What did you do together for the last major holiday?

“What did you do together for the last major holiday?” is a practice question about family and children for a marriage-based green card interview at a USCIS field office. A real officer may ask it in other words, ask something else, or skip it. Practice can help you explain your own facts. It cannot tell you what USCIS will decide.

What is the officer checking with this question?

The officer may use a recent holiday as a time marker for questions about shared life and family contact. Details about the day can lead to questions about guests, travel, or time spent apart. The relevant holiday depends on your household, so the answer should describe what you actually observed rather than an assumed celebration.

What might the officer ask next?

• Which holiday are you describing?
• Where did you spend that day?
• Who joined you for any meal or gathering?
• Were you together for the whole day or only part of it?

The next question usually comes from the words in your answer. If you name a person, a place, or a month, expect a question about it. The guide to green card interview follow-up questions explains how to practice past the first answer.

How do you prepare to answer it?

Identify the most recent major holiday that fits the question and your own traditions. Recall where you each were and whether you celebrated, worked, traveled, or stayed home. Keep plans for the day separate from what actually happened. If you were apart, explain that rather than creating a shared event. Use the holiday as a time marker when helpful, but say when a guest name or other detail is outside your memory.

Answer from your own memory, in your own words. Do not learn a script or a sample answer. If your spouse remembers a detail differently, first check whether you mean the same event. Ask your lawyer about any concern with your forms or documents.

Can you practice this question out loud for free?

Yes. Choose "Answer it now, free". The officer asks this question first. You answer out loud, and the officer follows up on what you said. You can try 3 questions free, and you do not need documents. Feedback comes after the session, not while you speak.

More family and children questions

• What are your spouse's parents' names, and where do they live?
• Does your spouse have any siblings? Can you name them?
• Have you met your spouse's immediate family? When was the last visit or gathering?
• Do you and your spouse have any children together?
• Does either of you have children from a prior relationship? Where do they live, and how often do you see them?
• Have you discussed plans for children or family growth?

Read the family and children topic guide, or see all 91 interview questions.