American symbols and holidays

The American flag has red and white stripes and a blue field with white stars. Everything on it stands for something.

• The flag has 13 stripes, which stand for the 13 original colonies that became the first states.
• It has 50 stars, one for each state; the number of stars has grown as new states joined the Union.
• The colours are red, white and blue. The flag is also called the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory or the Star-Spangled Banner.
• The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise of loyalty to the flag and to the United States, said with the hand on the heart. Flag Day is on 14 June.

Exam tip: 13 stripes = 13 colonies; 50 stars = 50 states.

The national anthem of the United States is “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

• Francis Scott Key wrote the words in 1814, during the War of 1812, when he saw the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry in Baltimore after a night of British attack.
• It became the official national anthem in 1931.
• People usually stand and put the right hand on the heart when the anthem is sung or played.
• Other well-known patriotic songs are “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America”.

Several other symbols are known all over the world.

• The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island in New York harbor. It was a gift from France, and it stands for freedom and democracy. It welcomed immigrants who arrived by ship.
• The bald eagle is the national bird, and it is on the Great Seal of the United States.
• The national motto is “In God We Trust”, and the older motto is “E Pluribus Unum” (“Out of many, one”). The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is a symbol of freedom.
• The capital city is Washington, D.C. Famous monuments there include the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol.

The federal government recognises several national holidays. Learn the main ones with their dates.

• New Year’s Day (1 January), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday of January), Presidents Day (third Monday of February), Memorial Day (last Monday of May) and Juneteenth (19 June).
• Independence Day (4 July) celebrates the Declaration of Independence of 1776, with fireworks and parades.
• Labor Day (first Monday of September), Columbus Day (second Monday of October), Veterans Day (11 November), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November) and Christmas Day (25 December).
• Memorial Day honours those who died in military service, and Veterans Day honours all who served. Presidents Day honours the presidents, in particular Washington and Lincoln.
• Thanksgiving remembers the harvest that the Pilgrims shared with Native Americans, and families eat a big dinner with turkey.

Exam tip: Dates that are the same every year: 1 January, 19 June, 4 July, 11 November, 25 December.