A soldier holds an American flag at a cemetery.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special.

Dancers dressed in green performing in a St. Patrick's Day parade in Munich.

A Christmas songbook by a Christmas tree.

New Years Eve celebration at Times Square.

<p>From religious and patriotic holidays to celebrations of ethnic pride, explore the history of Easter, Passover, New Year's Day, Veterans' Day, Memorial Day and more annual observances.</p>


Annual Observances

Holidays are an integral part of human history. Learn about Easter, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, pagan holidays and more.

Annual Observances: History of Federal Holidays | HISTORY

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HISTORY

<p>The continent of Asia, home to the majority of the world's population and countries as diverse as China, South Korea and India, has thousands of years of rich history.</p>


Asian History

<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__msbeckylittle.tumblr.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=zmyoc9Pijw9wmJOCBZEXDORhhj0TxUZKXRRMCwVGaTI&amp;e=">Becky Little</a> is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on <a title="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fmsbeckylittle.bsky.social&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAmanda.Onion%40aegm.com%7C2663a56e98de478ecc4108dd65759161%7Cf7288ab1d50847bab3347331cff3374c%7C1%7C0%7C638778277802339990%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6PAUrlZQy2qoyw95FxhBFEbAAeD6eFd4YU65oI9SW98%3D&amp;reserved=0" href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fmsbeckylittle.bsky.social&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAmanda.Onion%40aegm.com%7C2663a56e98de478ecc4108dd65759161%7Cf7288ab1d50847bab3347331cff3374c%7C1%7C0%7C638778277802339990%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6PAUrlZQy2qoyw95FxhBFEbAAeD6eFd4YU65oI9SW98%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-outlook-id="cfb94f9b-f0df-4c8f-91fa-a17329b660ca">Bluesky</a>.</p>


Becky Little

<p>Lesley Kennedy is a features writer and editor living in Denver. Her work has appeared in national and regional newspapers, magazines and websites.</p>


Lesley Kennedy

<p>Patrick J. Kiger has written for <em>GQ</em>, the <em>Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, </em>PBS NewsHour and Military History Quarterly. He's the co-author (with Martin J. Smith) of <em>Poplorica:</em> <em>A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America</em>.</p>


Patrick J. Kiger

<p>Cate Lineberry is a bestselling author and former editor for <em>National Geographic</em> and <em>Smithsonian&nbsp;</em>magazines. Her latest book is <em>Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero</em>.</p>


Cate Lineberry

<p>Elizabeth Yuko, Ph.D., is a bioethicist and journalist, as well as an adjunct professor of ethics at Fordham University. She has written for numerous publications, including <em>Rolling Stone</em>, <em>The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Atlantic.</em></p>


Elizabeth Yuko

<p><a title="Original URL: https://colettecoleman.me/ Click to follow link." href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcolettecoleman.me%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAmanda.Onion%40aenetworks.com%7Cd8fd8f480a76488c77a808dc872e400f%7Cf7288ab1d50847bab3347331cff3374c%7C1%7C0%7C638533879947973996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=k9XlZ3h7qCYGkp%2Bx9cNlpB1pREG73Gopyg766Hsg5a4%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-outlook-id="17af0c01-0a99-4f19-ab86-f2a8134dcec3">Colette Coleman</a> is an independent journalist focused on topics in race and equity, past and present. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including <i>The New York Times</i>, <i>Newsweek</i> and <i>The Chicago Tribune</i>. Follow Colette <a title="Original URL: https://x.com/ColetteXColeman Click to follow link." href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FColetteXColeman&amp;data=05%7C02%7CAmanda.Onion%40aenetworks.com%7Cd8fd8f480a76488c77a808dc872e400f%7Cf7288ab1d50847bab3347331cff3374c%7C1%7C0%7C638533879947984640%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=2bN%2BhVzWuxZxHigVwdooI7rCORWZ7r6z%2F3ZyHPDmZM0%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-outlook-id="66ce6797-dc1e-4042-ac19-952dce7c45fa"><span id="gmail-mt-tracked-link_2_1717791115309"></span>@ColetteXColeman</a>.</p>


Colette Coleman

<p>Religion and spiritual issues, including Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, the Bible, Wicca, Buddhism and more, are at the core of human values and history.</p>


Religion

<p>Noah Tetzner is an author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Edda-Study-Guide/dp/1795087757"><em>The Poetic Edda: A Study Guide</em></a>, and host of the podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-vikings/id1363609926">The History of Vikings</a>.</p>


Noah Tetzner

<p>Tim Ott has written for HISTORY.com and other A+E sites since 2012. He has also contributed to sites including MLB.com and Optimism, and teaches writing in his adopted hometown of Fort Lee, New Jersey.</p>


Tim Ott

<p>Tharik Hussain is a fellow at the Centre for Religion and Heritage at the University of Groningen and the Royal Geographical Society in London. He is also an award-winning author, journalist, travel writer. His latest book <em><a href="https://summersdale.com/titles/tharik-hussain/ramadan-mubarak/9781837991341/">Ramadan Mubarak: a Little Inspiration for the Blessed Month</a></em> has been published by Summersdale.</p>


Tharik Hussain

<p>Jordan Friedman is a writer and editor based in New York City. His work has appeared in publications including <i>Fortune Magazine, USA TODAY, U.S. News &amp; World Report </i>and <i>Mental Floss. </i>You can find his work at <a href="https://www.jordanmatthewfriedman.com/">jordanmatthewfriedman.com</a>.</p>


Jordan Friedman

<p>Food is an integral part of human history, serving as both sustenance and a symbol of culture, trade and power. From the earliest days of hunter-gatherers to modern-day globalization, what people eat has influenced the course of history.</p>


Food

Listicle

<p>St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.</p>


St. Patrick’s Day

<p>Christmas, a Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus, has evolved into a worldwide religious and secular celebration, incorporating many pre-Christian and pagan traditions into the festivities.</p>


Christmas

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">African Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones and figures in Black History.</div>
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