Holidays

Find out more about these holidays, celebrated throughout the year and throughout the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
This holiday celebrates the birthday and the life and times of the famous civil rights leader.

Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is a day to have fun and see whether more or less winter is on the way, courtesy of a furry weather predicter who lives in a hole.

Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is a celebration of love and loved ones.

St. Patrick's Day
Find out why this holiday is so special to Irish and non-Irish people alike.

Passover
Passover is the Jewish holiday celebrating the Exodus from Egypt.

Easter
Easter is both a religious and a commercial holiday. The religious holiday sees Christians celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, whom they believe is their Savior. The commercial holiday sees the coming of the Easter Bunny, who brings eggs and candy to children and adults.

Golden Week
Golden Week is a weeklong series of holidays in Japan. Included are Boys' Day, Children's Day, and Constitution Memorial Day, among others.

Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo). This holiday honors a victory by the Mexican Army over invading French troops at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Vesak--Buddha's Birthday
Vesak is the holiest day on the Buddhist calendar. It celebrates the birth, the Enlightenment, and the death of the Buddha.

Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a day to honor your mother, your grandmother, and other people who have helped you become the person you are. These sites tell you the history of the holiday, how other people celebrate it, and give you new ideas for how to honor your mother or any special woman in your life.

Shavuot
Shavuot is the holiest time in the Jewish calendar. It marks the deliverance of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a day to remember the soldiers who have died fighting for their country. These sites give you a well-rounded view of this important holiday, how it started, how people still celebrate it, and why it is all important.

Father's Day
Father's Day is an American holiday designed to honor fathers. It has expanded to include grandfathers, stepfathers, and fatherly figures.

Juneteenth
Juneteenth is short for June 19th, the anniversary of the end of slavery. These links take you to the history, celebrations, and importance of this historic holiday.

Canada Day - Dominion Day
It's the national holiday of Canada, celebrating the union of English and French Canada. It's a lot more than that! It's celebrations and food and fun! These sites share it with you!

Fourth of July - U.S. Independence Day
July 4 is the day Americans traditionally celebrate as Independence Day, the day the United States declared themselves independent from England in 1776. These sites give you a good overview of how and why Americans celebrate.

Bastille Day
Bastille Day celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison and the release of many prisoners. It was a symbol of individual freedom during the French Revolution. These sites give you the background of the holiday and also show and tell you how people still celebrate today!

Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is a very somber holiday, the beginning of the High Holy Days of Judaism. It is actually a two-day celebration and is often referred to as the Jewish New Year.

Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur is the end of the High Holy Days, which begin with Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur is known as the "Day of Atonement," on which Jews pray for atonement for their sins.

Halloween
This spooky holiday is October 31. People celebrate with costumes, tricks-and-treats, and pumpkins--lots of pumpkins.

Ramadan
Ramadan is a monthlong fast observed by Muslims to honor the revelation of the Word to Muhammad.

Thanksgiving in America
Thanksgiving is a November holiday that Americans celebrate in honor of a feast between English settlers and Native Americans near Plymouth in 1621. These were the Pilgrims, and they sat down to feast with members of the Wampanoag tribe.

Hanukkah
Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights, celebrated at the end of the calendar year.

Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 in countries all around the world. Find out how different people celebrate.

Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a holiday festival that begins December 26 and lasts for a full seven days. Kwanzaa means "first fruits of the harvest." It is a time to celebrate African and African-American heritage and culture.

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Social Studies for Kids
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David White