Today's Holiday Art (PIONEER DAY) for Mormons
ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Gregory A. Disney
The main specifically Mormon holiday (Not "Holy") is Pioneer Day, celebrated on July 24 of each year. Pioneer Day celebrates the first entry of Mormons into Salt Lake Valley in 1847, after the long journey westward to escape religious persecution. While the holiday has strong links to the LDS Church, it is a secular celebration of everyone, regardless of faith and nationality.
By Gregory A. Disney
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| Pioneer painting by C.C.A. Christensen depicts Latter-day Saints crossing frozen Mississippi river. |
- Observed by: Mormons around the world, but especially those in Utah
- Date: July 24th annually
- Significance: It commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where the Latter-day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois and other locations in the eastern United States.
- Celebrations: Parades, fireworks, rodeos, and other festivities help commemorate the event. Similar to July 4th it is a State Holiday.
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