Tomorrow is the USA Independence Day commemoration, also known as Fourth of July. There are fireworks and barbecues, and if you’re in the southern USA, they’re usually accompanied by a hot and humid summer’s day.
This national holiday had me thinking about other national holidays around the world. Of course, each country has its own national holidays. While the USA does not celebrate Boxing Day, many countries also don’t celebrate Thanksgiving Day. And then there are those holidays that are universal. They’re in almost every country, it seems.
I googled and found out that the two most popular national holidays worldwide are New Year’s Day and Christmas. Are you surprised by that information? While New Year’s Day seems to be always secular, Christmas can be celebrated in both secular and religious ways, as we know. What about those Hallmark Christmas movies? Apparently they begin in June and go all the way through December. It seems that the Christmas shopping season also begins early with year-round Christmas shops. And then we have the ever popular Christmas in July book promotions. Do you enjoy those?
My Christmas book, WISH YOU JOY (Savannah Sweethearts Book 9), begins in July, right in the middle of a hot Savannah, Georgia, afternoon and the story continues through Thanksgiving and Christmas when it’s pretty cold (according to me).
What about books that you’ve read? Do you enjoy reading books that center on national holidays such as the Fourth of July celebration, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and so forth? If you have read those books, feel free to mention them. In my own books, I have a mix of everything. Even though I don’t do a big deal theme of parades, for example, I do include things like fireworks over the river and what would give my readers a sense of place, time, and setting in my stories.
And we’re back to the question of the day. What are your favorite national holidays in your own country? Please mention the country you’re in so we can have some context. Does your country celebrate an event that other countries don’t? Or do you celebrate many of the days, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day. In Japan, they even celebrate Children’s Day.
If you’re in the USA, what are your plans for the Fourth of July weekend? Are you grilling tomorrow?
Have a happy summer, everyone!
USA Today bestselling novelist Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with elements of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with an air of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance. Join Jan's mailing list for her latest book news: JanThompson.com/newsletter
You mentioned Boxing Day. Here in Australia that is usually a day to hit the shops for the Boxing Day sales or a day to just relax at home. Eating left overs of course.
Interesting! That’s cool. Yes, eating leftovers seems to be the thing here after Christmas and Thanksgiving also. :-)
Each state of Australia has it’s own holidays as well as the national ones. My favourite is still New Years, whether the English New Years Day or the multitude of New Years Days in other countries around the world.
My favorite holiday’s are Easter and Thanksgiving, followed closely by Christmas. For the Fourth of July celebration, I’ll either watch Capitol Fourth on PBS or the fireworks from Orlando, if either happens. No matter what, I’ll be staying inside in the A/C, for sure!!
Jan,
From the US. I love the 4th of July and Labor Day holiday wks/long wkends. We have a history (20+ yrs) of escaping from our area and heading into South Dakota’s open spaces. They have lower summer humidity, cooler early am/pm temps, and lovely hills and valleys throughout the Black Hills area. We rent a cabin (out of town) for a number of days, avoid the crowds, and bicycle ride the 100mile trail system that weaves throughout the trees, creeks, ponds, rolling hills, and red rocks. We see deer, other wildlife and open acres of horses. They’re the most stress relieving holidays of the year – we love it. And it’s only a state away for us. :D
I’m in the US, and my favorite holiday has always been Christmas. I love being able to spend two months getting into the spirit. It’s the only holiday that’s celebrated more than one day or a weekend. The 4th of July is one of my least favorite holidays. We don’t usually do much except grill out with my in-laws and go watch fireworks away from the crowds. But there will not be any fireworks this year, as our state has increased virus cases. My in-laws may not even have us over this year if their dog’s puppies come — they’re due any day. Since we’re getting one of the puppies as soon as it’s old enough to leave Momma, I’m not going to be upset if they derail our pretty normal Sunday dinner anyway.
Christmas is one of my favorite holidays! It’s more than presents to me, it’s a celebration of Jesus and the reason He came down to earth. It’s reflecting on His saving grace on the cross & His willingness to bear the burden. Plus, who doesn’t like twinkle lights on the tree? They are so pretty on a cold winter’s night :-)
I also enjoy the 4th of July, though this year is definitely different without the fireworks and hullabaloo that goes on around town. I love the parade, the marching band practice we can hear in the nearby football field and all the celebration for our nation. But, we are still celebrating with my husband grilling burgers, dogs & baked beans, I’m making some pasta salad & brownies and later in the evening we’re shooting off our own small fireworks for the grand-girl! I’m sure there will be other people doing their own around us too, we’ve already heard some well into the night!
I haven’t read too many stories set around any other holiday but Christmas. It would be fun to celebrate other holidays with characters I’ve come to love in a book setting.
We, too, have had neighbors getting in the fireworks mood for the Fourth. Though we are here in the US, I enjoy the universal holidays of Christmas and Easter. I will also let my math geek flag and say I enjoy Pi Day (March 14th, 3/14) in celebration of the mathematical constant Pi by eating pretty much any kind of round pie (apple, cherry, pizza, etc.) :) All in good geeky fun. Maybe there is a romance in there for two geeky lovers who meet on March 14th. Geeks gotta dream too, ya know?
I Love Christmas , the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. I live in the US . I love reading books and watching movies about Christmas. I also love watching movies about family get togethers during holidays and what goes on with the families getting together. This Fourth of July my husband and I will be going to our daughters house, who lives a couple of blocks away from us, it will be us , our daughter and our son in law and our granddaughter and our grandson we have by them. We have been staying in touch with them during this crazy time. Our son in law is retired and he works a couple of days a month and our daughter works Mon. through Friday , and so when they are both working we watch our 2 grandchildren. We will spend the evening with them and watch fireworks from their house and watch our 2 grandchildren have fun with their fireworks. We usually go to the park here where they have vendors and games and music , but this year they will not have anything like that, which in my opinion is really , really a good thing. We also have a son , a daughter in law and a grandson who live six and a half hours from us, so we have not seen them since Christmas. So Godwilling when all this is over we will get to see them. You have a Great weekend and stay safe. God bless you and your family . “Happy 4th of July”
No big plans for the 4th.
Love Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Lincoln, my boys love Pi Day because they’re math geeks and their Daddy is a math major. And I’m a pie-lover, so it’s a win-win! :D
I would love to write a Pi Day romance! Great idea!
USA: I love fireworks & music on 4th of July! I love the lights, music & Christmas decorations in communities, homes & churches. Lots of family memories too!
Cool! Yes, NYD is fun with fireworks! Lots of fireworks everywhere.
Thank you for your comment!
I like Easter too! Yes, I agree re: AC! So hot and humid here even now. I don’t have cable so I watch what is available on “rabbit ears” TV LOL!
Thank you for your comment!
A cabin and lots of trail sound like a great summer vacation. Glad you get to do this every year. That sounds like a family tradition now!
We mostly stay home, eat, and try to exercise off what we eat LOL!
Thank you for your comment!
Have a wonderful Independence Day!
Christmas is delightful! Where I am, there is no snow most of the time, so we don’t get any white Christmas. We just get a chilly/cold Christmas LOL.
As long as I don’t have to cook on Fourth o fJuly, I’m OK :-)
Nice that you’re getting a puppy! Fun!
Thank you for your comments!
Christmas is one of my favorite holidays too! Yes, it reminds me about why Jesus came to earth. You put it so well! Thank you.
And you are so right — it’s multiple days. In fact, I try to celebrate it the entire month of December bc it flies by so fast. We like the net lights bc we can just “throw” it on the bushes and plug them in :-)
We’re grilling on Saturday for Independence Day. Nothing fancy – hamburger and beans and salad. Easy to clean up, I hope!
Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for your comments!
Pi Day is so much fun! We’re Computer Science majors here but yes we do love Math too. IDK if we eat pi specifically on Pi Day bc I like pies all year round (why I am now on a diet LOL). So I try to have a Lite Pi Day :-)
Thank you for your comments!
Lila – That’s cool re: Pi Day romance. Go Fourth and do it! :-)
Happy Independence Day!
I like Thanksgiving and Christmas too. My oven broke and we haven’t replaced it, so I missed being able to roast my usual turkey last Thanksgiving. The upside is that we ordered cooked turkey so even though it cost more than if I roast it myself, I saved 4-5 hours!
We’re taking it easy this weekend also.
Thank you for your comments!
I do like big band music on Independence Day! It seems that the military bands practiced all year just to play tomorrow! :-)
I also like Christmas lights! I hope we’ll expand our lights this year but I say that and then NOBODY in the family wants to go out in the cold to string the lights LOL!
Anyway have a wonderful Fourth of July and have fun!
Thank you for your comments!
That’s wonderful that you get to spend time with your family. I hear you. I hope we get to travel safely again. It’s so hard when some family members live so far way, isn’t it? But God is sovereign. Hope you get to see them soon!
Happy Independence Day!
Thank you for your comments!
when I think of National holidays I think of ones unique to the whole country. for us that is Australia day Jan 26 (which has a bit of controversy) But it’s when we celebrate the landing of the first fleet. It’s meant to bring the country together and for many it is a day to celebrate being an Aussie. I associate it with cricket. The other National day we share with NZ is ANZAC day where we remember and celebrate our diggers. soldiers from all wars. It commemorates the landing of the Gallipoli when so many soldiers lost their lives in WW1.
Each state has other days Like The Queens Birthday which is different times for several states as is Labour day.
I do like Christmas and always have. I like Boxing day although my state is the only state that doesn’t celebrate it. We have Proclamation day on Dec 28 and will now take the holiday on Dec 26. Proclamation day celebrates the day South Australia became a state. Boxing day I like cos its the day the Boxing Day test (cricket) starts and I love cricket and have even been to a 3 in Melbourne. We don’t have Thanksgiving here.
PS I love the cat under the tree
USA is my my country.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Growing up that was the day my daddy’s family would come out house. Lots of food to eat and cousins to play with. After getting married that continued to be our time to go to my in-laws for family gathering. Now it is our kids coming if jobs allow. This year 4th of July was special with us having our eldest daughter and son-in-law with 2 grandchildren, both under 3 years. Lots of playing, pickings blueberries, helping grandpa feed goats and chickens. Then eating fresh eggs and blueberry cobbler.
Anytime with family is my favorite.
My favorite holiday is Christmas, for all the reasons Trixi said.
National holiday would be July 4 because where would we be if not for our founders fighting for our freedom!