Holidays
Holidays hold a special place in cultures around the world and each carry their own unique history, shaped by centuries of traditions and beliefs. From religious observances such as Yom Kippur and Ramadan to patriotic celebrations such as July Fourth and Presidents' Day, explore the stories behind the holidays.
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Lent, the 46-day period of prayer and fasting that leads up to Easter, was once a preparatory period for new converts.
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer.
The celebration of Irish culture takes place annually on March 17. Learn about the origins and history of St. Patrick’s Day in this article.
Easter celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Learn about the Christian holiday’s history, meaning and traditions.
Lunar New Year
The Chinese New Year
The 15-day-long Chinese New Year celebration originated from an ancient Chinese legend of the monster Nian.
3 Holy Spring Holidays
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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.
The annual Mexican holiday marks the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla.
Dim sum for Christmas? The experiences of immigrants in New York explain how the tradition began.
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.
St. Patrick is not a canonized saint, despite his well-known honorific. Still, he is known as the patron saint of Ireland and Nigeria.
