World Health Day (International)

World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The World Health Day is celebrated to create “awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization (WHO)”. Activities – related to that particular theme and the resources provided – continue beyond 7 April, that is, the designated day for celebrating the World Health Day.

1000 Cities, 1000 Lives
This years theme is "1000 Cities, 1000 Lives" and as stated by WHO, the goal of this years campaign is:

• 1000 cities: to open up public spaces to health, whether it be activities in parks, town hall meetings, clean-up campaigns, or closing off portions of streets to motorized vehicles.
• 1000 lives: to collect 1000 stories of urban health champions who have taken action and had a significant impact on health in their cities.

Source: wikipedia.org and who.int

Andalusia Day (Spain) - February 28

The Día de Andalucía ("Day of Andalusia" or "Andalusia Day") is celebrated February 28 and commemorates the February 28, 1980 referendum on the Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia, in which the Andalusian electorate voted for the statute that made Andalusia an autonomous community of Spain.

In many municipalities and cities of Andalusia, people decorate their balconies with the flag of Andalusia and with bunting echoing its green-and-white bars. Cultural competitions are often held in conjunction with the day. In some cities, especially in the Malaga area, schools are closed for a Semana Cultural ("cultural week"), also known as Semana Blanca ("white week"). The Friday before is often a day of celebration in schools with a traditional Andalusian breakfast (desayuno andaluz), consisting of a slice of toast with a thin layer of olive oil and orange juice; students color pictures that refer to the symbols and insignia of Andalusia, its history and customs, put on plays and sing the regional anthem, the Himno de Andalucía.

Independence Day (Gambia) - February 18

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY GAMBIA! On 18 February 1965, Gambia was granted independence from the United Kingdom and joined The Commonwealth. Banjul is Gambia's capital, but the largest conurbation is Serrekunda.

The Gambia shares historical roots with many other west African nations in the slave trade, which was key to the establishment of a colony on the Gambia river, first by the Portuguese and later by the British. Since gaining independence in 1965, The Gambia has enjoyed relative stability, with the exception of a brief period of military rule in 1994.

After World War II, the pace of constitutional reform increased. Following general elections in 1962, the United Kingdom granted full internal self-governance in the following year. The Gambia achieved independence on 18 February 1965 as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations. Shortly thereafter, the government held a referendum proposing that an elected president replace the Gambian Monarch (Queen Elizabeth II) as head of state. The referendum failed to receive the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution, but the results won widespread attention abroad as testimony to The Gambia's observance of secret balloting, honest elections, civil rights and liberties.

Source: Wikipedia.org

Independence Day (Lithuania) - February 16

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY LITHUANIA! In the aftermath of World War I, Lithuania's Act of Independence was signed on 16 February 1918, declaring the re-establishment of a sovereign state. Starting in 1940, Lithuania was occupied first by the Soviet Union then Nazi Germany. As World War II neared its end in 1944 and the Nazis retreated, the Soviet Union reoccupied Lithuania. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare independence.

The Act of Independence of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Aktas) or Act of February 16 was signed by the Council of Lithuania on February 16, 1918, proclaiming the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania, governed by democratic principles, with Vilnius as its capital.

While the Act's original document has been lost, its legacy continues. The laconic Act is the legal basis for the existence of modern Lithuania, both during the interwar period and since 1990.

Source: Wikipedia.org

If you have any photos you would like to share from your Independence day celebrations, please submit your link in the comments below.

Mardi Gras/Carnival (International) - February 16

IT'S CARNIVAL TIME! Mardi Gras refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Epiphany and ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" (in ethnic English tradition, Shrove Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which started on Ash Wednesday.

In many areas, the term "Mardi Gras" has come to mean the whole period of activity related to the celebratory events, beyond just the single day. In some US cities, it is now called "Mardi Gras Day" or "Fat Tuesday". Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras.

Carnival is an important celebration in Catholic European nations. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the week before Ash Wednesday is called "shrovetide", ending on Shrove Tuesday. It has its popular celebratory aspects as well. Pancakes are a traditional food. Pancakes and related fried breads or pastries made with sugar, fat and eggs are also traditionally consumed at this time in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Source: Wikipedia.org

National Day (Serbia) - February 15

The Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the Great Feast of the Meeting of their Lord in the Temple, little over two centuries ago in 1804, in Orasac, the hometown of The First Uprising, a meeting of Serbian leaders took place to determine their course of Independence and future Nationhood for the Serbian population. Exhorted by their forefathers and persuaded by their descendants, they chose among themselves the Leader Karageorge as their Supreme Leader, their first among equals.

The quest for national emancipation was first undertaken during the Serbian national revolution, in 1804 until 1815. The liberation war was followed by a period of formalization, negotiations and finally, the Constitutionalization, effectivelly ending the process in 1835. The Convention of Ackerman in 1826, the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829 and finally, the Hatt-i Sharif of 1830, recognized the suzerainty of Serbia with Miloš Obrenović I as its hereditary Prince. The struggle for liberty, a more modern society and a nation-state in Serbia won a victory under first constitution in the Balkans on 15 February 1835. It was replaced by a more conservative Constitution in 1838.

Source: Spc.rs, Wikipedia.org

Valentines Day - February 14

Saint Valentine's Day (commonly simply Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards, and Valentine's Day has become the second-largest greeting card-sending holiday in the United States, behind only Christmas. (source: wikipedia.org)

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National Foundation Day (Japan) - February 11

National Foundation Day (kenkoku kinen-no-hi) is a national holiday in Japan celebrated annually on February 11. On this day, Japanese celebrate the founding of the nation and the imperial line by its legendary first emperor, Jimmu, who established his capital in Yamato.

The origin of National Foundation Day is New Year's Day in the traditional lunisolar calendar. On that day, the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu was celebrated based on Nihonshoki, which states that Emperor Jimmu ascended to the throne on the first day of the first month.

In 1872, when the holiday was originally proclaimed,[3] it was January 29 of the Gregorian calendar, which corresponded to Lunar New Year of 1873. Contrary to the government's expectation, this led people to see the day as just Lunar New Year, instead of National Foundation Day. In responce, the government moved the holiday to February 11 of the Gregorian calendar in 1873. The government stated that it corresponded to Emperor Jimmu's regnal day but did not publish the exact way of computation.

In contrast with the events associated with earlier Kigensetsu, celebrations for National Foundation Day are relatively muted. Customs include the raising of Japanese flags and reflection on the meaning of Japanese citizenship. The holiday is still relatively controversial however, and very overt expressions of nationalism or even patriotism are rare.

Source: Wikipedia.org

If you have any photos you would like to share from your National Foundation day celebrations, please submit your link in the comments below.

Feast of St. Maron (Lebanon) - February 9

St. Maroun also known as Saint Maron, was a 5th century Syriac Christian monk who after his death was followed by a religious movement that became known as the Maronites. The Church that grew from this movement is the Maronite Church. St. Maroun, born in the middle of the 4th century in Syria, was a priest who later became a hermit, retiring to a mountain in the Taurus range in the region of Cyrrhus, near Antioch.

St. Maroun was known for his missionary work, healing and miracles, and teachings of a monastic devotion to God.

The Maronite Church formerly celebrated the feast of this great saint on January 5th. (This is the day in which the church of Kfarhai was consecrated in his honor.) However, in the seventeenth century, the feast was transferred to February 9th. Lebanon has proclaimed Maron as its patron saint and Pope Benedict XIV granted a plenary indulgence to everyone who visited a Maronite Chruch on February 9th.

Source: Wikipedia.org, opuslibani.org

If you have any photos you would like to share from your Feast of St. Maron, please submit your link in the comments below.

Independence Day (Grenada) - February 7

Grenada is an island country and sovereign state consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The island was a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. In 1967, Grenada attained the status of “Associated State of the United Kingdom”, which meant that Grenada was now responsible for her own internal affairs, and the UK was responsible for her defence and foreign affairs. Independence was granted on February 7, 1974 under the leadership of the then Premier, Sir Eric Matthew Gairy, who became the first Prime Minister of Grenada.

Source: Wikipedia.org

If you have any photos you would like to share from your independence day celebrations, please submit your link in the comments below.

Bob Marley Day (Jamaica) - February 6

On February 6 it is the celebration of the birth of legendary singer-songwriter Bob Marley (Robert Nesta Marley), and this year he would have celebrated his 65th birthday. All around the globe there will be celebrations and music festivals to honor him and his legacy.

Bob Marley was born in the small village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica as Nesta Robert Marley, February 6, 1945. In 1963, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith formed a ska and rocksteady group, calling themselves "The Teenagers". They later changed their name to "The Wailing Rudeboys", then to "The Wailing Wailers", at which point they were discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd, and finally to "The Wailers".

In July 1977, Marley was found to have acral lentiginous melanoma, a form of malignant melanoma, in a wound reportedly picked up in a friendly football match. After the album Uprising was released in May 1980 the band completed a major tour of Europe, where they played their biggest ever concert, to a hundred thousand people in Milan. After the tour Marley went to America, where he performed two shows at Madison Square Garden as part of the Uprising Tour. Shortly afterwards his health deteriorated and he became very ill, the cancer had spread throughout his body.

Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981.

Source: Wikipedia.org

If you have any photos you would like to share from your Bob Marley celebration festivities, please submit your link in the comments below.

Constitution Day (Mexico) - February 5

The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, approved by the Constitutional Congress on February 5, 1917, with Venustiano Carranza serving as the first president under its terms, is the present constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, State of Querétaro, by a Constitutional Convention during the Mexican Revolution.

The most important articles, 3, 7, and 13, displayed profound changes in Mexican political philosophy that would help frame the political and social backdrop for the rest of the century.

Since declaring independence in 1810, Mexico has adopted a number of constitutions or other documents of basic law with constitutional effects. Not all these can be considered constitutions, and not all of them enjoyed universal application. Those enacted in 1824, 1857, and 1917 are generally considered fully-fledged, operational constitutions.

• 1814: Constitution of Apatzingán
• 1821: Plan de Iguala and Treaty of Córdoba, together with:
• 1824 Constitution
• 1835 Constitutional Bases and 1836 Constitutional Laws
• 1857 Constitution
• 1917 Constitution – currently in force

Source: Wikipedia.org

National Day (Sri Lanka) - February 4

Sri Lanka celebrates its Independence Day Thursday. This holiday is celebrated with parades, pageants, and cultural programs.

Over a period of 2,500 years, the island was known by a variety of names. The ancient Greeks and Romans knew Sri Lanka as “Taprobane.” Arab writers and sailors in olden days knew Sri Lanka as “Serendip.”

According to the Sri Lankan historical tradition, “Lanka” was the original name of the island. It was in use for centuries until the European invasions in the 15th Century. During the British period (1815-1948), the island was popularly known as “Ceylon.” This name was used even after the country gained independence in 1948. With the adoption of the New Constitution in 1972, the traditional name “Sri Lanka” (resplendent island) was adopted, in keeping with the rich and varied culture of the nation. Colombo is the country’s largest city.

Source: Manila Bulletin

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Setsubun (Japan) - Bean-Throwing Festival - February 3

Setsubun, Bean-Throwing Festival or Bean-Throwing Ceremony) is the day before the beginning of each season in Japan. The name literally means "seasonal division", but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival haru matsuri. In its association with the Lunar New Year, Spring Setsubun can be and was previously thought of as a sort of New Year's Eve, and so was accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. This special ritual is called mamemaki.

Read more on Wikipedia.org