Pioneer Day

With the 24th of July rapidly approaching, I thought I'd enlighten everyone a bit as to why, in Utah, we celebrate the 24th of July with perhaps more spirit and vigor than the 4th of July. Not being a Utah native myself, I had no idea that the 24th was a holiday until I happened to be attending soccer camp over the weekend of the 24th. I was sitting in my friend's grandma's kitchen eating strange fluorescent pink bacon watching a parade on TV and I had no idea what it was for. I soon was informed it was for pioneer day. Now, a little of the history of pioneer day...

Pioneer Day is an official holiday that commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. These pioneers had traveled across the plains from various locations in the eastern United States, some of them being forced from the towns they were living in. Some of the pioneers had come from Europe, arriving on the east coast only to pack up a handcart and travel to Utah. The journey was not easy, and many many people died along the way. Some of the handcart companies experienced terrible weather and hardships, and families sacrificed everything to make the journey to Salt Lake. The first celebration of Pioneer Day was on July 24, 1849 to celebrate the second anniversary of entering the Salt Lake valley. The celebration was cut short with news of the approaching Johnson's army, bringing with it the start of the Utah war. In 1862 the occupation of Utah by federal troops was ended and Pioneer Day once again was celebrated.

We hope you have a wonderful 24th of July weekend, celebrate the history of Utah, and celebrate it with a sno cone! Also, the Utah Department of Public Safety statistics show that the 24th of July is the second most dangerous day for traffic incidents, so please drive safe.