Holiday/Celebrated Event in 2012
Throughout the year we all celebrate many different Holidays. Holidays give us a chance to reflect upon our lives, to spend time with our family, and to look forward to greater things to come. The Holidays that we celebrate are a combination of religion, culture, patriotic celebration, and respect paid to servicemen. Despite the different origins of each unique Holiday, the one thing that they all have in common is an ability to bring people together and unite them through a shared emotional experience. Many of us have fond memories of our childhood where we can look back and remember special times during the Holidays that we spent with the people that were closest to us. Many of us are parents ourselves now, and as we look forward to the Holidays in 2012 we hope that we can make special memories for our children, just as our parents did for us.
New Year’s Day: January 1st
The first Holiday of the year actually has a celebration that begins on the last day of the previous year. Of course this is New Years Day. New Years Day is as close to a true international Holiday as there is in the world as people from many different cultures celebrate the dawn of a new year. New Years Day is a time of renewal as people look forward to a new start, and the opportunities that a new year brings. New Years resolutions are a common practice as people set goals with the hope that they can avoid the mistakes of the past and move forward with a new sense of direction.
Valentine's Day: 14th of February.
Shortly after New Years Day, the most romantic Holiday of the year makes an appearance, Valentine's Day. On Valentine's day those of us with a special someone in our lives buy gifts such as flowers to show the appreciation that we have for them being in our lives. Spending a romantic dinner together is also a time honored tradition as we focus our attention upon our significant other and help to rekindle that fire that burns between us. Not only a romantic Holiday, Valentine's day offers the opportunity to show our love for our mother's and many of us buy gifts for them as well.
Presidents' Day: February 20th.
Presidents' Day was initially known as Washington's Birthday, and was implemented by Congress in 1880. It was the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen. It is still legally known as Washington's Birthday, but since there were two prominent president's birthdays in February, President Abraham Lincoln's birthday was included in this holiday. In 1971, the date of the federal holiday was changed from Washington's true date of birth, to the third Monday in February, when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was signed. Today, as Presidents' Day, we celebrate and honor the lives and accomplishments of all United States presidents who have served our country.
Easter Holiday: 8th of April.
Following Valentines Day the next of the major Holidays in 2012 is the celebration of Easter. Easter is the day of resurrection, wherein Christians believe that Christ returns from the dead. While Easter has originated as a religious Holiday, it has incorporated into it many different rituals from different cultures, making it a unique celebration. In addition to the traditional church services and family dinners, there is of course the Easter Egg hunt. During an Easter Egg hunt children search for brightly colored eggs and prizes. Children are often also awarded Easter Egg Baskets that are filled with toys, prizes, and candy, by their parents or other loved ones.
Independence Day: Wednesday, the 4th of July.
A distinctly American Holiday is Independence Day. On July 4th 1776, the United States declared it's independence from England. Today we celebrate that declaration and subsequent victory by shooting fireworks into the dark night sky. The bright explosions represent the bombs and rifles fired as the newly formed American country fought against the Brittish. Children marvel in delight as they watch the fireworks explode from below. As we get older the true significance of this momentous accomplishment begins to sink in, but as children it is simply a magnificent display as fireworks ignite in the night. As parents there are few moments in life that can bring more joy to us than to see the wonder and amazement on the face's of our children as they take in the spectacular.
Halloween Holiday: 31st of October.
Who can forget Halloween? Spawned from various celebrations around the world, the wildly popular and exciting Halloween remains a favorite for adults and children alike. As children, and often even as adults we dress in scary and fantastic costumes and take delight in trying to scare and impress our friends. Going out at night to trick or treat is one of the most memorable and fun experiences of our childhood, and as adults we relish the opportunity to share that experience with our children. Who doesn't love to dress up in outrageous outfits? Who doesn't love candy? Who doesn't love Halloween?
Thanksgiving Holiday: 22nd of November.
Based upon the Pilgrim's celebration as they gave thanks for having enough food, Thanksgiving is one of the Holidays in 2012 that focuses most upon family. As we gather together with the most important people in our lives we give thanks for all that we have in our lives. We give thanks for our home, the food we will eat, the job that we have, and most importantly for the people that surround us. One of the favorite traditions is to gather together with family and friends for a feast as we sit together and enjoy each other's company.
Christmas Day: Tuesday, December 25
When people think about the Holidays in 2012, Christmas Day is most often the one that comes to mind first. For Christians celebrating the birth of Christ is the holiest of days, and for children it is a time to look forward with anticipation and delight to the presents under the Christmas tree. Spending time in Church is just as important as the time spent together at night during the traditional Christmas dinner. Much like the feast of Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner is more about enjoying the company of the people closest to us than the banquet of food before us.
There are many different Holidays in 2012 that we look forward to. From Mother's day to Christmas, each day holds a special meaning for us in way that is impossible for anyone else to understand. It's important to realize that the Holidays are about family and friends, appreciating what we have, and resolving to have a brighter future together. Whatever your religious beliefs are the one thing that all of us has in common is that we all have love for the special people in our lives. By focusing upon this, by focusing upon the people that we hold closest to us, we can truly enjoy the Holdiays in 2012.
FEDERAL HOLIDAYS.
There are ten federal Holidays observed in each calendar year. Presidential inaugurations, every fourth year, are also considered as an eleventh holiday for Federal workers attending the presidential ceremony. Most federal holidays are celebrated on Mondays, due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect on January 1, 1971. The Act was designed to permit three-day weekends for federal employees. Federal holidays are designated by the United States Congress, in Title V of the United States Code. Federal holidays are designated legally by the President and Congress. During these holidays, all federal offices are closed. Schools and most businesses are also closed, yet each state may decide for themselves, when to observe holidays. The list below is strictly for federal holiday calendars, not private businesses, and not for all states. Only federal United States employees are assured days off on these days.
If a federal holiday happens to fall on a Saturday, it is celebrated the preceding Friday. If it should fall on a Sunday, it is celebrated the following Monday. Most businesses, and states, but not all, observe a Sunday holiday on the following Monday. There are no general rules followed if the holiday falls on a Saturday. It may be observed on the preceding Friday, or the following Monday. For instance, if banks that already close on Saturday, may not observe a holiday day off, if the holiday falls on a Saturday. Confusing as it may be, this is a list of Federal Holidays for the year 2012:
New Years Day (Monday, January 2nd)
This is a day to celebrate the new year arriving, and to reflect on the past. Often celebrated in America with fireworks at midnight, the new year in pagan tradition, celebrated Janus, who had two faces. One face of Janus looked forward, and the other looked back. New Years Day is celebrated on January 1st, but since it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a day off of work to celebrate also.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 16th)
We celebrate the birthday of this great Civil Rights leader and orator who worked very hard to end racial segregation and racial discrimination in America. He started the Civil Rights Movement, and was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. He was actually born on January 15th, 1929, but we celebrate the holiday on the following Monday.
Inauguration Day (January 20th every fourth year following a presidential election)
This holiday occurs upon the start of a new term of office for the President of the United States. On this day, the newly elected president, takes an oath to execute the duties of the President of the United States.
Washington's Birthday (Monday, February 20th)
This holiday is for George Washington, our founding father, but also is observed as “President's Day” to honor the contributions of each president of the United States of America. Congress designated this a holiday in 1880. President Washington was actually born on February 22, but we observe the holiday on the preceding Monday.
Memorial Day (Monday, May 28th)
This holiday is also known as “Decoration Day”. Originating in the 19th century, it is used as a day to remember American Civil War Soldiers, and to decorate graves of all soldiers who have fought for our country. Traditionally, it is recognized as the beginning of Summer. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May.
Independence Day (Wednesday, July 4th)
We celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the fourth of July. It declared that thirteen American colonies, regarded themselves as independent from Great Britain during the American Revolution.
Labor Day (Monday, September 3rd)
On the first Monday in September, it acknowledges the economic and social contributions of the employee to the United States' strength and prosperity. Labor day traditionally marks the end of Summer. Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887, and it became a United States federal holiday in 1894.
Columbus Day (Monday, October 8th)
Christopher Columbus arrived in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. Celebrating Columbus' arrival to America has been celebrated since 1792. Columbus Day became an official state holiday in Colorado, in 1906, and a United States federal holiday, in 1937.
Veteran's Day (Monday, November 12th)
Also called “Armistice Day”, and “Remembrance Day”, this holiday commemorates signing the armistice, ending World War I in the United States. It is a day to honor all veterans of the United States Armed Forces, and any surviving veterans of any war which was fought for the United States.
Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 22nd)
Celebrated since 1863, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, and was a time for the Pilgrims to give thanks to God for guiding them safely to the New World. It is a time for all to give thanks for the blessings that they have had in their lives.
Christmas Day (Tuesday, December 25th)
Designated a federal holiday by Congress, and President Ulysses S. Grant in 1870, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a time of anticipation, and reflection on the arrival of Christ, and his blessings. It is a religious holiday to celebrate Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, with friends and family, remembering his blessings.
These federal holidays are to respect those who have enriched our lives, making America the land of freedom that it is today, and to remember how blessed we are during religious holidays also. Instead of viewing these holidays as merely a day that we do not have to work, we should use these days to research, respect, and remember what a great country we live in, and share this with each other. There are many other holidays to share as well, and although they are not named federal holidays, they are worth learning about, because they all contribute to our United States of America.
