May Day and Labor Day
May Day is not recognised either as a pagan or socialist festival in the USA but some of the customs have been merged with Easter. In some cities an Easter Queen to shadow the European May Queen is chosen on Easter Monday.
While wearing white dresses, girls dance around a maypole, first introduced at the White House Easter Egg Roll by President Hoover. The White House website highlights this annual dance.
Labor Day is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United States, that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers.
The origins of the American Labor Day can be traced back to the Knights of Labor in the United States, and a parade organized by them at that time on September 5,1882 in New York City. In 1884 another parade was held, and the Knights passed resolutions to make this an annual event. President Grover Cleveland formally recognised the festival in 1886.
In the United States, Labor Day is generally regarded simply as a day of rest, and political demonstrations are rare. Forms of celebration include picnics, firework displays, water activities, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. A few teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school.
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is a traditional festival celebrated in the USA on February 2. Tradition states that if a groundhog emerges on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy winter will soon end; however, if the groundhog sees its shadow because the weather is bright and clear, it will be frightened and run back into its hole, and the winter will continue for six more weeks.
Certain small towns have well-known meteorological groundhogs, such as Punxsutawney Phil (depicted by the "Groundhog Day" film (1993) starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell). The official groundhog forecaster for New York City is Staten Island Chuck.
The first Groundhog Day was observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2,1887.
Halloween
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31, usually by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets. It is celebrated most commonly in the United States, but also in Ireland, Scotland and Canada. Celtic and other immigrants brought older versions of traditions to North America in the 19th century, which transformed into contemporary American halloween in the early 20th century
In the Druidic religion of the ancient Celts, the new year began with the winter season of Samhain on November 1. Just as shorter days signified the start of the new year, sundown also meant the start of a new day; therefore the harvest festival began every year on the night of October 31. Druids in the British Isles would light fires and offer sacrifices of crops, animals and sometimes humans, and as they danced around the fires, the season of the sun would pass and the season of darkness would begin.
The form "Halloween" derives from an old contraction, still retained in Scotland, of "All Hallow's Eve," so called as it is the day before the "All Hallows" holy day.
The most characteristic symbol of halloween is a jack-o'-lantern, a pumpkin whose top and stem have been carved off and inner membranes and seeds scooped out to leave a hollow shell. Sections of a side are carved out to make a design, usually a face. A light source (traditionally a candle) is placed inside the pumpkin and the top is put back into place.
The practice of carving jack-o'-lanterns began in Ireland.
The main event of Halloween is trick-or-treating, in which children dress up in costume disguises and go door-to-door in their neighborhood, ringing the bell and yelling "trick or treat!" The occupants of the house (who might themselves dress in a scary costume) will then hand out sweets, miniature chocolate bars or other treats. Some parents opt to give "healthy" treats, such as small boxes of raisins, but this practice does not please the children. Homes sometimes use sound effects and fog machines to help set a spooky mood. Children can often accumulate many treats on Halloween night, filling up entire pillow cases or shopping bags.