Additional Holidays

• BBC Religion and Ethics

  The BBC's Religion and Ethics website provides information on many of the worlds major belief systems. Each includes an "At a Glance" section; history; belief overview; holy days; customs; subdivisions; rites & rituals; worship; texts; living; people; and ethics. An excellent resource for learning and teaching about world religions and belief structures as a whole

Thanksgiving

• Thanksgiving in American Memory

  Features primary documents, teaching resources, and ideas for activities from the Library of Congress

• The National Archives Celebrate Thanksgiving

  A brief overview of the Thanksgiving holiday from the National Archives and Records Administration, including links to more primary resources relating to Thanksgiving

• You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving

  An online virtual historical investigation module that allows visitors to use primary sources to learn about the first Thanksgiving

• Thanksgiving Day

  Anecdotal facts about the celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States from the U.S. Census Bureau

• The History of Thanksgiving

  An online interactive exhibit from the History Channel detailing the history of Thanksgiving including textual background and video

• The Plymouth Plantation Archive Project

  An online exhibit providing access to a variety of documents pertaining to the social history of the Plymouth Colony from 1620 to 1691

Chanukkah

• The History Channel: Hanukkah

  An online interactive exhibit from the History Channel detailing the history and traditions of Hanukkah including textual background and video

• Hanukkah

  From the BBC's Religion and Ethics section, this website provides an overview of the Hanukkah (Chanukkah) holiday

• Chanukah

  A variety of resources discussing the history, story, and other facts about Chanukah

• Chanukah Resources and Activities

  From the Jewish Agency for Israel, a collection of resources to learn about and celebrate Chanukah

• Chanukkah

  From the Judaism 101 website, this page provides a basic overview of the Chanukkah celebration and history

• From Haven to Home

  A Library of Congress exhibition documenting 350 years of Jewish life in America featuring more than two hundred sources detailing Jewish life and history in the United States

• Jews in America

  A history of Jews in America from the 17th century to the present provided by the Center for Jewish History and providing a variety of resources including text, images, audio, and video

New Year

• New Year

  Most cultures in the world have a New Year celebration marking the start of the new year based on that particular culture's calendar. This Wikipedia entry does a uniquely impressive job of detailing the incredibly diverse range of New Year's traditions and celebrations across the world

Christmas

• The Story of Christmas

  From the BBC's Religion and Ethics section, this website provides an overview of the Christmas holiday

• Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill's Christmas Eve Greeting

  Delivered December 24, 1941 at 5:10 p.m., this is a transcript of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill's 1941 Christmas Eve address; from the National Archives

• Christmas

  An online interactive exhibit from the History Channel detailing the history and traditions of the Christmas holiday

• How Christmas Works

  From the Discovery Channel's How Stuff Works, a collection of articles and resources providing an introduction to the Christmas holiday as well as other background

• Ten Ages of Christmas

  From the BBC's British History website, a history of the Christmas celebration through "ten ages," including Medieval, Elizabethan, Mid Victorian, World War Two, etc.

• Christmas Around the World

  Visit over 30 different countries and see how they celebrate Christmas

Kwanzaa

• Kwanzaa

  The official Kwanzaa website, from Dr. Maulana Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa and Professor of Africana Studies, California State University--Long Beach and Chair of The Organization Us and The National Association of Kawaida Organizations (NAKO)

• Kwanzaa

  An online interactive exhibit from the History Channel detailing the history of Kwanzaa and the 7 symbols

• Everything About Kwanzaa

  An overview of the Kwanzaa holiday from the International Kwanzee Exchange (TIKE)

• Kwanza Welcome Page

  A brief definition and other information about Kwanzaa

Winter Solstice

• Winter Solstice Celebration

  An overview of the traditional Solstice celebration including science and folklore surrounding the winter solstice (December 21)

• Celebrating Winter Solstice

  An overview of the history and customs surrounding the Winter Solstice

• Winter Solstice

  A very basic overview of the history of the winter Solstice celebration; dating back to before the Roman Empire