Kansas Day is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm every year on January 29.This day is celebrated by the citizens of Kansas to honor their state’s birthday. Kansas Day has been observed every year since its introduction in 1877.Did you know that at one time it was illegal to serve cherry pie on ice cram in Kansas?Normally, Kansas day is not considered a public holiday. All the government and public offices, schools, and businesses are working on this day. But these institutions, especially schools, hold special events to celebrate the importance of this special day by educating the children with the state’s local history, arranging field trips to museums.Children are invited to participate in activities like voting for their favorite Kansan personalities and taking history lessons. Special events and outreach programs for citizens are also held on this day.Read on to know more about the importance of Kansas in the Civil War that the country faced. Afterwards, also check grass facts and Hawaii state flower facts.History Of Kansas DayKansas Day was first celebrated in 1877 by a group of school children in Paola, Kansas. About 15-20 young children who were students at the Alexander Le Grande Copley school were listening to a lecture on the battle of New Orleans.This gave rise to an intense interest among students when they realized that exactly 62 years ago, the British colonists were being attacked by General Jackson’s riflemen. This gave rise to a patriotic spirit within the schoolchildren who felt inspired to learn about the history of their own state and its part in the war for freedom.A few days later, it was announced that the school would hold a special function on January 29 in order to teach the children about the history, geography, and agricultural and natural resources of the state of Kansas. Students welcomed this day with enthusiasm by preparing for two weeks in advance and gathering information about Kansas and its history from various sources like books, encyclopedias, and their own parents and citizens themselves to obtain information, facts, and statistics about their own state.On January 29, the schoolchildren decorated the blackboards with drawings of the state seal, its map including counties and townships, and its natural resources. The motto of the state was drawn beautifully with the red and blue colors. Students prepared short speeches and read extracts from authors like Charles Sumner and Horace Greeley. A quiz round took place where the children competed in teams to answer questions about the state’s history and general knowledge, which gained a lot of enthusiasm from the students.Significance Of Kansas DayThe day for these celebrations which started in 1877 is a significant day for Kansans as it marks the day on which Kansas state became a part of the Union on January 29, 1861, from the British colonizers. It was the 34th state to become a part of the larger union.Today, Kansas day has been celebrated for more than 130 years and remains a part of annual school activities held by many schools in Kansas.These celebrations are held in museums, historic sites around the states, and mainly in schools in every county. The Kansas State Capitol also holds celebrations on Kansas day. This day is celebrated by conducting school field trips for students, holding projects to educate the students with the history of the sunflower state, and a visit to the Kansas Statehouse located in the state’s capital, Topeka.On this day, the Governor tends to make special proclamations and everyone sings the Kansas state song in schools and offices.What important moment in state history does Kansas Day commemorate?Kansans celebrate this day each year because it marks the day when the state of Kansas became a part of the Union in 1861.Kansas was the 34th state to join the Union of states. This day is celebrated for the state’s admission into the union as a free state. In 2011, Kansas state celebrated its 150th anniversary.Why do Kansans celebrate Kansas Day?The tradition which originated in the Alexander Legrande Copley School in 1877 was continued every year in the school, and several schools later adopted the same idea which spread eventually around the whole state.In 1882, a meeting of the Northwestern Teachers Association was held, wherein the teachers decided to conduct the Kansas day together and to achieve uniformity, they decided to print a pamphlet which contained precise information about the state, state songs, and famous speeches made during the freedom struggle and later on, to commemorate the state of Kansas.More than 2000 copies of this booklet were printed which later became a prominent feature of future meetings. Today, the citizens of Kansas celebrate this day for the pride of the community of Kansas, and the people who are a part of the state or living outside the state.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Kansas day: amazing details revealed on Kansas history then why not take a look at 43 facts about Seattle, Washington that every travel geek should know, or 11 facts about salt water: know how it is different from fresh water.
Kansas Day is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm every year on January 29.
