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 The Newell Star, Vol. II, No. 18 (May 4, 1945) (ddr-densho-284-67)

Selected article titles: "Baseball Season Opens Tomorrow: Director to Throw First Ball" (p. 1), "War Dept.: 442nd Makes Big Gains in Italy" (pp. 1-2), "Center Firemen Help Quell Tule Lake Fire" (p. 1), and "'May Day' Set for This Sunday" (p. 4).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-67/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 6 (April 13, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-11)

Selected article titles: "Co-ordinators Tender Resignations: Return to Normal State Given Reason for Action" (p. 1, 3), "H. Black Quells Segregation and Repatriation Rumors" (p. 1, 4), "Reserve Corps Status Defined" (p. 1), and "Fiscal Section Reveals 5011 Colonists on WRA Payroll" (p. 2).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-11/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 42 (December 14, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-44)

Selected article titles: "Renunciation: Queries on Procedure Answered by Burling" (pp. 1-2) and "Mess Operations Festival: Division to Select Queen; Nominations Open Today" (p. 3).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-44/

img Santa Claus hands out gifts to children (ddr-densho-37-1304)

Included annotation: G-303, Santa Claus.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1304/

img Spectators at a harvest festival parade (ddr-densho-37-2167)

More information included on back of photograph.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-2167/

img Harvest festival queen dancing (ddr-densho-37-1214)

Included annotation: P-206, Harvest Festival Canal, Coronation, Queen erected Kate Yasumoto and attendants, Ball.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1214/

img Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-258)

Original WRA caption: Great originality in costumes was show[n] at the Harvest Festival Parade held at this relocation center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-258/

img Christmas decoration contest (ddr-densho-37-15)

Original WRA caption: Dining hall 32 won fourth place with its beautiful centerpiece complete with life-size Santa Claus in the Christmas dining hall decorations contest.

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

img Harvest festival queen at her coronation (ddr-densho-37-1216)

Included annotation: P-208, Harvest Festival Canal, Coronation, Queen erected Kata Yasumoto and attendants, Ball.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1216/

img Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-595)

Original WRA caption: Gila River Relocation Center, Rivers, Arizona. One of the floats in the Thanksgiving day Harvest Festival Parade.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-595/

img Harvest Festival Parade (ddr-densho-37-73)

Original WRA caption: Three costumes that were worn in the Harvest Festival Parade held at this relocation center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-73/

<i>Bon Odori</i> festival (ddr-densho-37-775)

img Bon Odori festival (ddr-densho-37-775)

Original WRA caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Part of the approximately 1,000 dancers who participated in the Bon Odori festival sponsored by the Granada Buddhist Church on August 14. Spectators are shown in the background. This dance was held at night on the baseball diamond.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-775/

img Santa Claus hands out gifts (ddr-densho-37-1302)

Included annotation: G-301, Santa Claus.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-1302/

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/