Like many Americans this week, we've got sunshine and sparklers on our minds as we look forward to the Fourth of July. But in our red, white, and blue reverie, we’re also reminded of the choices writers have to make when referencing holidays and other special days. Which words are capitalized? Where do apostrophes go?
Today’s tip answers common questions about holiday references.
Should I capitalize holidays and other special days?
Holidays (Labor Day) and holy days (Ash Wednesday) are proper nouns and need to be capitalized. Follow the same rules for these special days as you would for book or document titles: capitalize the first and last word and every word in between except for articles (a, an, the), short prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions.
Thanksgiving Day
Yom Kippur
St. Patrick’s Day
Day of the Dead
Note: Do not capitalize an article if it precedes the official holiday name.
In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a multi-day celebration and remembrance of deceased friends and family.
Are there any capitalization exceptions?
The Chicago Manual of Style calls attention to three special days with unusual capitalization:
D day
election day
inauguration day
In addition, some religious holidays use unconventional spelling and capitalization. Always check your spelling and capitalization against similar references in reputable religious publications.
Where do I place apostrophes in possessive holidays?
Most of the possessive holiday names are formed as if the names were singular nouns.
Mother’s Day
New Year’s Day
Valentine’s Day
However, there are exceptions for plural possessives.
Presidents’ Day
April Fools’ Day
Veterans Day (or Veterans’ Day*)
* Whether or not to include the apostrophe in Veterans Day is a style choice. U.S. government publications use no apostrophe. But adding the apostrophe makes the reference grammatically correct. Whatever way you choose, be consistent.
Is it the Fourth of July or the 4th of July?
As with Veterans Day, how you refer to this holiday is a stylistic choice. Many style guides spell out the number: the Fourth of July. Just make sure your references are consistent.
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends these treatments for America’s birthday:
Independence Day
the Fourth of July
the Fourth
|
