1、American Holidays and Festivals,Religious holidays: Christmas Easter Day in U.S. Thanksgiving Day HalloweenPublic holidays: New years Day Independence day Martin Luther Kings Day (3rd Mon. Jan) Memorial Day (last Mon., May)Valentines Day,Easter Day in U.S.,Time: the first Sunday after the full moon
2、that occurs on/after March 21 Occasion: commemorate Jesus Christs resurrection after crucifixion According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.,History: Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, in
3、cluding Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Emperor Constantine (emperor of Roman, a Christian) issued the Easter Rule which declared that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox(春分) . Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sun
4、day between the dates of March 22 and April 25. Its date is tied to the lunar cycle.,Since its conception as a holy celebration in the 2nd century, Easter has had its non-religious side. In fact, Easter was originally a pagan festival. The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festiv
5、al celebrating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eastre. (e.g.: goddess of love and of beauty in the myth of Rome is Venus),The Easter Egg,The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians. From the earliest times, th
6、e egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real East
7、er eggs - those made of plastic or chocolate candy.,The Easter Bunny,The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit. The Germans brought the symbol of
8、the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.,你知道复活节彩蛋或复活节兔子的习俗是如何开始的吗？,1.蛋一向是新生命的象征。长久以来，基督徒都以蛋作为基督复活的象征。 2.人们认为给蛋染色的习俗是在中世纪由十字军战士传入欧州的，因为埃及人、波斯人、腓尼基人、希腊人和
9、罗马人惯常为庆祝其春节而将蛋染色。 3.第一批复活节篮子做得像鸟窝一样。在早期，人们将复活节彩蛋放在草窝里来膜拜古代女神Eastre（司生育和春天）。 4.复活节兔子是非常古老的复活节象征的现代说法。野兔是兔子的大个子亲戚，它是专供Eastre女神用的圣物。 5.寻找复活节彩蛋的习俗，据民间传说，是由一位德国公爵夫人兴起的。据说，五彩缤纷的彩蛋是复活节兔子为乡村的孩子们留下的。孩子们把找蛋作为一种游戏。,Thanksgiving Day,The Pilgrims, shown here celebrating their first Thanksgiving, were a group of
10、Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock, in what is now Massachusetts, United States, in 1620. In 1621 Governor William Bradford of New England proclaimed a day of “thanksgiving“ and prayer to celebrate the Pilgrims first harvest in America. United States President Abraham Lincoln, following the preced
11、ent of a number of states, designated a national Thanksgiving Day in 1863. Now Thanksgiving Day falls annually on the fourth Thursday of November.,Modern Thanksgiving feasts, such as the one shown here, have changed little since Puritan colonists first celebrated the holiday in 1621. Families and fr
12、iends gather on Thanksgiving Day to give thanks for their good fortune and to feast on such traditional dishes as turkey with stuffing（馅料）, cranberry(越橘) sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie.,Halloween 万圣节,Time: Halloween (also spelled Halloween) is a holiday celebrated on October 31. Origin: In the Cel
13、tic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints Day. It is largely a secular celebration, but some Christians and pagans have expressed strong feelings about its religious overtones Irish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America during Irelands Great Famine of 1
14、846.,The day is often associated with the colors orange and black, and is strongly associated with symbols such as the jack-o-lantern. Halloween activities:trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o-lanterns, reading scary stories, and wat
15、ching horror movies.,Trick or Treat ?,The jack-o-lantern (南瓜灯笼),The jack-o-lantern (南瓜灯笼)is the most common symbol of Halloween. According to legend, jack-o-lanterns set on porches and windowsills cast a spell of protection over the household while spirits of the dead roam the Earth.,Halloween costu
16、me parties,Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. Costumes are also based on themes other than traditional horror, such as those of characters from television shows, movies, and other pop culture icons.,Public holidays,Martin Luther Kin
17、gs Day (3rd Mon. Jan) Jan.15, 1929Apr. 14, 1968 leader of civil rights movementnon-violent resistance,“I Have A Dream”,I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low; the rough places will be made plain; and the crooked places will be made straig
18、ht; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with.,With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling
19、discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.,Lincolns Birthday (Feb. 12),Feb 12,1809April 15,1865 Self-made man, from
20、log cabin to the White House “United we stand, divided we fall.” “ the government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” (Gettysburg Address),Lincoln Memorial,In this temple As in the hearts of the people For whom he saved the Union The memory of Abraham Linco
21、ln is enshrined forever,George Washingtons Birthday (Feb. 22),Father of his country Washington Monument (500 feet) Celebrations: public ceremonies, patriotic statements, banquets, formal balls,Memorial Day(last Mon., May),Honor the memory of those who have given their lives for their countries Arlin
22、gton National Cemetery, Washington DC,Independence Day (July 4),July 4, 1776 Second Continental Congress The Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are l
23、ife, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”,Flag Day (June 14),The Stars and Stripes (13 stripes, 50 stars) June 14, 1776 Flag-rising ceremonies: June 14, 1959,Labor Day (1st Mon., Sept.) extended weekend rest and recreationColumbus Day (Oct. 12)Oct. 12, 1492 North AmericaElection Day (1st Tues. falling 1st Mon., Nov.)Veterans Day (Nov. 11),
