Annual National and Religious Holidays

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Word Menu > Arts and Leisure > Leisure and Recreation > Holidays, Celebrations, and Vacations > Annual National and Religious Holidays

Admission Day - U.S.: date on which state entered Union, which varies by state
Advent - Christian: beginning fourth Sunday before Christmas, period of fasting and prayer through Christmas celebrating Jesus' birth and anticipating his second coming
Allhallows - All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day - Christian: November 1, feast day to honor martyrs and saints; Allhallows
All Souls' Day - Christian: November 2, day to pray for and honor departed souls
American Indian Day - U.S.: fourth Friday in September, honoring Native Americans
Anzac Day - Australia and New Zealand: April 25, commemorating landing of troops on Gallipoli, Turkey, in World War I
April Fools' Day - April 1, traditional day for playing jokes
Arab League Day - March 22, observed by most Arab nations
Arbor Day - U.S.: last Friday in April, set aside for preserving trees, often by planting, and encouraging environmental awareness
Armed Forces Day - U.S.: third Saturday in May, honoring the members of armed forces
Armistice Day - Veterans Day
Ascension Day - Christian: tenth day before Pentecost, forty days after Easter, feast day commemorating Christ's departure from Earth to heaven
Ash Wednesday - Christian: first day of Lent, forty days before Easter
Assumption Day - Christian: August 15, feast day commemorating Virgin Mary's ascension to heaven
Australia Day - Australia: January 29, national holiday commemorating arrival of British
autumnal equinox - U.S.: September 22, first day of fall
Bairam - Id al-Adha Islamic, festival following Ramadan
Bastille Day - France: July 14, celebrating beginning of French Revolution
Bon - Japan: July, feast of lanterns honoring ancestral spirits
Boxing Day - Great Britain: December 26, day after Christmas, originally celebrated by giving Christmas boxes or gifts to service workers and domestics
Canada Day - Canada: July 1, commemorating union of provinces into a nation; Dominion Day
Candlemas - Christian: February 2, celebrating presentation of Christ child and purification of Virgin Mary
Carnival - Mardi Gras
Chinese New Year - first new moon after sun enters Aquarius, in late January or early February, festive celebration of new year in Chinese calendar
Christmas - Christian: December 25, holiday honoring the birth of Christ; Noel
Christmas - Christian: January 6 on Eastern Orthodox Julian calendar
Christmas Eve - Christian: December 24, day or evening before Christmas
Cinco de Mayo - Mexico: May 5, holiday commemorating the defeat of Napoleon III's forces in 1867
Columbus Day - U.S.: second Monday in October, orig. October 12, commemorating Columbus's landing in America in 1492
Commonwealth Day - British Commonwealth: May 24, anniversary of Queen Victoria's birthday
Confucius's birthday - China: around September 28, commemorating birth of Confucius
Constitution Day - formerly in Soviet Union: December 5
Corpus Christi - Christian: eleventh day after Pentecost, festival celebrated by Catholics honoring the Eucharist
Decoration Day - Memorial Day
Diwali - Hindu: late October, festival of lights celebrated in India
Dominion Day - Canada Day
Easter - Christian: first Sunday after full moon, occurring on or after March 21, celebrating resurrection of Christ
Election Day - U.S.: first Tuesday after first Monday in November, reserved for electing public officials
Emperor's birthday - Japan: April 29, day honoring birth of emperor
Epiphany - Christian: January 6, twelfth day after Christmas, celebrating the Magi's visit to Jesus
Father's Day - U.S.: third Sunday in June, honoring fathers
Flag Day - U.S.: June 14, anniversary of adoption of American flag in 1777
Flower Festival - Japan: April 8, Hana Matsuri, the spring flower festival
Fourth of July - U.S. Independence Day
Gandhi's birthday - India: October 2, honoring India's independence leader Mahatma Gandhi
Good Friday - Christian: Friday before Easter, commemorating Christ's crucifixion
Groundhog Day - U.S.: February 2, traditional day for predicting spring's arrival by observing a groundhog's shadow, indicating six more weeks of winter, or lack of shadow, indicating spring is imminent
Guy Fawkes Day - Great Britain: November 5, celebrating capture of Guy Fawkes, who blew up Parliament in 1605
Halloween - U.S. and Canada: October 31, festive tradition including dressing in costume, trick-or-treating, and playing pranks
Hanukkah - Jewish: eight days beginning twenty-fifth day of Kislev (December), festival of lights marking rededication of Temple of Jerusalem and miracle of oil lamp that burned for eight days on a one-day supply of oil
High Holy Day - Jewish: Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur
Holi - Hindu: spring festival celebrated in India by lighting of fires on Holi eve and throwing of water and colored powders during day
Human Rights Day - December 10, observed by member states of United Nations
Immaculate Conception - Roman Catholic: December 8, honoring Virgin Mary's freedom from original sin in conception
Inauguration Day - U.S.: January 20 following presidential election, day of inauguration of newly elected president
Independence Day - Israel: celebrated in April or May
Independence Day - Mexico: September 16, celebrating revolution of 1810
Independence Day - U.S.: July 4, honoring adoption of Declaration of Independence by American colonies in 1776; Fourth of July
Islamic New Year's Day - vernal equinox, around March 21, celebrating first day of Islamic calendar
Jefferson Davis's birthday - southern U.S.: June 3, celebrating birth of president of the Confederacy
Kenyatta Day - Kenya: October 20, honoring Jomo Kenyatta
Kwanza - African: December 26 to January 1, harvest festival
Labor Day - U.S. and Canada: first Monday in September, honoring workers
Lammas - Christian: August 1, in memory of St. Peter's imprisonment and deliverance; English harvest festival
Lenin Memorial Day - formerly in Soviet Union: April 22, honoring Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, leader of socialist revolution of 1917 in Russia
Lent - Christian: forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, period of penitence and fasting in preparation for Easter
Lincoln's birthday - U.S.: February 12, celebrating birth in 1809 of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, now celebrated on Presidents' Day
Mardi Gras - Christian: Tuesday immediately before beginning of Lent, celebrated by feasting, carnivals, and parades; Carnival
Martin Luther King Day - U.S.: third Monday in January, orig. January 15, celebrating birth of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martinmas - Christian: November 11, celebrating feast of St. Martin
Maundy Thursday - Christian: Thursday before Easter, commemorating Christ's Last Supper
May Day - May 1, traditional spring festival, also international holiday honoring workers
Memorial Day - U.S.: May 30, honoring soldiers who died in battle; Decoration Day
Michaelmas - Christian: September 29, feast of the archangel St. Michael
Midsummer Day - Great Britain: June 24, feast of St. John the Baptist; traditional night when spirits are believed to wander
Moharram - Islamic: first month of Islamic calendar, festival held during first ten days of new year
Mother's Day - U.S.: second Sunday in May, honoring mothers
Muhammad's birthday - Islamic: June 8, celebrating birth of prophet Muhammad
National Day - People's Republic of China: October 1
National Day - Spain: July 18
National Unity Day - Italy: November 4
New Year's Day - January 1, first day of new year on Gregorian calendar
New Year's Eve - December 31, celebrating last day and night of year on Gregorian calendar
Noel - Christmas
October Revolution Day - formerly in Soviet Union: November 7, celebrating socialist revolution of 1917, when Bolsheviks seized power in Russia
Omisoka - Japan: December 31, Grand Last Day celebration, equivalent to New Year's Eve
Palm Sunday - Christian: Sunday before Easter, commemorating Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem
Pan American Day - U.S. and Latin America: April 14, honoring understanding and cooperation among the Americas
Passover - Jewish: eight days beginning fourteenth day of Nisan (March or April), commemorating Hebrews' deliverance by Moses from slavery in Egypt; Pesach
Peach Festival - Japan: March 3, day when young girls decorate ceremonial dolls with peach blossoms to symbolize peacefulness
Pentecost - Christian: seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating arrival of Holy Spirit to the apostles; Whitsunday
Pesach - Passover
Posadas - Christian, esp. Mexico: December 16 to 24, commemorating Joseph and Mary's search for shelter
Presidents' Day - U.S.: third Monday in February, interim date celebrating birthdays of Washington (February 22) and Lincoln (February 12)
Purim - Jewish: fourteenth day of Adar (March), celebrating Persian Jews' deliverance by Esther from massacre by Haman
Queen's birthday - Great Britain: April 21, but celebrated in June, honoring birthday of queen
Ramadan - Islamic: ninth month of Islamic calendar, period of fasting commemorating revelation of the Koran to Mohammed
Reformation Sunday - Protestant: Sunday nearest October 31, commemorating day Martin Luther began the Reformation
Republic Day - India: January 26, commemorating founding of Republic of India
Respect for the Aged Day - Japan: September 15, honoring the elderly
Robert E. Lee's birthday - southern U.S.: January 19, celebrating birth of Confederate commander in chief
Rosh Hashanah - Jewish: New Year, first two days of Tishri (September or October)
Sadie Hawkins Day - U.S.: first Saturday after November 11, when women invite men to dance or celebrate
Saint Patrick's Day - March 17, honoring Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland
Saint Stephen's Day - Christian: December 26, honoring patron saint of bricklayers in Europe
Saint Valentine's Day - Valentine Day
Shavuot - Jewish: sixth and seventh days of Sivan (June), commemorating revelation of Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai
Shrovetide - Christian: three days before Ash Wednesday, time of feasting in preparation for Lent
Shrove Tuesday - Christian: last day of Shrovetide
Simon Bolivar's birthday - Latin America, esp. Ecuador and Venezuela: July 24, honoring leader of South American revolt against Spain in early 19th century
Spring Bank Holiday - Great Britain: last Monday in May, official public holiday in spring originating from Christian holiday Whitsuntide
Sukkoth - Jewish: beginning fifteenth day of Tishri (October or November), Feast of Tabernacles, celebrating fall harvest and commemorating period when Hebrews wandered in wilderness after Exodus, marked by building of shelters
summer solstice - June 21 in Northern Hemisphere, first day of summer
Tet - Vietnam: New Year, ocurring first new moon after sun enters Aquarius, late January or early February
Thanksgiving Day - U.S.: fourth Thursday in November, day of giving thanks, commemorating Pilgrims' harvest festival
Trinity Sunday - Christian: seventh day after Pentecost, honoring the Holy Trinity
Twelfth Night - Christian: January 5 or 6, eve of Epiphany
United Nations Day - October 24, celebrating ratification of U.N. Charter in 1945
Valentine Day - February 14, day for sending messages or gifts of love; Saint Valentine's Day
V-E Day - May 8, anniversary of Allied victory in Europe at end of World War II
vernal equinox - March 21 or 22, first day of spring
Veterans Day - U.S.: November 11, honoring veterans of armed forces and commemorating end of World War I; Armistice Day
V-J Day - August 14, anniversary of Allied victory in Japan at end of World War II
Walpurgis Night - eve of May Day, April 30, believed in medieval times to be night when witches celebrate their sabbath
Washington's birthday - U.S.: February 22, celebrating birth in 1732 of George Washington, first U.S. president, now celebrated on Presidents' Day
Whitsunday - Pentecost
Whitsuntide - Christian: week beginning with Whitsunday or Pentecost, esp. first three days of that week
winter solstice - December 21 in Northern Hemisphere, first day of winter
Women's Day - March 8, honoring work of women, esp. in socialist states
World Health Day - April 7, observed by member states of the United Nations
Xmas - Christmas
Yom Kippur - Jewish: tenth day of Tishri (September or October), day of atonement marked by fasting and prayer