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)
268 items
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Christmas decorations (ddr-densho-37-11)
Original WRA caption: Christmas decorations in Block 1 dining hall.
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Labor Day queen and her court (ddr-densho-37-322)
Original WRA caption: The labor day queen and her attendants are shown at the coronation ceremony which was a part of the celebration at this relocation center.
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Christmas Eve party (ddr-densho-37-507)
Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Mrs. Tomiye Funai brings her two year old daughter Carol to the Christmas Eve Party for the children of Block 7-H at the Granada Relocation Center. There were no trees for the barracks room homes, but each mess hall provided a trimmed tree and presents for the children. …
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Christmas decorations (ddr-densho-37-679)
Original WRA caption: Christmas decorations in Dining Hall 34. In the background is a painted scene of the area around the center. The model buildings are a typical block.
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Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-595)
Original WRA caption: Gila River Relocation Center, Rivers, Arizona. One of the floats in the Thanksgiving day Harvest Festival Parade.
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Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-73)
Original WRA caption: Three costumes that were worn in the Harvest Festival Parade held at this relocation center.
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Christmas decoration contest (ddr-densho-37-14)
Original WRA caption: Block 36 saw favor in the judges' eyes for fifth place in the Christmas dining hall decorations contest, by its homey atmosphere and clever decorations made out of waste material.
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Japanese Americans sorting Christmas gifts (ddr-densho-37-7)
Original WRA caption: SANTA'S HELPERS -- Through kind donations from thoughtful friends all over the United States, a happy and merry Christmas will be possible for the children of Hunt. Thousands of presents have been sent in day after day, swamping Rec. 21 and overflowing the Federated Christian Church office.
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Camp Christmas decorations (ddr-densho-37-13)
Original WRA caption: "Block 13." Block residents cleverly decorated their dining halls with waste material for Christmas. The blocks were judged for their decorations and ingenuity.
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Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-72)
Original WRA caption: This float in the Harvest Festival consisted of garden produce from the farm at this relocation center.
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Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-71)
Original WRA caption: Farm workers who participated in the Harvest Festival Parade held at this relocation center. Their hats were fashioned from turnips.
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Japanese Americans preparing for Christmas (ddr-densho-37-8)
Original WRA caption: SANTA'S HELPERS--Through kind donations from thoughtful friends all over the United States, a happy and Merry Christmas will be possible for the children of Hunt. Thousands of presents have been sent in day after day, swamping Rec. 21 and overflowing the Federated Christian Church office.
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Christmas decoration contest (ddr-densho-37-15)
Original WRA caption: Dining hall 32 won fourth place with its beautiful centerpiece complete with life-size Santa Claus in the Christmas dining hall decorations contest.
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Christmas decorations (ddr-densho-37-12)
Original WRA caption: "Block 1 dining hall." Block residents cleverly decorated their dining halls with waste material for Christmas. The blocks were judged for their decorations and ingenuity.
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Japanese Americans sorting Christmas presents (ddr-densho-37-678)
Original WRA caption: Santa's Helpers - Through kind donations from thoughtful friends all over the United States, a happy and merry Christmas will be possible for the children of Hunt. Thousands of presents have been sent in day after day, swamping Rec. 21 and overflowing the Federated Christian church office.
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Bon Odori festival (ddr-densho-37-775)
Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Part of the approximately 1,000 dancers who participated in the Bon Odori festival sponsored by the Granada Buddhist Church on August 14. Spectators are shown in the background. This dance was held at night on the baseball diamond.
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Summer Carnival Parade (ddr-densho-37-469)
Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Amache Summer Carnival Parade.
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Japanese Americans preparing for Christmas (ddr-densho-37-9)
Original WRA caption: Through kind donations from thoughtful friends all over the United States, a happy and merry Christmas will be possible for the children of Hunt. Thousands of presents have been sent in day after day, swamping Rec. 21 and overflowing the Federated Christian Church office. Sorting, numbering and labeling for distribution are left to …
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Camp Christmas decorations (ddr-densho-37-680)
Original WRA caption: Block 36 saw favor in the judge's eyes for fifth place in the Christmas dining hall decorations contest, by its homey atmosphere and clever decorations made out of waste material.
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Labor Day parade (ddr-densho-37-321)
Original WRA caption: A parade was held by evacuees to celebrate Labor Day. Great originality in costuming was shown.
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Harvest Festival dance (ddr-densho-37-791)
Original WRA caption: Gila River Relocation Center, Rivers, Arizona. A view at a dance given to celebrate the Harvest Festival, which was held on Thanksgiving day at Camp #2.
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Bon Odori (ddr-densho-37-517)
Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Although music for the Bon Odori held August 14, was furnished by phonograph records and a loud speaker, it was supplemented by the two drummers shown. They are, left to right, Koshiro Kumagai and Jutaro Gondo. The Bon Odori was sponsored by the Granada Buddhist Church.
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Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-68)
Original WRA caption: Two of the participants of the Harvest Festival Parade, which was witnessed by a large crowd of the residents at this relocation center.
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Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-67)
Original WRA caption: Some of the evacuees who participated in the Harvest Festival Parade held at this relocation center.