Pioneer Day
Pioneer Day is the name of an official holiday in the US state of Utah , which is celebrated annually on July 24th . It commemorates the arrival of Brigham Young , second President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and the first group of Mormon pioneer settlers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, after previously visiting the city of Nauvoo , Illinois had to leave.
The day is celebrated in Utah and some regions in bordering states such as Idaho with pageants , fireworks , rodeos and similar activities, and family reunions. Government institutions, educational institutions and many companies are closed in Utah on this day. In addition to being recognized as a public holiday in Utah, July 24th is a special day for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On this day, church members recreate the procession of Mormon pioneers on parts of the Mormon Trail and the arrival in the Salt Lake Valley. In addition, the day is dedicated to the memory of all people who immigrated to the Salt Lake Valley area until around 1869, the arrival of the first transcontinental railroad , regardless of their origin, race or religion .
The first celebrations to commemorate July 24, 1847 took place two years later. It was celebrated as a public holiday for the first time in 1857 and, after the interruption due to the Utah War and the subsequent occupation of Utah territory by federal troops, regularly from 1862. There were major events for the centenary in 1947 and the 150th anniversary of the year 1997.
literature
- Pioneer Day. In: Davis Bitton, Thomas G. Alexander: Historical Dictionary of Mormonism. Series: Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements Series. Volume 89.Scarecrow Press, Lanham 2008, ISBN 0-81-086251-4 , p. 173
- Days of '47. In: Allan Kent Powell: The Utah Guide. Fulcrum Publishing, Golden 2003, ISBN 1-55-591114-5 , pp. 55/56
Web links
- Utah State Holiday - Pioneer Day (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Utah Code Title 63G, Chapter 1, Part 3, Section 301: Legal holidays ( Memento of the original from July 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (last accessed on July 23, 2015)
- ↑ The Library of Congress - Today in History: July 24 (last accessed on July 23, 2015)
- ↑ Pioneer Day in United States (last accessed on July 23, 2015)
