one of the popular American holidays, too. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. This holiday dates back to the time when the first settlers, the Pilgrims, came to America. Their first winter was very hard, they had little food. In spring, the Indians taught them to plant and grow new crops, hunt and fish. The following autumn the colonists made a great feast for the Indians. At Thanksgiving American families gather and spend this day together. The traditional Thanksgiving food is roast turkey, pumpkin pies, cranberry jelly, ham, sweet potatoes, and other delicious food.
The United States is a young country, but it has a lot of great old and new holidays that are fun to celebrate.In the U.S., we refer to the months of November and December as "the holiday season" because of the major holidays celebrated from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. The United States is a nation of many cultures that has adopted holiday customs from across the world, and we've developed a few of our own that stand out. Here's a handy guide to those traditions and customs of USA people.
Black Friday is one of them. You may have seen it on TV - the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S., crowds gather at stores across the country in the early hours of the morning in search of the best discounts on presents for the holidays. The event got its name from a phrase used in business - "in the black" - which means that a company has made a profit.
Father's Day commemorates and celebrates Dad. It is a day to not only honor your father, but all men who have acted as father figures in your life -whether as Stepfather, Uncle, Grandfather, or "Big Brother." Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died in childbirth with their sixth child. The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across America, other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge
supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
The U.S. is home to people from all over the world, and holiday celebrations are no different. Whether you are an international student spending the holiday season in the U.S. for the first time or the fifth time, these traditions are sure to get you into the spirit.
List of used literature:
1. https://www.studyusa.com/en/a/1812/a-guide-to-holiday-traditions-in-the-u-s
2. https://www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com/articles/holidays custo ms.php
3. U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers. Updated: December 2008
