Celebrating USA-specific Holidays Abroad

About USA-specific holidays: one question that comes up here fairly frequently is about the Fourth of July. For some reason, it appears that, in general, Europeans (outside the various American expatriate or State Dept communities in Europe) don't seem to be too interested in celebrating the Fourth of July.
Perhaps especially in the UK?
That actually shouldn't be too surprising, should it?

May 1 as a celebration of labor has it roots in the United State. Check out this article. The labor movement in the United States had marches and protests May 1. But then in 1886 the Haymarket Square Riot happened after an anarchist threw a bomb. This action turned many Americans against labor for a period of time. But Europeans and others still use the day to celebrate and push for worker's rights. Read here about the history of Labor Day in the US.

I was in the UK for the Fourth of July two years ago attending a sales meeting. We have achieved victory for the US in my company though. This year, for the first time ever, the UK summer sales meeting (which does involve several Americans) will be held the week after the Fourth.

Pam

Most of the world, has their Labour Day on 1 May. It coincides with St. Josephs Day (that carpenter, dad of Jesus) and goes back to Celtic times.

You will find 4th of July celebrations at American Consulates and Embassy's around the world, or at parties and picnics held by Democrats Abroad. It can be that the Republicans Abroad hold parties too, but they have such a low profile overseas that you never hear about them at all. Have had many, many memorable 4th of Julys with the American Consulate here in Frankfurt. (this is the largest American Consulate in the world!) Usually traditional stuff, like watermelon eating contests, egg toss, 3-legged races, kids decorate their bikes and have a parade, dessert contests, the Marine Color Guard, National Anthem. All very patriotic.

Expats like making Thanksgiving dinners and inviting their friends, either other expats or locals. Have served so much pumpkin pie, pecan pie, turkey and stuffing to people who have never tasted such delicacies. It is quite fun watching people try pumpkin pie. They all love stuffing and pecan pie though. Churches with congregations that have lots of Americans may also have festivities that match the holidays. The American Church in Paris for example and I know several churches here in Frankfurt that have Thanksgiving dinners, 4th of July get togethers, etc.

V-E Day is celebrated in Europe, but in a more somber way. Not like Memorial Day with picnics and days at the beach.

The Canadians get a little mixed up and celebrate the 4th of July three days early.

"The Canadians get a little mixed up ..." The way we see it is that Americans can't get the date right and so celebrate our July 1st Canada Day three days late. Plus they fly the wrong flag. But watchagonna do.

Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan compromised on this back in the 1959 and starting celebrating from 1 july thru 4 July. They call it the International Freedom Festival.

Thanksgiving is certainly the American holiday we miss the most. Our first year here we did nothing we normally would do, which was OK, but left us a little sad, for we were always the hosts at Thanksgiving dinners in the U.S. Last year, our second in Italy, we cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 11 Italians and had such a good time sharing our food and traditions! Most had little understanding of the history of the holiday. In fact the children had been told in school that day about President Obama pardoning a turkey and were left scratching their heads as to why....

Cranberries and stuffing were huge hits, as were my patate americane which few Italians have tried. We also managed to find butternut squash for soup. Fresh cranberries were imported by a market here and two 10 ounce bags cost nearly $20.00! The turkey was the best I have made in my life, even better then the natural, organic ones I used to buy in Oregon.

We were at the American Cemetery in Normandy on July 4, 2008. It seemed that most visitors that day were not tourists from the U.S. We'd just climbed back up from Omaha Beach (where someone had scratched "Thank You America!" in the sand), when an announcement was broadcast that it was the 4th of July and there would be a moment of reflection with music to honor the U.S. military dead. I don't remember if they played a recording of The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, both, or something in addition, but everyone there stood still the entire time.

@Kent- I suppose if the American Revolution had ended differently for the rebel colonists, the UK would be celebrating John Hancock Day on July 4, just as they celebrate Guy Fawkes Day each November!

We spent 3 years in Grenoble, France, and travelling throughout Europe on many US and "French" holidays... we learned many interesting things about the various cultures...

It's important to distinguish Religious Holidays from State Holidays. Religious Holidays are celebrated in any country where you would find that particular religious community.

As for US "State" Holidays, the greater the presence of expats (and French who have lived/worked in the US), the more likely it is that you will encounter people who have been exposed to/understand US Holidays.

The 4th of July, for example, is fully understood by those Frenchmen/women who have heard of it... probably because it's so close to - and it's significance mirrors - Bastille Day.

France, Germany, Italy and many other countries honor a day for "laborers" and also celebrate their own versions of Memorial Day in local custom... just not on the same date.

We found that Halloween is celebrated (sparingly) in France and Germany, and you even see some children in costumes, but "trick-or-treating" is non-existent. (...In Venice, Italy - you'll find adults and children in costume during the "Carnivale" period around March, but it's not related to Halloween.)

For those Holidays with roots that cross religious/state boundaries, your experience will vary. Approaching Thanksgiving, for example, you will find that your local butcher can order a turkey for you, but finding a French shopkeeper who can source "Kosher Salt" (for brining the turkey) could be a challenge. ...The French friends we made, who hadn't previously heard the history behind the Thanksgiving tradition, fully appreciated it, once we explained it to them. ...speaking the language helps - the better you speak, the better your luck.

...and on that note: Best of Luck - and Happy Trails!

To Cyn:
We spent some time in Cabourg, Caen, Marne/Aisne, Meuse/Argonne and the Normandy region... they're a few of the only places in France where we found hotels, restaurants... and HOMES... flying both French and American/British/Canadian flags, side-by-side. What a wonderful impression that made!

When my wife and I were married (in Grenoble) the Mayor commented on how the French understood "liberty" better than most, precisely because of what the Allies did for France during WWI and WWII.

Maybe those who say France "doesn't appreciate" need to visit these regions. :-P

Scott,

Amen!

While not official holidays in North America, Halloween and St. Patrick's Day have spread into many corners of the world. Ex-pat occasions to start with, they seem to have been seized by locals looking for an excuse for a party. (And yes I know St. Paddy's is Irish but today's boozy rituals owe more to Chicago than to Dublin. Green beer, glug)

Halloween has been growing more and more popular in Germany, though trick or treating isn't really done. It is more private parties for the kids, pumpkin carving, and bar parties. Lots of decorations for sale in the stores and pumpkins are everywhere now. I used to run around town trying to find a pumpkin when I first moved here and now every store has huge piles of them for sale. The biggest extravaganza is Halloween at Burg Frankenstein which is a bit south of Frankfurt near Darmstadt. Begun over 35 years ago to entertain the many Americans that used to be stationed in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, and surrounding towns, it has snowballed into an extremely popular event. Every night for about 3 weeks, the castle ruins are filled with 1000's of people waiting to be scared. It is a lot of fun, but if you want to go to this, you will have to get your tickets ahead of time as they are often sold out. Nothing cooler than celebrating Halloween at Frankenstein Castle. If you are in Frankfurt, we actually have one of the Frankensteins buried in the Kaiserdom.
http://www.frankenstein-halloween.de/content/e566/index_en.html

Marie,

I suppose this story fits the theme of "USA-specific holidays abroad".....

A few years ago, I happened to be staying in Bacharach for a week or so, which included the 4th of July. One of the local Pubs was holding a 4th of July celebration for American ex-pats, visitors and others. Although I'm Canadian I was graciously invited to attend as well.

It was a small gathering but there was a good mix of locals, U.S. service personnel (both active and retired), expats, a few American tourists and of course myself. The Pub put on an awesome BBQ and of course more than a few pints were consumed. One of the local musicians (who was a bit "under the weather" that day with the Flu), provided live entertainment with a guitar (I was quite impressed that he agreed to perform even though he wasn't feeling well). Everyone had a wonderful time, and it made for a very memorable day for me.

Ken, That was a lovely story. Thank you for sharing :)

You know,,it never occurs to me to celebrate most holidays abroad,, exception is Christmas , which of course most western countries celebrate one way or the other anyways.

I have spend many summers in Europe, and even this past July .. and didn't even think of celebrating July 1st.. (Canada Day) while on holiday.

Does it really bother people to just skip their holidays? I have never thought about it to be honest.. but it seems to really to preoccupy people as I have seen posts on other forums about Thanksgiving too.. I guess I am so happy on holiday I don't feel I am missing out on any fun at all.

Pat, this is just one of the several ways in which we Canadians differ greatly from Americans.

To follow up on Pat and Norma's comments, as an American, if I were on a two week jaunt, then "missing" a holiday would definitely not be that big a deal. Heck, some Fourth of Julys I wake up forgetting that it's Independence Day until it dawns on me that I don't have to go to work. And, some of us have to travel during those holidays because you get time off from work, and thus, do not have to use leave days, so we do miss a Thanksgiving, Easter, Fourth of July, etc. once in a while. However, if I were to live abroad for a few years, then yes, being away from family as they gather around the Thanksgiving table would definitely be little bit more difficult. Are those folks who worry about missing the holidays more the long term residents of the foreign lands?

The International Freedom Festival between Windsor and Detroit went out of business some time ago, sadly. What remains is a gala fireworks display launched from barges on the Detroit River. Windsor (like Niagara Falls) claims the view is better from the Canadian side which, due to eccentricities of the border, is due south of Detroit.
Quebec, meanwhile, celebrates its "national" saint's day a couple of weeks before July 1 so there are fireworks on both days, sponsored by different governments.

I live in a state that has few restrictions on fireworks, and that enforces none. People feel it is their right to use as much firepower as possible. They brag about the thousands of dollars they spend. It sounds like a war zone. I have to stay inside and I use earplugs to sleep. The first time I don't have to work the first week of July, I'm outta here.

I was in Madrid in late November a couple of years ago and the Madrid Hard Rock Café hosted an awesome Thanksgiving dinner "with all the trimmings" for interested Americans as well as a variety of Europeans at their Salamanca location.

The funny thing about Thanksgiving is that it's originally a European thing - thanking God for a good harvest just before the winter sets in, unless I'm mistaken. Let's not forget that originally, the Pilgrim Fathers were in fact a bunch of Europeans who were in a far away and foreign land when the first Thanksgiving was held (of course, in America it also relates to the early contact with Native Americans which of course would not have been part of earlier Thanksgivings in Europe). For some reason it has since waned in Europe, but in America it still goes strong due to the symbolism linked to the foundation of what was to become the United States.

This isn't surprising when you consider that many of our celebrations today are in fact variations and adaptions of older ones (some Christian holidays are often continuations of earlier Pagan ones for instance, with some traditions added, others adapted).