A History of Holidays Festivals June July August

A History of Holidays and Festivals June, July, and August Holidays and festivals are how we mark our passage through each year. They are a special, sparkling moment, and a chance to take a break from the routine of everyday life. They are also a way to build traditions, which connect us to our ancestors, our communities, and our futures. In this four-part series, installments released each season, we will travel through the calendar together and take an in-depth look at ten of the world's most popular festivities in each of the four seasons. We'll learn more about the history and traditions of the holidays you may already be celebrating, and discover festivals from other cultures around the world, for how, when, and why we come together to celebrate says as much about how we are the same as how we are different. In this episode, we'll explore ten holidays which are usually celebrated in the months of June, July, and August. Summer if you happen to live in the northern hemisphere, winter in the southern. Juneteenth President Abraham Lincoln announced that the Emancipation Proclamation would go into effect on January 1st, 1863. It promised freedom to enslaved people in the confederacy, but not the border states which had not rebelled. However, most slaveholders refused to set the people they held captive free. In January 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which officially banned slavery throughout the US. But enforcement of the law was a slow process, and depended on the advance of Union troops. It wasn't until June 19th, 1865, 900 days after the Emancipation Proclamation, that Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas, the most remote state. He read aloud General Order No. 3, informing Texans that all enslaved people were free. Though enforcement still had a long way to go, and civil rights even further, celebrations burst out amongst newly freed people. The following year, on June 19th, 1866, churches and communities across the state organized Jubilee Day celebrations. The tradition spread across the South with picnics and parades. Many celebrants were barred from using public parks by Jim Crow laws. Some pooled their money to purchase land on which to enjoy celebrations of freedom. Those who sought better opportunities in the North and West during the Great Migration brought Juneteenth to the rest of the country. The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s rejuvenated Juneteenth as a celebration of African American heritage and culture. Texas declared June 19th a state holiday in 1979. Juneteenth was declared a federal U.S. holiday in 2021. It is still celebrated with picnics, parades, barbecues, and cultural events across the nation. Decorations are often fashioned in the Pan-African colors, green, red, and yellow from the flag of Ethiopia, one of the few African kingdoms to avoid colonization. And green, red, and black, also the colors of Kwanzaa, were selected in the 1920s for the Pan-African flag, a movement which encourages solidarity amongst all people of African ancestry. Interimi has been celebrated by the Inca people since at least 1412. Emperor Pachacuti is said to have created the ceremony to honor the sun god, Enti, the most venerated deity in the Inca religion. The event rang in the new year on the day of the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. For nine days, Cusco was filled with colorful dances, processions, and animal sacrifices to ensure a good harvest. Parts of the ceremony retold the Inca origin story. Manco Capac, legendary founder of the empire, is said to have been called up from the depths of Lake Titicaca. In 1535, Spanish colonists and Catholic priests banned Interimi, along with other Inca religious practices. For the next 400 years, indigenous people high in the Andes continued to keep the tradition alive, through small celebrations, colorful costumes, and sharing food. In 1944, a historical reconstruction of Interimi was performed by indigenous actors. The event was a hit with locals and tourists, and has been repeated every year since. Each June 24, over 800 artists don traditional garments and perform dances and rituals similar to their ancestors. In the morning, at the temple of Coricancha, the Inca, or emperor, evokes the sun god, thanking him for his blessings. Next, at the Plaza de Armas, the main square of Cusco, representatives from across the Inca empire arrive in traditional costumes. During the grand finale, held at Saxaman Fortress, the full ritual of the sun is reenacted. Coca leaves and chicha are offered to the god, to ask him for a good harvest in the coming year. If you visit Cusco, you might see the city's rainbow flag on display, which, aside from the coat of arms added in 2021 to distinguish it, is identical to the flag of our next festival. Pride In 1969, homosexuality was illegal in most US states. LGBT people faced discrimination and violence. Many hid their true identity to remain safe, but they found solace and community in gay bars and other small venues where they could meet others like them. Police frequently raided these establishments, harassed patrons, and dunked dry queens' heads in mop buckets before hauling them off to jail for public indecency. In the early morning of June 28, 1969, patrons at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, fought back. There had been other acts of resistance before, but this was the largest yet. For five nights, Queen Marsha P. Johnson, King Stormé de Laverie, and other patrons and residents of the village rioted for their right to exist. When it was over, they effectively organized their fury into activist groups. Thus, the Gay Liberation Movement was born. On the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, the first Gay Pride marches were organized in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In 1978, a group of artists, including Gilbert Baker, premiered the first Pride Rainbow Flag. The original eight colors were hand-dyed and sewn together. Hot pink represented sex, red life, orange healing, yellow sunlight, green nature, turquoise magic and art, indigo serenity, and violet spirit. On November 27, 1978, San Francisco city supervisor and gay activist Harvey Milk was assassinated. The event sparked a massive outcry of grief and demand for Pride flags. To ramp up production, Gilbert used stock rainbow fabric with seven stripes, no pink. He then decided to split the motif to decorate lampposts on either side of San Francisco's parade route. He needed an even number of colors, so turquoise got the boot, creating the six-color rainbow flag used today. Pride parades and events have spread around the world. They are a time for communities to come together, celebrate ongoing achievements in the fight for civil rights, and highlight the need for further action. In 1999, President Clinton declared June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. In 2011, President Obama expanded it to bisexual and transgender people as well. This follows the tradition of designating special days or months for awareness of disadvantaged groups. May has been observed as Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949. February officially became Black History Month in 1976, and November was designated American Indian Heritage Month in 1990. Today, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities celebrate Pride Month by attending shows, parties, and of course, parades. Independence Days around the world. In the United States, where the majority of my audience is based, the Fourth of July is a big holiday. It commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. On that day, delegates to the Second Continental Congress sent a document to King George III declaring that the 13 American colonies were no longer subject to British rule, but they still had to put their muskets where their parchment was. The Revolutionary War lasted another five years until the Continental Army beat the Redcoats at the Battle of Yorktown, Virginia. In October 1781, General Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington on the field, but it was almost two years later, on September 3, 1783, when representatives of the U.S. and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the war. It is still the initial stance for freedom that is remembered today. America's star-spangled celebration is by no means unique. There are at least 205 national holidays enjoyed around the globe. They commemorate the anniversaries of revolutions, diplomatic treaties, and other historic events which won their people freedom from colonizers or internal authoritarianism. July and August are the most popular months for national days, with 26 and 29 holidays respectively. Countries that celebrate in July include Rwanda, Somalia, the Philippines, France, Venezuela, Argentina, the Bahamas, Slovakia, Colombia, Belgium, Liberia, and Peru. In August, you'll find displays of national pride in Jamaica, Bolivia, Ecuador, Pakistan, India, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Gabon, Ukraine, Uruguay, and more. Why July and August? Throughout history, wars have usually been fought in the warmer months, when it was easier for troops to move around. Of course, nations near the equator have climates which are conducive to revolution year-round. Australia Day is celebrated on January 26, summer in the southern hemisphere, but it commemorates the day in 1788 when British explorers first flew the Union flag over Sydney Harbor, not independence. National days across the world are celebrated by donning the colors of the country's flag and attending parades, carnivals, picnics featuring local cuisine, and fireworks. Indians celebrate their freedom from the UK by flying kites, Indonesians enjoy the gift of independence from the Dutch by climbing oiled poles to reach wrapped packages at the top, and Norwegians commemorate the sweetness of their constitution by eating ice cream. Matariki Each year, the Maori people of New Zealand await the first appearance of the Matariki star cluster. This occurs in June or July on the Gregorian calendar and signals the beginning of the Maori New Year. According to legend, Rangi and Papa, the sky father and earth mother, were locked in a tight embrace. Their many children inhabited the darkness between them, but as they grew, they wondered what it would be to live in the light. Tane, god of the forest, used his powerful legs to thrust his father high above his mother. The siblings rejoiced, but the world soon filled with the salty water of their parents' tears. Taurimati, god of the wind, was furious about what his brother had done. He plucked his own eyes out, crushed them into pieces, and threw them into the heavens, where they lodged in his father's chest. The wind is said to be so unpredictable because its god is blind. His eyes became the nine Matariki stars. Each hold a special significance, and how brightly they shine is said to indicate how things will go in the coming year. Matariki is the mother and is connected to health and well-being. Topuanuku is associated with food grown in the ground. Tupuarangi with food that comes from the sky, i.e. birds and tree fruit. Ururangi with wind. Waipunurangi is associated with rain. Iwaitarangi, the wishing star with the promise of a prosperous new year. Waiti is connected to fresh water, and Waita to salt water. Pōtukawa is connected to those who have died in the past year. Māori people hold celebrations at dawn to watch as Matariki rises. They interpret what the stars predict for the new year, remember loved ones who have passed, give offerings of food to replenish the stars, and enjoy a meal together. With the colonization of New Zealand in the 19th century, the celebration of Matariki and other Māori traditions went into decline. But in the 1990s, the holiday made a resurgence. Communities across New Zealand celebrate the holiday with concerts, light festivals, and tree plantings. Auckland's Sky Tower is illuminated. In 2017, Wellington City Council announced that they would cancel fireworks displays held on the British holiday of Guy Fox Night and move them to Matariki instead. Matariki was declared a public holiday in 2022. Midsummer. The summer solstice has held significance to people since at least the Neolithic era. Many ancient monuments throughout Eurasia and the Americas align with the sunrise or sunset on the solstice, most famously Stonehenge in the UK. Olaf's Saga, written in the 10th century, records the Christian king of Norway going to force pagans to convert to Christianity. But they refused, and the king watched as they carried on with their midsummer sacrifice to the Norse gods. Before long, Christianity won out, and the midsummer festival was Christianized as Saint John's Eve. The sacrifices to Odin were done away with, but many of the other pagan traditions held fast. Bonfires were burned to repel dragons, witches, and evil spirits. People wore garlands of flowers in their hair and danced around maypoles, which were also decorated with flowers. The maypole's original symbolism has been forgotten, but it is theorized to be connected to Yadrasil, the world tree in Norse mythology. To add some reverence to John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin who performed the Messiah's baptism. The day became a popular time for babies to be baptized. Today, Midsummer is celebrated in many European countries and diasporas, but it is most popular in Scandinavia, where communities gather to dance around maypoles, often while wearing traditional clothes. While Christmas is focused on family, Midsummer is often when friends gather to share meals of salmon, pickled herring, buttered potatoes, and berries with fresh cream. Wash down with plenty of shots of aquavit and drinking songs. After sunset, many take a naked swim in the lake. Singles pick seven wildflowers to place under their pillow, in the hopes that they will dream of their true love. Midsummer gained international fame, or rather infamy, from its depiction in the 2019 horror film. And while the Vikings might have sacrificed animals and even humans during the celebration, this no longer happens today. Homwa and the Twins Yam Festival In the language of the Ga people of modern-day Ghana, the word homwa means making fun of hunger. Their oral tradition describes a time long ago when the rains stopped and the sea closed its gates. Famine spread across the land and many died. When a successful harvest finally arrived and food was again plentiful, the people were so happy that they celebrated with a festival to ridicule hunger. In early August, the chief priest will consult with oracles and announce the week of celebration. On the Thursday before the main celebration, thousands travel home, bringing crops of all kinds with them. As the so-called Thursday people arrive, parades of musicians meander through the streets all day and into the night. This is a time for young people to meet up, get acquainted, and even find romance. At dawn on Friday, a memorial service is held to honor those who have died during the previous year. Later in the morning, there is a birthday celebration for all twins. Multiple births are revered by the Ga people as a special blessing. West Africans have an unusually high twins rate. About 5% of all births are multiples compared to just 1.2% in the rest of the world. The leading theory as to why is because their staple crop, the yam, contains phytoestrogens, which can mimic estrogen in the female body and potentially cause women to release multiple eggs. There could also be a genetic factor. Twin siblings wear matching outfits and celebrate with feasting, music, and dancing. The celebrations continue on Saturday with the Homua festival. To remember the famine of the past, a large feast is prepared. The special dish, capepele, is fermented cornmeal eaten with palm soup and smoked fish. Chiefs, sub-chiefs, and the head of each family will sprinkle capepele and drinks on the ground in special places. This honors the god and pleases the ancestors. After these rituals are performed, people begin dancing and drumming through the streets, and visiting each other's homes to share in the traditional meal. Aomori Nebuta This popular summer lantern festival is believed to have come to Japan via cultural exchange with China in the 700s. The Chinese tradition of lighting special nights with colorful lanterns was combined with local Japanese customs, including carrying torches through the city to repel insects and send off ancestral spirits. And Nimuri Nogashi, sleep drifting. In this ancient practice, carried out on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, people symbolically rid themselves of the fatigue of hot summer days by casting their sleepiness in the form of leaves and lanterns adrift on the river. Over time, the annual summer lantern festival evolved to feature glowing giants called Nebuta. The massive lantern floats are based on characters from Kabuki and mythological stories. In 1843, an Edo newspaper printed this report of the event. The floats were about 10 meters in length and depicted things like Empress Jingu's unification of the three Korean states. They were lit with candles and pulled on carts. The people played bells, drums, and trumpet shells and danced. Nebuta floats grew even larger as builders tried to outdo each other. In 1871, a lantern reached 20 meters or 65 feet tall. It took 100 people to move, and it could be seen in the next village three miles away. The Nebuta were originally constructed with bamboo frames, covered with painted paper, and illuminated from within by torches and candles. As you can imagine, this was an immense fire hazard. In 1873, the Magi government banned Nebuta for safety reasons. The administration was bent on rapid modernization and westernization, and they labeled many ancient Japanese customs as bad and forbade them. But the festival was soon revived. It was banned again during World War II, but after the Japanese defeat, Nebuta was brought back as a way to boost morale. By this time, they could be illuminated with light bulbs, powered by portable generators. And the bamboo frames were replaced with wire, significantly reducing the risk of fire. Today, about 20 floats are involved in the main event. In Aomori, each float takes a full year to design and build. They are often sponsored by companies. Each Nebuta team organizes dancers and musicians in colorful costumes to accompany their float. The event attracts 3 million visitors who watch the floats parade through the city each night from August 2 to 6. On the 7th, the procession begins earlier in the day, and by nightfall, each float is loaded onto a boat and ferried around the Aomori Bay as fireworks light up the night sky. The best float of the year is awarded a prize. In 2011, a museum was opened to house the beautiful floats, so visitors can experience the wonder of the Nebuta Festival year-round. Music and Arts Festivals Humanity has a long history of enjoying music under the warm summer sky. In the 6th century BCE, Greeks enjoyed performances at the Pythian Games in Delphi, a precursor to the Olympics. In 1176, Lord Rees launched an annual celebration of Welsh poetry, music, and performance at Cardigan Castle. In 1715, the choirs of the Cathedrals of Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester joined forces for a massive ecclesiastical performance. The singers have since rotated which cathedral they perform in at the end of July each year. The Three Choirs Festival is the oldest surviving music festival in Europe. The first modern rock music festival was the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival held on June 10 and 11 in 1967 at an amphitheater on the side of Mount Tumulpias. Partly inspired by Renaissance festivals, the event attracted 40,000 people to see 35 acts, including The Doors, Dionne Warwick, Jefferson Airplane, and The Birds. It was part of a larger cultural event in San Francisco known as the Summer of Love. Later that month, Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival further south in California. On August 15, 1969, 460,000 people converged on a dairy farm in upstate New York for three days of peace and music known as Woodstock. The lineup is a legendary who's who of 60s rock musicians, and the event is seen as a seminal moment in music history. In 1970, the first Glastonbury Festival was held on a dairy farm in England. The price of admission included free milk. Many took note that mobs of music lovers didn't mind camping out in the mud to see incredible acts, and music festivals began popping up all over the globe. Many celebrate specific genres of music, like Jazz Fest in New Orleans and Sunburn Festival in India, which highlights electronic dance music. Each music festival has its own flavor. Coachella in California is known for hot, fresh pop acts debuting new songs in front of celebrity guests. Burning Man sees an entire city of interactive sculptures and buildings erected in the Nevada desert. Its grand finale is the burning of a giant wooden effigy called The Man. The Netherlands has Pinkpop, Belgium Tomorrowland, Brazil has Rock in Rio, Barcelona Primavera Sound, and Japan has Fuji Rock Festival. And of course, there's 2017's infamous Fire Fest, sold as a luxury festival in the Bahamas by rapper Ja Rule and social media influencers. It turned out to be a scam, and the organizer was sent to prison for defrauding attendees of millions. Wherever you are in the world, and whatever sounds set you in motion, you're sure to find a music and arts festival to enjoy, as long as you're cool with mud, summer heat, and massive crowds. Hungry Ghost Festival is observed on the 15th day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar by Taoists and Buddhists across East and Southeast Asia. It is believed that during this month, the gates of hell are opened, and the spirits of the dead walk the earth. Ancestor worship is paramount in Chinese culture, but those who die without descendants, or those whose descendants refuse or neglect to appease them with personal offerings, are said to roam the land of the living in hunger and thirst. These scary and sad specters are known as preta, hungry ghosts. According to Buddhist scripture, one of the Buddha's disciples sought to contact his long-dead parents through meditation. He was able to reach his mother, who was now a gaunt and suffering preta. The disciple tried to help her by offering her a bowl of rice, but as she was a ghost, she could not eat. The meal burst into flaming coal. When the disciple came to the Buddha for help, he explained that one could aid their current deceased parents and the parents in their past seven lives by willingly offering them food and drink. The Hungry Ghost Festival gained wide popularity during the Tang Dynasty in the 600s. To this day, people make offerings to satisfy ravenous phantoms. They burn fake paper money and paper mache replicas of clothes, jewelry, cars, TVs, and other goods, anything that ghosts might need in the afterlife. They prepare elaborate meals and leave empty seats at the table. During the month-long festival, people avoid important life changes, like moving houses, getting married, or accepting new jobs. They also avoid going outside alone after dark, for fear that they might be cursed with bad luck, or worse, encounter a hungry ghost. Instead, the streets come alive with lantern floats, lion dancers, marching bands, and other performances that turn remembrance into a spectacle. At the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival, people release lotus-shaped paper lanterns onto the water. These are meant to guide the ghosts, who should now be well-fed, back to the underworld for another year. Whatever holidays you celebrate, have a happy and healthy June, July, and August, and tune in at the beginning of September, when we'll explore 10 more autumn holidays and festivals. Don't want to wait to see the next episode? Channel members and patrons get exclusive early access to all of my multi-part series. If you would like to support my work, then please click the join button or the Patreon link in the description.