Pioneer Day (also archaically called the Day of
Deliverance) is an official holiday
celebrated on July 24 in the U.S. state of Utah
, with some
celebrations in regions of surrounding states originally settled by Mormon
pioneers. 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
. Parades,
fireworks,
rodeos, and other
festivities help commemorate the event.
In addition to being an official holiday in Utah, Pioneer Day is
considered a special occasion by many members of
The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). On Pioneer Day,
some
Latter-day Saints walk
portions of the
Mormon Trail or reenact
entering the Salt Lake Valley by
handcart.
Latter-day Saints
throughout the United
States
and around the world may celebrate July 24 in remembrance of the LDS Churches' pioneer
era, with songs, dances, and pioneer related
activities.
While the holiday has strong links to the LDS Church, it is a
celebration of everyone, regardless of faith and nationality, who
emigrated to the
Salt Lake Valley during the pioneer era,
which is generally considered to have ended with the 1869 arrival
of the
transcontinental
railroad. Notable non-LDS
American
pioneers from this period include Bishop
Daniel Tuttle, who was responsible for Utah's
first non-
Mormon schools (
Rowland Hall-St. Mark's) and
first public hospital (St. Mark's) in the 1800s.
The Intertribal
Powwow at Liberty Park
in Salt Lake
City
honors the rich cultural heritage and contributions
of the area's American Indians,
helping Utahns to gain a deeper understanding of the region's
history.
The holiday generates a great deal of road traffic; Utah Department
of Public Safety statistics demonstrate that Pioneer Day has the
second highest holiday
traffic fatality rate in Utah,
with the earlier July 4
Independence Day having the
highest rate.
History
The first celebration of Pioneer Day in 1857 was interrupted with
news of the approach of Johnson's Army, heralding the beginning of
the
Utah War. During the following
occupation of the
Utah Territory by
federal troops, Pioneer Day was not celebrated. Once President
Abraham Lincoln initiated a
hands-off policy on Utah in 1862 during the
American Civil War Pioneer Day was once
again observed, and expanded into the surrounding areas as the
Mormon Corridor spread throughout
the
Intermountain West. In 1880,
Latter-day Saints commemorated the
Golden
Jubilee of the
church's formal
organization in 1830; tens of thousands of people in hundreds
of communities participated in very enthusiastic festivities.
In the years that followed, federal enforcement efforts of
anti-
polygamy laws (including the 1882
Edmunds Act) resulted in greatly subdued
celebrations.
The 1886 commemoration was particularly
notable for its mourning theme, with the
Salt Lake
Tabernacle
decorated in black instead of the usually colorful
bunting, and the eulogizing of Latter-day Saints who were in hiding or
prison for polygamy offenses. By 1897, the celebration
included not only the 50th anniversary of the initial arrival in
the Salt Lake Valley, but also the end of the polygamy issue, the
completion of the
Salt Lake Temple,
and statehood for Utah.
The centennial in 1947 and the sesquicentennial in 1997 were
especially large celebrations in Utah. One writer indicated that
the 1947 celebrations seemed to incorporate the entire year, with
July 24 only being an apex to the events.
Related events
See also
Notes
- Gross, Ernie. This Day In Religion. New
York:Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc, 1990. ISBN 1-55570-045-4.
- . Reprinted with permission at Utah History to
Go.
- Quinn, Frederick Building the "Goodly Fellowship of Faith"
- A History of the Episcopal Church in Utah - 1867-1996
Utah State University Press,
Logan, Utah,
2004, chapter 1.
- Archive Article ID: 9925806
celebrates with "Fiesta Days".
, Alberta
, Canada
.
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