Holidays and festivals

Striving to maintain normal lives, Japanese Americans held holiday celebrations and festivals inside the concentration camps. Whether decorating mess halls during the Christmas holiday as part of a camp-wide competition or participating in parades to celebrate the harvest of crops from their own gardens, the Japanese Americans demonstrated their resourcefulness and resilience.

World War II (231)
Concentration camps (1434)
Holidays and festivals (268)

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268 items

img Heart Mountain YBA Bussei Coronation Ball (ddr-densho-363-13)

The caption on the bottom of the photograph reads "Heart Mt. Wyo Bussei Coronation Ball 1943".\n\nPictured from left to right: Sanaye Okita, Kimi Kuwahara, Ruby Ushijima, Bussei Queen Sueko Masuda, Amy Kikuchi, Sumi Kurasaki, Kimi Tamura

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-363-13/

img Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-258)

Original WRA caption: Great originality in costumes was show[n] at the Harvest Festival Parade held at this relocation center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-258/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 17 (June 22, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-24)

Selected article titles: "Army Trial to Decide Okamoto Case Outcome" (p. 1), "Reporters Reveal Story on Tule Lake Farm Area" (pp. 2, 4), and "Ondo Practices in Preparation for 'Obonye'" (p. 3).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-24/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. II, No. 1: New Year Edition (January 1, 1945) (ddr-densho-284-46)

Selected article titles: "WRA Reiterates Leave Eligibility of Evacuees" (p. 3), "Soldier's Kin to Receive Priority" (p. 4), and "Torment: A Pre-Evacuation Story" (p. 12).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-46/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. II, No. 18 (May 4, 1945) (ddr-densho-284-67)

Selected article titles: "Baseball Season Opens Tomorrow: Director to Throw First Ball" (p. 1), "War Dept.: 442nd Makes Big Gains in Italy" (pp. 1-2), "Center Firemen Help Quell Tule Lake Fire" (p. 1), and "'May Day' Set for This Sunday" (p. 4).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-67/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 6 (April 13, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-11)

Selected article titles: "Co-ordinators Tender Resignations: Return to Normal State Given Reason for Action" (p. 1, 3), "H. Black Quells Segregation and Repatriation Rumors" (p. 1, 4), "Reserve Corps Status Defined" (p. 1), and "Fiscal Section Reveals 5011 Colonists on WRA Payroll" (p. 2).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-11/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 42 (December 14, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-44)

Selected article titles: "Renunciation: Queries on Procedure Answered by Burling" (pp. 1-2) and "Mess Operations Festival: Division to Select Queen; Nominations Open Today" (p. 3).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-44/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. II, No. 14 (April 6, 1945) (ddr-densho-284-63)

Selected article titles: "Stop List Interviews, Deportation Hearings Being Conducted Here" (pp. 1-2), "Center's End of Year Population Figures Given" (p. 1), "Four Violators Plead Guilty at Project Trials" (p. 2), and "Hana Matsuri: Center Buddhist Churches to Hold Gotanye Services" (p. 3).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-63/

doc 70th Anniversary of the Japanese Congregational Church (ddr-densho-474-53)

The Japanese Congregational Church's 70th Anniversary book traces the history of JCC within the context of national and local events.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-474-53/

doc Book of 70th Anniversary of Japanese Congregational Church (ddr-densho-446-455)

The Japanese Congregational Church's 70th Anniversary coincided with the 100th Anniversary of the Japanese Christian Mission in North America. This book traces the history of JCC within the larger setting of national and local events, and some of the photos and narratives may be of interest. Ai Chih Tsai was pastor at JCC from 1948 to …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-446-455/

doc 1943 Christmas greetings (ddr-csujad-55-1463)

Program for a Christmas pageant at the Protestant Church at Crystal City Department of Justice Internment Camp. From the Mary F. Clark scrapbook, "Before I Forget, 1942-1947," page 111. See also sac_jaac_1334 through sac_jaac_1529. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1465

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1463/

doc Weinachts programm 1944 Internierungslager Crystal City, Texas (ddr-csujad-55-1481)

Program for a German Christmas Eve celebration at Crystal City Department of Justice Internment Camp. From the Mary F. Clark scrapbook, "Before I Forget, 1942-1947," page 124. See also sac_jaac_1334 through sac_jaac_1529. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1483

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1481/

doc Minutes from the Heart Mountain Community Council meeting, October 26, 1943 (ddr-csujad-55-484)

Minutes from the Heart Mountain Community Council meeting. Includes discussion on Christmas, "evacuee doctors", and camp operations and services. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_0486

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-484/

doc Minutes from the Heart Mountain Block Chairmen meeting, December 21, 1942 (ddr-csujad-55-384)

Minutes from the Heart Mountain Block Chairmen meeting. Includes discussion on Christmas meal, cooks wages, and retirement. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_0386

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-384/

doc Minutes from the Heart Mountain Block Chairmen meeting, December 22, 1942 (ddr-csujad-55-386)

Minutes from the Heart Mountain Block Chairmen meeting. Includes discussion on recreation conference, Christmas meal, and New Year entertainment. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_0388

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-386/

doc Letter from Tomiye to Miss Mary Clark, November 3, 1944 (ddr-csujad-55-1457)

Scrapbook page containing a note regarding a request for a crutch and a Boy Scouts program. From the Mary F. Clark scrapbook, "Before I Forget, 1942-1947," page 106. See also sac_jaac_1334 through sac_jaac_1529. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1459

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1457/

doc Poem from German internee at Crystal City Department of Justice Internment Camp (ddr-csujad-55-1386)

Poem written by a German internee given as a gift to Mary Clark, originally accompanied by a bottle of perfume. From the Mary F. Clark scrapbook, "Before I Forget, 1942-1947," page 56. See also sac_jaac_1334 through sac_jaac_1529. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1388

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1386/

img Carnival compliments of the silk screen shop (ddr-csujad-55-1319)

Souvenir tag for "Carnival" at Granada incarceration camp depicting a cowboy cartoon figure. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1321

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1319/

img Christmas greetings especially for you (ddr-csujad-55-1321)

Silk screen Christmas card featuring two poinsettias and a calligraphy greeting. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1323

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1321/

img Lil Neebo season's greetings (ddr-csujad-55-1320)

Silk screen Christmas card featuring cartoon character, Lil Neebo. Lil Neebo was originally created by Chris Ishi for the Santa Anita Pacemaker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1322

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1320/

img In honor of Meiji (ddr-csujad-55-1458)

Scrapbook page containing two black and white photographs depicting Japanese Boy Scouts in uniform honoring Meiji. Title from caption. See also sac_jac_1461. From Mary F. Clark scrapbook, "Before I Forget, 1942-1947," page 107. See also sac_jaac_1334 through sac_jaac_1529. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1460

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1458/

img Heart Mountain sentinel (October 30, 1943): Zootsuo (ddr-csujad-55-1017)

Comic strip created by Bennie Nobori, published in "Heart Mountain Sentinel" at Heart Mountain incarceration camp. Satirical cartoon features the adventures of Zootsuo, a young boy at an incarceration camp. Includes verso in Japanese. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1019

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1017/

doc Hunt Hi-lites anniversary (December 1943) (ddr-csujad-55-1934)

Special Christmas edition of the newsletter published by Hunt High School at Minidoka incarceration camp. Covers events, activities, news, and opinion related to Hunt High School students. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1937

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1934/

doc Christmas card from Japanese Spokesman's office to Miss Mary F. Clark, 1945 (ddr-csujad-55-1406)

Christmas card from the Japanese Spokesman's office to Mary Clark. From the Mary F. Clark scrapbook, "Before I Forget, 1942-1947," page 66. See also sac_jaac_1334 through sac_jaac_1529. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1408

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1406/

img Santa Claus "Knecht Ruprecht" at Crystal City Department of Justice Internment Camp (ddr-csujad-55-1464)

Scrapbook page containing photographs of Santa Clause or "Knecht Ruprecht" at Crystal City Department of Justice Internment Camp. From the Mary F. Clark scrapbook, "Before I Forget, 1942-1947," page 112. See also sac_jaac_1334 through sac_jaac_1529. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sac_jaac_1466

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-55-1464/