My Account Wish List Shopping Cart Log In
Store Location

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.
Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
American Holidays
Subcategories
61 Items found Print
Filter
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Hardcover
Abigail Adams
A Discovery Book
by Helen Stone Peterson, illustrated by Betty Fraser
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
America in the Time of George Washington
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Heinemann Library
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Battle of Yorktown
by Thomas J. Fleming
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for 3rd-7th grade
in American Heritage Junior Library (Location: VIN-HIS)
Betsy Ross: Girl of Old Philadelphia
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Ann Weil, illustrated by Al Fiorentino
from Bobbs-Merril Co
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Boston Tea Party
by Russel Freedman, Illustrated by Peter Malone
from Holiday House
for 1st-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Christmas Tree Hessian
by Cora Cheney, illustrated by Edith Ballinger Price
from Henry Holt and Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Cranberry Thanksgiving
by Wende & Harry Devlin
from Purple House Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Crispus Attucks: Boy of Valor
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Dharathula H. Millender
from Bobbs-Merril Co
for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
Crossing
by Jim Murphy
from Scholastic Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636
by Paul Erickson
from Clarion Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Family Read-Aloud Holiday Treasury
by Selected by Alice Low, Illustrated by Marc Brown
First Ediition from Little, Brown & Company
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Felicity Discovers a Secret
American Girls Short Stories
by Valerie Tripp
First Edition, First Printing from American Girl
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Girl (Location: SER-AMGIRL)
Felicity's Dancing Shoes
American Girls Short Stories
by Valerie Tripp
First Edition, First Printing from American Girl
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Girl (Location: SER-AMGIRL)
Felicity's New Sister
American Girls Short Stories
by Valerie Tripp
First Edition, First Printing from American Girl
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Girl (Location: SER-AMGIRL)
From Colonies to Country with George Washington - Book Only
My American Journey
by Deborah Hedstrom
from Multnomah Books
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
George Rogers Clark: War in the West
Events of the Revolution
by Susan and John Lee, illustrated by Richard Wahl
from Children's Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
George Washington: America's Patriot
Heroes of History for Young Readers
by Renee Meloche
from Emerald Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Heroes for Young Readers (Location: BIO-HERO)
House on Stink Alley
by F. N. Monjo
First Edition from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
How and Why Wonder Book of the American Revolution
by Felix Sutton, illustrated by Leonard Vosburgh
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
If You Sailed On the Mayflower
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern, illustrated by J.B. Handlesman
from Four Winds Press
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
John Alden
by Olive W. Burt
from Bobbs-Merril Co
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
John Hancock
Weekly Reader Heroes of the Revolution
by Susan & John Lee, illustrated by Chuck Mitchell
from Children's Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
John Paul Jones
A Discovery Book
by Stewart Graff, illustrated by William Hutchinson
from Garrard Publishing Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
John Paul Jones
Heroes of the Revolution
by Susan & John Lee, illustrated by Tom Dunnington
from Children's Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Johnny Tremain
by Esther Forbes, illustrated by Lynd Ward
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-4th
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Justin Morgan Had a Horse
G&D Famous Horse Stories
by Marguerite Henry
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Justin Morgan Had a Horse
by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by Wesley Dennis
1st edition from Rand McNally
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Justin Morgan Had a Horse
by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by Wesley Dennis
1958th edition from Rand McNally
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Justin Morgan Had a Horse (pictorial cover)
by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Rand McNally
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
King George's Head Was Made of Lead
by F. N. Monjo
from Coward McCann
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Lafayette, Friend of America
Makers of America
by Alberta Powell Graham
1st edition from Abingdon Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Life in Early America
by Mary G. Kelty
from Ginn and Co.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
Love Thy Neighbor
Dear America
by Ann Turner
from Scholastic Inc.
Fictional historical journal for 3rd-6th grade
in Dear America Books (Location: SER-DEAR)
Meet the Pilgrim Fathers
by Elizabeth Payne
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-5th grade
in Step Up Books (Location: VIN-STEP)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Mighty Mastiff of the Mayflower
by Peter Arenstam, illustrated by Karen Busch Holman
from History Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
by Robert D. San Souci
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Namesake for Nathan
by F. N. Monjo, illustrated by Eros Keith
from Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
On the Mayflower
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
One Dead Spy
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #1
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$15.99
Patriots' Gold
by Virginia Frances Voight, illustrated by H. Tom Hall
from Macrae-Smith Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Paul Revere
First Biographies
by Jan Gleiter and Kathleen Thompson, Illustrated by Francis Balistreri
from Steck-Vaughn Company
for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Charles Santore
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Phoebe and the General
by Judith Berry Griffin
from Weekly Reader
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Picture Book of George Washington
by David A. Adler
1st edition from Holiday House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Picture Book of Patrick Henry
by David A. Adler; illustrated by John & Alexandra Wallner
1st edition from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Picture Book of Paul Revere
by Alexandra Wallner, David A. Adler, John Wallner
1st edition from Holiday House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
Pilgrim Voices
by Connie Roop, Peter Roop, eds.
from Walker and Company
for 2nd-6th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Pioneer Thanksgiving
by Barbara Greenwood
from Kids Can Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Holidays (Location: HOLIDAY)
Pioneer Thanksgiving
by Barbara Greenwood, illustrated by Heather Collins
from Kids Can Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Holidays (Location: HOLIDAY)
Priscilla Alden
from Silver Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Profiles of Valor
2017 Printing from Learning Parent
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Spy!
by Anna Myers
from Walker and Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Stink Alley
by Jamie Gilson
from HarperCollins
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Story of the Mayflower Compact
from Children's Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Tapenum's Day
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Thomas Jefferson
by James Cross Giblin
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
When Washington Crossed the Delaware
by Lynne Cheney
from Simon & Schuster Macmillan
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Where Was Patrick Henry On the 29th of May?
by Jean Fritz
1st edition from Putnam Juvenile
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Winter of Red Snow
Dear America
by Kristiana Gregory
from Scholastic Inc.
Fictional historical journal for 3rd-6th Grade
in Dear America Books (Location: SER-DEAR)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
Yankee Doodle
by Gary Chalk
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Young Eagles
by Eva K. Betz, illustrated by June Driscoll
from Declan X. McMullen Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Sign Up!

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Learn more about our store location and hours

Connect

503.655.1951

hello@exodusbooks.com

19146 Molalla Ave,
Oregon City, OR 97045