(Information from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/labor-day-1 and https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history)

About Labor Day

Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.

As manufacturing increasingly supplanted agriculture as the wellspring of American employment, labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay.

The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it. Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view. On May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. To break the Pullman strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen workers. In the wake of this massive unrest and in an attempt to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday. 

How Labor Day is Observed

The form that the observance of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday—a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for workers and their families. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed on the economic and civic significance of the holiday. 

Labor Day is still celebrated in cities and towns across the United States with parades, picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays and other public gatherings. For many Americans, particularly children and young adults, it represents the end of the summer and the start of the back-to-school season.

(Information from  https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/rosh-hashanah-history)

About Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is one of Judaism’s holiest days. Meaning “head of the year,”  it begins on the first day of Tishrei, which falls during September or October. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are also referred to collectively as the High Holy Days (not “High Holidays”).

According to tradition, God judges all creatures during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, deciding whether they will live or die in the coming year. Observant Jews consider this a time for prayer, reflecting on past mistakes and making amends with others.

How Observers Celebrate Rosh Hashanah

Unlike secular New Year’s celebrations, Rosh Hashanah is a subdued and contemplative holiday. It is observed for a single day by some denominations and for two days by others. Work is prohibited, and observant Jews spend much of the holiday attending synagogue.  

The sounding of the shofar—a trumpet made from a ram’s horn—is an essential and emblematic part of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The ancient instrument’s plaintive cry serves as a call to repentance. Because of this ritual’s close association with Rosh Hashanah, the holiday is also known as Yom Teruah—the day of the sounding of the shofar.

After services, many Jews return home for a festive meal steeped in symbolism and tradition. The meal typically begins with the ceremonial lighting of candles, and blessings over wine and bread, and features foods that represent positive wishes for the new year.

One of the most popular Rosh Hashanah customs involves eating apple slices dipped in honey, sometimes after saying a special prayer. The honey signifies the hope that the new year will be sweet. Rosh Hashanah meals usually include sweet foods for the same reason. On Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and other holidays, Jews eat loaves of the traditional braided bread known as challah. On Rosh Hashanah, the challah is baked in a round shape to symbolize either the cyclical nature of life or the crown of God.  

How to Acknowledge Rosh Hashanah to Observers

Jews greet each other on Rosh Hashanah with the Hebrew phrase “L’shana tovah,” which translates to “for a good year.” This is a shortened version of the Rosh Hashanah salutation “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem” (“May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year”).

(Information from  https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/rosh-hashanah-history) and  http://www.jewfaq.org/express.htm

About

Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—is considered the most important holiday in Judaism. Falling in the month of Tishrei (September or October in the Gregorian calendar), it marks the culmination of the Days of Awe, a period of introspection and repentance that follows Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. According to tradition, it is on Yom Kippur that God decides each person’s fate, so Jews are encouraged to make amends and ask forgiveness for sins committed during the past year. The day is observed with a 25-hour fast and several religious services, the most important of which is on the eve of Yom Kippur, featuring Kol Nidre, an ancient prayer that is chanted with a distinctive, plaintive melody.  

How Observers Mark Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, Judaism’s most sacred day of the year, is sometimes referred to as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.” For this reason, even Jews who do not observe other traditions refrain from work, which is forbidden during the holiday, and participate in religious services, causing synagogue attendance to soar; some congregations rent additional space to accommodate this.

Jewish law commands all Jewish adults (apart from the sick and the elderly) to abstain from eating and drinking between sundown on the evening before Yom Kippur and nightfall the next day. The fast is believed to cleanse the body and spirit, not to serve as a punishment. Observant Jews heed additional restrictions on bathing, washing, using cosmetics, and wearing leather shoes. These prohibitions are intended to prevent worshippers from focusing on material possessions and superficial comforts.

Because the High Holy Day prayer services include special liturgical texts, congregations read from a special prayer book known as a machzor. Five distinct prayer services take place on Yom Kippur, the first on the eve of the holiday and the last just before sunset on the following day. The blowing of the shofar—a trumpet made from a ram’s horn—is an essential part of the High Holy Days. On Yom Kippur, a single long blast is sounded at the end of the final service to mark the conclusion of the fast.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, families and friends gather for a bountiful meal that must be finished before sunset. The idea is to gather strength for 25 hours of fasting. After the final Yom Kippur service, many people return home for a festive meal to break the fast. It traditionally consists of dairy-based foods such as  bagels and cream cheese, noodle pudding, and baked goods.

How to Acknowledge Yom Kippur to Observers

“Have an easy fast” is the appropriate way to wish someone well for Yom Kippur. It is not appropriate to wish people a Happy Yom Kippur; it's not a happy holiday.

(Information from https://time.com/6212026/countries-celebrate-mid-autumn-festival/)

About Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is observed by millions of people across East Asia on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. This means the festival date changes every year in the Gregorian calendar, but it is always around the time of the harvest moon. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Sept. 29.

How Observers Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

Certain activities, like moon gazing and displaying lanterns, are popular across several Asian countries—as is the symbol of a rabbit on the moon. But there are plenty of local traditions too.

(Information from https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/columbus-day; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Columbus-Day; and https://www.history.com/news/goodbye-columbus-hello-indigenous-peoples-day)

About Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day

Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. Although his explorations were financed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus was a native of of Genoa, Italy, and over the years Italian Americans took up the cause of honoring his achievement. 

Columbus Day originated as a celebration of Italian-American heritage and was first held in San Francisco in 1869. In 1937, Columbus Day became a holiday across the United States. Since 1971, it has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. 

Christopher Columbus is often portrayed as the first European to sail to the Americas. He is sometimes portrayed as the discoverer of the New World. However, this is controversial on many counts. There is evidence that the first Europeans to sail across the Atlantic were Viking explorers from Scandinavia. In addition, the land was already populated by indigenous peoples, who had “discovered” the Americas thousands of years before. Many states now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day.

Activists have long argued that holidays, statues, and other memorials to Columbus sanitize his actions—which include the enslavement of Native Americans—while giving him credit for “discovering” a place where people already lived.

How Columbus Day is Observed

Columbus Day is a public holiday in many parts of the United States, but is not a day off in some states. Some government offices are closed because Columbus Day is still a federal government holiday. 

Originally, Columbus Day was  marked by parades, often including floats depicting the ships of Columbus, and by public ceremonies and festivities. 

Columbus Day celebrations are controversial because the settlement of Europeans in the Americas led to the deaths of a very large proportion of the native people. It has also been argued that Columbus should not be honored for discovering North America, as he only went as far as some islands in the Caribbean and never got as far as mainland America.

How Indigenous Peoples Day is Observed
In Berkeley, for example, the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee celebrated the holiday’s 25th anniversary in the city with dancing, food, and songs from local Native American tribes. Berkeley was the first city to adopt Indigenous Peoples’ Day back in 1991, and it continues to mark the holiday by highlighting both the history and contemporary culture of Native peoples. 

(Information from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Navratri)

About Navratri

Navratri, (Sanskrit: “Nine Nights”) in Hinduism, major festival held in honor of the divine feminine. Navratri occurs over 9 days during the month of Ashvin, or Ashvina (in the Gregorian calendar, usually September–October). It often ends with the Dussehra (also called Vijayadashami) celebration on the 10th day.

How Navrati is Observed

Navratri is celebrated differently in India’s various regions. For many people it is a time of religious reflection and fasting, while for others it is a time for dancing and feasting.

(Information from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/veterans-day-facts)

About Veterans Day

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

(Information from various sources)

About Diwali

Diwali is a four to five day-long (varying as per Hindu calendar) festival of lights, which is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists every autumn in the northern hemisphere.

Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance." Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness. During the celebration, temples, homes, shops, and offices are brightly illuminated. The main day of the festival is celebrated on the third day. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali generally falls between mid-October and mid-November. 

How Observers Celebrate Diwali

In preparation for Diwali, celebrants clean and decorate their homes and workplaces. On the main day, celebrants illuminate their homes with diyas (oil lamps or candles), offer puja (worship) to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth; light fireworks: and hold family feasts, where sweets and gifts are shared. 

How to Acknowledge Diwali to Observers

You can say 'Happy Diwali' to celebrate the festival. But here are three phrases you can also use: 

• Wishing you a Diwali that brings happiness, prosperity and joy to you and all your family. Happy Diwali.

• May your life be as colorful, shimmering and magical as the lights of Diwali! Happy Diwali.

• May every aspect of your life be as luminous and wonderful as the lights on the lamps of Diwali. Happy Diwali.

(Information from  http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml) and 

https://blog.mangolanguages.com/3-swahili-phrases-to-learn-in-honor-of-kwanzaa-this-year)

About Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. It was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach, an author and scholar-activist, to preserve, revitalize and promote African-American culture. Celebrated from December 26  through  January 1, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, the most widely spoken African language.

How Observers Celebrate Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one.

A central place in the home is selected to display the Kwanzaa Set (the symbols of Kwanzaa). A table is spread with African cloth, and the mkeka (mat) is placed on it. The kinara (candle holder) is placed on the mat and the Mishumaa Saba (seven candles) are placed in the kinara.

The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green: black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle. There is one black candle, three red and three green candles. They represent the Nguzo Saba (seven principles). The black candle represents the first principle Umoja (unity) and is placed in the center of the kinara. The red candles represent the principles of Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujamaa (cooperative economics) and Kuumba (creativity) and are placed to the left of the black candle. The green candles represent the principles of Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Nia (purpose) and Imani (faith) and are placed to the right of the black candle. The black candle is lit first on the first day of the celebration. The remaining candles are lit afterwards from left to right on the following days. 

Mazao (crops), and ears of corn are also placed on the mkeka. Next the kikombe cha umoja (the Unity Cup) is placed on the mkeka. It is used to pour tambiko (libation) to the ancestors in remembrance and honor. Then African art objects and books on the life and culture of African people are also placed on or next to the mat to symbolize commitment to heritage and learning. Gifts of books and objects of African heritage are given to children. 

How to Acknowledge Kwanzaa to Observers

Greetings during Kwanzaa are in Swahili. The main greeting reinforces awareness of and commitment to the Seven Principles. One asks  "Habari gani?" (“What’s the news?”). The answer is each of the principles for each of the days of Kwanzaa, i.e., "Umoja" on the first day, "Kujichagulia" on the second day and so on.

(Information from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Day and  https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/martin-luther-king-day)

About Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day honors the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A Baptist minister who advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation, he first came to national prominence during a bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Dr. King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and led the 1963 March on Washington, where he gave his well-known “I Have a Dream” speech. The most influential of African-American civil rights leaders during the 1960s, he was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Almost immediately after Dr. King’s death, there were calls for a national holiday in his honor. Beginning in 1970, a number of states and cities made his birthday, January 15, a holiday. Although legislation for a federal holiday was introduced in Congress as early as 1968, there was sufficient opposition, on racial and political grounds, to block its passage. In 1983 legislation making the third Monday in January a federal holiday was finally passed; the first observance nationwide was in 1986. However, it took until 2000 for all states to officially observe the holiday.

How Martin Luther King Day is Observed

The day is usually celebrated with marches and parades, interfaith gatherings, and with speeches by civil rights and political leaders.

Martin Luther King Day is a relatively new federal holiday and there are few long-standing traditions. It is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.

(Information from  https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/special-report/chinese-new-year/)

About Lunar (Chinese) New Year and Lantern Festival

Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is commonly called “Lunar New Year,” because it is based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival, which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as chú xī. It literally means “Year-pass Eve.”

Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Chinese New Year has had an influence on new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans (Seollal), Tibetans and Bhutanese (Losar), Mongolians (Tsagaan Sar), Vietnamese (Tết), and the Japanese before 1873 (Oshogatsu).

Chinese New Year has a varying date in the Gregorian calendar, usually falling between January 21 and February 20.   

Lunar New Year, day one of China’s lunisolar calendar, is within a day of the second new moon before the spring equinox moon phase. It's called Spring Festival, although it occurs in winter for most of China, because it "looks forward to spring."  

How Observers Celebrate Lunar New Year

Primary Chinese New Year activities include: 1) putting up decorations; 2) eating reunion dinner with family on New Year's Eve; 3) firecrackers and fireworks; and 4) giving red envelopes and other gifts.  

1. Chinese New Year Decorations — Lucky Red Items

Every street, building, and house where Spring Festival is celebrated is decorated with red, as red is believed to be an auspicious color. Most public decoration is done a month before, but home decoration is traditionally done on Chinese New Year's Eve.  

2. Chinese New Year's Eve — Family Time

Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. The New Year's Eve dinner is called 'reunion dinner', and is considered the most important meal of the year. Like people waiting in New York’s Times Square to see the ball drop, Chinese people have the custom of staying up late on Chinese New Year's Eve to welcome the New Year's arrival. After reunion dinner, families often gather to watch the Spring Festival Gala, one of the most watched TV shows in China. 

3. Firecrackers and Fireworks at Chinese New Year

It has long been a Chinese tradition to set off firecrackers from the first minute of the New Year. Fireworks have increasingly been added to the cacophony.

4. Chinese New Year Gifts and Red Envelopes

People exchange gifts during the Spring Festival. The most common gifts are red envelopes, which have money in them. However, the significance is the red paper, not the money inside. Wrapping lucky money in red envelopes is expected to bestow happiness and blessings on the receivers. Hence, it’s impolite to open a red envelope in front of the person who gives it to you.

How to Acknowledge Lunar New Year to Observers

There are multiple blessings and greetings to be said during the Chinese New Year. The simplest way would be to just say “Happy New Year” or 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè). Other greetings include:

• 过年好 guò nián hǎo – Happy New Year!

• 新年快乐，万事如意 xīn nián kuài lè, wàn shì rú yì – Happy New Year and may all go well with you.

• 新年快乐，阖家幸福 xīn nián kuài lè, hé jiā xìng fú – Happy New Year and wish you a happy family.

• 恭喜发财 gōng xǐ fā cái – Happy New Year, and wish you happiness and prosperity!

(https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ash-Wednesday-Christian-holy-day)

About Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, in Western Christianity, the first day of Lent, occurring six and a half weeks before Easter (between February 4 and March 11, depending on the date of Easter). Ash Wednesday is a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God and marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season. 

How Ash Wednesday is Observed

It is commonly observed with ashes and fasting. In the modern Roman Catholic Church, the ashes obtained by burning the palms used on the previous Palm Sunday are applied in the shape of a cross on the forehead of each worshipper on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence, where only one full meal and no meat are to be consumed. Worship services are also held on Ash Wednesday in Anglican, Lutheran, and some other Protestant churches. Eastern Orthodox churches begin Lent on Clean Monday and therefore do not observe Ash Wednesday.

(Information from http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter3.htm and https://wilstar.com/holidays/easter.htm)

About Easter

Easter Sunday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, as recounted in the New Testament.  The date of celebration varies from March to April, depending on the date of the March equinox. Easter Sunday is preceded by Good Friday, a solemn day, which recalls Jesus' death on the cross. The previous Sunday, Palm Sunday, recalls Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem one week before his execution. Easter marks the conclusion of Lent, a 40-day period of spiritual preparation for Easter which begins with Ash Wednesday, and typically involves fasting, penance, and prayer.

How Observers Celebrate Easter

Many Christians begin the celebration with an Easter Vigil the night before, sometimes called Easter Eve or Holy Saturday. Church services on Sunday typically follow regular church service tradition with a sermon or songs concerning the Easter story. Some churches hold mass or other services at sunrise. Churches are often decorated with flowers. A significant theme for Easter is rebirth, which flowers can emulate and symbolize. Traditional Easter flowers include Easter Lilies, which are believed to have grown in the Garden of Gethsemane, the site of Jesus’s arrest.

Other common traditions include: the Easter egg hunt, a tradition that originated with pagan spring festivals. Like many pagan traditions, Christians intertwined the practice with religious significance. Easter egg hunts feature candy eggs or decorated hard-boiled eggs hidden by the mythical Easter bunny. Eggs are also part of the tradition because of the ban on eggs during Lent in Medieval Europe, meaning they were often included in the Sunday feast.

How to Acknowledge Easter to Observers

Happy Easter!

(Information from various sources)

About Eid Al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr (eed əl FIT-ər) also called the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world, marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Observances set according to the lunar Islamic Calendar vary based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by region. In addition, the Islamic lunar calendar is not adjusted to correspond with the Gregorian calendar, so Islamic observances will occur at different times of the year.

How Observers Celebrate Eid Al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr customs vary by country. Here’s a sample:

Saudi Arabia

Saudis decorate their homes and prepare large meals for family and friends for Eid al-Fitr. Customs vary depending on the region, but one common thread is generosity and hospitality. For example, it’s traditional for Saudi men to buy large quantities of rice and other staples, and then leave them anonymously at the doors of those who are in need..

Egypt

In Egypt Eid al-Fitr is a three-day feast and an official holiday. The first day starts with Eid prayers in congregation, followed by family visits. It’s customary for children to receive an Eid-ey-yah from adult relatives, a small sum of money to spend on activities throughout the Eid. Family gatherings involve cooking and eating a feast, but the food most associated with Eid al-Fitr are Kahk, cookies filled with nuts and covered with powdered sugar. 

Pakistan

On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, people wear new clothes and give charity on behalf of each family member. It’s a three day-national holiday, but festivities and greetings usually continue for the whole month. For the Eid prayer, people gather at large open areas. Afterwards at home, families enjoy a special Eid breakfast with various sweets and desserts, including sheer khurma, made with vermicelli, milk, butter, and dried fruits and dates.

How to Acknowledge Eid Al-Fitr to Observers

Eid Mubarak - meaning blessed celebration - is the most common greeting.

(Information from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/passover and http://www.jewfaq.org/express.htm)

About Passover

Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew and Yiddish, is one of the Jewish religion’s most sacred and widely observed holidays. Passover commemorates the story of the Israelites’ departure from ancient Egypt, which appears in the Hebrew Bible’s books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar month of Nisan, which typically falls in March or April of the Gregorian calendar. The 15th day begins at sunset of the previous evening.

How Observers Celebrate Passover

One of the most important Passover rituals for observant Jews is removing all leavened food products (known as chametz) from their home before the holiday begins and abstaining from them throughout its duration. Instead of bread, observant Jews eat a type of flatbread called matzo. According to tradition, this is because the Hebrews fled Egypt in such haste that there was no time for their bread to rise.

Unlike other Jewish observances, Passover is celebrated in the home rather than at synagogue. On the first two nights of Passover (the 14th and 15th of Nisan), families and friends gather for a religious feast known as a Seder. During the meal, the story of the exodus from Egypt is read aloud from a special text called the Haggadah (Hebrew for “telling”), and rituals corresponding to various aspects of the narrative are performed. For example, vegetables are dipped into salt water, representing the tears Jews shed during their time as slaves, and bitter herbs (usually horseradish) are eaten, symbolizing the unpleasant years of their bondage.

A Seder plate at the center of the table contains Passover foods with particular significance to the exodus story, including matzo, bitter herbs, a lamb shankbone and a mixture of fruit, nuts and wine known as charoset, which represents the mortar Jews used while bonding bricks as slaves in Egypt. Other typical menu items include matzo kugel (a pudding made from matzo and apples), poached fish patties called gefilte fish, and chicken soup with matzo balls.

Children play an important role in the Seder and are expected to take part in many of its customs. At one point during the meal, the youngest child present recites the four questions, which ask what distinguishes this special night from all other nights. In many households, young people also enjoy participating in the traditional hunt for the afikomen, a piece of matzo which is hidden early in the evening. The finder is rewarded with a prize or money.

How to Acknowledge Passover to Observers

Chag Sameach (KHAHG sah-MEHY-ahkh) Hebrew. Literally, joyous festival. One may also say in Yiddish, A Zissn Pesach (a ZEE-sin PAY-sach) – A sweet Passover. 

(Information from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cinco-de-Mayo)

About Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, (Spanish: “Fifth of May”) holiday celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States in honor of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III.

How Cinco de Mayo is Celebrated

The day is celebrated in the state of Puebla with parades, speeches, and reenactments of the 1862 battle, though it is not much noticed in most of the rest of the country. In the mid-20th-century United States, the celebration of Cinco de Mayo became among Mexican immigrants a way of encouraging pride in their Mexican heritage.

(Information from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wesak)

About Vesak

The most important of the Theravada Buddhist festivals, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha.

How Vesak is Observed

The event is observed on the full-moon day of the lunar month Vesakha, which falls in April or May. The day is observed as a public holiday in many Southeast Asian countries. It is marked by special devotional services and various deeds intended to be meritorious, such as the presentation of food or alms to monks or the release of captive birds.

(Information from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history)

About Memorial Day

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

How Memorial Day is Observed

Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season. Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem, “In Flanders Field.”

(Information from CNN website)

About Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha or Eid Qurban, also called the "Festival of the Sacrifice," is one of the most important holidays of the Islamic calendar, and marks the height of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It commemorates the story in the Quran of God appearing to Ibrahim— also known as Abraham―in a dream and commanding him to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience. Muslims believe that as Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son, God stopped his hand and gave him a sheep or ram in place of his son. A version of the story also appears in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. To commemorate God's test of Ibrahim, many Muslim families have an animal slaughtered—often through their local butcher—and distribute the meat to family, neighbors and the poor.

How Observers Celebrate Eid al-Adha

The four-day religious holiday begins on the third day of the annual Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims who are physically and financially able are required to undertake once in their lifetime. The day begins with morning prayers. The celebrations continue with visits to friends and family, exchanges of gifts and feasts.

While Eid al-Adha is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and is approximately eleven days shorter than the solar calendar.

How to Acknowledge Eid al-Adha

Eid Mubarak (pronounced EED muh-BAR-ack) which translates as “have a blessed festival,” and Eid Saeed (“Happy Eid”) are routine greetings used during the observance to offer best wishes.