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Why We Have These Holidays is a free printable Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies worksheet on why a holiday began and who it honors, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.14.K-2. It prints 6 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 12 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Why We Have These Holidays

D2.His.14.K-2

NameDate

Draw a line from each holiday to why it began. Then circle the best answer.

1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • New Year's Day
  • Presidents' Day
  • Independence Day
  • Memorial Day
  • A.The start of a new year on January 1
  • B.Remembering people who died serving in the military
  • C.Honoring George Washington and other Presidents
  • D.The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776
2.Why did Lincoln ask for a Thanksgiving Day in 1863, during the Civil War?
  • A.To choose a new flag
  • B.So the whole nation could give thanks together
  • C.To start the Civil War
3.Why do many towns hold parades on Veterans Day?
  • A.To show thanks to people who served
  • B.To welcome spring
  • C.To sell new cars
4.Why did freed people first celebrate Juneteenth in 1866?
  • A.To welcome the summer rain
  • B.To remember the day the news of freedom came
  • C.To open a new school
5.Many places call the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples' Day. Who does it honor?
  • A.American Indian nations and other first peoples of the Americas
  • B.The first Presidents
  • C.The first astronauts
6.Why do many people help others on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
  • A.It is the first day of summer
  • B.It is a day for fireworks
  • C.Dr. King believed in serving others

LessonPrint · D2.His.14.K-2 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why We Have These Holidays

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. New Year's Day — A (The start of a new year on January 1) 2. Presidents' Day — C (Honoring George Washington and other Presidents) 3. Independence Day — D (The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776) 4. Memorial Day — B (Remembering people who died serving in the military)
  2. 2.So the whole nation could give thanks together
  3. 3.To show thanks to people who served
  4. 4.To remember the day the news of freedom came
  5. 5.American Indian nations and other first peoples of the Americas
  6. 6.Dr. King believed in serving others

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.14.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.