Planning to visit English speaking country in 2019? Get the most out of your experience! Learn here about the most important holidays in English speaking country - fast and easy with EnglishClass101!
| January 1, 2019 | New Year’s Day |
| January 21, 2019 | Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (US) |
| February 3, 2019 | Superbowl |
| February 14, 2019 | Valentine’s Day |
| February 18, 2019 | Presidents’ Day (US) |
| March 17, 2019 | St. Patrick’s Day |
| March 19, 2019 | March Madness (US) |
| April 1, 2019 | April Fools’ Day |
| April 21, 2019 | Easter Sunday |
| April 22, 2019 | Earth Day |
| May 4, 2019 | Star Wars Day |
| May 12, 2019 | Mother’s Day (US) |
| May 18, 2019 | Armed Forces Day (US) |
| June 14, 2019 | Flag Day (US) |
| June 16, 2019 | Father’s Day (US) |
| July 4, 2019 | Fourth of July (Independence Day) |
| September 2, 2019 | Labor Day (US) |
| September 19, 2019 | International Talk Like a Pirate Day |
| October 14, 2019 | Columbus Day |
| October 31, 2019 | Halloween |
| November 5, 2019 | Election Day (US) |
| November 11, 2019 | Veterans Day (US) |
| November 21, 2019 | World Television Day |
| November 28, 2019 | Thanksgiving Day (US) |
| December 24, 2019 | Christmas Eve |
| December 25, 2019 | Christmas |
How well do you know holidays in English speaking country?
In this article, you learn all about the top English speaking country holidays and the traditions and history behind them. Check the must-know English vocabulary for popular holidays in English speaking country too!
That way, you can easily talk about American holidays while improving your vocabulary and overall speaking skills. You will pick up key vocab, phrases, and cultural insights you won’t find in a textbook.
Perfect for any student interested in learning more about American culture. We will teach you the what, why, when and how of English speaking country holidays.
New Year’s Day is on January 1 in the U.S. It’s almost universally a day off from work, and in the U.S. closed stores, gas stations, and other businesses are common sights come January 1. It’s preceded by some of the largest celebrations in the nation and, weary from being up all night enjoying the parties, Americans tend to take it easy on this day!
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the United States are both regarded as holidays, though only New Year’s Day is an official one. The holiday kicks off late on New Year’s Eve when people go out to celebrate in style. This holiday is marked by fancy parties and plenty of parades and other events.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is held on the third Monday in January every year in the United States. This holiday is dedicated to the slain civil rights leader who advocated non-violent action as a way to reform discriminatory laws in the United States.
This is an annual event that’s the championship game in the National Football League (NFL).
Valentine’s Day is a very popular holiday in the United States. It’s centered on romance, and is a heavily commercialized holiday as well. During this time of year, married couples, partners, and sweethearts are encouraged to go out to dinner, spend some romantic time together, and generally acknowledge the importance of one another in each other’s lives. This holiday is celebrated on February 14 every year.
US Presidents’ Day is typically a celebration of George Washington’s (the first U.S. President’s) birthday. However, it has come to be a broader celebration in which Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is also celebrated; some states even use this holiday to observe U.S. Presidents in a more general sense.
St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most popular United States holidays. It combines a celebration of Irish culture with a great excuse to get out, let loose, and have some fun. It has been celebrated since the eighteenth century, making it one of the most enduring holidays in the United States. It’s celebrated in mid-March.
Irish-Americans have contributed much to the United States, and St. Patrick’s Day, to a large extent, is about celebrating that. St. Patrick’s Day is also about celebrating the culture from which Irish-Americans come.
For fans of basketball, March Madness begins March 17 and goes until early April. During this time, numerous men’s and women’s college basketball teams aim to claw their way to the top - in this case, it means they can’t lose a single game. It’s similar to the Super Bowl, but doesn’t tend to gain as much hype.
April Fools’ Day is one of the most beloved holidays in the United States. Its lighthearted nature is part of what makes it so popular.
The events associated with April Fools’ Day aren’t officially organized and are often not observed intentionally. This is a holiday when just about everybody gets a prank or two played on them in the United States.
Americans generally celebrate April Fools’ Day by looking for any opportunity they can find to play a prank on their friends. In fact, this is really the only point of the entire holiday. April Fools’ Day is not marked by parades, speeches, or other events. This holiday is all about fun!
Easter Sunday in the United States is among the most important religious holidays in the nation. There are also secular events held around this holiday and, in some cases, families celebrate traditions other than the Christian one (such as hiding Easter eggs, dying eggs, or going out for a picnic). For Christians, the holiday is centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Churches hold special events during Easter weekend.
Earth Day is a worldwide celebration that started in the United States. In 1970, a U.S .senator named Gaylord Nelson held what is considered to be the first Earth Day celebration. Today it’s international, but particularly important in the United States. It’s all about educating people about and celebrating the importance of the natural environment and working to preserve it.
Star Wars is one of the most iconic films ever made, and certainly has a strong and dedicated fan base. So of course it has its own day: May 4th! People love a good play on words, so naturally the phrase “May the Fourth be with You,” is often exchanged on this day.
Mother’s Day is held on the second Sunday in May of every year. It’s one of the most important commercial holidays in the nation. The holiday is over one-hundred years old and was officially declared a federal holiday in 1914. Originally, the holiday was celebrated by hanging a flag to recognize the mothers who had a child who died in war. Today, it has no association with war whatsoever.
Mother’s Day is, just as the name implies, a celebration of everything to do with mothers. It’s common for people to buy expensive gifts for their mothers or, at the very least, to send them a card showing their appreciation.
Essentially, Armed Forces Day is a day to honor those who are serving, or have served, in any part of the military. In the United States, it is used to honor those who are still serving.
Flag Day is really two celebrations in one: 1.) A celebration of the day the U.S. Flag became official (June 14, 1777) and 2.) A celebration of U.S. Army Birthdays.
Father’s Day is a relatively recent holiday in the United States, having come into existence in 1972. It’s celebrated on the third Sunday of June every year. Though it’s not as commercially important as Mother’s Day, it’s equally important to many families.
Father’s Day is all about showing fathers appreciation for what they do, for acknowledging the role of fathers in children’s lives, and, in many cases, simply for making an excuse to hang out with one’s dad.
The Fourth of July is also known as Independence Day. It commemorates the signing of The Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. Think of it as America’s birthday!
Americans kick up their heels on this holiday in many ways, but people mostly go to picnics and barbecues. It’s also a day to be patriotic, so you’ll often see the American flag and people dressed in red, white, and blue.
Parades are another common sight on the Fourth of July, especially during the daytime.
Labor Day celebrates the American worker. Labor Day is celebrated nationwide in the U.S. on the first Monday in September. It’s been celebrated since 1894 at the federal level, and it’s the only U.S. federal holiday dedicated to American workers. The holiday arose from a time of political crises in the U.S., and partially in reaction to a particularly bloody strike.
International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday, meaning it’s a silly holiday that was created in 1995 to be celebrated on September 19. Everyone in the world is encouraged to talk like a pirate.
Columbus Day celebrates the day that Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas. The holiday is celebrated on October 12 and, in some cities, there are very large parades and many other events. It’s particularly popular in U.S. cities with large Italian populations, though it’s celebrated nationwide.
Halloween is a time for celebration in the USA. It’s become the second most popular holiday in the nation over the years. Halloween is known for its oftentimes scary costumes, elaborate parties and events, horror film festivals, and its many Gothic trappings. This holiday was a latecomer to the U.S., not really becoming popular until the early twentieth century. Today, it’s one of the most anticipated holidays in the USA!
People in the USA typically carve pumpkins into scary jack o’ lanterns, decorate their houses to look as creepy as possible, and wear elaborate costumes to celebrate this holiday.
The Tuesday after the first Monday in November marks Election Day in the United States. Election Day isn’t a national holiday but people are required to be let off of work for a certain amount of time so that they can participate in the election. When people talk about Election Day, they’re usually talking about the election for federal offices in the United States.
Since 1919, November 11 has been a national holiday in the United States. Originally called “Armistice Day,” Veterans Day commemorates the men and women who served in America’s armed forces. This holiday is marked by parades, educational events, and gatherings at memorials to fallen soldiers.
The holiday was originally specific to the ending of World War I, but it became Veterans Day in 1954.
Similar to various other holidays around the world, World Television Day is designed to be a celebration of the type of connectedness that television has offered the world.
In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is usually celebrated with a large feast eaten alongside family and even close friends. What started as a simple “thanksgiving” for a good harvest in the 1600s, has become an annual holiday on which to be thankful and show gratitude for the good things in one’s life.
This is the day before Christmas Day, and is heavily celebrated nearly as much as Christmas Day is itself. It’s often celebrated while waiting for Christmas to arrive, and many families have “Christmas Eve traditions,” which are special things they do each year on that day. This ranges from opening a single present before Christmas, to leaving shoes out for Santa’s elves to fill with goodies. Further, many Christian churches hold candlelight services on this night.
Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25 in the United States. Though it’s a religious holiday for Christians, it’s also a popular holiday for non-Christians, as well. Parades, gift-giving, holiday displays, and lights galore mark the arrival of Christmas in the United States. It’s a federal holiday and is observed by every U.S. state.
You may ask why it is advantageous to know American holidays. There are a number of good reasons!
If you’re keen to learn English on your own, there are a number of ways to do this. Why not choose holidays as a theme? You can start by learning about the American culture, so find a video or TV program about holidays in English speaking country. Better still - find a video or program about holidays in English, and watch it a few times! That way your ear will get used to the spoken language. You could also watch American movies without subtitles, as this too will train your ear to what correct English sounds like.
If you’re more advanced in English, you can practice your writing skills by writing a letter to your American friend about the holidays video. Or write a short review of the video, and post it on social media! Imagine how impressed your friends will be!
Practice your English pronunciation, and record yourself talking about your holiday in English speaking country. Pronouncing words correctly in any language is very important, or you may find yourself saying things you don’t mean!
If you’re an absolute beginner, it would be best to start with a book, a CD series, free PDF cheat sheets and preferably your American friend who can help you. Or, you can start with EnglishClass101, for free!
Holidays in English speaking country can also be the perfect opportunity to practice your English! For the best experience, make sure to master at least Level 1 of your English lessons here on EnglishClass101 before you go on holiday to English speaking country. Then don’t be shy! Use it with every native speaker you encounter in every situation. Practicing continuously to speak a language is one of the most important habits if you want to become fluent. Or, if you’re a new subscriber to EnglishClass101 in a hurry to get to English speaking country, study Absolute Beginner English for Every Day to help you get by as a traveller - you will be surprised how far a little English can go!
EnglishClass101 is uniquely geared to help you master relevant, everyday vocabulary and phrases, pronounced correctly and in the right context - this will set you on the right track. Our courses are perfectly designed to help you in fun ways!
But do have a holiday first. Ideally you will enjoy a different culture with a visit, and enrich your life in ways you cannot imagine. Don’t wait till 2020 to learn English through EnglishClass101 though - it will open a whole new world for you!
It’s very nice to learn about American holidays which gives a good knowledge about the community and their cultures, I proud to have chance to read this topic. Thanks
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