Daily Archives: September 14, 2017

Presidents’ day

The birthday of the George Washington is one of the most important day in the history of the United States when a great thinker came to earth and gave us all a prosperous lifestyle

Among most of the important federal holidays in the USA, the most reputed and welcomed federal holiday is the President’s Day which is absolutely wonderful as it not only give us the time to remember the founders of the country we live in now, but also to enjoy a great time with our dear ones on an extended weekend. Every year, thousands of tourists and natives enjoy this enthralling federal holiday with great pomp and show and get delighted by the superlative celebrations across the city. So, with this article, we are walking you through the entire concept, celebration and various observations of the Presidents Day celebrated in the USA:

1.-History

Presidents Day is known among the most prestigious federal holidays that came into existence in 1879 on the birth anniversary of the George Washington who was born on February 11, 1731 (as per the documents). The act of Congress has made it an official event and was announced as the Washington’s Birthday initially. After spreading the call, the event became a national phenomenon which was once isolated in the capital Washington D.C. only. Although, the federal holiday is observed differently with different titles and dates, the event is known as the birth day of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and all the other former and current presidents.

2.-Observation

Till the end of 1980s, the festival was an isolated government event, but after the the 1980s, the event became an annual celebration which was observed in a different way in every state of the USA. Despite being an honoring federal holiday at first place to honor the thinking and hard work of the George Washington, Presidents Day started to be observed to felicitate the hard work of other presidents since the independence till the current working president of the United States. The Presidents Day is now observed on the third Monday of February and falls between 15th till 21st of February every year.

3.-Variations

Being a widely celebrated federal holiday, Presidents Day is observed in different names and has different various for most of the states in the USA. The spellings and titles have been the main contributing factor that has made it same yet differently observed festival. For an example, Presidents’ Day is used in New Mexico, Dakota, Vermont, Hawaii, Washington and many more states. Whereas, President’s Day is used in Alaska, Nebraska, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wyoming and a few more states of the USA. There are a few states that use the title Washington’s Birthday, Lincoln’s Day, George Washington Day, Thomas Jefferson Birthday, Washington and Lincoln Day and more in various states of the USA.

4.-Celebration

The celebration of one of the most promising, patriotic and famous federal holiday of Presidents Day is quite unique and similar across the USA where people indulge themselves in various sorts of events organized throughout the plateau of the USA. This includes but doesn’t limit to Farewell Address speech, parade, concerts, memorial ceremonies, light shows, patriotic stage shows and a lot more. This day is commonly considered as an occasion of an extended weekend. Hence, people love to explore their interests and travel across the world for a magnificent getaway experience as many public and private sector industries observe this day as a holiday.

Presidents Day is arguably one of the biggest federal holidays both by terms of celebration and the relevance in the USA. Though many of us find it a time which is given to us as an extended holiday and plan to fly away from home for vacations. However, the reducing knowledge among the next generation has made it less interesting. Still, there are a number of places that make the events grand on the occasion of Presidents Day. So, if you too feel like being a patriot for some time, Presidents Day will be a perfect excuse for you to remember the works that were done by the country’s leaders and broad thinking which has made our nation worth living.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Williams is a travel writer and loves to share her travel stories.

<<Famous Quotes by U.S Presidents>>

I would rather belong to a poor nation that was free than to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty.
– Woodrow Wilson

It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.
– Barack Obama

Think about every problem, every challenge, we face. The solution to each starts with education.
– George H.W. Bush

Saint Patrick

Legend and Celebrations :

Saint Patrick’s day is a religious feast festival of Catholic Christians having its roots in Ireland with the celebrations gaining significance in other countries, particularly America and Britain. Just like St. Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day (i.e, 17th March) commemorates the demise of the revered patronized Irish saint St. Patrick. So, what is the legend behind St. Patrick which led to the association of a festival in his name and how is the day celebrated ?

The story goes like this…

Originally born (in later half of fourth century) to Roman parents in Scotland or Roman England (there are conflicting opinions regarding the place of birth), he was previously known by the name Maewyn Succat. He was given a Romanticized name Patricius leading to him being known as Patrick.

Patrick was originally a pagan ( a non-believer of Christianity ). During his childhood, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave to the Celtic Druids who then ruled Ireland. It was during that stage of life that his attitude and beliefs towards God started changing. After six years, he escaped from slavery when he dream of God giving him instructions for the same. He was taught priesthood in France. When he became a bishop, he again dream of Irish people calling him and requiring his services.

So, he returned to Ireland with firm belief of converting pagans to Christians. Despite being arrested by the Celtic Druids several times, he always managed to escape and was not deterred. He actively baptized and preached Christianity. He even used diplomacy like gifting people in king lets and gifting lawgivers. For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion.

How is the Patrick’s day celebrated ?

As a part of the celebration, Many Irish people wear a bunch of shamrock on their lapels or caps on St. Patrick’s Day, while children wear tricolored (green, white and orange) badges. Girls traditionally wore green ribbons in their hair (many still do).

A three-leafed Shamrock clover was used by St. Patrick to represent the trinity, like father, son and holy spirit; also shamrock was considered lucky by Irish people. The shamrock was used by the Irish as a mark of nationalism when the English invaded the Celtics. Thus a shamrock is given lot of reverence in Ireland. Leprechauns or Irish fairy people are also associated with St. Patrick’s festival. In Irish mythology, a leprechaun is a type of elf said to inhabit the island of Ireland.

In recent times, the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin have been extended to a week-long event called St. Patrick’s Festival, encompassing a spectacular fireworks display (Sky-fest), open-air music, street theater and the traditional parade. Over one million people attended the celebrations in 2004.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide by the Irish and those of Irish descent. A major parade takes place in Dublin and in most other Irish towns and villages. The three largest parades of recent years have been held in Dublin, New York and Birmingham England. Parades also take place in other centers, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout the Americas.

In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day would not be St. Patrick’s Day unless the Chicago River is dyed green. Also, St. Paddy’s Day has little religious or historical significance. Established in Boston in 1737, it is essentially a time to put on a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” button, and parade drunken through the streets singing a mangled version of “Danny Boy” in celebration of one’s real or imagined Irish ancestry.

Thus in a nutshell, it can be seen that the legends revolving around St Patrick have been inseparably combined with the facts. The day invariably evokes the “I am Irish” sentiments along with patronizing St. Patrick for his services towards Ireland. And together they have helped us know much about the Saint and the spirit behind celebration of the day.

“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.”
Irish Blessing

Martin Luther King Jr

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15th 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia and was christened Michael Luther King Jr, but later changed his first name to Martin. Dr King’s family has had a very long relationship with the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, with Martin’s maternal grandfather serving as a pastor from 1914 to 1931. Thereafter his father following in the family tradition, took over from his father-in-law and officiated as the pastor from 1931 until his death in 1984.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr also served as a co-pastor along with his father, but due to his political work, was away from the Atlanta church most of the time, as it was during this time that the United States had very different society to what it is today, with the blacks and whites being segregated on the road, at grocery lines, buses, schools and almost everywhere.
The brunt of this segregation was directed at the blacks who were denied their basic civil rights as an equal partner in American society and this prompted Martin Luther King Jr to rise against the injustice, to lead in protest wherever discrimination was evident, of which there were many such instances, through his Civil Rights Movement that he formed to the consternation of the American Administration.
Martin Luther King Jr’s Civil Rights Movement which began in the mid 1950’s took the United States Administration by surprise initially due to the sheer amount of people he was able to congregate at any place, just to listen to him speak and his famous crowd inspiring speech where he said “I have a dream” took the cake and from that time onward there was no stopping him or the American Civil Rights Movement.
The United States Administration had to relent, and his efforts bore fruit when the United States of America enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 both of which broke the manacles that had kept the American blacks subjugated and sidelined in their own society.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on April 4th 1968 when he stepped out onto his hotel room balcony in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray, who according to the FBI had acted alone.
After his assassination there was popular agitation to recognize what he had achieved, not only for the black community in the United States but to all Americans to hold their heads high and walk as a proud nation and not as a country where one section of the populace discriminated against the other. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the Executive order declaring that every third Monday of January would be commemorated as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day or officially as the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr, and also decreed that it would be a Federal holiday and that was a fitting accolade bestowed on an icon of American society, whose life story is unique in many ways.