Drinking holidays at the Oktoberfest in Cincinnati According to the National Institutes of Health, about 86% of the population over 18 drinks alcohol recreationally or socially. In the United States, the holidays that are considered the most "festive" are generally regarded as some of the "most drunken holidays". Celebrations usually revolve around barbecues and beer. Although many of these holidays lack any official status, they are generally observed by the drinking culture for the fact that these holidays revolve around drinking. One measurement of the popularity of these holidays is the amount of alcohol purchased for the occasion.
African American holidays , and others Some holidays in the United States celebrate or recognize the struggle of African-Americans for
emancipation from
slavery and
civil rights. Two holidays are celebrated as Federal holidays: •
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed on the Monday falling on or between January 15–21, commemorates the birthday of
Dr. King, a significant leader of the Civil Rights Movement. The holiday was established federally in 1983 and first officially celebrated in 1986; efforts to create the holiday faced strong opposition and some southern states paired the new holiday with a holiday honoring the
Confederacy •
Juneteenth, observed on June 19, commemorates the announcement of the
abolition of
slavery in Texas in June 1865, and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. The name is a
portmanteau of
June and
nineteenth and has been a
federal holiday since 2021. Some states and cities have additional holidays honoring African-Americans: •
Emancipation Day, observed in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands on various days based on when enslaved people were emancipated in those jurisdictions •
Harriet Tubman Day, observed in New York and in some parts of Maryland on March 10 •
Malcolm X Day, observed in Illinois and Berkeley, California, on May 19; also celebrated in cities such as Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. as an unofficial holiday •
Rosa Parks Day, observed in Missouri on February 4, in California and Michigan on the following Monday, and in Ohio on December 1 A significant African-American cultural celebration is
Kwanzaa, observed from December 26 to January 1. Created by
Maulana Karenga in 1966, the holiday honors African heritage in
African-American culture.
Confederate holidays Some states celebrate holidays honoring the
Confederate States of America that seceded from the United States. Many of these state holidays were created in the early twentieth century, fifty years after the end of the
Civil War, as part of the myth of the
Lost Cause of the Confederacy. •
Confederate Memorial (or Heroes) Day is observed in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana and Texas on various days. •
Robert E. Lee Day (on or around Lee's Jan 19 birthday) is still observed in Alabama and Mississippi combined with
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the only remaining states to do so. It is officially recognized in Florida, but is not widely observed there.
Arkansas combined the observance of Robert E. Lee Day with
Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1985. In 2017, the state passed a law removing Lee's name from the January holiday and instead establishing a state memorial day on the second Saturday of October in honor of Lee. •
Confederate History Month has been declared at least once in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia as well as by various cities, usually in April to augment Confederate Memorial Day.
Other traditional and informal holidays In addition to the federal/national holidays, many religious, ethnic, and other traditional holidays populate the calendar, as well as lighter celebrations. These are rarely observed by businesses as holidays; indeed, many are viewed as opportunities for commercial promotion. Because of this commercialization, some critics apply the deprecatory term
Hallmark holiday to such days, after the
Hallmark greeting card company. •
Groundhog Day, February 2 •
Valentine's Day, February 14 •
Saint Patrick's Day, March 17 •
April Fool's Day, April 1 •
Patriots' Day (Revolutionary War), April 15-21, floating Monday •
Earth Day, April 22 •
Arbor Day, April 24–30, floating Friday •
May Day, May 1 •
Cinco de Mayo, May 5 •
Mother's Day, May 8–14, floating Sunday •
Flag Day, June 14 •
Helen Keller Day, June 27 •
Father's Day, June 15–21, floating Sunday •
Pioneer Day, July 24 •
Women's Equality Day, August 26 •
Patriot Day, September 11 •
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, September 17 •
Oktoberfest, various days in September/October •
World Vegetarian Day, October 1 globally (initiating Vegetarian Awareness Month throughout October) •
Halloween, October 31 •
Election Day (also Democracy Day), November 2–8, floating Tuesday •
Black Friday, November 23–29, floating Friday •
Small Business Saturday, November 24–30, floating Saturday •
Cyber Monday, November 26–December 2, floating Monday •
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7 •
New Year's Eve, December 31 == See also ==