Minor Holidays

From February through June, Americans celebrate several minor holidays:

St. Valentine’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day

April Fool’s Day

Mother’s Day

Father’s Day

These are not legal holiday.

When they occur on weekdays, schools and businesses stay open as usual.

1. St. Valentine’s Day

• A festival of romance and affection that occurs on February 14.

• Although the holiday gets its name from two Christian martyrs, its customs probably come from an ancient Roman holiday called Lupercalia, a celebration which honored Juno(the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth) and Pan (the god of nature).

Valentine’s Card• Shortly before February 14, card shop, bookstore,

department stores, and drugstores display a wide assortment of greeting cards called Valentines.

• Most valentines show a picture of cupid with his bow and arrow.

• Valentines may cost anywhere from a penny to more than a dollar, depending upon the size and degree of decoration.

• Grammar school children usually buy packages of small, inexpensive valentines to give to give the classmate and teachers.

• Married couple may exchange more expensive ones, along with the small gifts.

• Men often give flowers or candy (in a red, heart-shaped box) for a Valentine’s Day Gift.

• The custom of sending written valentines began in Europe around 1400.

• It was brought to America by earliest English settlers.

• Today, Americans probably send more valentines than people all other countries put together.

• Their annual sale of valentines is more than 550 million.

2. St. Patrick’s Day• Celebrated each year on March 17th. Saint Patrick is

the patron saint of Ireland.• He was born in the year 385 and died on March

17th around the year 460. • Saint Patrick had an adventurous life. He was

captured by pirates at the age of 16. The Irish pirates brought him to Ireland and sold him as a slave.

• He escaped to France and became a monk.• In 432, he returned to Ireland. He was the one

who brought Christianity to the Irish. He taught many of the people of Ireland to read and write.

• According to legend, St. Patrick drove all the snakes in Ireland out of the country and into the sea.

• Although St. Patrick’s Day began in Ireland, it is celebrated in countries around the world. Many people wear green on this day.

• In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by “the wearing of the green”, the color which symbolizes the south or Ireland.

• All cities with large Irish populations such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Atlanta, there are spectacular St. Patrick’s Day parades.

• The Women wear native Irish costumes.• The men carry colorful banners and flag.

3. April Fool’s Day

• April fool’s day is the first day of April.

• The sport of the holiday is to play silly but harmless jokes on family members, co-workers, and friends.

• The victim of these pranks is called an April fool.

• This holiday originated in France.

• When French first adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1564, some people continued to use the old calendar and to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1.

• April fool’s Jokes are as ingenious, humorous, or cruel as the people who perform them.

• Here are some typical pranks:

Calling to the zoo and asking to speak to Mr. Lion.

Putting salt in the sugar bowl.

Setting the clock back an hour.

• In the United States today, April fool’s jokes are played mostly by children, who enjoy the holiday immensely.

4. Mother’s Day

• Celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

• Mother usually receives greeting cards and gift from her husband and children.

• Often, families honor Mother by taking her out for dinner.

• In some households, the husband and children take over meal preparations so that Mom can spend a whole day away from the kitchen.

• Later in the day, parents may take their children to visit their grandparents.

• Flowers are an important part of the holiday.

• Carnations are frequently worn – red or pink if one’s mother is living and white if she is not.

• Mothers are often given corsages for the occasion, particularly if they are elderly.

• In the United States, Mother’s Day has been a national tradition since 1915.

5. Father’s Day

• Celebrated throughout the United States and Canada on the third Sunday in June.

• The holiday customs are similar to Mother’s Day.

• Dad also receives greeting card and gift from his family and enjoys a day of leisure.