Friends make life easier, or at least they should. My best friend’s name is Susan. I call her Suzy. Suzy and I would always hang out together. Just to clarify, my name is Michael. Yes, I am a boy, and Susan is a girl. Everyone that knew us always thought we were in a relationship,…

In the United States, 43 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, all have their own lottery. A lottery is used for states to raise money. Licensed stores sell numbered tickets, or people can pay to choose their own numbers. When you let a machine pick your numbers, it is usually called a Quick Pick. Many people play lucky numbers, numbers associated with birthdates or other important numbers to them. The money earned from selling lottery…

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated by many people in the United States and Canada. In the United States it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November and marks the start of the Christmas season. Some people celebrate Thanksgiving to remember the first harvest of the pilgrims and puritans, groups of people from England who immigrated to North America in the 1600s. Some people recreate the first Thanksgiving and dress up as pilgrims, puritans, and the Native Americans who are said to have…

Chanuka, which can also be spelled as Hanukkah, is an 8-day Jewish holiday. It is known as the Festival of Lights, which celebrates the dedication of an ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem thousands of years ago. According to the Hebrew, or Jewish Bible, a miracle took place then. A one-day supply of oil miraculously lasted eight days. The dates of Hanukkah always change, but usually occur anywhere in late November to Late December. The main way people observe the holiday is…

Passover is a Jewish holiday that remembers and celebrates their liberation from ancient Egyptian slavery as described in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is traditionally celebrated in the spring and lasts about a week. According to the story in the Bible, God punished ancient Egypt with 10 plagues. The last plague killed Egyptian first-born males. Jewish people were told to mark their doors with lamb’s blood so that God would know to pass…

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday observed on November 11th every year. While Memorial Day remembers those who have died while serving in any of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces — Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, Veterans Day honors all members of the armed forces, especially the living. As a U.S. federal holiday, government offices and schools are closed, and most people have the day off from work. Banks are also closed. If November 11th falls…

Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, is a Christian religious holiday that celebrates the patron saint of Ireland. According to the legend, St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day has also become, especially in the United States, a day to celebrate Irish culture. In major cities across the country like in New York and Boston, there are parades and festivals. People wear green and decorate with shamrocks, a type of three-leaf clover. Some…

Halloween is on October 31. It is also called All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve. This is because, according to some, the holiday has its roots in a Christian holiday that remembers the dead. Others say the holiday has its roots in the ancient harvest season traditions of Ireland. In the U.S. though, the focus is less on memories of the dearly departed or agriculture. It is about kids dressing up in scary costumes and going door-to-door asking for candy. This…

Valentine’s Day, February 14, is a holiday that celebrates love and friendship in the United States. Most people think of it as a romantic day to show the one you love how much you care by purchasing cards and gifts. Valentine’s Day is also an extremely commercial holiday. People spend money on flowers, balloons, chocolate, stuffed animals, and jewelry. People also go out for expensive dinners. Valentine’s Day is even celebrated by school children, who give thank-you cards to their teachers. Some…

Columbus Day is observed on the second Monday of October in the United States, and in some other countries around the world. For a long time it was observed on a specific date, October 12. It is named after Christopher Columbus, the Italian sailor who led three Spanish ships to claim new lands in 1492. There is even a child’s poem remembering the date. It reads, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”. Some people say Columbus “discovered” North America, although not…