NATIONAL DAY AND SUPERSTITIONS

1. USA (National Day)

Americans share three national holidays with many countries: Easter Sunday, Christmas Day,
and New Year's Day.
 Easter, which falls on a spring Sunday that varies from year to year, celebrates the
Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Americans follow old
traditions of coloring hard-boiled eggs and giving children baskets of candy.
 Christmas Day, December 25, is another Christian holiday; it marks the birth of the
Christ Child.
 New Year's Day, of course, is January 1. The celebration of this holiday begins the
night before, when Americans gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous
coming year.

UNIQUELY AMERICAN HOLIDAYS

Eight other holidays are uniquely American (although some of them have counterparts in other
nations). For most Americans, two of these stand out above the others as occasions to cherish
national origins: Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.
- Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day
of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may
travel long distances to visit family and friends.
- Independence Day (July 4). Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4 because
on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence,
officially breaking bonds with England and forming a new independent nation, the
United States of America.
Besides Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, there are some uniquely American holidays.
 Martin Luther King Day (3rd Monday in January): Martin Luther King Day honors
the life and legacy of one of the visionary leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and
recipient of the 1964 Nobel Prize for Peace.
 President’s Day (3rd Monday in February): This federal holiday is formally called
“Washington’s Birthday” and is celebrated on the third Monday in February.
  Memorial day (4th Monday in May): Memorial Day is a holiday to honor the men and
women who have died in wars or in the service of their country.
 Labor day (1st Monday of September): Labor Day was established as a holiday for
workers, both as a tribute to their contributions to the nation, and as a means of bringing
more public awareness to their struggles.
 Columbus day (2nd Monday in October): Columbus Day is a legal federal holiday that
commemorates the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, who sailed west from Spain in
1492 and reached the islands of present day Bahamas.
 Veterans day (November 11th): On this holiday, Americans remember war veterans and
the trials and hardships they experienced.

2. USA (SUPERSTITIONS)
Here are the top 10 most widely believed superstitions, per the survey:
 Knocking on wood
Knocking is a modern spin on it — originally, the superstition just involved touching
wood. “Medieval churches would be filled with wood that claimed to be from the
cross,” explains Radford. The devout believed that touching the wood would give
them a link to the divine and, consequently, good luck. The superstition grew from
there. (Radford notes that pagans also revered wood for its strength.)
 Wishing on a star
Once upon a time, pointing to a whole host of things (including people) was
considered rude. At the same time, twinkling stars were considered to be supernatural
beings. “Since it was considered unlucky to point to the star, people would wish on it
to petition good luck from it without offending the supernatural being,” Radford says.
 Breaking a mirror
The mirror was once considered to be divine and supernatural, and breaking the
image was thought to violate its divinity. As a result, the breaker would receive bad
luck.
 Four-leaf clover
Clovers were once believed to keep away witches and allow the finder to see fairies.
“A four-leaf clover was especially rare, and therefore even more powerful,”
  Bad news comes in threes
There are a few theories behind this one. One ties to the holy trinity of father, son,
and holy ghost or spirit, with the notion that important things (good and bad) come in
threes. The second is that three establishes a pattern. Something happening once
could be random, twice could just be chance, but three times means something.
 Don’t open an umbrella inside
It’s not entirely clear where this came from but it could be that earlier umbrellas had a
tight spring that could catch and injure a finger. If you were going to use one, it was
best to do so when you actually needed it.
 Lucky penny
There are several reasons this may have come about, but Radford points out that
finding any money is lucky and pennies are common; therefore there are many
opportunities to find some kind of significance with them (like the year you were
married, your birth date, and so on).
 Beginner’s luck
This could have been as simple as a way to encourage people to try something new.
 Saying “bless you” when someone sneezes
It was once believed that evil spirits could enter a person’s body when they sneezed.
By saying “bless you,” a person bestows blessings on the sneezer that ward off the
evil spirits.
 Wishing on a wishbone
Fowl were once used as tools of divination, including a practice called haruspication,
in which soothsayers inspected the entrails of a recently killed bird. Afterward, the
collarbone would be laid out in the sun to dry. A person would make a wish upon it
and snap it with another person. Whoever received the larger piece of the collarbone
got a sign that the gods heard him or her.

3. INDONESIA (National Day)

Here are 12 Most Popular Holiday in Indonesia.
1) Eid
 Eid is one of the most celebrated holiday in Indonesia. It also goes by the name
Lebaran. Eid marks the end of Ramadan. It is Muslim’s holiest month after fasting
for a month.
2) Christmas
People in Indonesia call it Natal. All throughout December, there are decorations put
up all over public places such as twinkle lights and ornaments. Moreover, some may
put out fake Christmas tree to thicken the feel that Christmas is near. During
Christmas in Indonesia, Christians in Indonesia attend the church to worship.
3) New Year’s Day
People all over the world celebrate New Year’s day but so do Indonesians. During the
New Year’s week, there are plenty of street vendors selling various kinds of fireworks
and firecrackers. When the clock strikes midnight, huge fireworks are released into
the sky to mark the peak New Year celebration in Indonesia.
4) Indonesia Independence Day
Indonesian Independence day is very popular and widely celebrated. The celebration
may even take place for over a month. The holiday occurs on August 17th. People
call this day as Hari Merdeka.
5) Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year celebration occurs on every new lunar year in Indonesia.
People in Indonesia call it Imlek.
6) Balinese Hinduism New Year
In Indonesia, Balinese Hinduism New Year is Hari Raya Nyepi. they celebrate the
Balinese Hinduism new year by not using electricity anywhere. Other than that, they
do not travel to any other place.
7) Waisak Day
In Indonesia, the Buddhists celebrate Waisak day. It is a holiday to remember the life,
the death and the enlightenment of Buddha.
8) Easter Holiday
Christians in Indonesia celebrate Easter holiday.
9) Labour Day
 Indonesians also celebrate May day. The specific holiday is called as Labour day in
the country. Labour day takes place on May 1st each year.
10) Idul Adha (Eid Adha)
Idul Adha is the Muslim day for sacrifice. It is very popular in Indonesia. During the
holiday, the Muslims will go to Mosques to attend service. Moreover, there is also
meat sharing. The meat of an animal, usually a cow or a goat, is shared among the
people.
11) Isra Mi’raj
Isra Mi’raj is another popular holiday in Indonesia. The Muslims would attend
services in Mosques.
12) Pancasila Day
The holiday occurs on June 1st. That was the date when Sukarno, Indonesia’s first
president, gave his speech.