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
Shavuot Culture/religion: Judaism Date: May 17-18 Shavuot is a two-day holiday celebrating the completion of the seven-week Omer counting period between Passover and Shavuot. The Torah was given by God to the Jewish people on Shavuot, and every year on the holiday the acceptance of God’s gift is renewed. In observance of Shavuot, candles are lit on the first and … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – May 17-23, 2021