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 (283)
Concentration camps (2384)
Holidays and festivals (325)

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325 items

doc Invitation (ddr-densho-356-308)

Invitation to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada to attend a Christmas Candlelight Ceremonial. Item tied together with all objects between ddr-densho-356-277 and ddr-densho-356-320.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-308/

doc Christmas Card to Yuri Domoto from Lorenne Pitts (ddr-densho-356-369)

Christmas card with a handwritten note to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Lorenne Pitts in which Lorenne provide information about mutual friends. Item tied together with all objects between ddr-densho-356-321 and ddr-densho-356-413.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-369/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-678/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-12/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-13/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-72/

img Mess hall at Christmas (ddr-densho-37-1296)

Included annotation: F-303, Mess hall, Christmas.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1296/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-7/

img Christmas tree in a mess hall (ddr-densho-37-1298)

Included annotation: F-305, Christmas Mess Hall.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1298/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-14/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-71/

img Sumo umpire and miniature wrestler at July 4th parade (ddr-densho-37-1603)

Included annotation: L-605, July 4th Program, Sumo Umpire and miniature wrestler, Harry Tanaka and son.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1603/

img Harvest festival queen and attendants at a ball (ddr-densho-37-1215)

Included annotation: P-207, Harvest Festival Canal, Coronation, Queen erected Kata Yasumoto and attendants, Ball.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1215/

img Participants in a harvest festival (ddr-densho-37-2166)

More information included on back of photograph.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-2166/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-8/

img 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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-9/

img Mess hall decorated for Christmas (ddr-densho-37-1300)

Included annotation: F-307, Christmas, Mess Hall.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1300/

img July 4th flag-raising ceremony (ddr-densho-37-1606)

Included annotation: L-608, 4th July, Flag Raising continued.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1606/

img New Year's dance (ddr-densho-37-128)

This New Year's dance was held at the camp's hospital.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-128/

img Summer Carnival Parade (ddr-densho-37-469)

Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Amache Summer Carnival Parade.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-469/

img July 4th guest speaker (ddr-densho-37-1607)

Included annotation: M-601, 4th July, Guest Speaker at Stand.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1607/

img High school graduation (ddr-densho-37-33)

Original WRA caption: Students of the Hunt High School dress in caps and gowns for Commencement exercises.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-33/

img Dedication ceremony (ddr-densho-37-564)

Original WRA caption: Topaz, Utah. With a fervent prayer, this Japanese Topaz resident, a Christian Minister, opens the dedication ceremonies at the Relocation Center at Topaz.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-564/

img Mounted force at July 4th parade (ddr-densho-37-1599)

Included annotation: L-601, 4th of July Parade, Mounted Force.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1599/

img Harvest Festival attendants at a carnival (ddr-densho-37-1220)

Included annotation: R-204, Carnival, Canal.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1220/