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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Mother’s Day has been held every May in the United States since the early 20th century.
Carnations have been the official flower of Mother’s Day for more than 100 years.
Here’s how the Cinco de Mayo holiday began and how its meaning has evolved since the 1862 Battle of Puebla.
When a small, scrappy Mexican force handed the French army a surprise defeat in 1862, the Confederacy was denied a potential ally.
Discover the origin and history of Cinco de Mayo and the battle that inspired the May 5 holiday.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s victory over France on May 5, 1862.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates an 1862 Mexican battle victory, but it’s not a federal holiday in Mexico.
The holiday, which celebrates renewal and fertility, involves dancing with fire.
The date of Mother’s Day hasn’t changed since the holiday began in 1914.
Anti-Vietnam War protests and other counterculture movements from the 1960s heavily influenced the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.
Earth Day was established in 1970 and has become a worldwide holiday celebrated by over 1 billion people. See key highlights in the movement.
April 15 once meant lively gatherings at post offices as people filed their annual tax returns.
Local celebrations include parades and reenactments as well as hatchet burials, horse races and barbecue competitions.
Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues.
