I was watching a Partridge Family marathon on a retro network (don’t ask) and one episode featured Danny getting a girlfriend, who happened to be Jewish. He didn’t admit he wasn’t, and she took him to a Purim carnival. I thought “that’s got to be one of the most obscure holidays to a general audience ever featured on TV, especially for 1973”. What other holidays that aren’t that well known have you seen featured on a TV show or mainstream movie?
Festivus.
It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown
Mindy Kaling wrote The Office episode about Diwali.
I think the Memorial Day ‘What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?’ aired only once on network TV. Then maybe once or twice on cable. It’s the only CB cartoon in which an adult (a narrator) can be heard speaking clearly.
Is Purim really not well known? I mean, I know it’s no Hanukkah but I thought most gentiles had at least heard of it, if for no other reason than it’s occasional mention on tv shows.
I don’t know if this will count but there’s that hilarious scene in The Ref where Judy Davis has prepared a Swedish style feast in the tradition of St. Lucia’s day, complete with everyone wearing wreaths on their heads.
Until this thread, I’d never heard of Purim outside of the movie For Your Consideration: its movie-within-a-movie is called Home For Purim.
(I guess I missed that Partridge Family episode!)
Regards,
Shodan
I’ve only heard of Purim because it’s in a Tom Lehrer song. I have no idea what it is, though.
I’ve noticed Purim on my desk calender at work, along with a few Muslim holidays like Eid al Fir. I can’t say I’ve ever “heard” of any of these, however, and I certainly don’t have any idea what is being celebrated.
The Dick van Dyke Show: Rob wants Buddy to lend him some money, but Buddy says he’s saving up because he wants to buy a new set of (wood) golf clubs for Arbor Day.
Groundhog day.
I grew up with many if not a majority of Jewish friends in an area that had enough Jews that we always had the major Jewish holidays off from school and I never heard of Purim until I was an adult.
30 Rock had a rather alarming Leap Day celebration. And doesn’t Sadie Hawkins Day pop up now and then?
Ren and Stimpy celebrated Yak Shaving Day.
Springfield (“The Simpsons”) celebrates Whacking Day - <Shapely Blonde> Gentlemen, start your whacking. <Shapely Blonde>
Lois and her mother, Ida (“Malcolm In the Middle”), celebrate St. Grotus’s Day with the making of the really huge, really difficult-to-make, really inedible tart. Also, the traditional dance where they try to break your ankles with sticks. And smoking.
It was every year in the Li’l Abner comic strip.
And Bart references St. Swithin’s Day in the play he was writing when he broke his leg
(“Greetings Aunt Helga, is it St. Swithin’s day already?”)
Wait! Yours is for real! Mine are bogus–I need my chastising! CHASTISE ME! 
Groundhog Day!
Did somebody just say that?