Ex.5. Work with a partner. Match the descriptions with the names of uniquely American holidays. Speak about what and how Americans celebrate as a nation.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 511.

Independence Day Thanksgiving Day Martin Luther King Day

Presidents' Day Memorial Day Labor Day

Columbus Day Veterans Day

___________ It is celebrated on the third Monday in February. Until the mid-1970s, February 22, birthday of George Washington, hero of the Revolutionary War and first president of the United States, was a national holiday. In addition, the February 12 birthday of Abraham Lincoln was a holiday in most states. The two days have been joined, and the holiday has been expanded to embrace all past presidents.

__________ It is marked on July 4. This holiday honors the nation's birthday – the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks. The flying of the American flag is widespread. In 1976, the 200^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was marked by grand festivals across the nation.

____________ It is celebrated on the fourth Monday of May. It honors the dead. Although it originated in the aftermath of the Civil War, it has become a day on which the dead of all wars, and the dead generally, are remembered in special programs held in cemeteries, churches, and other public meeting places.

_____________ It is on the first Monday of September. This holiday honors the nation's working people, typically with parades. For most Americans it marks the end of the summer vacation season, and for many students the opening of the school year.

___________ It is celebrated on the third Monday in January. In 1986, it was declared a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., an African-American clergyman, who is considered a great American because of his tireless efforts to win civil rights for all people through nonviolent means.

___________ It is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may travel long distances to visit family and friends. The holiday dates back to 1621. To this day, the holiday dinner almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

_____________ It takes place on the second Monday in October. On October 12, 1492, Italian navigator Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. Although most other nations of the Americas observe this holiday on October 12, in the United States it is the second Monday in October.

______________ It falls on November 11. Originally called Armistice Day, this holiday was established to honor Americans who had served in World War I. It now honors veterans of all wars in which the United States has fought. Veterans' organizations hold parades, and the president customarily places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.