A sequence of the most common celebrations in English speaking countries.

2. New Year’s Day
New Year’s day has been
celebrated since 4241 B.C. The
Egyptians had a celebration for the
birth of the New Year during the
Nile floods in July. In 46 B.C., when
the Julian Calendar was
established, the Romans Learn about more
proclaimed 1st January as the New about New year’s.
Year’s Day. How do people in http://www.history.c
English speaking countries om/topics/new-
celebrate it? years

3. Saint Valentine’s Day
Saint Valentine’s Day
originated from the Roman
festivities in honour of the godess
Juno, called Lupercalia. Later
on, this festivity was related to
Get more
two catholic priests called
information about
Valentine who were martyrs of
Saint Valentine’s
Roman executions. It is
Day.
celebrated on 14th February.
http://www.history.
What do people do on this
com/topics/valentin
date?
es-day

4. Saint Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day is observed on
17th March. Saint Patrick is the
Patron Saint of Ireland and it is
believed that he died on 17th March
between the years 461 and 493. It is
said that he used a clover to
represent the Holly Trinity. This Find out about Saint
celebration started in Ireland and in Patrick’s Day.
1737 Irish people living in the USA http://www.history.co
began to celebrate it in Boston. m/topics/st-patricks-
What does the celebration day
consist of? Do they have a symbol
to identify it?

5. Easter
Easter commemorates Christ’s
Resurrection and Ascension into
heaven. Its date of celebration
varies according to the vernal
equinox. There are different
customs and traditions to Find some
celebrate this date. What information about
customs and traditions are Easter.
there in places like England http://www.history.
and the USA? com/topics/history-
of-easter

6. April Fool’s Day
April Fool’s Day is observed on
1st April. It originated from the
Roman festival of Hilaria and the
Medival Festival of Fools. It is
celebrated in many countries
around the world. How do
English people celebrate it? Investigate about
April Fool’s Day.
http://projectbritain
.com/year/aprilfools
.html

7. Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is observed to honor
mothers, maternal bonds and the
influence of mothers in society. The
date varies depending on the
country where it is celebrated. In
Canada and the USA is observed on
the second Sunday of May. This date Learn about
originated from the Greek cult to Mother’s Day.
Cybele and the Roman festival of http://projectbrit
Hilaria. How is it celebrated? ain.com/easter/
What does this date derive from mothers.htm
in the USA?

8. Memorial Day
Memorial Day is celebrated in
the USA on the last Monday of
May. It is a date for honoring all
Americans who died defending
their country in any of the wars in
which the USA was involved. It
originated after the American Find out about
Civil War to commerate the Memorial Day.
Union soldiers who had died in http://www.history.co
this war. What do American m/topics/memorial-
people do on this date? day-history

9. Father’s Day
Father’s Day is observed to honor
fathers, paternal bonds and the
influence of fathers in society. The
date varies depending on the
country where it is celebrated. In
Canada, the USA and the UK is Get more
observed on the third Sunday of information about
June and in Australia and New Father’s Day.
Zealand on the first Sunday of http://www.theholid
September. This celebration ayspot.com/fathersd
complements Mother’s Day. How ay/around_the_worl
is it celebrated? d.htm

10. Independence Day
Independence Day or 4th July
is celebrated in the USA to
commerate the adoption of the
Declaration of Independence on
July 4th, 1776, declaring
independence from the United
Learn about
Kingdom. What do Americans
Independence Day.
do on July 4th? What customs
http://www.usa.gov/
and traditions do they have?
Topics/Independenc
e_Day.shtml

12. Labor Day
Labor Day is observed to honor
the workers on the first Monday
of September in the USA. In
other countries it is celebrated
on 1st May. Why does the USA
have a different date for this
Investigate about
celebration? What customs
Labor Day.
and traditions do they have
http://www.history.c
for this date?
om/topics/labor-day

13. Columbus Day
Columbus Day is celebrated in
the USA to commemorate the
arrival of Christopher Columbus
to America on 12th October, 1492.
What celebrations are there in
the USA? Get more information
about Columbus Day.
http://www.history.com
/topics/columbus-day

14. Halloween
Halloween is observed in
England and the USA on the
night of October 31st, when it was
believed that the spirits of the
dead appeared. What do English
and American people do to
celebrate it?
Recover more
information about
Halloween.
http://www.history.
com/topics/hallowe
en

15. Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated
in Britain on November 5th. It
commemorates the night when
Guy Fawkes tried to blow up
Parliament in London in 1605.
What do British people do on Learn more about
this day? Guy Fawkes.
http://www.ltscotland.
org.uk/resources/g/gu
yfawkesnight.asp

16. Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is observed on
the second Monday of October
in Canada and on the fourth
Thursday of November in the
USA. It is celebrated to thank
God for the harvest. How do Find more information
American and Canadian about Thanksgiving.
people celebrate it? http://www.history.com/t
opics/thanksgiving

17. Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on
25th December and it
commemorates the birth of
Christ. What customs and
traditions do people in
English speaking countries
Find out about
have to celebrate it?
Christmas.
http://www.history.
com/topics/christm
as