Embassy of the United States Copenhagen, Denmark

People in every culture celebrate holidays. Although the word "holiday" literally means "holy day," most American holidays are not religious, but commemorative in nature and origin. Because the nation is blessed with a rich ethnic heritage it is possible to trace some of the American holidays to diverse cultural sources and traditions, but all holidays have taken on a distinctively American flavor. In the United States, the word "holiday" is synonymous with "celebration!

"In the strict sense, there are no national holidays in the United States. Each of the 50 states has jurisdiction over its holidays. In practice, however, most states observe the federal ("legal") public holidays, even though the President and Congress can legally designate holidays only for federal government employees.

In 1971, the dates of many federal holidays were officially moved to the nearest Monday by then-President Richard Nixon.

There are four holidays, which are not necessarily celebrated on Mondays: Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, Independence Day, and Christmas. When New Year's Day, Independence Day, or Christmas falls on a Sunday, the next day is also a holiday. When one of these holidays falls on a Saturday, the previous day is also a holiday.

Federal government offices, including the post office, are always closed on all federal legal holidays. Schools and businesses close on major holidays like Independence Day and Christmas but may not always be closed, for example, on George Washington's birthday or Veterans' Day.

The federal government proclaims ten holidays per year. They are as follows

• New Year's Day: January 1st
• Martin Luther King's Birthday: 3rd Monday in January
• Washington's Birthday: 3rd Monday in February
• Memorial Day: Last Monday in May
• Independence Day: July 4th
• Labor Day: 1st Monday in September
• Columbus Day: 2nd Monday in October
• Veterans' Day: November 11th
• Thanksgiving: 4th Thursday in November
• Christmas Day: December 25th