Seasonal Holiday Features

This page provides links to information about various holidays in the Scottish tradition and some non-Scottish features that pertain to those holidays.


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Valentine's day

Valentine's Day Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the history of this centuries-old holiday, from ancient Roman rituals to the customs of Victorian England.

Not like it used to be! - For eight hundred years prior to the establishment of Valentine's Day, the Romans had practiced a pagan celebration in mid-February commemorating young men's rite of passage to the god Lupercus. ... Instead of the pagan god Lupercus, the Church looked for a suitable patron saint of love to take his place. They found an appropriate choice in Valentine, who, in AD 270 had been beheaded by Emperor Claudius.

Saint Patrick's Day (March 17)

Saint Patrick (387-493), the patron saint of Ireland, was born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387 and died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 493. (Source dates vary.) He was born at a time when Ireland was a land of pagan kings and warriors. His parents were Romans, probably there as merchants or administrators of a Roman Colony.

Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá 'le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) (colloquially 'St. Paddy's Day') on March 17 is the feast day, the national holiday and one of the public holidays in the Republic of Ireland (a bank holiday in Northern Ireland); the overseas territory of Montserrat; and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the United States it is widely celebrated, although not an official holiday.

Saint Patrick's Prayer is often called St. Patrick's Breastplate because of those parts of it which seek God's protection. It is also sometimes called The Deer's Cry or The Lorica. [CapScot Note: A lorica is an incantation recited for protection.

Memorial Day (end of May)

Just a Common Soldier by A. Lawrence Vaincourt. Thots by Private Lee Charles McCollum Decoration Day - The History In Flanders Fields Wilfred Owen Joyce Kilmer

US Independence Day (July 4)

The United States celebrates its Independence Day on July 4, a day of patriotic celebration and family events throughout the country. In the words of Founding Father John Adams, the holiday would be the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance. ... It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Independence Day - photos, videos, history, and more. Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.

U.S. Independence Day:  Independence Day celebrates the birthday of the United States of America.  Founded July 4th 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America is celebrating it's 234th birthday this year (2010)
The 4th of July is a time for the Red White and Blue.  A time for picnics, parades and marching bands.  A time for beaches, BBQs and 'Bombs Bursting in Air'.  So pour yourself a cold one, put another 'shrimp on the barbie', and join us for a birthday celebration with fun Holiday things for you and your family.
We've got some history to read, flag facts, national parks, national monuments & memorials, and must-see fireworks to share.  We've also got mom's apple pie to bake, holiday craft to make, pictures for the kids to color, and summertime recipes to grill.

Read the history of the Star Spangled Banner, the U. S. national anthem. See the Star Spangled Banner lyrics. Hear it sung.

V-J Day (August 14)

V-J Day marked the end of World War II. At noon Japan standard time on August 15, 1945 (US date - August 14), Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration to the Japanese people over the radio. Japan was the last Axis Power to surrender (three months after V-E Day). V-J Day is still a state holiday in Rhode Island. The holiday's official name is Victory Day, and it is observed on the second Monday of August. See the US Navy's Web site Formal Surrender of Japan, 2 September 1945 for documents and annotated photographs. The Smack Seen Round the World - V-J Day, Times Square, a most memorable photograph.

Victory in Japan Day: On August 6th, 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. This would be the first of only two times the bomb was ever used against another country. Earlier, the Truman administration found that the Japanese were not accepting of the Potsdam Declaration which demanded an unconditional surrender by Japan. The Japanese had asked Russia to act as intermediary for them at the Potsdam Conference. However, unbeknownst to the Japanese, the Soviet Union was about to enter the war against them. Consequently, Stalin did not convey all of the questions and concerns the Japanese had. One major question was the preservation of their Emperor as head if they surrendered. But this was never made clear to Churchill and Truman and the harsh statement coming from the conference is what resulted. Because Japan was not forthcoming, Truman decided to drop the bomb. (Japan was unaware of this power).

Labor Day (First Monday in September)

US: Labor Day - the first Monday in September - celebrates the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of America. The Haymarket Riot on May 4, 1886 in Chicago is generally considered to have been an important influence on the origin of international May Day observances for workers. In early 1886, a convention of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (FOTLU) of the United States and Canada set May 1, 1886 as the date by which the eight-hour work day would become law. The first Labor Day holiday, as we know it in the USA today, was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City.

Canada: Labour Day - the first Monday in September - Labour Day began in Canada on April 15, 1872, a mere five years after Confederation. On that historic day the Toronto Trades Assembly, the original central labour body in Canada, organized the country's first significant 'workers demonstration'. At the time trade unions were still illegal, and authorities still tried to repress them, even though laws against "criminal conspiracy" to disrupt trade had already been abolished in Britain. Despite the obstacles, the assembly had emerged as an important force in Toronto, speaking out on behalf of working people, encouraging union organization and acting as a watchdog when workers were exploited. By the time the landmark parade was organized in 1872 the assembly had a membership of 27 unions, representing wood workers, builders, carriage makers and metal workers, plus an assortment of other trades ranging from bakers to cigar makers.

Thanksgiving Day - Canada (Second Monday of October)

Thanksgiving in Canada falls on the second Monday in October, and is part of a three-day weekend. It is celebrated to thank the Lord Almighty for a bountiful harvest. The first Thanksgiving Day in Canada after Confederation was observed on April 15, 1872. The Monday is a statutory holiday in all jurisdictions except New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Thanksgiving in Canada corresponds to the English and continental European Harvest festival, with churches decorated with cornucopias, pumpkins, corn, wheat sheaves and other harvest bounty, English and European harvest hymns sung on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and scriptural lections drawn from the biblical stories relating to the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. While the actual Thanksgiving holiday is on a Monday, Canadians might eat their Thanksgiving meal on any day of the three day weekend.

Veteran's Day (November 11)

[US, Canada, and UK flags and poster with words honoring all who served - veterans day]

Veterans Day (US) - 'The Great War' officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of 'the war to end all wars'. ... In 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Remembrance Day - The Poppy, the Last Post, and More ... Remembrance Day is on 11 November. It is a special day set aside to remember all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts. At one time the day was known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War.

In Canada, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November at 11:00 a.m., the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It is a holiday for federal government employees. Schools usually hold assemblies for the first half of the day or on the school day prior with various presentations concerning the remembrance of the war dead.

See also:
Veterans Day at the Department of Veterans affairs and numerous articles via the Military.com site where there are lnks to articles about the history and celebration of the day - also discounts.
Remembrance Day (UK) - The Royal British Legion is the nation's custodian of Remembrance, ensuring that people remember those who have given their lives for the freedom we enjoy today.
Remembrance Day in Scotland - Every Remembrance Day, wreaths of poppies are laid at memorials across Scotland and men, women and children mark the moment the Armistice was signed with a two-minute silence.
The Story Behind the Remembrance Poppy - This is the story of how the red field poppy came to be known as an internationally recognized symbol of Remembrance.
Remembrance Day - 11 November is Remembrance Day when Australians observe one minute's silence at 11.00 a.m. each year to remember the sacrifice of those who died or otherwise suffered in Australia's cause in wars and war-like conflicts.

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. - John Stuart Mill

Thanksgiving Day (US) (Fourth Thursday in November)

[picture of a cornucopia]
Thanksgiving Day is an American tradition rooted in a 1621 New England harvest celebration. At Plymouth Colony in October 1621, Plymouth Governor William Bradford declared a feast to give thanks to God for the settlers first harvest. After a rough winter, in which about half of them died, they turned for help to neighboring Indians, who taught them how to plant corn and other crops. The next fall's bountiful harvest inspired the 'Pilgrims' to give thanks by holding a feast. The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition - not only because so many other Americans have found prosperity but also because the 'Pilgrims'' sacrifices for their freedom still captivate the imagination. To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, pumpkin pie. Before the meal begins, families or friends usually pause to give thanks for their blessings, including the joy of being united for the occasion. Massasoit and 90 other Wampanoag were invited to join the 52 'Pilgrims' for this three-day feast. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated with lot of fervor and merry-making in America. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in the month of November every year, it is a time for communal thanksgiving, feeling gratitude, lavish feasts. It is a time to remember the original pilgrims who celebrated the autumn harvest with a feast of thanks. The feast popularly known as the 'First Thanksgiving Day Feast' was held as a gesture of thanks to almighty God. It was celebrated in the year 1621. After the United States gained independence, Congress recommended one yearly day of thanksgiving for the whole nation to celebrate.

Christmas

two bells tied together with a red bow] Night before Christmas - A Soldier's Parody The Twelve Days of Christmas A Different Christmas Poem

New Year

fireworks and champagne beng poured]
New Year's Eve in the US: The beginning of the new year has been welcomed on different dates throughout history. Great Britain and its colonies in America adopted the Gregorian calender in 1752, in which January 1st was restored as New Year's Day. New Year's Day in the US For holiday shucks and grins, check out A Federal Holiday Poem. Popular New Year's Resolutions

Seasonal Holiday Features - Some Scottish