Holidays in the US: A Complete List of United States Federal Holidays
- January 1: New Year’s Day
- January 15–21 (Floating Monday): Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- This holiday is an anniversary of the ‘day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy… as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.” (nationalservice.gov). January 20, 2020 marked the 25th Anniversary of MLK Jr. Day.
- February 15–21 (Floating Monday): President’s Day
- Celebrated in honor of George Washington’s birthday, and in commemoration of past U.S. presidents. Fun fact: Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill in 1968 During debate on the bill, it was suggested renaming Washington’s Birthday to Presidents’ Day to include birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, but the change was ultimately rejected.
- May 25–31 (Floating Monday): Memorial Day
- Memorial Day is held in remembrance and honor of the military members that have died serving in the United States Armed Forces, and takes place on the last Monday in May.
- July 4: Independence Day
- September 1–7 (Floating Monday): Labor Day
- This holiday is a remembrance of the labor movement, specifically contributions, development and achievements made possible by American workers. It is celebrated the first Monday of September each year.
- October 8–14 (Floating Monday): Indigenous People’s Day (prev. Columbus Day)
- Although federally recognized as Columbus Day, many states and cities have officially changed this holiday to Indigenous People’s Day, in order to honor Native American peoples, histories and cultures. Berkeley, California became the first city to change the name in 1992. Please visit this link to learn more from the Smithsonian Magazine.
- November 11: Veterans Day
- Originally known as Armistice Day, this holiday recognizes military veterans of all branches of the United States Armed Forces
- November 22–28 (Floating Thursday): Thanksgiving Day
- December 25: Christmas Day
Important Facts and General Information
- US Capital: Washington, DC
- National anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner
- Population: 328.2 million (2019)
- Metrics: inches, feet, miles (1 mile is roughly 0.6 km)
- Time Zones: There are 4 standard times zones as follows – Pacific Time UTC -8:00 / -7:00 : Mountain Time UTC -7:00 / -6:00 : Central Time UTC -6:00 / -5:00 : Eastern Time UTC -5:00 / -4:00
- Note: The US holds daylight savings at different times than Ireland. Fun Fact: Arizona is the only state that does not participate in Daylight Savings, except for the Native American Navajo Nation, a semi-autonomous tribe located in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah.
- Currency: US Dollar (1 USD is roughly 0.66 IEP- conversely, 1.51 IEP is roughly 1 USD)
- Government: **Note: graduates have asked about this, esp. Elections and voting**
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- The US is a Constitution-based federal republic.
- Elections and Voting: US Citizens 18 years old and older vote to elect the President and Vice President of the United States every four years.
- US Congress consists of the Upper and Lower houses, with equal but unique roles. The Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively. Senators serve six-year terms, and every two years one-third of the senators are up for election. Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are up for reelection in even years.
- The highest court is the Supreme Court, to which justices are nominated by the President, and confirmed by Congress. Justices serve as long as they choose, and can only be removed by impeachment. There are nine Justices. There is a system of state, intermediate appellate and state supreme courts, as well as district and courts of appeals, that lead to the Supreme Court.
- Fun fact: The Supreme Court hears only 100-150 of over 7,000 cases it is asked to review each year
- There are three branches of the US government, which were created to ensure a balance of power. Please refer to the graphic below for more information, as well as the provided link for more information on the structure, purpose and powers of each branch.
