We are what we celebrate: America’s holiday calendar is increasingly diverse
NEW YORK– John Albert’s daughter does not go to school on Friday. And he couldn’t be happier about it.
For the first time, New York City’s high school and all public school students will have the day off to mark the holiday of Diwalicelebrated in India and among the global Indian diaspora as the victory of light over darkness and marked by communities of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs.
To get the holiday added to the school calendarwhere it joins other holidays for Rosh Hashanah, Chinese New Year, Eid al-Fitr and federal holidays such as Veterans Day, Christmas and Memorial Day, it took years of pressure from those in New York’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities, like Albert. But it was worth it.
“It was a feeling that we wanted to weave our culture into New York,” he said.
From religious and cultural holidays to region-specific commemorations to days designed to honor the great figures and moments in American history, the holiday calendars in the fifty states and the country as a whole are becoming increasingly diverse, reflecting and providing a window into the many communities that make up the American whole.
Incorporating the special days of a smaller culture or community as something to recognize in the larger overall culture is an act of unity, says Lauren Strauss, professor of modern Jewish history at American University.
“By doing that in an American context and by including a Muslim festival at the end of Ramadan and by including Diwali, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, my goodness. You just say it out loud, don’t you? You’re saying that these cultures, these people, are not visitors, that they are a permanent part of this community, that it is multicultural and multiethnic,” she says.
“Whether you think it’s good or bad or not, it certainly paints a different picture of what it means to be an American and what the American calendar is.”
A look at which days are marked as holidays in places around the country can be a crash course in what’s important in those places. Louisiana, home to New Orleans, takes a day off for Mardi Gras. In Hawaii, the state marks a day for King Kamehameha, who united the Hawaiian Islands, and a day to become a U.S. state. California and several other states celebrate Cesar Chavez Day, named after the civil rights and labor movement activist. Celebrations are planned in Texas and the Southwest on Friday to mark the Day of the Dead, Mexico’s cultural commemoration of loved ones who have passed away.
In addition to the eleven days off for federal employees, the federal government has many days that it designates as national observances, such as Harriet Tubman Day in March and Patriot Day on September 11.
It keeps greeting card companies on their toes.
“Celebrating holidays and occasions, big or small, with the people we care about is an essential thread that runs through our shared human experience,” Kelly Ricker, chief product officer at American Greetings, said in a statement. The company is “studying and constantly talking to consumers” to stay informed about the types of cards people are looking for.
When Chris Sargiotto founded his greeting card company Apartment 2 Cards about 15 years ago, its holiday offerings were limited to Christmas and Hanukkah. In recent years he has added Kwanzaa and Ramadan and he wants to add Diwali cards to the roster for next year.
The additional holidays were added due to requests from its customers, the stores in that country stocking Apartment 2 cards, reflecting increasing demand.
“They were stores that asked for it because their customers asked for it,” he said. “Every time we introduce one of these specific cards it seems to be a success. So I think there is definitely a need for it.”
But a holiday is not always undisputed. Take mid-October, when the federal government recognizes Columbus Day. It was added to the federal calendar in the 20th century after efforts by Italian Americans, who pushed for it as a way to carve out their community’s place in America.
However, in the decades since, indigenous communities have retreated, citing the impact of colonization on their people and ongoing challenges. That has led to the spread of Indigenous Peoples Day, which is celebrated on the same day and, while not federally recognized, is recognized in states across the country.
And sometimes something has to be learned. In Montville, New Jersey, police posted a message on Facebook this month explaining to the community that with Diwali approaching, they are more likely to see swastikas, a variation of are ancient sacred symbols in some religions and not deployed in the way that Hitler and the Nazis did.
Because there were both Jewish and Hindu communities in the city, this was done in an effort to avoid misunderstandings, Chief Andrew Caggiano said, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he said, “to raise awareness about other cultures that are part of our community and that are part of our community right now.”