A shot of me enjoying a Guinness. Sláinte!
by: Grayson Leverenz
St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17th, but you can expect parties to start this weekend. With 12% of the US population claiming Irish ancestry, St. Patrick’s Day hosts some of the largest celebrations of the year. The holiday extends beyond the 34.7 million Irish-Americans (that’s almost 9x the population of Ireland itself btw) to embrace the entire country with “the luck of the Irish.”
This festive day is actually a religious holiday honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick; however, US celebrations focus almost totally on Irish culture, pride and fun. Americans love the music, the food, and especially the beer.
Here’s how you can enjoy St. Patrick’s Day here in the US: Continue reading St. Patrick’s Day
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Hoop Dreams (image: Bekah Stargazing)
Charlie Zegers is my new hero. I mention pretty often that I’m not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination. That having been said, I always try to keep up with big games, especially during MBA recruiting season, to facilitate small talk and to stay on top of my game, no pun intended. You really can’t teach US language and culture without embracing the world of sports. Hence, my love of Charlie Zegers.
Charlie writes for About.com and translates sports into a language fit for those of us new to the arena. Below Charlie introduces March Madness, the NCAA Tournament.
About the NCAA Tournament
Your Introduction to March Madness
by Charlie Zegers, About.com
The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is the largest, most elaborate championship tournament in American sports.
Continue reading All About March Madness
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George Washington’s Farewell Address (image: Edward Percy Moran)
by: Grayson Leverenz
Known as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, George Washington led the American revolutionary forces to victory over the British army, solidifying independence for the United States in 1781. Washington became the 1st President of the United States eight years later, and is credited with establishing many US government fundamentals that still exist today.
A folktale says that a young George Washington chopped down his father’s cherry tree, and claimed he “could not tell a lie” when confronted about the incident. While it’s never been proven that Washington actually chopped down the tree, it’s still fun to honor him with a slice of cherry pie on his birthday.
For more on George Washington, click here.
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Mardi Gras Beads (image: stephj526)
by: Grayson Leverenz
Known as “the feast before the fast,” Mardi Gras is the pinnacle of New Orleans Carnival in the US. Most Americans refer to the entire celebration as Mardi Gras even though the literal translation from French, “Fat Tuesday,” points to the final night of partying (i.e. the Tuesday before the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday).
Mardi Gras 2009 enters full swing this weekend with parades, parties and debauchery galore, and Fat Tuesday falls on February 24th. If New Orleans is an attainable travel destination for you, click here to get all the information you need to join the party. If you’re near New York, click here for a great write up I found on celebrating in Manhattan. If you can’t get to either one of those places, here are some ideas for throwing your own Mardi Gras theme night:
Continue reading Mardi Gras
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by: Grayson Leverenz
Americans love the movies. We love the stars. We love the stories. We love the surround sound. We love the movies so much in fact we spent $9.5 billion at the box office in 2008, and that doesn’t include the popcorn.
On Sunday February 22, 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosts the 81st annual Academy Awards®, or the Oscars as it’s nicknamed after the golden statuette winners receive. The event promises lots of celebrities, lots of high fashion and more than a few surprises. Click here to see the list of nominees.
Those of us not lucky enough to score a ticket to the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles have the perfect opportunity to throw a cocktail party at home. Here are some tips for hosting your own Oscar Night:
Continue reading The Oscars
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Mount Rushmore – George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) (image: dean.franklin)
by: Grayson Leverenz
If you’ve been watching prime time television over the past week, you’ve probably seen retailers advertising Presidents’ Day Sales. Monday, February 16th is Presidents’ Day, known in the US for the huge retail events as well as for celebrating the achievements of Presidents. Sales on everything from clothes to computers to cars have been a part of Presidents’ Day for as long as I can remember, and I haven’t been able to find any data on when that part of the tradition began. So, we’re going to assume it’s been going on for a while now.
Interestingly, the national holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February is not legally called Presidents’ Day; it’s formally George Washington’s birthday. However, because Abraham Lincoln was also born in February and never received his own national holiday, Washington’s day is now commonly called Presidents’ Day to honor Washington and Lincoln as well as the other US Presidents.
Continue reading Presidents’ Day
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