Celebrations in Lawhoma Hills
Diwali to Juneteenth: Celebrating the Seasons in Lawhoma Hills
The first thing you learn about Lawhoma Hills is that the town never met a reason to gather it didn't like.
Diyas glow in the Banerjee windows each autumn. The Goldbergs' menorah lights up East Willow Street in winter. Marigolds bloom on Abuelita Shyra's family table. Juneteenth fills the Summer Concert Stage with music and storytelling. When the solstices arrive, neighbors gather beneath Oklahoma skies because, in Lawhoma Hills, celebrations are how a community says:
"You belong here."
That year-round calendar of traditions forms the heartbeat of A Year Behind the Pink Door, following one small Oklahoma town through every season of the year.
A Calendar of Belonging
Every family brings a tradition.
Every tradition has a story.
When Lawhoma Hills was built on the page, the celebrations came first because nothing reveals a community faster than seeing what it gathers to celebrate, what recipes fill the table, what songs are sung, and who is welcomed to join.
Readers will discover familiar holidays alongside traditions they may be experiencing for the very first time.
Diwali
Hosted by the Banerjee family, Diwali fills the Camp Run Amuck Dining Hall with light.
Rows of diyas glow along the porch, Dahlia's homemade sweets disappear almost as quickly as she can serve them, and Shep and Brick finish the evening with music beneath strings of lights while neighbors share food and friendship.
Learn More
Explore Diwali and Indian culture through the India Association of Oklahoma.
Lunar New Year
Every new year begins with traditions, family gatherings, and hopes for good fortune. Through the Chen family, readers experience the joy of celebrating the Lunar New Year while learning that every culture welcomes a fresh beginning in its own beautiful way.
Discover your Lunar New Year zodiac animal with National Geographic Kids.
Halloween & Autumn in Lawhoma Hills
Pumpkin Lane finally lives up to its name. At our annual Harvest Festival Celebration and Hayride through the streets of Lawhoma Hills.
Storefronts fill with pumpkins and mums. School costume parades wind through Town Center. The Preston orchard sends wagonloads of pumpkins home with nearly every family, and Camp Run Amuck welcomes crisp evenings around the fire. Trick or Treat is a town affair gathering us all together across town center for music, food, and laughter.
Día de los Muertos
Abuelita Shyra Rodriguez reminds the town that remembering those who came before us is one of the greatest gifts we can give.
Marigolds brighten family altars while stories, recipes, photographs, and memories are lovingly shared across generations.
The Smithsonian Latino Center offers wonderful family-friendly resources about Día de los Muertos.
Cinco de Mayo
Spring brings another celebration to the Rodriguez family as music, laughter, and favorite family recipes gather everyone around one very full table.
Like many holidays celebrated in Lawhoma Hills, the emphasis is less about spectacle and more about sharing traditions with neighbors.
National Geographic Kids explains the history of Cinco de Mayo in an engaging, student-friendly way.
Hanukkah
Eight evenings of candlelight brighten the Goldberg household.
Latkes disappear almost as quickly as they're served, Eugene welcomes everyone through the front door, and Shia insists every candle lighting deserves the perfect playlist.
He's probably right.
Learn about Hanukkah traditions through Life in Messiah Ministries.
Christmas
Christmas lights brighten Main Street and Gingersnaps front door while Camp Run Amuck hosts holiday get togethers for everyone, and food—well we have all the traditional and a little extra for anyone to take home.
Yaya always insists the stars shine brightest in December.
Juneteenth
Music fills the Summer Concert Stage.
The Chapman family gathers us together every summer in backyards and at the Dining Hall.
Stories of freedom, resilience, and hope are shared as neighbors celebrate together.
Juneteenth reminds the town that understanding history helps strengthen every community.
The U.S. Dream Academy shares educational resources about the holiday and its significance.
Winter Solstice
The longest night of the year has always been one of Yaya's favorite evenings.
Neighbors gather at Camp Run Amuck as the bonfire crackles beneath a sky full of Oklahoma stars. Warm blankets, mugs of cocoa, quiet conversations, and stories shared around the fire remind everyone that even the longest night eventually gives way to morning. It's less about a single tradition and more about taking time to notice the changing seasons, the beauty of the natural world, and the people gathered beside you.
For Lawhoma Hills, the Winter Solstice is a celebration of reflection, gratitude, and hope as one year quietly gives way to the next.
Learn More
Many Indigenous communities have long recognized the changing seasons through ceremonies, storytelling, and relationships with the natural world. Learn more about these traditions in Scalawag Magazine: Winter Solstice & Native Traditions.
Food, Music & Making
No celebration in Lawhoma Hills is complete without something to eat and something to sing.
Many of the recipes featured throughout these celebrations can be found in Blue Creek Lake Recipes, while each book also has its own curated Spotify playlist.
Cook one recipe.
Press play.
You're already halfway to the party.
Bring the Celebration Home
You don't have to live on West Sycamore Street to celebrate like you do.
Try a new family recipe.
Read a book about another culture.
Try a new family recipe.
Read a book about another culture.
Learn a greeting in another language.
Light a candle.
Share a meal.
Invite someone new to the table.
Around Lawhoma Hills, that's how communities grow.
Celebrate With Us
Every one of these celebrations unfolds throughout Lawhoma Hills novels, where neighbors gather around shared tables, campfires, music, and traditions that reflect the many cultures woven into Oklahoma life.
The dining hall at Camp Run Amuck always has room for one more chair.
We hope you'll pull yours up to the table, Yaya.
Lawhoma Hills, Oklahoma
