マイペース、マイ・スタイル！　～日本語がぺらぺらになるには～

フンドシを締めてかかる

褌を締めてかかる

• formative years

  〔人格の〕形成期、発育期
  

• in one's formative years

  形成期に

• offer a respite from

  〔つらい労働など〕を一時的に休止する、〔主語によって激務など〕の息抜きができる［の中で一息つける］、〔主語によって単調な生活など〕から離れてしばしの休息を取れる
  表現パターンoffer ［provide］ a respite from

• provide temporary respite

  一時的休息を与える

• allow someone a respite

  （人）に休息を与える

harbinger of the new school year

• legal holiday

  〈米〉法定休日
  

• federal legal holidays

  連邦法定休日

• national holiday

  国民の休日、法定休日
  

• celebrate national holiday

  国民の祝日を祝う

In the strict sense, there are no national holidays in the United States. Each of the 50 states has jurisdiction over its holidays. In practice, however, the states tend to observe the ten federal (“legal”) public holidays that the President and Congress have designated.

The ten holidays that are proclaimed by the federal government are as follows: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, labor day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.

By law, the states can decide when to celebrate a federal legal holiday, and even whether or not to celebrate it at all. However, the majority of the states (and the cities and towns within them) usually choose the date or day celebrated by the rest of the nation.

In 1971, the dates of many federal holidays were officially moved to the nearest Monday by then-President Richard Nixon.