ABOUT US

What We

Believe...

The International Holiday Group (IHG) is dedicated to the preservation, recognition, and responsible expansion of global holidays. We affirm that holidays, whether ancient, regional, or newly recognized, serve as essential markers of human identity, rhythm, and collective memory.

We believe:

That every culture possesses meaningful traditions worth acknowledging, even if poorly understood.
That the calendar is not fixed, but a living document subject to refinement, correction, and occasional invention.
That rest, celebration, and mild confusion are necessary components of a balanced society.
That the distinction between “official” and “unofficial” holidays is largely administrative.
That any day, given sufficient consensus, can become significant.

Above all, we hold that the act of observance is what ultimately gives a holiday its legitimacy.

A Simple Beginning (1896)

The International Holiday Group began in 1896, founded by James Cartwright. He was not a famous scholar, government official, or widely published thinker—just a careful observer of everyday life who paid close attention to how people used their time.

Cartwright worked as a stationer, handling calendars, almanacs, and printed materials on a daily basis. Over time, he noticed something that began to bother him: while certain days were marked with great importance, large portions of the year passed by quietly, without recognition or reflection. Weeks could go by with nothing to distinguish one day from another.

He came to see this not as a neutral fact, but as a missed opportunity. To Cartwright, holidays were more than traditions handed down from the past—they were tools people used to shape their experience of time. A holiday could bring people together, create memory, or simply give a moment of pause in an otherwise ordinary week.

Driven by this idea, he began a small personal project. He started writing down holidays he already knew, including both widely recognized observances and smaller, local traditions. Alongside these, he added a few simple ideas of his own—suggestions for days that might invite rest, reflection, or even lighthearted celebration.

At the center of his work was a single question, one he returned to often: what if every day had something worth noticing?

A Growing Idea (1896–1905)

What started as a personal project quickly became something shared. Cartwright began corresponding with others—teachers, clerks, travelers—who sent in their own local traditions and observations.

These early contributors helped shape the Group’s core belief: that meaning does not come from authority, but from participation. A holiday mattered because people observed it, not because it was officially declared.

Over time, this exchange of ideas formed the foundation of the International Holiday Group.

Learning from the World (1905–1939)

As the network expanded, the Group focused on documenting lesser-known holidays from around the world. Members carefully recorded customs, foods, and stories connected to these celebrations.

At the same time, they began to notice gaps in the calendar—days that felt unusually quiet. Rather than forcing change, they introduced new observances slowly and thoughtfully, allowing them to grow naturally if people found them meaningful.

Some ideas faded. Others remained. This process became an important part of how the Group worked.

A Complicated Middle (1940–1975)

With growth came complexity. More members meant more perspectives, and not everyone agreed on how holidays should be recorded or organized.

Different committees formed, each managing parts of the calendar. Over time, this led to overlap and confusion. Some holidays appeared more than once. Others were placed on different dates depending on the source.

There were even moments of clear contradiction—most famously, a week in which two separate “official” Tuesdays were recognized.

Instead of trying to eliminate every inconsistency, the Group began to accept that a living calendar would never be perfectly uniform. This realization shaped its future direction.

Sharing with Others (1975–2000)

In the late 20th century, the International Holiday Group began sharing its work with a wider audience. It published calendars that included both well-documented traditions and newly suggested observances.

These publications did not always explain which holidays were ancient and which were recent. This was intentional. The Group believed that what mattered most was whether people chose to celebrate.

Interest grew steadily. Some holidays gained unexpected popularity, while others remained small and local. The calendar became something people interacted with, rather than simply followed.

A Difficult Time (2012–2026)

In the 2010s, the Group entered its most challenging period.

A movement within the organization pushed for standardization. Leaders proposed fixed dates, clear rules, and a single unified calendar. Their goal was to make the system easier to understand and more widely accepted.

However, this approach created new problems. Long-standing holidays were moved or renamed. Some were combined, while others were removed. Familiar traditions began to feel less personal.

Members disagreed strongly. Some followed the new system, while others stayed with the original calendar. As a result, multiple versions of the “official” calendar existed at the same time, often contradicting each other.

The Group became divided, and for a time, its future was uncertain.

Today (2026)

In 2026, the International Holiday Group made a clear decision to change course.

Rather than continuing to standardize, it chose to return to its original principles. The organization was restructured to support flexibility and local input. Regional groups were given more independence, and new holidays were allowed to develop organically.

The idea of a single, fixed calendar was set aside. In its place, the Group embraced a layered approach, where multiple traditions could exist side by side without needing to compete.

This shift helped restore unity and renewed a sense of purpose across the organization.

Today, the International Holiday Group continues its work with a steady and thoughtful approach. It documents traditions, supports new ideas, and encourages people to engage with the calendar in their own way.

It does not claim authority over time or tradition. Instead, it offers a simple invitation: to notice the days, to mark them with meaning, and to celebrate when it feels right.

Because in the end, a holiday is not defined by when it is placed…

…but by whether it is remembered.

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