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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 18 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.
  • Presidents' Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Memorial Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • A.Giving thanks for the harvest and good things in life
  • B.Honoring George Washington and other Presidents
  • C.Remembering people who died serving in the military
  • D.Remembering when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free
2.Why did Lincoln ask for a Thanksgiving Day in 1863, during the Civil War?
  • A.To start the Civil War
  • B.So the whole nation could give thanks together
  • C.To choose a new flag
3.The federal holiday on the second Monday in October is called…
  • A.Columbus Day
  • B.Flag Day
  • C.Labor Day
4.Why might families share a big meal on Thanksgiving?
  • A.To remember the end of a war
  • B.To honor a new President
  • C.To give thanks and share a harvest meal
5.Why do you think people started Decoration Day after the Civil War?
  • A.So many soldiers had died, and people wanted to remember them
  • B.People wanted a day to go swimming
  • C.Stores wanted to sell more hats
6.Why do many people help others on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
  • A.It is the first day of summer
  • B.Dr. King believed in serving others
  • C.It is a day for fireworks

LessonPrint · D2.His.14.K-2 · Set 18 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why We Have These Holidays

Set 18. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Presidents' Day — B (Honoring George Washington and other Presidents) 2. Juneteenth — D (Remembering when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free) 3. Memorial Day — C (Remembering people who died serving in the military) 4. Thanksgiving — A (Giving thanks for the harvest and good things in life)
  2. 2.So the whole nation could give thanks together
  3. 3.Columbus Day
  4. 4.To give thanks and share a harvest meal
  5. 5.So many soldiers had died, and people wanted to remember them
  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.