About The Book
The History of American Holidays celebrates America’s history, culture, and patriotism with thought-provoking stories of the most popular holidays Americans celebrate.
Author Jeff Bensch explores the influence of different cultures and events that originated each holiday, as well as how they have been woven into the social fabric of the American people.
This color-illustrated book is a short, engaging read that makes an excellent gift for anyone who celebrates American history and culture.
- New Year
- Martin Luther King Day
- Valentine’s Day
- Washington’s Birthday/Presidents’ Day
- Easter, Passover, and
Spring Observances - Mother’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Father’s Day
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day / Indigenous People’s Day
- Halloween
- Veteran’s Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Available At
About The Author
Author Jeffrey Bensch grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota working odd jobs during the summer and playing basketball during the winter. His love of holidays began with the family traditions of his childhood, and grew as he watched how people come together throughout the year in a spirit of celebrations.
An engineer by trade who believes in a creative approach to tackle complex challenges, Jeff began sharing the holiday facts and trivia he uncovered with his clients, and eventually compiled these stories into the book, History of American Holidays.
Easter, Passover, and Other Spring Observances
Image Source: Image by Rebecca D from Pixabay
Each question has a story that can be explored for a lifetime. The quick answer for the date is that Easter is centered around the Jewish holiday Passover. Passover is celebrated based on a lunar calendar (the Hebrew calendar). From this, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21). The other questions have longer stories for their answers, but if you ponder long enough, you may find that these spring holidays tie into the rebirth of the seasons, the eternity of life,…
Mother’s Day
While Mothers have been celebrated in Greek and Roman mythology, it was Ann Reeves Jarvis in the 1850s who held Mother’s Day work clubs to improve sanitary conditions to help lower infant mortality rates. These clubs tended wounded soldiers from both sides during the Civil War, and after the war, in 1870, Julia Ward Howe wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation: “…As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summon of war, let women…take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace…”
Memorial Day
The more you learn about Memorial Day, the more interesting it becomes. It was started by grieving mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters during and after the Civil War. Independent gatherings were held in towns throughout America to help with the healing process. It is interesting that these similar gatherings were occurring without the aid of mass communication or travel. From this, in 1868 former general John Alexander Logan proclaimed that Memorial Day would be observed on May 30 each year to honor fallen soldiers. The south, however, did not recognize Memorial Day until after WWI when it was changed from honoring those who died…
Get In Touch
Jeff Bensch 