American Holidays

Technically, American holidays aren't holidays. The word holiday means "holy day," and the only paid federal festival that even approaches that description is Thanksgiving. Independence Day, Labor Day, Washington's Birthday, etc. might be holy according to the dogma of the civil religion, but as Christians we reserve adjectives like holy and sacred for Christ and His Church.

That doesn't mean we can't celebrate along with our countrymen. Liberty, justice and equality are American distinctives, and we thank God we live in a country where they're upheld (at least for the most part). To hold our freedom lightly would be ungrateful on our part, so we celebrate it humbly when we have the chance.

Our favorite distinctly American holiday is Thanksgiving. Given the circumstances of its first celebration it's a little ironic that it's a federal holiday, but we aren't complaining. You can read more about it in our Thanksgiving category. We also like Independence Day because Civil War reenactments are fun and fireworks are super rad, but we've given it the full treatment elsewhere.

Many of the other holidays observed by our federal government are less well known or universally celebrated. (We aren't talking about Christmas or New Year; those aren't distinctly American.) Who even knew Columbus Day was a holiday? Well, if you work at the post office or a bank you probably knew, but most of us are quite unaware.

Which is kind of a shame. While we wouldn't support Martin Luther King, Jr.'s theology, celebrating his birthday isn't a celebration of him so much as a memorial to the Civil Rights movement and the struggle of the black community to achieve equal rights and standing as citizens. Insofar as his efforts were a rallying point for many, the holiday bears his name.

Celebrating the birthdays of Columbus and George Washington is almost a no-brainer: without Christopher we wouldn't even be here, and without ol' Georgie we wouldn't be ruled by a president. Those may be broad strokes to paint in, but few nations in the world owe so much to two distinct individuals for their existence.

Of course, millions of others have helped build this land. Memorial Day remembers those Americans who've died in war, while Veterans Day honors everyone who's served in the armed forces; Labor Day is a tip of the hat to the workers of America, the solid constituency that built Chicago, ranched Colorado, and found gold in the middle of Alaska.

There aren't a lot of specifically American traditions. We like to rally around the ones we do have to promote cameraderie and peace, and these holidays provide just that opportunity. If you aren't into celebrating state-sponsored festivals, that's fine. But the fact that you can have that opinion and still enjoy your freedom says a lot for our country, and we're willing to show our gratitude a few times a year.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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18 Penny Goose
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Sally M. Walker
from HarperCollins
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Abigail Adams
A Discovery Book
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Adventures of Munford: The American Revolution
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AIO Imagination Station Book #06
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Amelia Bedelia Talks Turkey
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America's Paul Revere
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American History for Young Students I
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And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
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And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
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See and Read: Beginning to Read Biography
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Boston Tea Party
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Cranberry Thanksgiving
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Eliza Pinckney
Weekly Reader Heroes of the Revolution
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Family Read-Aloud Holiday Treasury
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Famous Figures of the American Revolution
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Felicity - Boxed Set
American Girls
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Felicity Discovers a Secret
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Felicity's Dancing Shoes
American Girls Short Stories
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Felicity's New Sister
American Girls Short Stories
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First Thanksgiving
Step into Reading Level 3
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First Thanksgiving
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First Thanksgiving Feast
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Flag for Our Country
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George the Drummer Boy
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George Washington's Breakfast
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Gingerbread for Liberty!
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Giving Thanks
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History Pockets: Life in Plymouth Colony
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How Many Days to America?
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How Our Nation was Born: The American Revolution
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If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution
If You Were There
by Kay Moore
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If You Lived in Colonial Times
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
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If You Sailed On the Mayflower
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern, illustrated by J.B. Handlesman
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If You Sailed On the Mayflower in 1620
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If You Were at the First Thanksgiving
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John Alden
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John Hancock
Weekly Reader Heroes of the Revolution
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John Hancock
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John Paul Jones
A Discovery Book
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Heroes of the Revolution
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Journey to Monticello
Adventures in Colonial America
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King George's Head Was Made of Lead
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Lafayette, Friend of America
Makers of America
by Alberta Powell Graham
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Lafayette: French-American Hero
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Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving
by Peter and Connie Roop, Illustrated by Gwen Connelly
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Liberty!
by Lucille Recht Penner
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Meet Benjamin Franklin
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Meet George Washington
Step Up Books
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Meet the Pilgrim Fathers
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Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry W. Longfellow
Reprint from National Geographic
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Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry W. Longfellow, illustrated by Jeffrey Thompson
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Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
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Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
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Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
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N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
by Robert San Souci, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth
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N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
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N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
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Namesake for Nathan
by F. N. Monjo, illustrated by Eros Keith
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Nathan Hale
Hidden History: Spies
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New England Soldiers of the American Revolution
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On the Mayflower
by Kate Waters
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On the Mayflower
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One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims
by B.G. Hennessy
1st ptg thus from Puffin Books
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Patrick Henry
The Founding Fathers
by Stuart A. Kallen
from ABDO Publishing Co.
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Paul Revere
First Biographies
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Ted Rand
from Puffin Books
American Poetry for 2nd-6th grade
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$8.99
Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Charles Santore
1st edition from HarperCollins
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Picture Book of George Washington
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1st edition from Holiday House
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Picture Book of John Hancock
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Picture Book of Paul Revere
by Alexandra Wallner, David A. Adler, John Wallner
1st edition from Holiday House
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Pilgrim Adventures
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Pilgrim Stories
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$11.95
Pilgrim Voices
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Pilgrims at Plymouth
by Lucille Recht Penner, illustrated by S. D. Schindler
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Non-fiction for 2nd-6th grade
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Pilgrims of Plimoth
by Marcia Sewall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
History Reference/Picture Book for 1st-4th grade
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$8.99
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A Really Truly Story
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$15.00 (1 in stock)
Pioneer Thanksgiving
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Pioneer Thanksgiving
by Barbara Greenwood
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Pioneer Thanksgiving
by Barbara Greenwood, illustrated by Heather Collins
from Kids Can Press
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Priscilla Alden
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