Thanksgiving
When is Thanksgiving Day celebrated in the USA?
On the fourth Thursday in November.
When is St Patrick’s Day celebrated?
On March 17th.
When is Veterans Day celebrated in the USA?
On November 11th.
When is Halloween celebrated?
On October 31st.
When is Independence Day celebrated?
On July 4th.
Why was the first Thanksgiving celebrated?
To celebrate a successful harvest.
Why has St Patrick become the patron saint of Ireland?
He brought Christianity to Ireland.
What does Veterans Day honour?
All U.S. military veterans, living or deceased.
What does Halloween go back to?
The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain / the end of the harvest season and the start of winter / to scare off spirits when the boundary between living and dead was thinnest.
What does the festival go back to?
Signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Give the year when the first Thanksgiving was celebrated?
1621.
What was the colour of St Patrick?
Blue.
Which war ended on the same day as Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day?
World War I.
Name four symbols of Halloween.
Jack-o'-lanterns, ghosts, bats, black cats (skeletons, witches ...); pumpkin, trick-or-treating.
What do people typically do / watch on Independence Day?
Parades, barbecues, fireworks, canon salutes ...
What is traditional Thanksgiving food? Name at least 4 common foods served.
Roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie.
Why are snakes associated with St Patrick?
He is said to have driven them out of Ireland.
Which U.S. president changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day?
Dwight D. Eisenhower (in 1954).
Why is the festival called Halloween?
Short for All Hallows’ Evening / All Hallows’ Eve.
Name four symbols connected with Independence Day.
The colours white, blue and red / bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam, U.S. flag, apple pie etc.
Who proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday?
Abraham Lincoln (in 1863).
Name at least two things which will bring you good luck on St Patrick’s Day.
Wearing green, finding a four-leaf clover, catching a leprechaun, drinking Irish beer ...
What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
Veterans Day honours all who served; Memorial Day honours those who died in service.
Why was Jack condemned to walk forever carrying the lantern?
He tricked the Devil and couldn’t enter Heaven or Hell.
Which two cities had the earliest official July 4th celebrations in 1777?
Philadelphia and Boston.