All about culture in the USA, United Kingdom and

Moldova

The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western

origin, but its influences include European American, African American, Latin
American, Native American peoples and their cultures. The United States has its
own distinct social and cultural characteristics, such as dialect, music, arts, social
habits, cuisine, and folklore, otherwise known as Americana.

Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday

in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the
United States, on July 4, 1776. Independence Day is commonly associated with
fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games,
family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other
public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of
the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the

fourth Thursday of November. It is sometimes called American Thanksgiving
(outside the United States) to distinguish it from the Canadian holiday of the
same name. It originated as a harvest festival, and the centerpiece of
Thanksgiving celebrations remains Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner traditionally
consists of foods and dishes indigenous to the Americas, namely turkey, potatoes
(usually mashed), stuffing, squash, corn (maize), green beans, cranberries
(typically in sauce form), and pumpkin pie.

Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first
Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and
the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of
the United States. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day
Weekend. Labor Day is called the "unofficial end of summer" because it marks
the end of the cultural summer season. Many take their two-week vacations
during the two weeks ending Labor Day weekend. Many fall activities, such as
school and sports, begin about this time.
 British culture is influenced by the combined nations' history; its
historically Christian religious life, its interaction with the cultures of Europe, the
traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and the impact of the British
Empire. Although British culture is a distinct entity, the individual cultures of
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are diverse and have varying
degrees of overlap and distinctiveness.
Twelfth Night and Epiphany (January 5–6). In the UK, some
consider it bad luck to leave Christmas decorations up past the day of Epiphany,
so many people choose to take them down on January 5, which is also known as
"Twelfth Night." Some people host parties and serve Twelfth Night cakes, which
have had one dried pea and one dried bean baked into them. If you are one of the
lucky party-goers who receives one of them in your slice of cake, you are crowned
"king" or "queen" of the evening.

In Scotland, the New Year's celebration is referred to as "Hogmanay",

and it can last through January 2, which is considered a bank holiday. In some
parts of England and in Scotland, it is considered good luck if the first person to
enter one's home on New Year's Day is a man, while it is considered bad luck if a
woman is the first to enter. In a tradition known as "first footing," a male friend
enters a friend's home and usually gives a small ceremonial gift.

St. David's Day falls on the anniversary of the death of Dewi Sant
(March 1), who spread Christianity throughout Wales. Many commemorate the
occasion by attending church services held in his honor.

In the United Kingdom, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in Irish pubs and
in cities where many people with an Irish background live, such as Nottingham
and London. The degree to which people celebrate St Patrick's Day varies
according to their religious and political affiliations.
 Public holidays in the Republic of Moldova refer to the
celebrated non-working days established by the Government of Moldova and
valid for the whole territory of the country. Autonomous territorial units
Gagauzia and Transnistria, as well cities, communes and cantonal authorities
also establish local holidays, which are, however, not non-working days. There
are 14 nationally celebrated holidays in the modern Moldova. Most holidays
celebrated in the Republic of Moldova recognize events or people from Moldovan
history. Most retail businesses close on New Year's and Independence Day, but
remain open on all other holidays. Private businesses often observe only the big
holidays such as New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Victory Day,
Independence Day, Labour Day, Limba noastră, and Christmas.

Limba noastră (Moldovan Cyrillic: Лимба ноастрэ, English: Our

language) is a public holiday in Moldova celebrated yearly on 31 August. On
August 27, 1989, the Popular Front of Moldova organized a mass demonstration
in Chişinău, that became known as the Great National Assembly, which
pressured the authorities of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic to adopt a
language law on August 31, 1989 that proclaimed the Moldovan language written
in the Latin script to be the state language of the MSSR. Its identity with the
Romanian language was also established. On June 23, 1990 the Moldovan
Parliament established August 31 as a national language day. In the main square
of Chişinău a concert is organized featuring the performances of various national
entertainers. Normally the stage is not dismantled since Independence Day which
takes place on August 27.

Easter is the most important religious holiday in Moldova. Easter is a

transitioning holiday and the exact date for it is calculated using the lunar-solar
calendar. People use a different greeting in Moldova on the days of Easter – they
say "Hristos a inviat" which means "Jesus resurrected". And the reply for the
greeting is "Adevarat a inviat", which translates to "Indeed resurrected". It is also
customary to color eggs in different colors for Easter, although red is considered
the traditional color. A large variety of meals are prepared for Easter in Moldovan
households, such as Easter cakes and Easter bread, which must be sprinkled with
holy water at a church. And of course, lamb serves as the primary meat during
Easter. Plenty of other national food is prepared in Moldova for Easter: placinte
(a type of filled pastry), galuste (rice and ground meat wrapped in grape wine
leaves), mamaliga (cornbread), various salads, main entry meat dishes (especially
rabbit and lamb), as well as various deserts.