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What Main Holiday do Americans Celebrate?

Here is a list of the most common holidays in america and a brief description of each:
Note: these dates are for the 2008 calender year and some will be subject to change each year…

New Year's Day (Jan. 1)
A federal holiday in the United States,

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday (Mon., Jan. 21st, 2008)
A federal holiday observed on the third Monday in January that honors the late civil rights leader. It became a federal holiday in 1986.

February
Groundhog Day (Feb. 2)
Legend has it that if the groundhog sees his shadow, he'll return to his hole, and winter will last another six weeks.

Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) (Tues., Feb. 5, 2008)

Lincoln's Birthday (Tue, Feb. 12, 2008)
A holiday in a few states, this day was first formally observed in Washington, DC, in 1866, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address in tribute to the assassinated president. In some places, it is combined with Washington's Birthday and celebrated as President's Day.

St. Valentine's Day (Thurs., Feb. 14, 2008)
Originally a pagan festival, the holiday eventually was recast as a Christian feast day in honor of St. Valentine—

Washington's Birthday or Presidents' Day (Mon., Feb. 18, 2008)
A federal holiday observed the third Monday in February.The actual date of Washington's birthday is Feb. 22.

Leap Year Day (Fri., Feb., 29, 2008)
2008 is a leap year, which means that it has 366 days instead of the usual 365 days that an ordinary year has. An extra day is added in a leap year—February 29—which is called an intercalary day or a leap day. For more on this special day, read: Leap Year 101.

St. Patrick's Day (Mon., March 17)

Easter (Sun., March 23, 2008)
Observed in all Western Christian churches, Easter commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or next after the vernal equinox (fixed at March 21) and is therefore celebrated between March 22 and April 25 inclusive.

April Fool's Day (Tues., April 1, 2008)
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Cinco de Mayo (Mon., May 5, 2008)
Cinco de Mayo is often referred to as Mexico's Independence Day, but actually marks the 1862 battle in Puebla when a small, outnumbered Mexican army defeated the French, a turning point in Mexico's struggle for independence. Ironically, it is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than by Mexicans.

VE-Day (Thurs., May 8, 2008)
VE-DAY marks formal celebration of the Allies' victory in Europe during World War II.

Mother's Day (Sun., May 11, 2008)
Observed the second Sunday in May,

Memorial Day (Mon., May 26, 2008)
Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 and is observed on the last Monday in May. it is a holiday dedicated to the memory of all war dead.

Flag Day (Sat., June 14, 2008)
This day commemorates the adoption by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, of the Stars and Stripes as the U.S. flag.

Father's Day (Sun., June 15, 2008)
Observed the third Sunday in June.

Independence Day (Fri., July 4, 2008)
The day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, celebrated in all states and territories.

Labor Day (Mon., Sept. 1, 2008)
A federal holiday observed the first Monday in September. this day is set aside in honor of labor.

Columbus Day (Mon., Oct. 13, 2007)
A federal holiday observed the second Monday in October, it commemorates Christopher Columbus's landing in the New World in 1492.

Halloween (Fri., Oct. 31, 2008)
Eve of All Saints' Day, formerly called All Hallows and Hallowmass. Halloween is traditionally associated in some countries with customs such as bonfires, masquerading, and the telling of ghost stories.

Veterans Day (Sun., Nov. 11, 2007)
Armistice Day, a federal holiday, was established in 1926 to commemorate the signing in 1918 of the armistice ending World War I. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all men and women who have served America in its armed forces.

Thanksgiving (Thurs., Nov. 22, 2007)
A federal holiday observed the fourth Thursday in November by act of Congress (1941),

Hanukkah (Festival of Lights) (Wed., Dec. 5, 2007)*
This festival was instituted by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 B.C. to celebrate the purification of the Temple of Jerusalem. It had been desecrated three years earlier by Antiochus Epiphanes, who set up a pagan altar and offered sacrifices to Zeus Olympius. In Jewish homes, a lamp or candle is lighted on each night of the eight-day festival.

Christmas (Feast of the Nativity) (Tues., Dec. 25, 2007)
The most widely celebrated holiday of the Christian year, Christmas is observed as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. Christmas customs are centuries old. The mistletoe, for example, comes from the Druids, who, in hanging the mistletoe, hoped for peace and good fortune. Comparatively recent is the Christmas tree, first set up in Germany in the 17th century. Colonial Manhattan Islanders introduced the name Santa Claus, a corruption of the Dutch name St. Nicholas, who lived in fourth-century Asia Minor.

Kwanzaa (Wed., Dec. 26, 2007)
This secular seven-day holiday was created by Black Studies professor Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 in the U.S., to reaffirm African values and serve as a communal celebration among African peoples in the diaspora. Modeled on first-fruits celebrations, it reflects seven principles, the Nguzo Saba: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Hope That Helps!

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Nested on the south side of Downtown Vancouver across from English Bay is the beautiful neighbourhood of Kitsilano. Known for it’s food, shopping, beach, tree-lined streets and social lounging, Kits (as it’s casually known) is a sought after community many dream of being part of. Kits is also a hood known for helping to fuel the Vancouver Real Estate market.

Originally a Greek neighbourhood, many cultural and culinary changes have taken place over the last 20 years. Although you can still hardly go a block without finding a great Greek restaurant, the mix has grown to offer fantastic Sushi, Vegetarian, Italian, Indian, Chinese and of course, West-coast Infusion (a fancy word for foods that have salmon), to name a few.

If its shopping you’re into then the endless amounts of boutique style shops along 4th Ave and Broadway are sure to satisfy your addiction of racking up your credit card. Fine Italian suits, shoes from Paris, Canadian antique furniture, vintage records, organic markets and trendy baby stores are just a few of the many choices you’ll encounter. Definitely not cheap but if you look hard enough you’re sure to find a deal.

In the height of the summer months you can, on any given day (unless its raining), drive or walk past beautiful Kits beach and wonder how you would possibly squeeze another beach blanket onto the grassy and sandy sprawl. Literally hundreds of sun seekers jockey for a good spot either to sun bathe, watch the endless beach volleyball games, play Frisbee or bocce ball, enjoy a picnic or simply people watch. Most of the time it’s a little of all of that. You won’t catch everyone going for a swim (as with most cities with oceans close to a large urban population) but there is many a diehard that is ok with it.

The lush tree-lined streets of the spring, summer and early fall months really give the feel of a rainforest oasis. Million dollar houses (on the cheap side) and a great mix of low-rise condo buildings and rental apartments make for an interesting blend that makes Kits a truly diverse neighbourhood. With UBC (University of British Columbia) only minutes to the west, students make up a good percentage of the rental market, grabbing suites in the basements of 100-year-old character homes. The Vancouver Real Estate market loves these old houses with suites in them.

Quite possibly the greatest draw of Kitsilano is the social aspect. Pull up a chair in a sidewalk lounge and enjoy a coffee, beer or a glass of BC wine and watch the people filled sidewalks bustle with activity. So busy yet so laid back in the same breath. The people are friendly and outgoing and really enjoy a lazy Saturday afternoon taking in the beauty of the neighbourhood.

The prices of Real Estate in Kitsilano have gotten out of reach for many that want to make a home in Vancouver. Houses that cost $500,000 10 years ago will now go for over $1M and condos that were $200,000 have more than doubled as well. Yet with these high prices there are still young professionals with dreams of growing their families flocking to this great neighbourhood. I have made it my home for 14 years and can’t imagine leaving. Kitsilano is without question the “Jewel of Vancouver”.

20a4

Terry Voth is a Vancouver Realtor ® specializing in Vancouver Homes for Sale.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Voth

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Ok so 3 more posts today that I’ve dug up – I’m an information JUNKIE on this stuff lately. Give em a browse and let me know what ya reckon. They’re just from a few different sites I’ve been surfing lately that are generally good for information like this…

Higher Prices Boost Interfor's Results

Offsetting the positive impact of higher lumber prices in part were higher log costs in the BC Interior and US Pacific Northwest, continued weakness in the …   Read More…

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Combine this with the federal GST rebate being zero over $450000 and the BC land transfer tax and you have the makings of an economy killer. …   Read More…

COLUMN: Bracing for HST's arrival

One of those is the effect the HST will have on the construction and sale of new homes. The new home business is big in Surrey – perhaps the largest single …   Read More…
That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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