Kwanzaa Culture/religion: African American/Pan-African heritage Date: December 26-January 1 Kwanzaa is an African American and pan-African holiday celebrating family, community and culture. Kwanzaa is an annual celebration beginning December 26 and ending January 1. It combines communitarian values and practices of Continental African and African American … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – December 26, 2022-January 1, 2023
Chanukah Culture/religion: Judaism Date: December 18-26 Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day festival of lights, celebrated each night with menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. Chanukah means “dedication” in Hebrew and is named as such because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. In second century BCE, Judah the Maccabee drove the Greeks from … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – December 18-25, 2022
National Native American Indian Heritage Month Culture/religion: National observance Date: November Native American Heritage Month has evolved from a week-long celebration when president Ronald Reagan proclaimed November 23-30 as “American Indian Week” to a month-long celebration in 1990 when president George H.W. Bush issued a proclamation designating the month of … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – November 1-6, 2022
Memorial Day Culture/religion: National observance Date: May 30 Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – May 30-June 5, 2022
Declaration of the Báb Culture/religion: Bahá’í Date: May 24 Declaration of the Báb commemorates the day the Báb, the herald of the Bahá’í faith announced that he was the new messenger of God. The day is one of the nine holy days when work is suspended. Bahá’ís celebrate through prayers and retelling the story of the declaration. Pronunciation: Bahá’í: Ba-HIGH; … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – May 23-29, 2022