What Are Holidays

What Are Holidays

A holiday is any day on which people

lay aside their ordinary duties and cares.

The word comes from the Anglo-Saxon halig daeg, or holy day.

At first, holidays honored some sacred event or holy person.

People in Great Britain and other countries speak of holidays

as Americans speak of vacations.

In the United States, Sunday is the only holiday recognized by common law.

Congress has at different times set aside special holidays,

such as the Day of Rejoicing after the end of the Civil War,

or V-E and V-J days to celebrate the end of

fighting in World War II.

But there are no national holidays as such.

Each state has the authority to specify the holidays it will observe.

The governor of the state proclaims the holidays for the state.

The President and Congress designate the holidays to be observed in the

District of Columbia, and by federal employees throughout the country.

Congress has declared the following as legal federal holidays:

New Years Day - Jan. 1

Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday - Jan 15 , Observed 3rd Monday in Jan

Washington's Birthday - February 22, Observed 3rd Monday in Feb

Memorial Day - Observed last Monday in May

Independence Day - July 4th

Labor Day - 1st Monday in Sept

Columbus Day - 2nd Monday in October

Veterans Day - November 11

Thanksgiving Day - 4th Thursday in November

Christmas Day - December 25

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