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Father’s
Day:
Father's Day
Fun facts and tips for Father's Day from the U.S. government.
Father’s
Day on the Net
Produced by Holidays on the Net, this site includes a short history
of the day and other activities associated with the holiday.
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Flag Day
The History of
Flag Day
From a member of the National Flag Foundation.
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Fourth
of July:
Fourth of July is Independence Day
A comprehensive look at the history of our 4th of July holiday. Links include historical documents, founding fathers and founding mothers, colonial life and recipes.
Happy
Birthday America
From USA Citylink, this site includes presidential addresses, government
resources and historical documents about the holiday.
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Groundhog
Day:
Groundhog Day
This official
site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club includes informational and
recreational links to the celebration of Groundhogs Day on Feb 2nd.
The "celebrate" link covers lesson plans for teachers,
activities for kids, poetry and groundhog cookies!
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Halloween:
Halloween:
Facts & Misinformation
From a religious tolerance organization, this site includes information
on religious and secular customs and beliefs.
The
History of Halloween
This History Channel exhibit features a comprehensive
overview of the history of Halloween, the story behind jack-o-lanterns,
and even a collection of ghost stories. It also highlights Halloween
celebrations around the world and recalls some of the White House's
other-worldly residents.
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Hanukkah:
Chanukkah
From Judaism 101, this overview of Chanukkah includes music,
a timeline, and the traditions of the holiday.
Chanukah
Chabad.org’s “kid’s guide” to Chanukah. This site includes games, activities and recipes.
Hanukkah
Traditions, blessings, vocabulary, the menorah, crafts and recipes
are covered in this website about the eight- day Jewish holiday for
younger students. From Akhlah: The Jewish Children’s Learning
Network.
Hanukkah
in Cyberspace
This site, created by a Jewish high school in New York, provides
the story of the holiday, songs and recipes.
The History
of the Holidays
Select Hanukkah on this site from The History Channel and learn about
the holiday's history, traditions and amazing feats.
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Juneteenth:
Texas State Historical Association
Explains significance of this holiday that grew out of the June day in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas.
County of Los Angeles Public Library
Includes extensive bibliography.
Juneteenth.com
Worldwide Celebration
Kwanzaa:
Kwanzaa
This History Channel website takes a thorough look at the celebration
of Kwanzaa, including the 7 symbols used in celebration and why they
are important.
The
Official Kwanzaa Web Site
Sponsored by the founding organization of Kwanzaa,
this site provides information about the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa,
and the history, symbols, greetings, gifts, decorations and celebrations
for this holiday.
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Labor
Day:
Labor
Day
Origins of the holiday from the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
Labor Day Resources for students
Learn more about working men and women.
The
Origins of Labor Day
A history of the day’s birth is provided by the Online Newshour
of PBS.
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Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day:
Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day
The University of Kansas provides a history of the holiday.
Perspectives:
Creating a Holiday
Information about how Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was created from the
Seattle Times. Click on Perspectives for ways to celebrate the day.
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Memorial
Day:
Memorial
Day
Originally created as a project at the University of Tennessee,
this site provides the history of the holiday, how to observe the holiday,
information about MIAs and POWs, and more.
Memorial
Day
From the History Channel, this site provides a history of the holiday
and links to facts about America’s wars.
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Mother’s
Day:
Mother’s
Day
A short history of the holiday from the University of Kansas.
Mother’s
Day
From About.com, the history of Mother’s Day from ancient
times to present. Includes quotations, Mothers in History and ideas
for honoring mothers.
Mother’s Day on the
Net
History, music, poems, presidential messages and more from Holidays
on the Net.
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New
Year’s Day:
Chinese
New Year
Find out about the 15 day celebration of the Chinese New year including
food, superstitions, decorations. From the University of Victoria, British
Columbia
New Year Traditions
Learn how New Year's Day is celebrated around the world.
New
Years Day Celebrations Around the World
From Topics, an online magazine for Learners of English, students describe
New Year’s celebrations and customs from their native countries.
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Passover:
Chabad.org Holidays
This comprehensive site from chabad.org explores the Jewish holiday
of Passover. Links include family fun, recipes, interviews and stories,
interactive media, and even a link to find the closest Seder.
Passover-Pesach:History & Meaning of Freedom in Faith
Includes the history and meaning of the Passover story, including
the seder, recipes, foods, symbols, art, Sephardic and Ashkenazic
Passover customs, a rabbi’s perspective and more.
Passover
Chabad.org’s “kid’s guide” to Passover includes multimedia, stories, games and recipes
Passover
on the Net
The story of Passover, its food, music, rituals and more, provided by
The Jewish Post of New York Online.
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President's Day
By George, IT IS Washington's Birthday!
Debate over the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill in 1968 touched on the fear that George Washington would be forgotten in the schoolrooms and future generations would not know about the Father of Our Country.
President’s
Day or Washington’s Birthday?
Fact Monster provides a history of the holiday and links to presidential
sites.
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Ramadan:
Al-Islam.org
A broad collection of Islamic resources presenting a Shi'ite perspective. Includes articles, books, and the Quran in Arabic and English. Topics include Ramadan, pilgrimage sites, calligraphy, and more.
Ramadan
An explanation of the month of fasting, a glossary of religious terms
and links to more information is provided by the Family Education Network
and Factmonster.
Ramadan
on the Net
Includes the basic information with links to more about
the Islam religion, produced by Holidays on the Net.
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Rosh
Hashanah:
The
Basic Customs of Rosh HaShanah
The basic details are provided by The Jewish Magazine.
Rosh
Hashanah
This site provides basic information about the holiday and
the dates it will begin on the American calendar in the next few years –
from an online Judaism encyclopedia created by a traditional, observant
Jewish person.
Rosh Hashanah
A very inclusive site from chabad.org that explores the Jewish holiday of Rosh
Hashanah. The significance of rituals and practices for Rosh Hashanah are explained
for all.
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St.
Patrick’s Day:
The
History of St. Patrick's Day
This site, from The History Channel, describes St. Patrick and discusses
the evolution of the holiday - and much more.
St. Patrick's Day
A short history of the holiday
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Thanksgiving:
The
First Thanksgiving
Relive the voyage on the Mayflower and experience life
in Plimoth in 1621.
Click on Research Starters for detailed information about Plymouth Colony.
From Scholastic.
History
of the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and early Plymouth Colony
Extensive information supported by primary sources provides a look at
life on the Mayflower and Plymouth colony, including the first Thanksgiving.
The author, Caleb Johnson, is an historian and descendant of the Mayflower
pilgrims.
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Valentine’s
Day:
The History of Valentine's Day
A brief overview of the history of Valentine's Day is provided by
The History Channel. Also includes 3 true-life love stories: those of
Harry and Bess Truman, Rachel and Jackie Robinson and Robert and Elizabeth
Barrett Browning.
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Veteran’s
Day:
Veteran's day
From the US Department of Veteran's Affairs, this site not only explains
the history of the holiday, but also includes a teacher's resource
guide, posters to download, and a photo gallery of veteran's day images.
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Yom
Kippur:
Akhlah: Yom Kippur for Kids
From the Jewish Children’s Learning Network, this site includes
traditions, blessings, shofar, vocabulary and dates.
Yom
Kippur
This site, from the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America,
begins with a basic overview and then provides links to more beginning
and advanced level information.
