Observances & Traditions
From religious and patriotic holidays to celebrations of ethnic pride, explore the history of Easter, New Year's Day, Veterans Day and more annual observances, plus traditions and rituals that take place all year long.
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Native American Heritage Month is a federal observance held each November to honor American Indians and Alaska Natives.
The idea dates back to 1895—and has been controversial ever since.
The Veterans Day holiday honors military veterans on November 11.
The winter solstice is the day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight. Humans may have celebrated the winter solstice as far back as the Stone Age.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year in San Francisco
New Year's celebrations in China are thousands of years old, but across the Pacific, the holiday took on a life of its own.
3 Holidays Honoring U.S. Military Personnel
Armed Forces Day
Celebrated annually on the third Saturday in May, Armed Forces Day thanks those currently serving in the military for their service. It was created in 1949 by then-Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days.
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The plain Passover flatbread known as matzo has important meaning.
In Judaism, Passover commemorates the Israelites’ escape from slavery in ancient Egypt. Learn about the Passover story and traditions.
Easter traditions like the Easter Bunny and hunting Easter eggs are centuries old. Many of the Christian holiday’s symbols have pagan roots.
April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, is several centuries old. Its exact origins remain a mystery.
The holidays both celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ but have some different traditions and are based on different calendars.
Easter celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Learn about the Christian holiday’s history, meaning and traditions.
In 1957, a TV broadcaster shared footage of harvesting "an exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop" in a town near the Italian border. Try to top that—and other historic, outrageous pranks—this April Fools' Day.
A group of hard-boiled congressmen literally protecting their turf got the annual Easter tradition rolling.
For many Christians, sunrise and resurrection are linked.
Honoring the start of the year and the change of seasons are practices as old as time.
Local celebrations include parades and reenactments as well as hatchet burials, horse races and barbecue competitions.
The Monday after Easter is also known as Dyngus Day in some Polish American communities.
