Podcast Classroom Guide: The history and politics of official holidays in NH
In this podcast episode Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar dive into the history of New Hampshire’s holidays and how the “official holiday” choices reflect religious and political history. Journey from the Puritan holiday “Fast Day” (recognized until 1991) to the current debate over Indigenous People’s Day.
Length:
Podcast includes 10 minutes about the history of New Hampshire holidays, 3 additional minutes of "fun facts" about the first Black American elected to public office (Wentworth Cheswill of Nemarket)
Key concepts/standards
- The religious roots of government as seen through the selection of holidays (particularly Fast Day and Columbus Day)
- SS:HI:8:1.3: Examine how religion has influenced the political life of the nation, e.g., the Know Nothing Party, the temperance movement, or the First Great Awakening. (Themes: A: Conflict and Cooperation, E: Cultural Development, Interaction, and Change, J: Human Expression and Communication)
- SS:HI:12:1.2: Analyze how religion has influenced the political life of the nation, e.g., the separation of church and state in early New Hampshire or the rise of the Moral Majority. (Themes: A: Conflict and Cooperation, E: Cultural Development, Interaction, and Change, J: Human Expression and Communication)
- How the selection of holidays reflects societal diversity, values, and politics
- SS:CV:8:2.3: Describe ways in which particular events and documents contributed to the evolution of American government, e.g., states' rights, universal suffrage, or civil rights. (Themes: E: Cultural Development, Interaction, and Change, H: Individualism, Equality and Authority)
- SS:HI:12:1.4: Examine the impact of sectionalism on national crises and United States government policies, e.g., Hartford Convention or Brown v. Board of Education. (Themes: A: Conflict and Cooperation, E: Cultural Development, Interaction, and Change, I: Patterns of Social and Political Interaction)
- SS:HI:12:5.1: Explore the tensions between the values of unity and pluralism in defining our national identity, e.g., the Puritans v Anne Hutchinson or the counter-culture vs. the silent majority. (Themes: A: Conflict and Cooperation, E: Cultural Development, Interaction, and Change, I: Patterns of Social and Political Interaction)
- SS:HI:12:5.3: Explore attitudes toward diversity held by and groups and individuals, e.g., antebellum Southerners or Eleanor Roosevelt. (Themes: E: Cultural Development, Interaction, and Change, H: Individualism, Equality and Authority, I: Patterns of Social and Political Interaction)
Discussion questions
- Why do we celebrate holidays? Why does the government recognize certain special days?
- How do the holidays we choose to celebrate reflect our culture as a whole? How would you describe New Hampshire’s culture if the only information you had was our list of holidays?
- What do you think makes something or someone worth celebrating as a holiday? Should holidays celebrate individuals or events?
- What is Juneteenth? Why do we celebrate it?
- What is the difference between an official state holiday and an “observance”?
- Could we have too many holidays? How do you think governments should balance the need to celebrate special occasions with the need to get work done?
- Who was Christopher Columbus? Why is there a holiday named after him?
- How does Columbus Day relate to immigration and Italian American heritage?
- Why do some people want to see Columbus Day renamed?
- Do you think we should replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day? Why or why not?
