If Americans talk about the city of Washington, they always add D.C., which means District of Columbia. This is necessary to avoid confusion with the state of the same name. Today, about six hundred and seventy thousand people live here. Almost a third of them are illiterate according to the latest census.
Washington has been the capital of the United States for more than 200 years. Founded in 1791, it was named after the first president - George Washington. It is important to know that the … Open
Family holidays with kids in Washington DC. How to entertain your child, things to show to children.
Be sure to visit the local zoo while on vacation in Washington. The child will be able to see more than two thousand species of different animals here. Majestic tigers, mysterious cougars, … Open
You may find that an unfamiliar person is communicating with you while walking, running, or just going to the store. This is called "small talk" here which means something like a casual conversation on simple topics. Local people love to communicate even with complete strangers. Americans like to joke, sometimes quite aggressively. However, it is not customary to take offense even at hard jokes here. If you speak English well, don't be surprised if you don't always understand what the locals are telling you. Many stable expressions make the speech of local residents unclear to tourists. Americans are friendly and often try to explain to a foreigner everything that he does not understand.
Washington's cuisine is eclectic, incredible even by the standards of the United States with its diverse culinary traditions. Africans, Asians, descendants of colonizers from France and … Open
Local people also like to celebrate holidays on a very large scale. If you get to the city during the celebration of Independence Day, on July 4, you can see a Grand parade, a concert of local performers and a performance of the National Symphony orchestra. You will be able to enjoy these shows even if it is raining. You can visit the Cherry Blossom Festival at the end of March. This is the largest holiday in the United States dedicated to Japanese culture. You can enjoy cherry blossoms in the Potomac River valley. Sushi cooking championships, tea ceremonies, and various excursions are held here at this time. Local people also celebrate Catholic Christmas, New Year, and national holidays – Thanksgiving, Constitution Day, National Flag Day, and popular youth days like Halloween or Valentine's Day. National communities celebrate their memorable dates. You can get a closer look at US culture during the Smithsonian Folk Festival.