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

vh Nobu Suzuki Interview I Segment 36 (ddr-densho-1000-84-36)

Christmas at Minidoka, sagebrush candles and a tumbleweed Christmas tree

References are made to several of Nobu Suzuki's personal papers, which are currently available for public perusal at the University of Washington's Manuscripts and University Archives.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-84-36/

vh Tsuguo "Ike" Ikeda Interview I Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-123-18)

Celebrating Christmas in camp and singing "Don't Fence Me In"

As a teenager prior to World War II, began keeping scrapbooks with newspaper articles and memorabilia, a lifetime habit.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-123-18/

vh Yukiko Miyake Segment 30 (ddr-densho-1000-49-30)

New Year's celebrations in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-49-30/

vh Jun Dairiki Interview Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1000-326-9)

Celebrating holidays in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-326-9/

vh Gene Akutsu Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1000-1-9)

A teenager's memories of Puyallup Assembly Center: bad food, and games on the 4th of July

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-1-9/

vh Fumiko Uyeda Groves Segment 21 (ddr-densho-1000-10-21)

Life in camp: swimming, church, Christmas

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-10-21/

vh Fumiko Uyeda Groves Segment 23 (ddr-densho-1000-10-23)

Celebrating Christmas in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-10-23/

vh Dotti Yasuko Tagawa Reisbord Interview Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1000-509-9)

Childhood memories of Minidoka

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-509-9/

vh Seichi Hayashida Segment 26 (ddr-densho-1000-14-26)

Celebrations and activities at Minidoka

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-14-26/

vh Kunio Otani Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1000-75-15)

Dancing, talent shows, playing "Go," and drinking in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-75-15/

vh Masako Murakami Interview Segment 11 (ddr-manz-1-166-11)

Holidays in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-1-166-11/

vh Massie Hinatsu Interview Segment 16 (ddr-manz-1-100-16)

Celebrating holidays in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-1-100-16/

vh Mary Suzuki Ichino Interview II Segment 11 (ddr-manz-1-52-11)

Celebrating Christmas in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-1-52-11/

vh Kazuko Miyoshi - Yasuko Miyoshi Iseri Interview Segment 14 (ddr-manz-1-134-14)

Celebrating holidays in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-1-134-14/

vh Dennis Bambauer Interview Segment 3 (ddr-manz-1-1-3)

Pleasant memories of camp: gardens and holidays

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-1-1-3/

vh Richard M. Murakami Interview Segment 8 (ddr-manz-1-161-8)

Receiving a handmade toboggan for Christmas in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-1-161-8/

vh Eiichi Edward Sakauye Interview I Segment 2 (ddr-densho-1005-1-2)

Celebrating New Year's: mochitsuki

Eiichi Edward Sakauye shot footage of the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming, from 1943-1945, on 8 mm film. This interview is of Mr. Sakauye providing voice-over descriptions for his original footage.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1005-1-2/

vh Eiichi Edward Sakauye Interview I Segment 22 (ddr-densho-1005-1-22)

Obon odori festival in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1005-1-22/

vh George Nakata Interview Segment 20 (ddr-one-7-29-20)

Celebrating Christmas in camp

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-7-29-20/

vh Kara Kondo Interview Segment 32 (ddr-densho-1000-139-32)

Poignant memories of Christmas in camp: singing carols, receiving gifts from churches on the outside, caroling to a soldier in a guard tower

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-139-32/

doc Letter from Amy Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-39)

Amy Morooka writes to Violet Sell about the Christmas holiday, issues with Midori, a visit from Martha, upcoming wedding plans, and more.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-457-39/

doc Letter from Martha Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-23)

Martha Morooka writes to Violet Sell about Christmas gifts, her job in the tuberculosis ward, a murder that took place in camp, and a request for clothes.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-457-23/

doc Letter from Martha Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-32)

Martha Morooka writes to Violet Sell about Violet's health, a visit from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Easter celebrations, school plans, and more.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-457-32/

doc Letter from Amy Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-21)

Amy Morooka writes to Violet Sell about Christmas celebrations and discusses money owed for items Violet and her father sent to Amy.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-457-21/

doc Letter from Amy Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-22)

Amy Morooka writes to Violet Sell about the recent holidays, feeling sick with Valley Fever, her new job, being encouraged to leave camp, and encloses a Christmas program.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-457-22/