Holidays That Changed the World
This November holiday marks the 1918 armistice that ended fighting in World War I.
What is Veterans Day? (or Armistice Day)
This president made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.
Who is Abraham Lincoln?
Día de los Muertos blends Indigenous traditions with Catholicism brought by these European colonizers.
Who are the Spanish?
The giant Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition began during this economic crisis?
What is the Great Depression?
This U.S. founding father wanted the turkey, not the bald eagle, to represent America.
Who is Benjamin Franklin?
This springtime Jewish holiday commemorates the Exodus and has influenced many freedom movements throughout history.
What is Passover?
The first official Fourth of July celebration was held in this city in 1777.
What is Philadelphia?
The Lunar New Year tradition of red envelopes comes from this East Asian country.
What is China?
The American tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa became popular after this major world event.
What is World War II?
This civil rights leader’s birthday became a U.S. holiday largely due to a nationwide campaign after his assassination.
Who is Martin Luther King Jr.?
Established by the United Nations in 1948, this day is observed annually on December 10 to promote global human rights.
What is Human Rights Day?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first celebrated as a federal holiday in this decade.
What is the 1980s? (1986)
The festival of Diwali is celebrated primarily by followers of this religion.
What is Hinduism?
Fruitcake became associated with Christmas during this historical period of British influence.
What is the Victorian era?
This English author popularized many Christmas traditions through A Christmas Carol.
Who is Charles Dickens?
This African American holiday, first celebrated in 1966, was created to promote unity, culture, and self-determination during the civil rights era.
What is Kwanzaa?
This holiday began as Decoration Day to honor soldiers who died in the Civil War.
What is Memorial Day?
Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26, originated in this country’s charitable tradition of giving boxes to the poor.
What is Great Britain (England)?
Latkes became a Hanukkah staple due to their connection with this miracle involving oil.
What is the oil lasting eight days?
Hanukkah’s story features this group who rebelled against the Seleucid Empire.
Who are the Maccabees?
This international holiday, first observed in 1970, sparked the modern environmental movement and led to the creation of the EPA in the same year.
What is Earth Day?
This U.S. holiday began as a workers’ rights celebration sparked by the labor movement in the late 19th century.
What is Labor Day?
This country is known for the “Gävle Goat,” a large straw structure often burned by pranksters.
What is Sweden?
Kwanzaa’s communal feast is known by this Swahili word.
What is Karamu?
Congress officially recognized Independence Day as an unpaid federal holiday in 1870, during the presidency of this Civil War general.
Who is Ulysses S. Grant?