Table of Contents
Preface...... xv
Aboakyer Festival ...... 1 Academy Awards ...... 3 Advent ...... 7 Akshaya Tritiya ...... 12 Akwambo ...... 16 Al-Hijra ...... 18 Alasitas Fair ...... 21 Alaska Day ...... 24 All Souls’ Day ...... 26 America’s Cup ...... 29 Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast of the ...... 33 Anzac Day ...... 36 Aoi Matsuri ...... 38 Apache Girls’ Sunrise Ceremony...... 41 April Fools’ Day ...... 45 Arbor Day...... 48 Arctic Winter Games...... 51 Army-Navy Football Game...... 54 Asalha Puja ...... 57 Ascension Day ...... 60 Ash Wednesday ...... 65 Ashura ...... 67 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast of the ...... 71 Athabascan Stickdance ...... 75 Autumn Equinox...... 78 Awoojoh...... 82 Awuru Odo Festival ...... 84 Aztec New Fire Ceremony ...... 86
Basket Dance ...... 89 Bastille Day ...... 92 Bayou Classic...... 94 Bella Coola (Nuxalk) Midwinter Rites...... 96 Beltane ...... 100 Berber Bride Fair ...... 103 Blessing of the Waters ...... 106
v Holiday Symbols and Customs, 5th Edition e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Bodhi Day ...... 109 Boston Marathon...... 111 Bouphonia ...... 114 Braemar Highland Gathering...... 116 British Open ...... 118 Burial of the Sardine ...... 121 Burning Man Festival ...... 123 Burns Night ...... 126
Candlemas ...... 129 Cannes Film Festival...... 132 Carnival ...... 134 Chalma Pilgrimage ...... 139 Chandan Yatra ...... 142 Chinese New Year ...... 145 Ching Ming ...... 151 Christmas ...... 156 Christmas Eve ...... 168 Chrysanthemum Festival ...... 174 Chung Yeung ...... 177 Chusok ...... 180 Cinco de Mayo ...... 182 Columbus Day ...... 187 Coming of Age Day ...... 191 Compitalia ...... 193 Confederate Memorial Day ...... 195 Coptic New Year ...... 198 Corpus Christi, Feast of ...... 201 Crow Fair ...... 205 Cup Match ...... 208
Darwin Day...... 211 Daytona 500 ...... 213 Dewali ...... 216 Día de los Muertos ...... 220 Dionysia ...... 226 Distaff Day ...... 229 Dosmoche...... 231 Double Fifth ...... 234 Double Seventh Festival ...... 239 Durga Puja ...... 241
Eagle Dance...... 245 Earth Day ...... 247 vi Table of Contents e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Easter ...... 251 Easter Monday ...... 258 Ebisu Festival ...... 262 Egungun Festival ...... 265 Ember Days...... 268 Epiphany, Feast of the ...... 271 Esala Perahera ...... 278 Exaltation of the Cross, Feast of the ...... 280
Father’s Day ...... 285 Feast of Fools ...... 288 Feast of the Dead...... 291 Feast of the Immaculate Conception...... 294 Festival of Seven Herbs ...... 296 Fiesta de Santa Fe ...... 298 Fiesta San Antonio ...... 302 Flag Day...... 305 Floralia ...... 308 Flower Communion ...... 310 Flute Ceremony ...... 311 Forgiveness Sunday ...... 314 Fourth of July ...... 318
Gai Jatra ...... 327 Galungan ...... 330 Ganesh Chaturthi ...... 333 Ganna ...... 336 Gauri Festival...... 338 Ghanta Karna ...... 342 Gion Matsuri ...... 344 Golden Globe Awards ...... 346 Good Friday ...... 348 Great Elephant March ...... 353 Great New Moon Ceremony ...... 355 Green Corn Dance ...... 357 Gudi Padva ...... 360 Guru Nanak’s Birthday ...... 362 Guru Purnima ...... 365 Guy Fawkes Day ...... 367
Hajj ...... 371 Halashashti ...... 377 Halloween ...... 379 Hanami ...... 386
vii Holiday Symbols and Customs, 5th Edition e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Hanukkah ...... 389 Hari-Kuyo ...... 392 Harvest Home Festival ...... 395 Hemis Festival ...... 398 Henley Royal Regatta ...... 401 Hidrellez ...... 404 Higan ...... 407 Hina Matsuri ...... 409 Hiroshima Peace Ceremony ...... 412 Hogmanay ...... 415 Hola Mohalla ...... 418 Holi ...... 421 Holocaust Memorial Day ...... 425 Holy Innocents’ Day ...... 427 Homowo ...... 430 Hopi Snake Dance ...... 434 Hungry Ghosts Festival ...... 439
Id al-Adha ...... 443 Id al-Fitr ...... 446 Iditarod ...... 450 Imbolc ...... 453 Incwala ...... 456 Indianapolis 500 ...... 458 Indra Jatra...... 460 International Day of Peace ...... 463 Inti Raymi Festival ...... 465 Ironman Triathlon World Championship ...... 467 Iroquois Midwinter Ceremony ...... 470
Janmashtami ...... 477 Jhulan Yatra...... 480 Jidai Matsuri ...... 482 John Canoe Festival ...... 484 Juneteenth ...... 486
Kamakura Matsuri ...... 489 Karthikai Deepam ...... 492 Kartika Snan ...... 496 Kataklysmos Day ...... 498 Kattestoet ...... 500 Kentucky Derby ...... 503 Keretkun ...... 505 King Kamehameha Day ...... 508 viii Table of Contents e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Kodomo-No-Hi ...... 511 Korea National Foundation Day ...... 513 Kristallnacht ...... 514 Kumbh Mela ...... 517 Kupalo Festival...... 520 Kwakiutl Midwinter Ceremonies ...... 522 Kwanzaa ...... 525
Labor Day...... 531 Lag Ba-Omer ...... 535 Lammas ...... 539 Lantern Festival ...... 541 Laylat al-Bara’ah ...... 545 Laylat al-Miraj ...... 549 Laylat al-Qadr ...... 552 Lazarus Saturday ...... 555 Leap Year Day ...... 558 Leif Erikson Day ...... 560 Lemuralia ...... 562 Lent ...... 564 Li Ch’un...... 568 Lincoln’s Birthday ...... 570 Lohri...... 574 Loi Krathong ...... 576 Losar ...... 578 Lotus, Birthday of the ...... 581 Lughnasa ...... 583 Luilak ...... 586 Lupercalia...... 588
Mabon...... 593 Magha Puja ...... 596 Mahavira Jayanti ...... 598 Martenitza ...... 601 Martin Luther King Jr. Day ...... 603 Martinmas ...... 606 Masi Magham ...... 609 Maskal ...... 611 Maslenitsa ...... 613 Masters Golf Tournament...... 617 Matsu Festival ...... 620 Maundy Thursday ...... 622 Mawlid al-Nabi ...... 626 May Day ...... 631
ix Holiday Symbols and Customs, 5th Edition e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Memorial Day ...... 635 Michaelmas ...... 638 Mid-Autumn Festival ...... 641 Mid-Lent Sunday ...... 646 Midsummer Day ...... 649 Miss America Pageant ...... 652 Miwok Big Time ...... 659 Monkey King Festival ...... 661 Monlam ...... 664 Moors and Christians Fiesta ...... 666 Mother’s Day...... 669
Naadam ...... 673 Nachi No Hi Matsuri ...... 677 Naga Panchami ...... 680 National Cherry Blossom Festival ...... 683 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast of the ...... 686 Navajo Mountain Chant...... 689 Navajo Night Chant ...... 693 Nawruz ...... 697 New Yam Festival ...... 700 New Year’s Day ...... 703 New Year’s Eve ...... 708 New York Gay Pride March ...... 710 Niman Kachina Festival ...... 712 Nineteen Day Fast ...... 715 Nyepi ...... 717
Obon Festival ...... 721 Obzinky ...... 724 October Horse Sacrifi ce ...... 726 Odunde Festival ...... 727 Odwira ...... 730 Ogun Festival ...... 732 Oktoberfest ...... 735 Olympic Games ...... 738 Onam ...... 741 Oshogatsu ...... 744 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fiesta of ...... 752
Palio, Festival of the ...... 757 Palm Sunday ...... 761 Panguni Uthiram...... 764 Parilia ...... 767 x Table of Contents e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Paro Tsechu ...... 769 Paryushana ...... 771 Passover ...... 774 Pentecost ...... 780 Pinkster ...... 784 Pitra Paksa Festival ...... 786 Plough Monday ...... 790 Pongal ...... 793 Pooram ...... 796 Posadas, Las ...... 799 Poson ...... 801 Powamû Festival ...... 804 Procession of the Swallow ...... 807 Puck Fair ...... 808 Purim ...... 810 Pushkar Mela ...... 816 Queen’s Birthday ...... 819 Raksha Bandhan ...... 823 Ram Navami ...... 825 Ramadan ...... 828 Rath Yatra ...... 832 Reek Sunday ...... 834 Ridvan ...... 837 Rocket Festival ...... 839 Rogation Days ...... 840 Rose Bowl ...... 843 Rosh Hashanah...... 846 Royal Ascot ...... 851 Royal National Eisteddfod ...... 855 Royal Ploughing Ceremony ...... 859 Rushbearing Festival ...... 861 Samhain ...... 863 San Fermin Festival ...... 865 San Gennaro Festival ...... 868 San Jacinto Day...... 871 Sanja Matsuri ...... 873 Saturnalia ...... 876 Saut d’Eau Pilgrimage ...... 879 Sechseläuten ...... 882 Sennin Gyoretsu ...... 884 Setsubun ...... 887 Seville Fair ...... 889
xi Holiday Symbols and Customs, 5th Edition e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Shalako Ceremony ...... 893 Shavuot ...... 896 Shawnee Death Feast ...... 900 Shichi-Go-San ...... 902 Shick-Shack Day ...... 904 Shivaratri ...... 906 Shrove Tuesday ...... 909 Simhat Torah ...... 912 Sol ...... 916 Songkran ...... 920 Soyaluna ...... 922 St. Andrew’s Day...... 925 St. Anthony of Padua, Feast of ...... 927 St. Barbara’s Day ...... 929 St. Basil’s Day...... 931 St. Blaise’s Day ...... 935 St. Bridget’s Day ...... 938 St. Casimir’s Day...... 940 St. Catherine’s Day...... 944 St. Christopher’s Day ...... 947 St. David’s Day...... 949 St. Elmo’s Day ...... 951 St. Francis of Assisi, Feast of ...... 952 St. George’s Day ...... 955 St. James the Apostle, Feast of ...... 959 St. Joseph’s Day ...... 962 St. Lucy’s Day ...... 965 St. Mark’s Day ...... 967 St. Mennas’s Day...... 970 St. Patrick’s Day ...... 971 St. Stephen’s Day ...... 976 St. Swithin’s Day ...... 979 St. Sylvester’s Day ...... 981 St. Thomas the Apostle’s Day...... 983 St. Urho’s Day ...... 986 Sts. Peter and Paul, Feast Of ...... 989 Sukkot ...... 991 Summer Solstice ...... 996 Sun Dance...... 1000 Super Bowl Sunday ...... 1003 Sweetest Day ...... 1007
Tanabata ...... 1009 Tano Festival ...... 1012 xii Table of Contents e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Tazaungdaing Festival ...... 1016 Teej ...... 1018 Tenjin Matsuri ...... 1021 Terminalia...... 1025 Tet ...... 1027 Thaipusam ...... 1029 Thanksgiving ...... 1032 Thesmophoria ...... 1038 Tihar ...... 1040 Timkat ...... 1045 Tisha be-Av ...... 1048 Tod Kathin ...... 1051 Tori-no-ichi ...... 1053 Tour de France ...... 1056 Tu Bishvat ...... 1059 Tulip Time Festival...... 1061 Twelfth Night ...... 1064 Twenty-Four Hours of Le Mans ...... 1067
Umoja Karamu ...... 1071 Up Helly Aa ...... 1073 Urs of Data Ganj Bakhsh ...... 1076 Ute Bear Dance ...... 1080
Vaisakh ...... 1083 Valentine’s Day...... 1086 Vasaloppet ...... 1090 Vasant Panchami ...... 1093 Vata Savitri ...... 1096 Vegetarian Festival ...... 1098 Vernal Equinox ...... 1102 Vesak ...... 1104 Veterans’ Day ...... 1107
Walpurgis Night ...... 1111 Wampanoag Powwow ...... 1113 Washington’s Birthday ...... 1115 Waso ...... 1117 Watch Night ...... 1120 Westminster Dog Show ...... 1124 White Nights Festival ...... 1127 Wianki Festival of Wreaths ...... 1129 Wild Horse Festival ...... 1131 Wimbledon ...... 1134
xiii Holiday Symbols and Customs, 5th Edition e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee
Wind Festival ...... 1137 Winter Solstice ...... 1139 World AIDS Day ...... 1141 World Cup Soccer ...... 1143 World Eskimo-Indian Olympics ...... 1146 World Series ...... 1150 Wuwuchim ...... 1155 Yaqui Easter Ceremony ...... 1159 Yemanja Festival ...... 1163 Yom Kippur...... 1166
Bibliography ...... 1171
Appendix A: Calendars throughout History ...... 1189 Appendix B : Tourism Information Sources for North America ...... 1211 Appendix C: Tourism Information Sources for Countries around the World . . . .1265 Appendix D: Entries by Type ...... 1343 Appendix E : Entries by Symbol and Custom ...... 1353
General Index ...... 1363
xiv