Holidays and traditions in the country

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 USA, the word “holiday” is synonymous with “celebration”.

In the strict sense, there are no national holidays in the United States. Each of the 50 states has jurisdiction over its holidays. In practice, however, most states observe the federal (“legal”) public holidays, even though the President and Congress can legally designate holidays only for federal government employees.

Ten holidays per year are proclaimed by the federal government. They are as follows:

New Year's Day(January 1)

Martin Luther King Day(traditional — January 15) - (official — third Monday in January)

Presidents' Day(third Monday in February)

Memorial Day(traditional — May 30) - (official — last Monday in May) Independence Day(July 4)

Labor Day(first Monday in September)

Columbus Day(traditional — October 12) - (official —second Monday in October) Veterans' Day(traditional — November 11) - (official — second Monday in November)

Thanksgiving(fourth Thursday in November)

Christmas(December 25)

Besides paid holidays are festival and food holidays that also are very popular in the country. They are based on sales of goods and services that are typically associated with that holiday. Halloween and Valentine's Day are such examples of widely celebrated uncompensated holidays.

QUESTIONS FOR CONTROL:

1. What is the New Deal?

2. How do you think, had the New Deal really helped to improve the situation in the country?

3. Who was the initiator of the New Deal?

4. What branches of economy are well-developed in the country?

5. What spheres of export and import are well developed in the US economy?

6. Name some social programmes which are provided by the federal government to help people.

7. How can employers help people in the companies?

8. Do trade unions exist in the USA?

9. Name federal holidays in the USA.

10. Describe the celebration of the federal holiday in the USA?

11. What family traditions in the US families do you know?

THEME 10 MASS MEDIA (TV, PRESS, RADIO) OF GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Plan:

1. Newspapers of Great Britain as a mass media.

2. TV and radio broadcasting in the UK.

3. Radio in the United Kingdom

4. Printed mass media in the USA.

5. TV and radio in the USA.