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 (2078)
Holidays and festivals (325)

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325 items

doc Blind Japanese Internee Is Thankful for Worship Right (January 2, 1944) (ddr-densho-56-1007)

The Seattle Daily Times, January 2, 1944, p. 5

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-1007/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-116)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-116/

img Incarcerees wrapping holiday gifts (ddr-densho-160-87)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-87/

img Agricultural fair display (ddr-densho-160-121)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-121/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-114)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-114/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-123)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-123/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-122)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-122/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-119)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-119/

img Bon odori dancers (ddr-densho-160-84)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-84/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-117)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-117/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-113)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-113/

img Agricultural fair display (ddr-densho-160-115)

These vegetables were grown in a victory garden.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-115/

img Summer carnival (ddr-densho-160-120)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-160-120/

doc Letter from the Masudas to Mrs. Charles Gates (ddr-densho-211-7)

Letter on a single sheet of paper, folded into quarters, from the Masudas in Poston.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-211-7/

doc Letter from Ishi Morishita to Mrs. Charles Gates (ddr-densho-211-8)

Letter from the Morishitas telling about their Christmas in Minidoka.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-211-8/

img Camp Christmas decorations (ddr-densho-10-16)

Minidoka's Block 28 1st prize for Christmas decoration.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-10-16/

doc [Carp banner (Koinobori) and Boys Day]: Japanese holidays (ddr-csujad-2-62)

Report on the history and culture of "Boys' Day," a Japanese holiday practiced on May 5. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: sjs_sch_0062

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-2-62/

doc Christmas card from Emma Hesse to Mr. and Mrs. Henry [Katsumi] Fujita, December 21, 1941 (ddr-csujad-23-12)

Card depicts winter scene with snow and people walking down a path. Message from Emma Hesse states: "I pray for you, and ask that all kindness and understanding surround you these days." Object includes envelope showing address in Petaluma, California. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: lp028-08-012

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-23-12/

img Xmas (ddr-csujad-38-280)

Photographed are young children incarcerated at the Jerome camp in Arkansas. It was taken during a Christmas event. The caption reads: Xmas, 1942, Denson, Arkansas. Title from caption. The handwritten note on the back side reads: Christmas day, Dec. 25, 1942. The photo was sent from Sally Sakaye Sasaki at the Jerome camp to Mitzi Masukawa …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-38-280/

img Young child in front of Christmas tree (ddr-csujad-37-15)

Photograph of a young child in front of a Christmas tree inside of the barracks building at the Heart Mountain camp, Wyoming. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mhf_015_01

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-37-15/

doc Personality cards (ddr-csujad-26-43)

Journal entries written by high school students discussing their observations and perspectives on a variety of topics including family interactions, memories, homesickness, friendships, social interactions, school, self-reflection, juvenile delinquency, peer behaviors, death, religion, opinions, and worldviews. Each entry includes the full date and student name. The entries were part of a class assignment and collected for …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-43/

doc Tule Lake recreation center community affairs report for the period August 20, 1942 to September 20, 1942 (ddr-csujad-26-11)

Summary of community youth recreation activities at Tule Lake before school began including descriptions of administration, leadership and training, the "Community Activities Commission," advisory board, planning board, staff, organization, and activities. Report compiled as a portion of the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS). See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-11/

img Photograph of making mochi in a mess hall at Manzanar (ddr-csujad-47-77)

Photograph of women preparing mochi spheres in a mess hall at Manzanar incarceration camp. A group of women stand around a table separating and rolling the mochi into spheres with confectioners sugar. A child being held on the right side has streaks of the sugar on their cheek. Already prepared food can be seen on every …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-47-77/

doc Letter from Shoichi Nomura to Parslery, December 26, 1943 (ddr-csujad-45-91)

A letter from Snoichi Nomura to Parslery thanking her for the Christmas gift. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMRC_01-06_001

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-45-91/

img Holiday greetings (ddr-csujad-38-19)

A holiday greeting card made by George Nobuo Naohara and his friends in the Jerome camp in Arkansas. An item from "George Naohara photo album" (csudh_nao_0001), page 3. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: nao_01_03_002

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-38-19/