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

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

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

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

img Girl and Boy Scouts at July 4th parade (ddr-densho-37-1601)

Included annotation: L-603, July 4th Program, Girl and Boy Scouts.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1601/

img Carolers at a hospital tea party (ddr-densho-37-1252)

Included annotation: W-207, Hospital Silver Tea Party, 12/5, Christmas carol choirs.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1252/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-791/

img Crowd at a carnival (ddr-densho-37-1221)

Included annotation: R-205, Carnival.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1221/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-517/

img 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-68/

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 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-67/

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 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 Crowd at a Thanksgiving program (ddr-densho-37-1223)

Included annotation: R-207, Thanksgiving Program, Butte.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1223/

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 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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-680/