SYMBOLS AND CELEBRATIONS

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Symbols and Celebrations - links compiled by the Bureau of International Information Programs/U.S. Department of State
• Celebrating America's Freedoms - a collection of stories describing the origin and history of America's most beloved customs and national symbols, published by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

• "National Celebrations: Holidays in the United States," in Portrait of the USA, published by the Bureau of International Information Programs/U.S. Department of State. Americans share three national holidays with many countries: Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Eight other holidays are uniquely American (although some of them have counterparts in other nations).
• National Celebrations
• New Year's Day
• Dr. Martin Luther King Day
• The Meaning of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - by Coretta Scott King, The King Center
• Black History Month
• Washington's Birthday
• Memorial Day

• Independence Day
• July 4th - Celebrating Independence Day in the United States, web site compiled by the Bureau of International Information Programs/U.S. Department of State
• Labor Day
• The History of Labor Day - U.S. Department of Labor
• Columbus Day
• Veterans Day
• Veterans Day - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving in North America: From Local Harvests to National Holiday - Encyclopedia Smithsonian/Smithsonian Institution
• Christmas Day
  
• Fun Days
• St. Valentine's Day
• April Fool's Day
• Halloween


• American and Austrian Holidays During 2007 - as observed by the U.S. Embassy in Austria
• Holidays on the Net - Source for Holiday Celebrations on the World Wide Web
• Yahoo: Holidays and Observances

THE FLAG

• The Star-Spangled Banner - The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem - National Museum of American History/Smithsonian Institution
• Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812 - Encyclopedia Smithsonian/Smithsonian Institution
• The Flag of the United States
• Our Flag: Frequently Asked Questions - The American Legion
• The Betsy Ross Homepage - Independence Hall Association
• Flag Rules and Regulations

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND OTHER PATRIOTIC SONGS

• Star-Spangled Banner (American Treasures of the Library of Congress) - a copy of the first printed edition combining words and music
• America the Beautiful (lyrics)
• God Bless America (lyrics), by Irving Berlin

MORE SYMBOLS

• The Great Seal of the United States - Bureau of Public Affairs/U.S. Department of State
• Statue of Liberty National Monument - National Park Service
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial - National Park Service



• The U.S. Dollar
• The New Color of Money, U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing/U.S. Department of the Treasury (German)

• Money Facts - Bureau of Engraving and Printing/U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Information on the Origin of the $ Sign
• Selection of Portraits and Designs Appearing on Paper Currency
• Great Seal of the United States
• American Currency Exhibit - Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

FOOD, RECIPES

• Americans at the Table: Reflections on Food and Culture, Electronic Journal published by the Bureau of International Information Programs/U.S. Department of State, July 2004




• Holiday Recipes
• Razzle Dazzle Recipes - recipes for holidays and special occasions
• Epicurious - recipe collection
• Food Reference Website - a reference site with articles on food history and usage, and short food facts and trivia
• Yahoo: Holidays and Occasions Recipes
• Thanksgiving Recipes
• Christmas Recipes
• Fourth of July Recipes
• Halloween Recipes
• Not By Bread Alone - America's Culinary Heritage - Cornell University Library