B) Festivals and holidays in the USA.

In the strict sense, there are no federal (national) holidays in the United States. Each of the 50 states has jurisdiction over its holidays. In practice, however, most states observe the federal (“legal or public”) holidays, even though the President and Congress can legally designate holidays only for federal government employees.

The following ten holidays per year are proclaimed by the federal government.

New Year’s Day January 1

Martin Luther King Day third Monday in January

Presidents’ Day third Monday in February

Memorial Day last Monday in May

Independence Day July 4

Labor Day first Monday in September

Columbus Day second Monday in October

Veterans’ Day second Monday in November

Thanksgiving Day fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Day December 25

Federal government offices, including the post office, are always closed on all federal holidays. Schools and businesses close on major holidays like Independence Day and Christmas Day but may not always be closed, for example, on Presidents’ Day or Veterans’ Day.

New Year’s Day

Most of the celebrating of New Year’s Day takes place the night before, when Americans gather in homes or restaurants or other public places to enjoy good food and to wish each other a happy and prosperous year ahead. Balloons and paper streamers, fire crackers and other noisemakers are all around at midnight when the old year passes away and the New Year arrives. Thousands throng to the Times Square celebration in New York to count down to the New Year - a celebration that’s carried live on TV networks across the U.S.

Presidents’ Day

Until the mid-1970s, the February 22 birthday of George Washington, hero of the Revolutionary War and first president of the United States, was a national holiday. In addition, the February 12 birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the president during the Civil War (1861-1865), was a holiday in most states.

In the 1970s, Congress declared that in order to honor all past presidents of the United States, a single holiday, to be called Presidents’ Day, would be observed on the third Monday in February. In many states, however, the holiday continues to be known as George Washington’s birthday.

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A) British holidays and festivals.	\|	Independence Day

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