Flashcards on US Federal Holidays: Origins and Significance
US Federal Holidays: Origins and Significance for Students
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United States Federal Holidays
20 cards
Card 1
Question: How many federal (national) holidays are there in the United States?
Answer: There are 10 federal or national holidays.
Card 2
Question: Who decides whether a state honors a federal holiday?
Answer: Each state can decide if they want to honor federal holidays or have different ones.
Card 3
Question: Which two holidays are celebrated in January and when are they observed?
Answer: New Year’s Day on January 1 and Martin Luther King Day on the third Monday of January.
Card 4
Question: What does Martin Luther King Day commemorate?
Answer: It remembers a man who worked for equal rights among all races (Martin Luther King Jr.).
Card 5
Question: Why are many federal holidays celebrated on specific weekdays rather than fixed dates?
Answer: So states and companies that celebrate them will have a long weekend.
Card 6
Question: When is President’s Day observed and whom does it honor?
Answer: President’s Day is observed on the third Monday in February and honors all U.S. Presidents (originally George Washington’s birthday).
Card 7
Question: When is Memorial Day observed and what is its purpose?
Answer: Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May and is held to remember soldiers who were killed in wars.
Card 8
Question: Which holiday marks the unofficial start to summer?
Answer: Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start to summer.
Card 9
Question: When is Independence Day celebrated and what does it commemorate?
Answer: Independence Day is always on July 4 and commemorates the United States becoming an independent nation free from British rule.
Card 10
Question: What happens to the observed day off for Independence Day if July 4 falls on a weekend?
Answer: If it falls on a weekend, either the Friday or the Monday is given as a day off.