The peak season for Florida strawberries is February, and northern states have a strawberry season that begins in May. Florida Strawberry Month is about encouraging people to enjoy strawberries during the winter, fresh from Florida.

Africa

Feb

Sweet Potato Month, Ntl.: February

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National Sweet Potato Month focuses on the nutritional values of sweet potatoes as part of a healthy diet. Fresh sweet potatoes (the United States grown, orange flesh varieties) have been certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Africa

Feb

Teen Dating Violence & Prevention Month, Ntl.: February

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Break the Cycle's Teen DV Month (National Resource Center for Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month) began in 2010 Break the Cycle is a leading national voice for the prevention of dating violence among teens and young adults and partners with several prestigious organizations, including MTV and the White House. One goal of Break the Cycle is to create programming that empowers teens and young adults to end violence. Break the Cycle's Teen DV Month reaches more than one million youth and adults annually.

Africa

Feb

Therapeutic Recreation Month, Intl.: February

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International Therapeutic Recreation Month focuses on the activities of recreational therapists and the impact they have on helping people achieve fulfilling lives. Recreational therapists develop therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being, design recreation programs, and coordinate volunteer services and paid entertainment. Recreational therapists work in hospitals, government institutions, nursing homes, and other places that assist the wounded and sick.

Africa

Feb

Therapeutic Recreation Month, Ntl. (CA): February

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Therapeutic Recreation Month in Canada focuses on the activities of recreational therapists and the impact they have on helping people achieve fulfilling lives. Recreational therapists develop therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being, design recreation programs, and coordinate volunteer services and paid entertainment.

Africa

Feb

Time Management Month, Ntl.: February

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National Time Management Month is about taking a look at how efficiently you are using your time and skills and making adjustments to maximize. These 10 Tips from Entrepreneur Magazine will help you with time management and productivity at the office. 1) Record thoughts, conversations, and activities each week and keep a schedule. 2) If an activity or conversation is vital to your success, assign it time. 3) Spend a minimum of 50 percent of your time engaged result producing activities 4) Anticipate disruptions 5) Reserve 30 minutes before or after your day to plan. 6) Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. By doing this, you will know what success looks like before you start. 7) Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether you achieved the desired results. 8) Post a "Do not disturb" sign when you have to get work done. 9) Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business. 10) Remember that it's impossible to get everything done.

Africa

Feb

Time to Talk Day (UK): February 1

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Created in 2014, Time to Talk Day takes place on the first Thursday in February in the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to break the silence surrounding mental health issues. Mental health problems affect one in four people, yet the subject is often considered taboo. For people with mental health problems, not being able to talk about it can be one of the worst parts of the illness. By encouraging discussions on mental health, stereotypes disappear, relationships improve, and tools for recovery become accessible.

Africa

Feb

Typewriter Appreciation Month: February

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Typewriter Appreciation Month, a time to celebrate the typewriter, without which most of our modern means of communicating would be unknown. Even on a smart phone, there is a keyboard patterned after the typewriter. Richard Polt, Author of 'The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist's Companion for the 21st Century has done a beautiful job of documenting the history of the Typewriter. He writes: ___________ “The concept of a typewriter dates back at least to 1714, when Englishman Henry Mill filed a vaguely-worded patent for 'an artificial machine or method for the impressing or transcribing of letters singly or progressively one after another.' But the first typewriter proven to have worked was built by the Italian Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano; unfortunately, we do not know what the machine looked like, but we do have specimens of letters written by the Countess on it. (For details, see Michael Adler's excellent 1973 book The Writing Machine. Carey Wallace's 2010 novel The Blind Contessa's New Machine is based on the relationship between the Countess and Turri.) Numerous inventors in Europe and the United States worked on typewriters in the 19th century, but successful commercial production began only with the 'writing ball' of Danish pastor Rasmus Malling-Hansen (1870). This well-engineered device looked rather like a pincushion. Nietzsche's mother and sister once gave him one for Christmas. He hated it. Much more influential, in the long run, was the Sholes & Glidden Typewriter, which began production in late 1873 and appeared on the American market in 1874.” ___________ Read the rest of this fascinating history (includes pictures of the earliest typewriters) at: http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-history.html

Africa

Feb

Weddings Month, Ntl.: February

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National Weddings Month honors the work and legacy of Saint Valentine. At the time of his martyrdom, he was a Bishop who illegally married couples in the 3rd Century AD Roman Empire. Under Roman law, it was illegal for soldiers to marry, as the emperor believed married men made bad soldiers. But, nothing can stop love, and marriage is the ultimate expression of it. Because many couples become engaged over the holidays and on Valentine's, this month should be Wedding Planning Month. More couples begin planning their weddings during this month than in any other.

Africa

Jun

Whale Film Festival, World (US-HI): June 6

06:20 AM | -

THE WORLD WHALE FILM FESTIVAL:

CELEBRATING MARINE LIFE THROUGH CINEMA

The World Whale Film Festival, a global annual event, is a beacon of hope and inspiration, celebrating the beauty and importance of marine life. It has become a significant platform, uniting filmmakers, environmentalists, and ocean enthusiasts from all corners of the world. Established in 2016 by the Pacific Whale Foundation, the festival's mission is to inspire a deeper connection to the ocean through the power of storytelling and visual art.

Held in Maui, Hawaii, the World Whale Film Festival showcases a diverse array of films that highlight the majestic lives of whales and other marine creatures and the critical issues they face due to human activities. The festival features documentaries, short films, and animations from established and emerging filmmakers; all focused on promoting ocean conservation and raising awareness about marine ecosystems.

The festival began to create a space where filmmakers could create compelling narratives about the ocean, fostering a community of passionate individuals committed to marine conservation.

Over the years, it has become prominent, attracting submissions from around the globe and offering a unique blend of film screenings, panel discussions, and interactive sessions with experts in marine biology, filmmaking, and environmental advocacy.

The World Whale Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers of all levels, welcoming submissions from around the world. The festival's doors are open several months before the event, with categories designed to accommodate a wide range of projects, from feature-length documentaries to short films and student projects.

Filmmakers can submit their works through the festival's official website. The submission process is straightforward: [step 1], [step 2], [step 3]. Please note that all submissions must adhere to specific guidelines regarding format, length, and content relevance, which can be found on our website.

At the heart of the World Whale Film Festival are not just film screenings, but a series of interactive events. From educational workshops to Q&A sessions with filmmakers, and networking events, the festival offers a unique opportunity for attendees to actively engage with the content and each other. Awards are presented in various categories, recognizing outstanding contributions to marine conservation storytelling.

For those eager to be part of the World Whale Film Festival, tickets are readily available online through the festival's website. The event is designed to be inclusive, offering a unique blend of in-person and virtual experiences, ensuring accessibility for a global audience. Attendees can look forward to an enriching journey that combines the magic of cinema with the pressing need for marine conservation.

The World Whale Film Festival continues to be a beacon of hope and inspiration, reminding us of the ocean's wonders and the importance of protecting its inhabitants for future generations. Through the power of storytelling, it has played a significant role in raising awareness about marine conservation, inspiring action, and fostering a global community of passionate individuals committed to the cause.

Africa

Feb

Wise Health Care Consumer Month, Ntl.: February

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Wise Health Care Consumer Month promotes cost-saving, health-enhancing medical self-care, and health care education programs as part of workplace wellness. Multiple tools have been created to help Human Resource Departments integrate Wise consumer health care into the office and work environment. Free Wise Health Care Consumerism Toolkit is available at: http://healthylife.com/wise.

Africa

Feb

Women's Heart Health Day, Ntl.: February 1

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Women's Heart Health Day was founded by author, journalist, and heart disease survivor Charlotte Libov to teach women the warning signs of heart disease and how to protect their health. According to Libov: Heart disease is the number one killer of American Women. Every year, an estimated 485,000 American women die of cardiovascular disease (heart disease & stroke), more than twice the number who die of all cancer combined. An estimated 240,000 women die annually of heart disease, five times the number who die of breast cancer. Women suffer nearly half (49 percent) of the 480,000 heart disease deaths annually. More women than men die of heart attacks within the first year of their first heart attack (44 vs. 27 percent). More women than men will suffer a heart attack within four years after their first heart attack (20 percent vs. 16 percent). Heart attacks kill nearly 21,000 women under age 65, with 29 percent being under 55. One in eight women aged 45 and over has had a heart attack. Black women have a 33 percent higher death rate from coronary heart disease than white women and a 77 percent higher death rate from stroke. Coronary heart disease is a major stroke risk factor, killing over 87,000 women each year. An estimated nearly one million Americans are currently living with heart defects. Some defects occur more commonly in women and can remain undetected until well into adulthood, putting their lives at risk.

Africa

Feb

Bonza Bottler Day™, Intl: February 2

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When the number of the month matches the number of the day, that's Bonza Bottler Day. It is a play on numbers. There are twelve Bonza Bottler Days a year. This event began in 1985. Bonza is Australian for "Super." Bottler is slang for "something excellent."

Africa

Feb

Bubble Gum Day, Ntl.: February 2

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Bubble Gum Day gives people a chance to chew gum in places where they usually can't. All they have to do is donate 50 cents or more to a charity the school chooses. Kids have fun raising money for a good cause. Some creative teachers even incorporate bubble gum into their lessons for the day! Libraries, community centers, and even businesses are participating in this event now too. Bubble Gum Day was created in 2006 by children's book author Ruth Spiro.

Africa

Feb

Candlemas (C): February 2

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Candlemas, the "Purification of the Blessed Virgin" or the "Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple," occurs forty days after Christmas on the second of February. According to the Mosaic (Hebrew) Law, a mother who has given birth to a male child is considered unclean for seven days; moreover, she is to remain three and thirty days "in the blood of her purification;" for a female child, the time of exclusion doubles. When the time (forty or eighty days) is over, the mother was to "bring to the temple a lamb for a holocaust and a young pigeon or turtle dove for sin" to sacrifice; if she is unable to offer a lamb, she is to take two turtle doves or two pigeons; With these offerings, the priest would pray for her, and she is considered cleansed. (Leviticus 12:2-8) Forty days after the birth of Christ, Mary complied with the law. She redeemed her firstborn at the temple (Numbers 18:15) and was purified by the prayer of Simeon in the presence of Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:22). Candlemas marks this event.

Africa