United States Holidays and Observances

Every day of the year, somewhere in the United States, some sort of holiday or special remembrance is being observed by individuals, organizations, or governments. January 30 is Pennsylvanians with Disabilities Day. On March 26, Hawaii celebrates Prince Janah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day. November 9 is set aside for Women Veterans Day in Alaska, while in Puerto Rico they honor baseball scout Pedrin Zorilla, and as the sun sets, New Jersey holds a Kristallnacht Memorial Night.

This book is a detailed reference work about holidays and special observances established by statute in the United States, including American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Because the United States is a member state of the United Nations, U.N.-designated holidays and longer periods of time, such as years and decades devoted to important world issues, are also included. Following the day-by-day section, holidays are listed chronologically within their jurisdictions (federally designated observances are first in the list; states and territories follow in alphabetical order). A subject index offers access to particular topics (nursing, education, peace…) and a name index indicates holidays celebrating the lives of individuals.