New Years Eve(Dec. 31st)/New Years Day(Jan 1st)
New Years Eve/New Years Day
Today New Year’s festivities begin on December 31st and end on January 1st. As far as we know, people have celebrated the end of the previous year and the beginning of the next for at least 4000 years. However, New Year’s Eve/Day has not always fallen on December 31st-Jan1st. Some of the Earliest celebrations recorded are from 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia. They celebrated with the new moon in mid-March, after the Vernal Equinox.
In Rome, Julius Cesar decided to consult the best astronomers and mathematicians to solve the problem of the early Roman Calendar falling out of sync with the sun. The solution was the Julian calendar, which resembles the calendar most countries use today. As part of this reform, Cesar instituted January 1st as the first day of the year. The name January comes from the Greek god Janus, of beginnings and ends, whose two faces allow him to look back to the past and into the future at once. The Romans celebrated by offering sacrifices to Janus, giving gifts to each other, and decorating.
During the Middle Ages, the date of the New Year shifted to match with more significant religious days of the year. It wasn’t until 1582 that Pope XIII reinstated January 1st as the official New Year’s Day. Today we celebrate by throwing parties, music, and lighting bright lights. New York City celebrates by dropping a giant ball 12 feet in diameter. At McLit, we celebrate by beautifying our windows to match the theme of new beginnings.
Watch a video about New Year's Eve/New Year's Day here!
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday of Jan.)
What is Martin Luter King Day?
Martin Luther King Day honors the legacy created by the late Mr. King Jr, an American minister, and activist. He became the most prominent spokesman and leader for the civil rights movement from 1955 to his assassination in 1968. He left a legacy of civil rights, power in nonviolence, and a call to public service. This holiday marks King’s birthday and falls on the third Monday of each January. It first became a federal holiday in 1986.
Watch a video about Martin Luther King Day here!
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Presidents' Day (3rd Monday of February)
What is Presidents'
Presidents' Day, the third Monday in February, commemorates all U.S. Presidents’ service, birthdays, and lives. This national holiday originated in the 1880s to celebrate President Washington’s birthday. A bill went into Effect in 1971, officiating the name of the holiday as “Presidents' Day” to honor not just one but all U.S. presidents. Today we celebrate by reenacting historical events and teaching about the accomplishments of our presidents.
Watch a video about President’s Day here!
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Memorial Day(Last Monday of May)
What is Memorial Day?
Memorial Day, the third Monday of each May, is a federal holiday celebrating the fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country. Before 1967 it was commonly known as Decoration Day. The following year the name and date of the holiday would change. Decoration Day was celebrated on May 30th, but the newly named Memorial Day would, from now on, fall on the last Monday of May each year. We celebrate Memorial Day by showing respect for our soldiers. Flags are flown at half-staff throughout the morning as a sign of respect and mourning. Many cemeteries hold a service to honor those soldiers who have sacrificed their lives. Families often decorate the graves of their loved ones who served in the military. Some traditional decorations typical of this holiday include wreaths, flowers, crosses, and flags. Many communities also hold Memorial Day parades to mark this special day.
Watch a video about Memorial Day here!
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Juneteenth (June 19th)
What is Juneteenth?
June Nineteenth, namely Juneteenth, is a federal holiday honoring the end of Slavery in America. Juneteenth was first celebrated in 1865 when troops arrived in Texas to inform slaves of their freedom under the emancipation proclamation. Celebrations first started as Jubilee Day but was not recognized as a national holiday until 2021. McLit celebrates Juneteenth by decorating the front window with murals and decorations, one of which you can see in the pictures to the right. You can find out more information below.
Watch a video about Juneteenth here!
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Portrait (shown left) painted by local artist Darya Pineda, check out her website here.
Independence Day(July4th)
What is Independance Day?
Independence Day, July 4th, is a federal holiday honoring America’s freedom from the British Empire. On July 2nd of July 1776, the Continental congress voted in favor of independence. Two days later, on July 4th, delegates from the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. It was, however, not an official national holiday until congress passed a law on June 28th, 1870. Independence Day was first modeled after the King of England’s birthday with the ringing of bells (13 for the 13 colonies), bonfires, processions, and speeches. Interestingly, it was also celebrated by some colonists as a procession of the King’s funeral. The tradition of setting off fireworks began on July 4th, 1777, during the first organized celebration of Independence Day. Today Independence Day is typically celebrated with fireworks, barbeques, parades, carnivals, and fairs. McLit celebrates this important day by decorating our front windows in red, white, and blue!
Watch a video about Independence Day here!
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Labor Day(First Monday in September)
What is Labor Day?
Labor Day, September 5th, is a celebration of the contribution and rights of the working people. It began in the late 1800s as workers formed unions and rallied for shorter working hours, better pay, and safer working conditions. The first parade took place in Manhattan in 1882, but in 1887 Labor Day first became an official holiday in Oregon. Today it is celebrated with parades, picnics, and fireworks in all fifty states. It also marks when students return to school at the end of their summer break.
Watch a video about Labor Day here!
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Veterans Day(November 11th)
What is Veterans Day?
Veterans day, November 11th is a day to honor all Americans who have served in our nation’s military. It started in 1919 to commemorate the truce signed between the allies and Germany in World War I. The occasion occurred on the 11th hour, the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918. They called it Armistice Day in 1919. On this day, all business was suspended for two minutes starting at 11 am, and parades and public gatherings went on to celebrate the occasion. In 1954 Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to honor all US veterans, not just those who served in World War I. At 11 am every Veterans Day, a color guard ceremony honors each military branch at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. The difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day is that while Memorial Day honors the soldiers who have died, Veterans Day honors all soldiers who have died and are still alive. It is an opportunity for us all to take a moment and remember the Americans who have defended the freedom we enjoy today.
Watch a video about Veterans Day here!
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Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November)
What is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, is a national holiday to give thanks for bounty and peace. Pilgrims and Native Americans first celebrated it with a large feast from the harvest. Thanksgiving represented a quiet and jubilant time in our nation’s history when settlers saw a glimmer of hope in the possibilities of their new homeland and the Natives in their new neighbors. Today we celebrate the holiday the same way the settlers and natives did, with a big meal and by getting together with family and friends. We also celebrate with parades, festivities, and pre-Christmas shopping deals. Most importantly, Thanksgiving is a day set aside to spend time being thankful for our family and home.
Watch a video about Thanksgiving here!
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Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Dec. 24th/25)
What are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24th/25th, are holidays celebrated worldwide. Christmas is said to be the birthday of Jesus Christ by the Christians and the day when Santa Claus delivers gifts to good children by placing them under a Christmas tree. This holiday falls right after the winter solstice, December 21st or 22nd, the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. Before Christmas, there was Yule for the Germanic people (starting December 21st and lasting 12 days), and for the Romans, there was Saturnalia (Dec 17th-23rd). Both holidays had the tradition of placing a tree or tree branches inside the house as a reminder of life during winter. Around AD 51-96, Saturnalia’s date was changed to December 25th, slowly absorbing the previous pagan holiday into Christmas. Christians decorated their trees with apples, symbolic of the garden of Eden. These apples later became the Christmas ornaments we know today. More than anything else, Christmas is a time to celebrate by giving and receiving gifts with family and friends. McLit celebrates Christmas by decorating our windows with lights and Christmas-themed decor. It is said to be the most beautiful time of the year.
Watch a video about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day here!
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Learning common idioms
What are idioms?
Idioms are a type of figurative language, which means they are not always meant to be taken literally. Idioms express a particular sentiment, but they do not literally mean what the individual words themselves mean.
An idiom is a saying that is specific to a language. For example, an idiom in English does not translate to an idiom in Spanish.
For example, saying the grass is always greener on the other side. This idiom does not literally mean that the “other side” will always have greener grass. There may not even be a literal “other side” to the subject at hand—or grass for that matter. The meaning of this idiom is that people think the other person, or someone in a different situation, has it better, or easier, than they do. [source]
Read more examples of Idioms here!
Santa Letters 2024
Santa Claus is coming to town, and he's checking his mailbox!
Children of all ages are welcome to write to Santa Claus! Mailboxes available throughout Wausau.