how is a national holiday declared?
464608
By an act of Congress,that is both houses vote on it.  The president can declare a national holiday for a one time period, but to make it so, it must go to the Congress for approval.
1143264
Every month has some kinda of holiday in it, I think. Or did you mean national holidays?
580122
In the UK, a public holiday was often first used by Banks, and usually on a Monday, so there are Bank Holiday Mondays, August Bank Holiday is a typical one. Sat/Sun/Mon rather like Memorial day in US
147715
These are the recognized "day off" holidays...\n\nMonday, January 2* New Year's Day  \nMonday, January 16 Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. \nMonday, February 20** Washington's Birthday \nMonday, May 29 Memorial Day \nTuesday, July 4 Independence Day \nMonday, September 4 Labor Day \nMonday, October 9 Columbus Day \nFriday, November 10*** Veterans Day \nThursday, November 23 Thanksgiving Day \nMonday, December 25 Christmas Day \n\nSee the site for more info...\nhttp://www.opm.gov/fedhol/2006.asp\n\nWikipedia has one of the most comprehensive lists of holidays that I have found so far...\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holiday#National_holidays
565113
When Apartheid ended and the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela came into power in South Africa in 1994, the national holidays were changed to days that would be meaningful to all South Africans. \n\n21 March: Human Rights Day\nOn this day in 1960 the police killed 69 people at Sharpeville who were participating in a protest against the pass laws. Many were shot in the back. The carnage made world headlines. Four days later the government banned black political organisations, many leaders were arrested or went into exile. During the Apartheid era there were human rights abuses by all sides; Human Rights Day is but one step to ensure that the people of South Africa are aware of their human rights and to ensure that such abuses never again occur.\n\n27 April: Freedom Day\nThis was the day in 1994 when the first democratic election was held in South Africa, ie an election when all adults could vote irrespective of their race, and the day in 1997 when the new constitution took effect. \n\n1 May: Worker's Day\nMany countries around the world commemorate the contribution made by workers to society on May Day (America doesn't celebrate this holiday because of its communist origins). It has traditionally been a day to protest for better wages and working conditions. Given the role that trade unions played in the fight for freedom, it is unsurprising that South Africa commemorates this day.\n\n16 June: Youth Day\nIn June 1976 students in Soweto rioted in protest against the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction of half their school curriculum, sparking eight months of violent uprisings across the country. Youth Day is a national holiday in honour of all the young people who lost their lives in the struggle against Apartheid and Bantu Education. \n\n9 August: National Women's Day\nOn this day in 1956 some 20,000 women marched to the Union [government] Buildings in Pretoria to protest against a law requiring black women to carry passes. This day is celebrated as a reminder of the contribution made by women to society, the achievements that have been made for women's rights, and to acknowledge the difficulties and prejudices many women still face.\n\n24 September: Heritage Day\nNelson Mandela coined the phrase "rainbow nation" to describe South Africa's diverse cultures, customs, traditions, histories, and languages. This day is a celebration of that diversity.\n\n16 December: Day of Reconciliation\nAfrikaners traditionally celebrated 16 December as the Day of the Vow, remembering the day in 1838 when a group of Voortrekkers defeated a Zulu army at the Battle of Blood River, while ANC activists commemorated it as the day in 1961 when the ANC started to arm its soldiers to overthrow Apartheid. In the new South Africa's it's a day of reconciliation, a day to focus on overcoming the conflicts of the past and building a new nation.
915523
No it is not.\n\nToday is a Federal Holiday to celebrate our brave heros.
907113
<>Officially, Election Day IS a national holiday,  Most businesses elect to stay open, as they do for many of the national holidays.  Maybe if they closed, there'd less wasteful 'sales' spending and more national pride.
827721
The holiday is especially popular in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and is celebrated in the Philippines, in Mexican-American communities in the United States, and to a lesser extent in other Latin American countries. It is a public holiday in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate it by visiting cemeteries and churches, bringing flowers, lighting candles and praying.
726061
Yes if it is a legal holiday.
172785
i think it depends on the college, but for mine it was- go to the colleges website and click on their academic calendar and that should tell you which days are holidays, etc.
623791
My guess is that  National Day Fri Sep 8, 2006 is a Macedonian only holiday.\n\nNot sure about the others Macedonina holidays listed  at
932229
Wikipedia has a good article on this topic.  President Lincoln made it official national holiday to the last Thursday of November, but was later changed by FDR and by the Congress to the fourth Thursday of November.  You can read more details about it here:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving#1939_to_present
37886
All states do, I believe. The last to approve one was New Hampshire in 1999.  Arizona was famous for rejecting the holiday, but that was reversed and the state holiday was enacted in 1992.\n\nOf course, the Federal holiday applies to all 50 states as well.
751357
Veterans Day, this year and every year, is November 11.  It commemorates the signing of the peace treaty in World War One, which was signed at 11:00 on November 11, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.\n\nHowever, the *celebration* of the holiday will be on Friday, November 10, in order to give people a three-day weekend.\n\nGood luck!!
671646
We celebrate Hindi Diwas on 14 Sep as Part XVII of the Constitution containing provision\nregarding Official Language (Hindi)  was passed\nby the Constituent Assembly on 14 September 1949.\n\nSo it commemorate that day as well as promote usage of Hindi we celebrate Hindi Day/week/fortnight.\n\nI mistook your question as how to celebrate it and wrote as below first.\n\nIf you ask me personally. The best way of celebrate Hindi Diwas is to abolish it because instead of doing good for Hindi it is limiting Hindi to one day of the year whereas if we want to promote Hindi then it should be promoted on each day of year and not showcase on one day.\n\n\n\nHaving said that you can try following:\n\n\n\n1. Keep some competition like Hindi Essay writing, Debate, Quiz contest.\n\n\n2. Contributing Hindi books to the library i.e. everyone who is having Hindi books can donate these to the library so that every one else can read.\n\n3. Should I tell you one crazy idea. Take everyone to some good Hindi movie. This is best way to promote Hindi because every one like Hindi movie.\n\n\n4. Other common things are posters, Hindi words etc.
510060
It depends where you work.  If you work for the government, you always get national holidays off.  Most businesses seem to let their workers take off Independence day (July 4) and Christmas.  If you work in the fast food business, you don't get off automatically for ANY holiday other than Christmas.  That's to the best of my knowledge.
119927
the general rule is that when something is due on public holidays, the due date is the following working day