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).[8][9] On Pioneer Day, some Latter-day Saints walk portions of the Mormon Trail or reenact entering the Salt Lake Valley by handcart.[10] Latter-day Saints throughout the United States[11][12] and around the world may celebrate July 24 in remembrance of the LDS Church's pioneer era, with songs, dances, potlucks, and pioneer related activities.[13][14]
While the holiday has strong links to the LDS Church, it is officially a celebration for everyone, regardless of faith and nationality, who immigrated to the Salt Lake Valley during the pioneer era, which is generally considered to have ended with the 1869 arrival of the transcontinental railroad.[15] Notable non-LDS American pioneers from this period include Episcopal Bishop Daniel S. 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 late 19th century.[16] The Intertribal Powwow at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City honors the cultural heritage and contributions of the area's Native Americans, helping Utahns to gain a deeper understanding of the region's history.[17][18]
The earliest precursor to Pioneer Day celebrations in Utah occurred on July 24, 1849,[19] when the Nauvoo Brass Band led a commemoration of the second anniversary of the Latter-day Saints entering the Salt Lake Valley.[20]
The celebration of Pioneer Day in 1857 was interrupted with news of the approach of Johnston's Army, heralding the beginning of the Utah War.[21] Immediately following the occupation of the Utah Territory by federal troops, Pioneer Day was sparsely celebrated.[22] Pioneer Day continually expanded into the surrounding areas as the Mormon Corridor spread throughout the Intermountain West.[22] 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 enthusiastic celebrations.[22]
In the years that followed, federal enforcement efforts of anti-polygamy laws (including the 1882 Edmunds Act) resulted in greatly subdued celebrations.[22] 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 imprisoned for polygamy offenses.[22] 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.[22]
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.[23]
The holiday generates a great deal of road traffic; Utah Department of Public Safety statistics states Pioneer Day has the second highest holiday traffic fatality rate in Utah, with the earlier July 4 Independence Day having the highest rate.[24]
The holiday has received criticism for its lack of inclusiveness for non-Mormons.[25] As a result, a small, growing contingent has started celebrating Pie and Beer Day instead of the traditional Pioneer Day.[26] Pie and Beer day is a play on words: "pie and beer" sounds like "pioneer." Pie and Beer Day was created as a counter culture alternative.[27][28]
↑ Schindler, Harold (July 24, 1997), "Ailing Young Rolls Out of Canyon, Likes Look of the Salt Lake Valley", Salt Lake Tribune, Mormon Trail Series, Article ID: 100F84BB82E32C16. ReprintedArchived September 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine with permission at Utah History to Go.
(federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies
The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has three main periods, described generally as:
the early history during the lifetime of Joseph Smith, which is in common with most Latter Day Saint movement churches;
the "pioneer era" under the leadership of Brigham Young and his 19th-century successors;
the modern era beginning in the early 20th century as the practice of polygamy was discontinued and many members sought reintegration into U.S. society.
John Taylor was an English-born religious leader who served as the third president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 to 1887. He is the first and so far only president of the LDS Church to have been born outside the United States.
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 188 countries and territories. The Relief Society is often referred to by the church and others as "one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world."
The Latter Day Saint movement is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Joseph Smith in the late 1820s.
The Mormon Trail is the 1,300-mile (2,100 km) long route from Illinois to Utah on which Mormon pioneers traveled from 1846–47. Today, the Mormon Trail is a part of the United States National Trails System, known as the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail.
Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument, and two visitors' centers. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah.
Milo Andrus was one of earliest leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Days of '47 Parade is an annual parade presented by The Days of '47, Inc. The three-hour event is held in Salt Lake City starting at 9:00 a.m. MDT on or around July 24, the same day as Pioneer Day, a Utah state holiday.
Ensign Peak is a dome-shaped peak in the hills just north of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The peak and surrounding area are part of Ensign Peak Nature Park, which is owned by the city. The hill's summit is accessed via a popular hiking trail, and provides an elevated view of Salt Lake Valley and Great Salt Lake.
The Nauvoo Brass Band was an official musical organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when the church's headquarters were located in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was later revived by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Utah Territory.
Joseph Toronto was the first Italian convert to the Latter Day Saint movement and was one of the first missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy.
Steven Erastus Snow has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2001. He served as the Church Historian and Recorder from 2012 until 2019.
Paul L. Anderson was an American architect, architectural historian, museum curator, and hymnwriter. He was also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Green Flake was an early African-American member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and was one of the three enslaved African-American Latter-day Saint pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847. He was born into bondage on a plantation in Anson County, North Carolina. His enslaver, James Flake, took him to Mississippi in the early 1840s. There, James, his wife, and Green joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1844. The Flakes moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1845. Green Flake received his freedom sometime in the early 1850s and married Martha Morris. Green and Martha had two children together.
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