Americans Invent Some Pretty Creepy Stuff
Americans invent some pretty creepy stuff and, every Halloween, the US Patent and Trademark Office looks through its archives, digging up some of the strangest, scariest and, often unsettling, inventions to come through the agency. Americans celebrate Halloween every Oct. 31. Even though it’s a fun event that’s more about dressing up in costumes and going out […]
More Americans Do This Job Than Any Other
Many Americans celebrate Labor Day by getting together for a cookout, taking a final road trip before the kids go back to school, or going to the beach. While Memorial Day — observed the last Monday in May — marks the unofficial start of summer in the United States, Labor Day — observed the first […]
What You Don’t Know About Fourth of July
On July 4, 1776, the U.S. Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, in which the 13 colonies broke from England and set on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the colonies and became the governing body of the United Stares during the American […]
Washington’s Birthday or Presidents’ Day–What’s In a Name?
The United States honors the country’s first president on the third Monday in February. The U.S. government gives federal workers a holiday – a paid day off. This year, the federal holiday the government calls George Washington’s Birthday falls on February 16. But George Washington was not born on February 16. He was born on […]
Surprising Facts About Love & Marriage In US
Forget about being young at heart–the Americans who are most likely to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year are the actual young–people from 18-24. More than half of people over 65 don’t care at all about the day devoted to expressions of love, affection and friendship. Despite that, Americans are still expected to spend $18.9 billion–a […]
Separation of Church and State?
It’s a nearly century-old tradition. Every year in December, the U.S. president presides over the lighting of the National Christmas Tree near the White House in Washington, D.C. The ritual began in 1923–when President Calvin Coolidge lit the first tree on behalf of all Americans–and has remained unbroken since then. “I think it’s wonderful to […]
Black Friday Originally Had Dark Meaning
Millions of Americans hit the stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving, a day that has been given the name “Black Friday.” Black Friday is seen as the start of the holiday shopping season, a time when U.S. retailers rake in 20 percent of the year’s profits. Many stores offer deep discounts to draw customers in […]
For Native Americans, Thanksgiving Can Be a Mixed Blessing
Growing up, attorney Anita Shifflett celebrated Thanksgiving in the same way as most other Americans, by getting together with relatives to enjoy a hearty meal. “Thanksgiving meant family,” said Shifflett, a card-carrying member of the Native American Lumby tribe. “You had to go home for Thanksgiving. You had to go back to the tribe. My […]
America Honors Its Veterans With Words and Action
Today in the United States, it is not unusual for passersby to take the time to stop someone wearing a military uniform and thank them for their service. As America commemorates Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the men and women who have fought her wars are generally embraced by a grateful nation. And while that […]
Movies Inspire Halloween 2014’s Hottest Costumes
Halloween may have evolved from spooky origins in England, Ireland and Scotland — where the Celts believed the dead could walk among the living during the transition between the seasons — but in America, Halloween is now more about candy and costumes than anything else. Once darkness falls, children dress up and walk from house to […]