I have written numerous research articles about the histories of holidays from around the world. Below, I present a list of all of my holiday history articles with links and brief synopsises for each. Instead of listing the articles in order of when I published them, I will list them based on when the holidays being covered occur within the calendar year (e.g., if I wrote an article about New Years, that would go first).
- Anna Jarvis and the Origin of Mother’s Day in the United States
Places Examined: USA, Australia.
This focuses on the early twentieth century origins of Mother’s Day. - 1883 Opening of the Brooklyn Bridge
Place of Celebration: USA (NYC).
This covers the festivities in Manhattan and Brooklyn surrounding the May 24, 1883 opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. Consider this a one-off holiday. - October 25 Thanksgiving in Grenada
Places Examined: Grenada.
Grenada has a day of thanksgiving on October 25 to commemorate the American intervention in 1983. I explain the origin of Grenada’s Thanksgiving and how it has been observed over the years. - Halloween in Japan: Through English Sources
Places Examined: Japan.
Halloween is a major commercial holiday in Japan. However, this was not always the case. In fact, Halloween only became a major event beginning in the 2010s. I take a look at Halloween’s history and growth in Japan. - Eisenhower’s 1954 Veterans Day Proclamation
Place of Celebration: USA.
The story of the first Veteran’s Day Proclamation. Eisenhower transformed the holiday from one which focused on World War I to one which honors the veterans of all of America’s wars. - History of Thanksgiving Proclamations in the Philippines
Places Examined: Philippines.
The Philippines inherited Thanksgiving from the United States during its colonial period. I explore how Thanksgiving was proclaimed over the years before it transformed under the regime of Ferdinand Marcos and mostly fell out of favor in the Philippines thereafter. - Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Place of Celebration: USA.
Examining the first presidential proclamation of a day of Thanksgiving. - History of New York’s Evacuation Day
Places Examined: USA (NYC)
Evacuation Day commemorated the orderly evacuation of the British from New York City after the American victory in the Revolutionary War. My article looks at the history of this mostly-forgotten holiday and small commemorations that continue to this day.