Mark your calendar for upcoming federal holidays

Federal holidays in the US

January 1st is the federal holiday to celebrate the New Year in the United States.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January, a day close to his birthday. Martin Luther King Jr. (known by his acronym MLK Jr.) was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Presidents’ Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February.

• Memorial Day

Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday in May. That day honors those who died serving in the US Armed Forces.

Why is “Memorial Day” celebrated? Originally, Memorial Day only honored those who died in the Civil War. After the First World War this changed and, since then, that day is remembered for all those who have died serving their country in combat. In 1971, Congress declared the last Monday in May a federal holiday.

“Juneteenth” or Liberation Day is celebrated on June 19. The name of the celebration comes from the combination of the words “June” (June) and “nineteenth” (nineteenth). That day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. When the date falls on a Saturday, the work holiday is celebrated on Friday, and if it falls on a Sunday, it is moved to the following Monday.

Why is “Juneteenth” celebrated? President Abraham Lincoln declared the end of slavery on September 22, 1862, during the United States Civil War. However, Texas, one of eleven states where it was legal to own slaves, ignored the proclamation. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army arrived at the port of Galveston, Texas, to inform the population that the slaves were free and that the Civil War was over. On June 16, 2021, Congress decreed June 19 as a federal holiday.

United States Independence Day is celebrated on July 4. What is known today as the United States was made up of 13 colonies belonging to Great Britain; However, on July 4, 1776, representatives of those colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, a document recognizing the United States as an independent nation. On June 28, 1870, Congress declared July 4 a federal holiday.

In the United States, Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September. In 1882, the first American unions proposed creating a holiday to recognize workers’ contributions to the country. In 1894, Congress declared the first Monday in September a federal holiday.

Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October, commemorating the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the shores of the New World on October 12, 1492. Columbus arrived at the island of San Salvador, currently known as Watling Island, which today belongs to the Bahamas Islands. This day was declared a federal holiday by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937. Other countries on the American continent celebrate Columbus Day on October 12, as well.

Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11. During this day those who have served in the United States Armed Forces are honored. When the date falls on a Saturday, the work holiday is celebrated on Friday, and if it falls on a Sunday, it is moved to the following Monday.

On November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of the First World War was celebrated. President Woodrow Wilson declared that day Armistice Day. November 11, 1938 became a legal holiday, still called Armistice Day.

Originally, Armistice Day commemorated those who had lost their lives in the First World War. In the early 1940s this changed and since then all veterans of the United States Armed Forces have been remembered. In 1954, “Armistice Day” became, legally, Veterans Day.

Throughout the country this day is celebrated with tributes, parades and ceremonies. However, the most important celebration is the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Arlington Cemetery, a few minutes from Washington, DC.

• Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. This tradition has its origins in 1621, when the English settlers celebrated, with the natives of the area, the success of their first harvest for three consecutive days.

Of the colonists who had arrived the previous year, on the ship “Mayflower”, to the Plymouth Colony (part of the present state of Massachusetts), only half managed to survive the first winter, which is why the following year’s successful harvest was cause for celebration and gratitude.

The settlers’ celebration, in which they shared turkey, pumpkins, and dried fruit with the natives, is known today as the first Thanksgiving, however, it was not repeated until many years later.

In 1789, President George Washington declared Thanksgiving Day a national holiday, which was celebrated that year on Thursday, November 26. For years in each state the holiday was celebrated on different days.

In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as National Thanksgiving Day. For a long time after this, the president of the United States proclaimed the day of thanksgiving annually. In 1941, Congress finally declared this day a legal holiday.

This date is one of the most important holidays for Americans. This national holiday is considered a date to celebrate with the family and has become the time of year in which people travel the most in the United States to be with their loved ones.

Another tradition rooted in American culture is shopping the day after Thanksgiving, popularly known as “Black Friday,” in which most stores offer very good deals.

December 25 is the federal holiday on which Christmas is celebrated in the United States. The traditional Christmas celebration in the United States consists of a family meal that usually includes turkey or ham. Among the most typical accompaniments is mashed potatoes and a traditional drink of this date is liqueur or eggnog (“eggnog”). Many families bake gingerbread cookies or apple pie as part of their Christmas tradition.

Another characteristic of Christmas in the United States is that children open “Santa Claus” gifts on the morning of the 25th and, in addition, they usually hang stockings with Christmas decorations (stockings) in the fireplace, which Santa fills with sweets and small gifts.

The Christmas atmosphere begins to be felt several weeks before Christmas Day, when you begin to see the Christmas decorations and lights in stores, streets and in many homes.

Source: USAGov in Spanish