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

img Obon, Rohwer, Arkansas (ddr-csujad-5-339)

Photographed are Akiko An and Kiku Tanimoto, Ayame May Okine, and Dorothy Ai Okine. It is taken during the obon event in the Rohwer incarceration camp. The handwritten notes on the backside read: Obon, Rohwer, Arkansas. A photograph from "Dorothy Ai Aoki photo album" (csudh_oki_0300), page 11. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-5-339/

doc Amache summer carnival program (ddr-csujad-7-18)

Program listing events and showing locations for a carnival put on by the incarcerees at Amache. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_Amache Summer Carnival

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-7-18/

img Flag ceremony (ddr-densho-113-14)

These children are watching a flag ceremony near the elementary school in Minidoka concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-113-14/

doc Camp Christmas card (ddr-densho-13-28)

This card was designed by a camp inmate.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-13-28/

doc Camp Christmas card (ddr-densho-13-23)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-13-23/

doc Camp Christmas card (ddr-densho-13-29)

This is the interior of a Christmas card that was designed by a camp inmate.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-13-29/

img Children caroling (ddr-densho-152-12)

Original caption: "School children caroling on Dec. 22. Miss Hirano directing."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-152-12/

img Children's Christmas play (ddr-densho-152-1)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-152-1/

img Christmas decorations in barracks (ddr-densho-156-43)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-156-43/

doc Memorandum: "A Message for Christmas and the New Year" (ddr-densho-156-140)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-156-140/

img Christmas decorations in barracks (ddr-densho-156-42)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-156-42/

img Children in camp (ddr-densho-157-102)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-157-102/

doc Graduation announcement (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (June 13, 1944) (ddr-janm-1-112)

Manzanar High School graduation announcement from to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (June 13, 1944). White card with illustration in bronze of the profile view of two graduates. Envelope is postmarked June 13, 1944 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-112/

doc Christmas card (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (December 14, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-65)

Christmas card to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (December 14, 1943). White card, brown scroll-type border with illustration in blue/white/red of a snowy village with people gathered around a Christmas tree. Envelope is postmarked December 14, 1943 from the Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp in Cody, Wyoming.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-65/

doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 26, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-104)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 26, 1942). Envelope is postmarked December 30, 1942 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-104/

doc Christmas card (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 17, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-103)

Christmas card to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (December 17, 1942). White card with illustration in blue/red of a standing Eskimo and a sitting African American. "North and South it's on everyone's mouth - Merry Christmas to you" is on the front center of card. Envelope is postmarked December 17, 1942 from the Manzanar Incarceration Camp …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-103/

img Flag dedication (ddr-fom-1-907)

WRA caption on reverse: "Dedication of the project flag and flag pole in the administration area conducted by Hunt Boy Scouts. Attended by representatives of American Legion post of Twin Falls, Idaho, civic officials of Twin Falls and Jerome, Idaho, and the Military Police Escort Guarge Company. At left is high school choir. At right are …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-fom-1-907/