1. American People and Culture

2. New Years Eve

3. Times Square on New Years
Americans have parties and watch the ball drop on TV.
This is a giant glass ball is located in Times Square in
New York City.

4. Times Square on New Years

5. Valentine’s Day

6. Valentine’s Day Cards
In school everyone gives each other small cards with
notes written on it. These are called ‘Valentines.’

7. Wedding Proposals
Many people propose on Valentine’s day. The man gets
on one knee, shows his girlfriend the ring and asks,
“Will you marry me?”

9. Easter

10. Easter Egg Hunts

11. Easter Baskets

12. Dying Easter Eggs

13. Mother’s Day
On Mother’s Day everyone does something nice for their mothers,
such as buy them flowers or making them breakfast, or taking
them to a restaurant. A popular choice is going out for “brunch.”
Brunch = Breakfast + Lunch

14. Father’s Day
On Father’s Day people buy their father’s a gift. However, this
holiday is not as popular as Mother’s Day.

15. Independence Day
This holiday celebrates the day the USA became
independent from Britain.

16. Fireworks on Independence Day
Most cities in the USA has a fireworks show on Independence
Day. Many people also buy fireworks to light at their house if they
live in the country—rural areas.

17. Fourth of July Barbecues
Most families on 4th of July cook food outside. This is
called a barbecue. Some people BBQ out in a park, other
people go camping, others BBQ in their backyard.

18. Halloween—Favorite Holiday
of Students

19. The holiday originally comes from a people called
Celts.
On November 1st they celebrated the end of summer.
They thought ghosts visited them on October 31st and
then they dressed up like ghosts so the spirits would
not harm their families.

20. When people dressed up they walked around outside
carried lanterns made of turnips to scare the spirits
and ghosts away.
Later this evolved into pumpkins. This is where the
jack - o´-lantern comes from.

21. Halloween Pumpkins
Many people carve a pumpkin on Halloween. These are called
‘Jack-o-Lanterns.’ They put them outside their door with a candle
inside.

22. Activities include trick-or-treating,
haunted house tours, telling scary
stories, bonfires,....

23. They also had a tradition of giving food
to the spirits. Later, they gave food to
poor people. This is where trick - or -
treat comes from.

25. Halloween Pranks
Lots of teenagers pull pranks on Halloween. Some common
pranks are throwing eggs at someone’s house (egging), throwing
toilet paper over someone’s tree (TP=ng), or smashing someone’s
pumpkins.

26. Halloween Costumes
Not all Halloween Costumes have to be scary. Many are clever or
funny. You can dress up as a famous person, a character or even
an idea.

27. Halloween Costumes

28. Halloween Parties

29. Thanksgiving

30. Thanksgiving Dinner
There are many traditional foods at Thanksgiving including
mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and
turkey.

31. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
This is a traditional parade held every year on Thanksgiving in
New York City. It is shown on TV during the day and most
American Families watch it before eating dinner.

32. Christmas

33. Christmas Milk and Cookies
American children leave milk and cookies for Santa
Claus on Christmas Eve (the night before Christmas).

34. Santa Claus Flies Through the
Air to Deliver Toys to Children
all over the world in one night.

36. Smaller American Holidays

37. Groundhog Day (February 2nd)
Groundhog Day takes place every year in Punxsutawney,
Pennsylvania. On Groundhog’s Day, everyone waits to see if the
groundhog will come out of his house. If he sees his shadow, that
means that winter will be longer.

38. Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday is the Sunday when the championship
American Football game is held. More people watch TV on this
day than any other day of the year. Most people have parties at
their house to watch the football game. Commercials during this
game costs almost a million dollars for each one.

39. Mardi Gras/Carnival
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday in French) is a celebration in the South.
It is held before Ash Wednesday (when people give up something
for lent). It is considered a day to do ‘whatever you want’. In the
city of New Orleans, they have lots of parades and people travel
from all across America to visit for this holiday.

40. Mardi Gras in New Orleans

41. April Fool’s Day (April 1)
This holiday is dedicated to playing tricks on pranks on other
people. You have to be careful on April Fool’s Day because
anything could happen.

42. Earth Day
On Earth Day people get together and do something that helps
the earth and nature.

43. Saint Patrick’s Day
This is a holiday that celebrates Ireland and Irish
Culture. You must wear green on this day. If you don’t,
you will get pinched.

44. Saint Patrick’s Day Parades
Most big cities have a parade on this day. Chicago dies it’s river
green on Saint Patrick’s day.

45. Saint Patrick’s Day Parties
You don’t need to be Irish to celebrate this holiday. St. Patrick’s
Day is one of the biggest drinking holidays in the USA.

46. Cinco De Mayo
This is a holiday celebrated in the USA and Mexico. It celebrate
Mexican Culture and Heritage. It is like St. Patrick’s Day. There
are parades all across the USA and you don’t need to be Mexican
to celebrate.

47. Hanukkah
Hannukah is a Jewish holiday that occurs in December. It is called
the ‘Festival of Lights.’ It is an 8-day celebration where people in a
family give a new gift to each other each night. Also, on each
night, another candle on a Menorah is lit.

48. Student Culture

49. Facebook
Twitter
Vine
Foursquare

51. Questions?