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Find out more about Laura Jean: Laura Jean Karr is a freelance artist and writer who just happens to be Pagan. Some of her past work includes a weekly column through The Florida Times Union called Pagan Perspectives , former Creative Services Coordinator for The Ellsworth American and individual projects for The Bucksport Enterprise. She is also currently writing educational articles for BrightHub. Her other projects include poetry anthologies, ghost writing and being the Nevada State Chair for the PUC. |
Afro-Caribbean faith practitioners all the way through to Zoroastrian adherents come together to create the “melting pot” of religious paths in America, having one thing in common: celebrations.
Some faiths celebrate the with large festivals while others prefer more solemn type of reverence. The larger festival celebrations are what we are going to look at here as we scan the country to give you the best spiritual festivals that America has to offer.
America's Freedom Festival at Provo. This is a Christian based festival that spans three days over the 4th of July weekend. This years theme was “American Values – Family, Freedom, God and Country”. For more information visit: www.freedomfestival.org
Buddhist Festival: Harmony in the Park. This festival takes place in Portland Oregon every July and it is a celebration in general of Budda and the Buddhist teachings. For more information visit: The Northwest Dharma Association http://nwdharma.org
Eid ul Adha in Texas. The Islamic Association of North Texas holds the a festival for the Muslim holiday of Eid ul Adha that begins on the 10th day of Zul Hijjah. The celebration is in honor of Ibrahim's obedience to Allah. For more information visit: The Islamic Circle of North America at www.icna.org
Pagan Pride Day. This is a general festival that occurs all over the world every year between August and September. The largest celebration of this festival in America takes place at Battery Park in New York. For more information visit: www.nyc-ppp.org
Native American Pow Wow: Gathering of Nations. This is an inter-tribal pow wow that occurs every August in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information visit: www.gatheringofnations.com
Setsunbun-sai. This is the bean-throwing festival of the Shinto faith. Every year in February the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America holds this festival in Granite Falls, Washington. For more information visit: www.tsubakishrine.org
Swami Vivekananda Jayanti. This is the Hindu celebration to remember the birth of Swami Vivekananda who is credited with bringing Hinduism to America. The festival begins on January 18th every year in Thousand Island Park, New York. For more information visit: www.ramakrishna.org
Tu B'Shvat Festival. This is the Jewish Festival of the Trees which takes place every year during Nisan, Passover. There are many localized celebration throughout America but one major festival is held in Malibu, California at the Shalom Institute. For more information visit : www.shalominstitute.com
World Religion Day celebrated on January 15th every year. In America the celebrations vary from state to state but all include fostering a greater understanding of world religions into one big festival. For more information visit: www.worldreligionday.org
Zac-Chicago Silver Jubilee. This is a Zoroastrian festival sponsored by the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago and takes place at the end of August every year. The celebration is centered at the Arbab Rustom Guiv Darbe Mehr in Burr Ridge, Illinois. For more information visit: www.zac-chicago.org
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