World Holidays & Festivals

A list and description of American Holidays provided by USA.gov. It discusses federal holidays and national observances with further links to other relevant information. This site also provides additional links including: "Commonly celebrated holidays and observances," and "Ethnic and religious holidays."

Lists of countries with links to their holidays and observances. Provides a current time and date of each holiday/observance.

Detailed information and lots more about every holiday and celebration imaginable.

Searchable multimedia site. Describes over 100 holidays and provides an updated calendar list of holidays and observances. Includes links to numerous sources and other holiday related activities.

Describes how Christmas is celebrated in numerous countries around the world.

A detailed site on the history of Cinco de Mayo with additional links to other cultural events in Mexico.

Research guide covering the history, food, and importance of the holiday.

Describes the five days of Diwaili, one of the biggest festival of Hindus. Includes aspects such as the writing of Diwali poems and songs, recipes, exchange of gifts. etc.

Information on the history of Easter with links to crafts, games, etc.

Information provided by the The American Folklife Center at the US Library of Congress on Halloween and Día de Muertos.

Description of the history of Hanukkah (or Chanukah), symbolism of food, traditions, multimedia audio and video, global events, etc.

Basic overview of Jewish holidays, includes, "A Gentile's Guide to the Jewish Holidays."

Provides details on the seven principles of Kwanzaa with links to children's activities,

Discusses the history of Labor Day, a national holiday. Includes information on the founder, legislation and links to other sites.

Includes information on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and the Civil Rights Movement. A full text and video of the August 28, 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech plus links to other sites.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute was founded in 2005 to provide an institutional home for a the archival documents and other activities related to the life of MLK and the movements he inspired. This site presents a vast array of resources including material on the King Papers Project, resources for educators, audio, video, and multimedia resources, and a King Online Encyclopedia.

Information about the Muslim holiday of Ramadan and how it relates to the Holy Qur'an and Muhammad as well as a brief synopsis of the Muslim faith. Also includes links to information on the three day festival.

An exploration of the development of this modern holiday from the Smithsonian Institute.

Includes links on harvest celebrations throughout history, turkey and stuffing recipes, Thanksgiving proclamation from US Presidents from 1996 onwards, and National Day of mourning — noting injustices to Native American Peoples.

From the Pilgrim Hall Museum, includes links about the "First Thanksgiving" and Thanksgiving's later significance.

Created by Cultural Survival, a New England-based organization supporting Indigenous Peoples' rights. Provides links to historic and current sources.