Juneteenth - June 19

Juneteenth is an American holiday commemorating the declaration of slavery in the state of Texas on June 19, 1865, and more generally the release of enslaved African-American residents throughout the Confederate states (formerly southern states) in the United States.

The name of the holiday is a combination of the words "June" and "Nineteen" (June and nineteen).

Slavery existed in the United States for several centuries, from the British colonial period, in the early 17th century until 1865, when the Civil War ended. Slavery was a legal institution where people of African descent were sold as goods to slave owners. Slaves were considered lawful. As property and deprived of most of the rights vested in free people.They were subject to the authority of their owners who bought them and had to do whatever they were told.

The slaves were brought to America from African countries, where they were abducted or sold by their families. Subsequent generations born in the United States were forced into slave status on the day they were born.

The end of slavery at the end of the American Civil War granted citizenship and legal and political rights to those of black skin color equal to those of white skin color.

The Juneteenth is celebrated mainly by reading the works of well-known African-American writers such as Ralph Ellison and Mia Angelo, singing traditional songs such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing", public readings of the Emancipation Statement, the Declaration The presidency signed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, which declared slaves in the United States free.

Also celebrating on this day in the US are rodeos, street fairs, food stalls, family reunions, park parties, historical reconstructions of the period or the Miss Juneteenth beauty pageant.

Recommended movies about the period of slavery in the United States

"12 Years a Slave" directed by Steve McQueen, "The help" by Tate Taylor, "Django Unchained" by Quentin Tarantino, "Lincoln" and "Amistad" by Steven Spielberg, "The 13th" by Ava DuVernay.

A painting from 1690 in Virginia, USA, of a white family that has a black maid

Sale of slaves in 1841, photo from the film "12 Years of Slavery"

Coloring pages of Texas

Pig Day - March 1

Pig Day is a national event celebrated in the United States in honor of the pig.

The holiday began in 1972 and was founded by sisters Alan Stanley, a teacher from Texas and Mary Lynn Rave from North Carolina. Their goal was to recognize pigs as animals domesticated by human who deserve to be treated fairly and not legally cruel.

National Pig Day events include parades, celebrations at zoos, schools, nursing homes and special sporting events dedicated to pigs across the United States.

Unfortunately there are places where "pig parties" are held where pork dishes such as bacon and pork ribs are served as refreshments and pink ribbons are tied on the trees as a sign of respect for the pigs (the obvious question is if on pork day they do not deserve not to eat them for a change?)

In honor of Pig Day, we'll be happy if you think of pigs positively, and find that they are animals, that can suffer, enjoy, love, play and rejoice, like all animals on earth. Even if they look greasy and dirty, that does not mean they are not charming.

Fun facts about pigs:

The pig is a very intelligent, sensitive and sociable animal.

There are quite a few people who raise a pig as a pet. One of the famous pigs adopted is Esther the Wonder Pig. Esther was adopted in 2012 by a couple who love animals from the US. When they adopted her she was a dwarf pig thrown from the commercial farm where she grew up, probably because of some deformity. And half almost follow.

Esther the Wonder Pig 

Like humans, pigs eat everything, meaning both plants and other animals.

The pig's nose is an important tool for finding food in the soil and for feeling the world around it.

Pigs have an excellent sense of smell and humans take advantage of this feature to detect explosives and truffles.

The kosher and Halal laws of Judaism and Islam forbid eating pork. In Judaism, the pig is not kosher because it is a horseshoe, but it does not breed. In Judaism and Islam the pig is a symbol of impurity

Pigs coloring pages

There are about 2 billion pigs in the world.

Humans raise pigs on the farm for their meat.

Some people like to raise pigs as pets.

Wild boars are often hunted in the wild.

In some parts of the world, wild boars are the main source of food for tigers.

Pigs can transmit a variety of diseases to humans.

Relative to their body size, pigs have small lungs.

Pigs are known for their gluttonous nature hence the phrase "eat like a pig".

March 1 is also Compliment Day,  Women of Color Day and March 1 movement in South Korea Day

Eggnog Day - December 24

Eggnog is a drink that is based on milk and eggs and is usually drunk in the US and Canada during the Christmas season, which lasts from the end of November to the end of December.

This Egg liqueur is a rich milk drink, full of cream, sweetened and frothy spiced with nutmeg or cinnamon, which is sometimes prepared with distilled spirits such as brandy, rum, whiskey or bourbon.

The egg liqueur evolved from Posset, a medieval European drink made from hot milk mixed with wine or ale to which spices are added. The drink was common only among the nobility because of its expensive ingredients that prevented the villagers from drinking it. In the cities the common people had no milk, and only the aristocracy could obtain it.

The first time the name "Egg Nog" was used was in 1775, when the clergyman and philologist Jonathan Butcher of Maryland wrote a poem about him that was surprisingly not published until 30 years after his death.

And this is the song he wrote:

“Fog-drams in the morn,

or better still eggnogg.

At night hot-suppings,

and at mid-day, grogg.

My palate can regale”

The first printed use of the term was in 1788 in a New Jersey newspaper on March 26, which referred to a young man drinking a glass of eggnog.

In the early 19th century, the drink came to the United States. Because of the taxes on brandy and wine, they used to make the bromine drink from the Caribbean. The drink soon became the popular Christmas drink in the United States.

Beginning in the 1960s, a commercial version of the alcoholic beverage, or a non-alcoholic version, began to be sold. During this time they began to serve the drink cold.

How to celebrate Eggnog Day?

You can make an eggnog at home, or buy it. If you have passed the age limit for alcohol, you can add alcohol to it.

December 24 is also Micronesia's Independence Day

US Flag day greeting cards

The United States Flag Day is celebrated every year on June 14, in memory of the day the United States adopted its flag in 1777.

United States Independence Day - 4th of July

On July 4, the United States celebrates its Independence Day, the day marking the 1776 US Declaration of Independence, in which its first 13 colonies declared their disengagement from British rule.

In honor of US Independence Day, here are 77 interesting facts about the United States of America: 

1. In 1776, only 2.5 million people lived in the United States. Today, 328 million people live there.

2. In 1850, slaves were sold at a price that today was equivalent to $ 12,000.

3. The first man to possess a slave in the United States was black.

4. Until 1863, Christmas was illegal in the United States because it was considered an ancient pagan holiday.

5. After Christianity, the largest religion in the United States is Judaism.

6. In 1867 the United States bought Alaska from Russia for $ 7.2 million.

7. On July 4, 1876, two former Presidents of the United States, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, died a few hours apart.

8. Interracial marriage has been banned in the United States for most of its history: from 1776 to 1967.

9. Every day, in the United States, 100 acres of pizza are eaten.

10. One American consumes resources like 32 Kenyans.

11. Every second, about 50 pounds of chocolate are eaten across the United States.

12. Every year, 8 billion chickens are consumed in the United States.

13. The most popular fruit in the US is banana.

14. One in three Americans is obese.

15. The average person in the US eats about 3.5 tons of food during his lifetime.

16. During the prohibition of alcohol (the law banning the sale of alcoholic beverages), in the 1920s and 1930s, the U.S. government poisoned alcohol and caused the deaths of more than 10,000 people.

17. In the 1930s, tens of thousands of Americans immigrated to Russia following the Great Depression.

18. In 1962, the United States detonated a hydrogen bomb in space that was 100 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

19. The launch code for all US nuclear missiles (Mintman missiles) that have been used for 20 years is the same code: 00000000.

20. The longest war in U.S. history is the Afghanistan War.

21. In 2012, more American soldiers committed suicide than were killed in battle.

22. At any one time, at least one person was killed by a drunk driver across the United States.

23. If you have $ 10 in your pocket and no debt, you are richer than 25% of the people living in the US.

24. 7% of Americans say they have never bathed.

25. Medical errors are the number 6 leading cause of death in the United States.

26. One in eight Americans has ever worked at McDonald's.

27. The U.S. has 115,000 maintenance personnel, 83,000 bartenders and 323,000 waiters who have a bachelor’s degree.

28. 25% of adult Americans believe in reincarnation.

29. 40% of US births are of unmarried women.

30. Nowadays there are more single men and women in the United States than married men and women.

31. No U.S. president has been divorced except Ronald Reagan.

32. Every hour, 100 couples divorce across the United States.

33. The distance between the USA and Russia is less than 4 km at the closest point between them.

34. In West Virginia there is a town called Big Ugly.

35. The US has more TVs than the number of people in the UK.

36. By the time an average child finishes school in the U.S., he has seen 40,000 homicides on television.

37. For every 3 people in the US there are 2 pets.

38. 9 million people are in prison worldwide. A quarter of them are in the US.

39. The U.S. government costs $ 2,768,902 a year to hold a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay.

40. 63% of prison inmates in the U.S. do not know how to read.

41. At least one in 25 people sentenced to death in the United States is eligible.

42. 97% of rapists in the US did not sit even one day in jail for the crime they committed.

43. In 31 U.S. states, rapists can legally sue children if they were born as a result of pregnancy following the rape.

44. An African-American is twice as likely to be shot as a white man in the United States.

45. About 20 million Americans live in caravans.

46. ​​Every day, 100,000 people in the United States receive speeding reports.

47. The prices of textbooks in colleges in the US have risen faster than the prices of health care, housing, and inflation.

48. The cost of attending college in the United States has risen by 500% since 1985.

49. The U.S. spends $ 30 per American per year on outside health care, which can buy measles vaccines that are enough for 120 children.

50. In the US it costs to raise a child until he gets to college $ 245,000.

51. The largest banknote the United States ever issued was $ 10,000.

52. Nearly half of the credit card forgeries worldwide occur in the United States.

53. One dollar out of every 5 that residents pay in taxes goes to protection.

54. U.S. flags made in China are confiscated by the U.S. military.

55. The poorest place in the United States is the town of Allen in South Dakota, where 96% of the population is Native American (Native American).

56. 10% of U.S. businesses close each year.

57. 30% of U.S. businesses are owned by women.

58. Hackers immigrate to the U.S. up to 500,000 jobs a year.

59. In the US there are more public libraries than McDonalds branches.

60. In the US there are at least 97 people whose name is LOL.

61. Valentine's Day is also US National Condom Day.

62. In the US there is an official league of stone, paper and numbers game.

63. The average American has held a job for 4.4 years.

64. Apple has more liquid cash than the Treasury.

65. The U.S. government spends $ 1.8 billion a year on document printing.

66. The U.S. government spent $ 1.2 million from 2009 to 2013 on puppets.

67. Gerald Ford was the only one to serve as both President of the United States and Vice President without being elected to any of the positions.

68. Legally, minors can smoke in the U.S., only they are not allowed to buy cigarettes.

69. One in 25 teens in the U.S. has attempted suicide.

70. It is estimated that 1.5 million people are "missing missing" in the United States - these are people who have disappeared but have not been reported missing.

71. Every tweet an American sends on Twitter is archived by Congress.

72. By 2008 Nelson Mandela had not been removed from the list of terrorist elements threatening the United States.

73. The Four Corners Monument is the only point in the U.S. that is shared by four states (Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico).

74. The state of New Jersey was originally called "Lorraine and New Sweden".

75. Every 5 seconds, 60,000 plastic bags are used across the United States.

76. The US spends more money on health per capita than any other developed country, but life expectancy there is still below average.

77. The number of families living in extreme poverty, with a budget of less than $ 2 per day, has doubled 1.5 times since 1996 in the United States.

Happy 4th of July greeting cards                                                                 4th of July coloring pages

 July 4 is also Independence from Meat Day and Jack Fruit Day

Arbor Day - The last Friday in April

Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. The holiday takes place in many countries around the world, usually in the spring, on a date that varies according to the climate and the appropriate planting season.

Why plant trees?

Trees fight climate change and global warming because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. In just one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of carbon produced by a standard gas-powered car traveling 42,000 miles. The trees also clean the air, keep buildings and property shady and cool, and protect against chemical pollution.

The trees save water by giving shade to the lawns and passing the moisture in the air. They prevent soil erosion and help prevent water pollution.

Trees also provide habitats for many animals and even other plants, and they give us nuts, seeds and fruits that we and other animals eat. From the trees we also produce products that are used by us to create paper, furniture and even houses.

There are many more positive aspects to trees, including their beauty that also contributes to our mood and mental health. Studies have found that an environment where there are manicured and green trees reduces depression among the people who live in it.

A holiday for trees, where it is especially customary to plant trees, takes place in many different countries. In the United States, Planting Day (Arbor Day) is held on the last Friday of April. In other countries, this important day is celebrated on other dates, depending on the appropriate season for planting.

The history of Arbor Day

From the history of planting day one can learn that the importance of trees to the world was known centuries ago, because the first time Arbor Day was held was in 1805 in a small village in Spain called Villanova de les Sierra. The local pastor led the efforts to hold a tree planting holiday and the whole town joined.

The first American Arbor Day was held in the city of Nebraska, in the state of Nebraska, in 1872. It is estimated that more than a million trees were planted in Nebraska that day!

How to celebrate Tree Day?

If you are in a country where Tree Day is celebrated, join the celebration and plant a tree yourself. If not, it's still a good day to raise environmental awareness and teach the importance of trees and their contribution to the planet. You can donate to an organization that plants trees on your behalf, or plant a tree yourself in your yard, school yard or garden or anywhere you want (in coordination with the owners of the place of course).

Happy Arbor Day Greeting Cards

Arbor Day Coloring Pages

When is Arbor Day coming out in the US in the coming years?

2022- April 29, Friday

2023- April 28, Friday

2024- April 26, Friday

Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) in the United States - September 17

US Constitution Day falls on September 17, the anniversary of the official signing of the American Constitution in 1787.

The Constitution of the United States is a document created in Pennsylvania, the United States, by hard work and many compromises by the indefatigable constitutional convention representatives - which led to an agreement between the US states that allows the central government the power to impose its decisions and allows the US to stand as an international force, While maintaining a reasonable level of independence in each country separately.

The Constitution, created in 1787, 11 years after the Declaration of Independence, is the supreme law, the highest and most binding legal instrument in the United States legal system and the foundation of the development of the United States as we know it today.

The Constitution of the United States is designed to protect the rights of the individual, equality of rights regardless of religion, race, gender and more.

In 1865, an amendment to the Constitution (No. 13) abolished slavery.

While the constitution was written, people of non-white races and women of all races were not allowed to vote in the elections. It was only in 1870 that the 15th Amendment to the Constitution allowed the Afro-Americans to vote. In 1920, women were allowed to exercise their democratic rights by the 19 th Amendment, and in 1924 the Native-Americans also had the right to vote.

Want to learn more about the US Constitution, answer trivia quizzes, design posters on the subject, etc.? Sign in to the United States Constitution (Constitution) website.