Customs and Traditions

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Countries and Cultures

Celebrations and traditions

in

USA

Goals:

• Learn about American customs and celebrations
• Compare to your own culture

Thanksgiving Day

• Each year Americans in the United States celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth Thursday of November.

•  One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family.

Some traditions

• Famous foods associated with Thanksgiving are turkey and cookies. 

• At the meal, many families observe the ritual of going around the table to express what each member is thankful for.

• The President of the United States also traditionally pardons a live turkey, meaning the turkey will live on a farm without threat of being eaten.

• Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Black Friday

• Black Friday is an informal name for the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. 

• The day after Thanksgiving has been regarded as the beginning of America's Christmas shopping season.

Black Friday

• Since 2006, there have been 12 reported deaths and 117 injuries throughout the United States...

•  It is common for prospective shoppers to camp out over the Thanksgiving holiday in an effort to secure a place in front of the line and thus a better chance at getting desired items.

Black Friday

• Black Friday has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States.

• A lot of shops start to make huge profits during this day. Some finally get into black instead of red numbers. Hence the name Black Friday. 

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Where did Black Friday first start?

1. It started in the United Kingdom, then Americans started doing it as well.
2. It started in the United Kingdom and America at the same time.
3. It started in America, then Britons started doing it as well.
4. It is not clear where Black Friday started.

Black Friday is called this way because:

1. after this day many people have little money left, which is called: “being in the black”.
2. all the shopping people create crowded streets, looking as if the streets were black.
3. shops lose a lot of money on this day because they are selling things so cheaply.
4. a lot of shops start to make profits during this day.

Fourth of July

Independence Day

Independence day (the 4th of July)

The Americans celebrate American Independence Day on the Fourth of July every year. We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation.

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Halloween!  

Halloween

Halloween 

• Celts: 2000 years ago (Irish immigrants 1840's)
•  Samhain: the harvest festival
• the ghosts of the dead watched the earth 
• the church got envolved and called it all saints day 
• known as Hallowmas (holy/saintly)
• trick or treating (give us candy or we wil trash your house)

your turn...

Think about customs and traditions in your country. Choose one to give a short presentation.