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UNIT 2. American HOLIDAYS
1. Legal Holidays in the United States
Banks, schools, etc. are closed on legal holidays. Many businesses are closed, as well. Unlike other countries, many U.S. holidays are celebrated on days which are more convenient and are combined with weekends. As most people don’t work on Saturdays and Sundays, many holidays are observed on Mondays.
1. Read the information about federal holidays in the USA and fill in the gaps.
| Holiday | Date of Celebration | Calendar Date | Purpose |
| 1) ____________ | January 1 | January 1 | the celebration of the calendar new year |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | the third Monday in January | 2) __________ | the remembrance of the civil rights leader’s birthday |
| Washington’s Birthday/ Presidents’ Day | the third Monday in February | February 12 (Lincoln) February 22 ( 3) ________) | a birthday celebration for two famous Presidents |
| Memorial Day | the last Monday in 4) _________ | May 30 | the remembrance of past wars and a day to visit military and family graves |
| Independence Day | July 4 | July 4 | 5) ___________________ |
| 6) ____________ | the first Monday in September | the first Monday in September | a celebration of the industrial spirit and the dignity of work |
| Columbus Day | the second 7) ________ in October | October 12 | the remembrance of Christopher Columbus and his spirit of achievement |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | November 11 | the honoring of Americans who fought in 8) _________ and a promise to work for peace |
| 9) ____________ | the fourth Thursday in November | the fourth Thursday in November | a day to gather friends, feast and give thanks |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | December 25 | the celebration of the birth of 10) ___________________ |
2. Make sentences about the information in the chart. You can use the following sentence patterns.
1. The calendar date of _____________________(holiday) is ___________________ (date), but Americans really celebrate it on ________________ (date).
2. The purpose of the holiday is ________________________.
Date: 2015-02-28; view: 1319
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