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National Holidays: Then and Now is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how national holidays began and how they are kept today, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.2.3-5. It prints 8 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 2 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.

National Holidays: Then and Now

D2.His.2.3-5

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.What does Juneteenth mark?
  • A.The end of World War II
  • B.The signing of the Declaration of Independence
  • C.June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free
2.What was Memorial Day first called?
  • A.Flag Day
  • B.Decoration Day
  • C.Armistice Day
3.What does Columbus Day, the federal holiday, mark?
  • A.The first Thanksgiving
  • B.Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492
  • C.The founding of Jamestown
4.On the second Monday of October, many states and cities also or instead observe which day?
  • A.Indigenous Peoples' Day
  • B.Veterans Day
  • C.Flag Day
5.Juneteenth was celebrated in Black communities for generations. When did it become a federal holiday?
  • A.1865
  • B.1931
  • C.2021
6.Who made Thanksgiving a yearly national day of thanks in 1863?
  • A.President Abraham Lincoln
  • B.George Washington
  • C.The Pilgrims
7.Why was Armistice Day renamed Veterans Day in 1954?
  • A.To honor veterans of all wars, not only World War I
  • B.To move it to the spring
  • C.Because World War I was forgotten
8.Why was Labor Day created?
  • A.To honor workers, after years of campaigning by labor unions
  • B.To celebrate the end of a war
  • C.To mark the first day of school

LessonPrint · D2.His.2.3-5 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — National Holidays: Then and Now

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free
  2. 2.Decoration Day
  3. 3.Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492
  4. 4.Indigenous Peoples' Day
  5. 5.2021
  6. 6.President Abraham Lincoln
  7. 7.To honor veterans of all wars, not only World War I
  8. 8.To honor workers, after years of campaigning by labor unions

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.2.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.