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Groundhog Day is a beloved tradition in the United States. Basically, it is awaiting the weather forecast from a rodent meteorologist. You’ll find groundhogs (woodchucks) through much of the eastern United States, across Canada and into Alaska. Every year on February 2, Americans will discover if a Pennsylvanian groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow. The tradition, which dates from the 18th-century says, if Punxsutawney Phil emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, it will get a fright and scurry back underground. If this happens, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he doesn’t see his shadow, this means there will be an early spring.

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Sticking with the animal traditions, each Thanksgiving the US president is presented with a Thanksgiving turkey at a special ceremony. The president then pardons the turkey (for what crime we do not know) and the turkey is spared from becoming the star of the dinner table. The happy turkey then returns to the farm to live out the rest of its days. This American tradition dates back to Abraham Lincoln but it wasn’t until 1989 that the pardoning of the turkey became a permanent part of the ceremony.

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On the 4th of July 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the 13 American colonies severed their political ties with Great Britain. The following year, the date was marked with great celebrations, including fireworks. The tradition has continued ever since. However, the 4th of July was only made a federal holiday in 1941. Nowadays, America’s birthday is celebrated with parades, cookouts, concerts and, of course, fireworks.

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Tucking into a Thanksgiving feast is one of the oldest traditions in America. It dates back to 1621 when the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest meal. However, Thanksgiving wasn’t declared a national holiday until 1863. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. Thanksgiving Day celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year. The feast features traditional foods like stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and, of course, a turkey. The bountiful meal is usually shared with family and friends.

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The Christmas Pickle is one of the most unique traditions in America. It’s one of the quirkiest too. In the 1880s Woolworth stores received a large shipment of glass ornaments imported from Germany. Many of these were in the shape of a pickle. In order to shift all the stock, the marketing department came up with the idea of people hiding a pickle in their Christmas trees. Whoever found it would get a prize or could open the first Christmas present. The gimmick stuck and it is now a Christmas tradition.

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This tradition is peculiar to Alaska. During the winter months, ice on the Tanana River builds to over a metre thick. Way back in the year 1917, railroad engineers in the city of Nenana placed a bet guessing the exact date and time that the ice would break. Nowadays, the tradition continues and the jackpot has grown from $800 in 1917 to over $230,000. This makes the Nenana Ice Classic one of the oldest continuously running betting events in the United States. To see when the ice breaks, a tripod is placed on the ice and connected to a clock at the end of a rope. When the ice breaks, it carries the tripod to the end of its tether and the clock stops. Officials then record the exact minute and those who placed bets check to see if they have the winning ticket.

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This unique tradition is carried out all across the United States of America. It is the act of picking up a pumpkin and throwing it as far as you can. However, you have to chuck the pumpkin using a mechanical device, for instance, a slingshot, catapult or pneumatic cannon. The World Championship Punkin Chunkin (not a spelling mistake, they call it this so it rhymes) is the biggest contest and it is held every November in the state of Delaware.

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Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another and maintain direct eye contact.  A relatively firm handshake is the way to go.  Light hugs are common between good friends and family.

Woman greeting Woman- At a first meeting, a light handshake will suffice.  Light hugs are common between good friends and family.

Man greeting Woman-   At a first meeting a regular handshake will do.  Light hugs are common between good friends and family.

Note: When Americans say "Hi, how are you?", they are only expecting a "Fine," or a "Fine, thank you" or a "Good" in response.  It is not usually an invitation to a lengthy conversation.

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Americans tend to speak in a direct informal manner.   They are usually polite and friendly.

Conversation topics to avoid include politics, religion, homosexuality, racism, abortion, and criticism of the government.  It's best to have a strong relationship in place before speaking about sensitive topics.

Americans do not usually divulge how much money they make or how much they paid for certain things like a house, car, etc.). It tends to be considered rude to ask and is even more uncomfortable to discuss.

Americans tend to offer more generous compliments than Europeans. Use of the words "great" and "awesome" sound exaggerated in foreign languages, but are entirely natural in the US.

Americans value direct eye contact during conversations.  It is viewed as a sign of respect and interest in what the person speaking is saying.

Staring is considered rude and to be avoided.  Especially in the larger cities.

Americans tend to offer more generous compliments than Europeans. Use of the words "great" and "awesome" sound exaggerated in foreign languages, but are entirely natural in the US.

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Punctuality is highly valued so it is best to arrive on time for meetings or even a few minutes early.

There is usually very little time for small talk as Americans like to get down to business quickly.

Meeting agendas are common and usually followed quite carefully.

Meetings do not tend to last that long as the focus is on accomplishing the task at hand and moving on to the next one.

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American football, referred to simply as football in the United States also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with possession of the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or passing it, while the defense, the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby.

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In the United States, baseball is one of the most popular sports for both participants and spectators. The highest level of baseball in the U.S. is Major League Baseball The World Series of Major League Baseball is the culmination of the sport's postseason each October. It is played between the winner of each of the two leagues, the American League and the National League, and the winner is determined through a best-of-seven playoff.

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Basketball is the second most popular sport in the United States (counting amateur levels), after American football. In terms of revenue, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is the third most popular sports league in the United States, after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB).  According to the National Sporting Goods Association, over 26 million Americans play basketball regularly, more than any other team sport.

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The United States is a sports-minded country, with millions of fans who follow football, baseball, basketball and hockey, among other sports. Baseball, which was developed in colonial America and became an organized sport in the mid-1800s, is known as America's favorite pastime, although its popularity has been eclipsed by football for the past three decades, according to the Harris Poll

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The United States doesn’t really have a national costume and clothing styles vary by social status, region, occupation, and climate. Jeans, sneakers, baseball caps, cowboy hats and boots are some items of clothing that are closely associated with Americans. Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, and Victoria Secret are some well-known American brands.

American fashion is widely influenced by celebrities and the media, and fashion sales equal around $200 billion per year, according to a paper published by Harvard University in 2007. More and more Americans are buying fashion, electronics and more online. According to the Census Bureau, U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the first quarter of 2017 totaled around $98.1 billion.

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Many holidays are celebrated only in the United States. Americans celebrate their independence from Britain on July 4. Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday in May, honors those who have died in military service. Labor Day, observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates the country's workforce. Thanksgiving, another distinctive American holiday, falls on the fourth Thursday in November and dates back to colonial times to celebrate the harvest. Presidents' Day, marking the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, is a federal holiday that occurs on the third Monday in February. The contributions of veterans are honored on Veterans' Day, observed on Nov. 11. The contributions of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are remembered on the third Monday in January.

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Events and observations associated with the holidays we list may be canceled or otherwise affected due to measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check with event organizers for details.

Holidays and Observances in United States in 2020

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Holidays and observances in United States in 2020

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Events and observations associated with the holidays we list may be canceled or otherwise affected due to measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check with event organizers for details. No holidays shown? That's because you didn't select any holiday types. Please check at least one of the boxes.

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There is great variety in dance in the United States of America. It is the home of the hip-hop dance, swing, tap dance and its derivative rock and roll, and modern square dances (associated with the United States of America due to its historic development in that country—twenty-three U.S. states have designated it as their official state dance and one of the major centers for modern dance. There is a variety of social dance and concert or performance forms with also a range of traditions of Native American dances.

Reality shows and competitions like: So You Think You Can Dance, America's Best Dance Crew, and Dancing with the Stars, have broadened the audience for dance.

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Other American dances includes:
Bomba
Boogaloo
Breakdancing
Cakewalk
Charleston
Country/Western Two-step
Country/western dance
Crip Walk
Harlem Shake
House dance
Hula
Jazz dance
Jive
Modern western square dance
Moonwalk
Perreo
Plena
Rock and roll
Rumba
Salsa
Turkey Trot
Twerking
Urban dance
Waacking

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2018 USA Dance Nationals Highlight Video

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The music industry is significant in the USA: it possesses the most influential record companies, radio stations, community orchestras, television channels (MTV), and specialized magazines (Rolling Stone). But it also reflects the country’s ethnic diversity. The most important music genres flourished in the USA, mostly created through cultural mixes: hip-hop, blues, country, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, pop, techno, rock… American music weaves with social and cultural identity and issues of class, race, religion, language, geography, gender and sexuality.

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Wanted Dead Or Alive - A&E Home Video - Live Audio

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Wanted Dead Or Alive - A&E Home Video - Live Audio

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A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the style of the music played may determine specific construction differences between fiddles and classical violins.

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A Cajun accordion also known as a squeezebox, is a single-row diatonic button accordion used for playing Cajun music.

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The ukulele is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.

The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.

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The Appalachian dulcimer (many variant names; see below) is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings, originally played in the Appalachian region of the United States. The body extends the length of the fingerboard, and its fretting is generally diatonic.

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The First Amendment: Freedom of Religion in the U.S. | History

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Nearly every known religion is practiced in the United States, which was founded on the basis of religious freedom. About 71% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, according to information gathered by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research group, in 2017. The research also found that about 23% had no religious affiliation at all and around 6% of the population is made up of non-Christian religions.

The number of people who identify with no religion seems to be decreasing. According to the Pew Research Center, this category is expected to drop from 16% in 2015 to 13% in 2060.

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United States of America Flag Design and Symbolic Meaning. Red stripes in the United States flag represent valor, courage and hardiness; whereas, white stripes depicts innocence and purity. Even the 13 stripes have meaning, the country honor the original English colonies whose men and women sacrificed much to gain the independence.

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The United States is a country located in North America bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Neighboring countries are Canada and Mexico. The geography of the United States is varied with mountains in the west, a broad central plain, and low mountains in the east. The government system is a constitution-based federal republic with a strong democratic tradition; the chief of state and head of government is the president. The United States has an advanced mixed economy in which there is a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. United States is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

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"Uncle Sam" was first seen as a cartoon character in magazines and newspapers in the early 19th century.

The story goes that the inspiration for this "Uncle Sam" character was a meat purveyor by the name of Samuel Wilson. Known as Uncle Sam he put his initials (U.S.) on his meat. Subsequently U.S. was seen as an abbreviation for the United States.

It was only later that Uncle Sam evolved into the white haired man with the top hat that we know today.

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The Most Iconic Food In Every State | 50 State Favorites

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American cuisine was influenced by Europeans and Native Americans in its early history. Today, there are a number of foods that are commonly identified as American, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, macaroni and cheese, and meat loaf. "As American as apple pie" has come to mean something that is authentically American.

There are also styles of cooking and types of foods that are specific to a region. Southern-style cooking is often called "American comfort food" and includes dishes such as fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas and corn bread. Tex-Mex, popular in Texas and the Southwest, is a blend of Spanish and Mexican cooking styles and includes items such as chili and burritos, and relies heavily on shredded cheese and beans.

Jerky, dried meats that are served as snacks, is also a food that was created in the United States, according to NPR.

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(Image: A page in an American dictionary)

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The United States of America doesn't have an official language on the federal level but they use English as the primary language for official documents and publications, legislation, orders, regulations, and rulings. According to the United States Census Bureau, English is the most predominant language spoken in the United States.  Of the roughly 292 million people in the United States ages 5 and older, a whopping 231 million of them, or 79 percent, speak English only at home.  Twenty-one percent of the population, or roughly 61 million people, speak a language other than English (as their first language).

Spanish tops the list as the most oft-spoken non-English language in the United States, accounting for 62 percent of all foreign-language speakers, or a total of 38 million people.

Other languages spoken in the United States, listed in order of prevalence, include Chinese (4.8 percent of the population), Tagalog (2.6%), Vietnamese (2.3%), French (2.1%), Korean (1.9%), German (1.8%), Arabic (1.6%), Russian (1.5%), African Languages (1.5%), Other Asian languages (1.4%), Italian (1.2%), French Creole (1.2%), Portuguese (1.1%) and Hindi (1.1%).

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Where did English come from? - Claire Bowern