Holidays

On February 14, 1998, the first National Donor Day was held in the US. The annual event is held to raise awareness of the need for organ and tissue donations and to honor those who have donated, those who have received donations, and those we lost before donations became available.

On February 2, 1887, the first official Groundhog Day event was held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.  However, the tradition dates back much further to the Christian holiday known as Candlemas, and likely even further to the pre-Christian Celtic holiday of Imbolc.

This year, January 22, 2023, marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit on the Chinese calendar.  The New Year celebration – also known as the Spring Festival – is the most important holiday in Chinese culture.

On December 31, 1903, Times Square hosted its first-ever New Year’s Eve Celebration. It’s one of the largest and longest-running New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world.

On December 24, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge lit the first national Christmas tree outside the White House. It’s a tradition that continues to this day, though it has evolved significantly over the years.

“A Visit from St. Nicholas” was first printed anonymously on December 23, 1823. Eventually attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, the poem gave Americans the version of Santa we have today.

Today, December 18, 2022, marks the first night of Hanukkah.  Hanukkah or the Jewish Festival of Lights, as it is sometimes called, begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev and lasts for eight days.

On December 7, 1907, the first Christmas Seals went on sale. The first stamps were created to help save a Delaware tuberculosis sanitarium, but later issues went on to support the Red Cross, National Tuberculosis Association, and American Lung Association.

On December 6, 1964, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first premiered on television.  Based on a popular book and song, it became an instant classic, appearing on television every year since.