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USA
Holidays & Tipping |
 Holidays
in the United States
January 1—New
Year’s Day
Starting with the night before (New Year’s Eve on December
31st), this is a celebration to welcome the new year.
January (3rd Monday of
the month)—Martin Luther King Day
This is a holiday commemorating the birthday of Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), an African-American civil rights
leader who received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.
February (3rd Monday of
the month)—President’s Day
This day honors past U.S. presidents, commemorating the February
birthdays of George Washington (the first president and
Commander of the Armies that won U.S. independence) and Abraham
Lincoln (the 16th U.S. president who held office during the U.S.
Civil War and was known for abolishing slavery).
February 22 (often
observed on the nearest Monday)—Washington’s Birthday
Honors the birthday of the first U.S. president, George
Washington.
May (last Monday of the
month)—Memorial Day
A holiday in remembrance of members of the armed forces killed
in war.
July 4—Independence
Day
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed as
thirteen colonies declared their independence from England and
became the first thirteen states of the United States. Fireworks
displays mark this holiday.
September (1st Monday of
the month)—Labor Day
This is a holiday honoring the contributions and efforts of
laborers.
October (2nd Monday of
the month)—Columbus Day
A holiday honoring the landing of Christopher Columbus,
traditionally considered the discoverer of America, in the West
Indies (in the year 1492).
November 11—Veterans
Day
A holiday in commemoration of the end of World War I and in
honor of veterans of the armed forces (the people who served).
November (last Thursday
of the month)—Thanksgiving Day
This is a day of feasting and giving thanks for everything. This
feast was initiated by the Pilgrims (the first settlers in the
thirteen colonies of the U.S.) and the Native Americans (who
already lived on the land).
December 25—Christmas
Day
The annual holiday of the Christian church commemorating the
birth of Jesus Christ. As Christianity is widely celebrated in
the United States, this is a national holiday. Many people
exchange gifts with family and friends at this time of year.
Some celebrate the night before (Christmas Eve).
CUSTOMS
February 14—Valentine’s Day
This has become a day to celebrate love and romance.
“Valentines” or tokens of love (cards, candy, gifts) are
exchanged.
March 17—St. Patrick’s Day
Parades and parties mark this day honoring the patron saint of
Ireland.
April 1—April Fools’ Day
Jokes or tricks are traditionally played on the unsuspecting.
May (the 2nd Sunday)—Mother’s Day
As the title suggests, many people choose to honor their mothers
on this day with cards, gifts, etc.
June (the 3rd Sunday)—Father’s Day
On this day, many people choose to honor their fathers with
cards, gifts, etc.
October 31—Halloween
The eve of All Saint’s Day for which many people dress in
costume (often scary ones!) for parties, and candy is given to
children.
Tipping
Your tip should be left on the table when
you leave a restaurant. It is common to leave an amount equal
15% of the total bill. An easy way to calculate this 15% is to
double the amount of the sales tax. This amount will be just a
bit over 15%. Leaving less that $0.50 is considered rude. A
dollar per person is usually the minimum. The following lists
suggest who are generally considered to be tipped: Barber shop/
Beauty shop/ Deliveries/Bartenders/Hotels/ Restaurants/ Taxi
Min-hyung Cho (left) from Korea and
Junichi
Tanigawa (middle) from Japan and Sang-woo
Kang from Korea
video interview
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