All - Leep Calendar

The 18th Amendment and the Russian Revolution are responsible for the favorite hangover cocktail cure, the Bloody Mary. The 18th Amendment forced Americans who enjoyed libations overseas to find relief from Prohibition. Meanwhile, a revolution was in full swing on the other side of the world. People escaping Russia arrived in Europe with their favorite distilled spirit, and both groups of refugees converged in Paris. During this time, Harry Mac Elhone built an authentic New York bar in Paris, complete with the original bar from the States. The French found this novelty delightful; Americans sought it out as a taste of home, and the Russians just wanted to have a good time. Mac Elhone found vodka to be rather tasteless and bland. His bartender Ferdinand "Pet" Petiot, spent months fooling around with the liquor, attempting to make something novel. Then one day, he combined it with a tomato juice cocktail and spices. Bam! The Bloody Mary was born, except it was called Bucket of Blood. Then, the Red Snapper. To get to the name Bloody Mary would require the end of Prohibition and a trip back to New York, specifically at the King Cole Bar in the St. Regis Hotel. Petiot was lured back by the Astors. There are several stories about why the Red Snapper morphed into Bloody Mary. Some say it pays homage to Mary Tudor I of England, Queen Elizabeth I's half-sister, who was famous for killing Protestants. Or possibly after actor George Jessel's friend, Mary Geraghty. Or simply because it was easier to remember than Red Snapper and more appealing than a bucket of blood. However, the drink received its name. By 1946 the drink was thus called in print. Bloody Mary Day falls on January 1 because on New Year's Eve, people tend to drink too much and thus need this hangover cure first thing in the morning.

Africa

Jan

Dishonor List Day, (US/CA)(1976): January 1

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Dishonor List Day (Banishment List Day) began as a publicity stunt. New Year's Day host the event, given its reputation as a "slow news day." The chances of the stunt gaining traction increased significantly. Dishonor List Day is when Lake Superior State University releases its official list of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Over-Use, and General Uselessness. The list first ran in 1976. Each year people from around the world nominate hundred of words and phrases they're sick of hearing. The idea is to purge the offending words and phrases from the language. LSSU Public Relations Office staff conduct dozens of news interviews, mainly with radio stations throughout North America and sometimes overseas, on all major networks, including Cable News Network, Associated Press, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and more. Additional stunts created to raise awareness of the university include establishing the mythical Unicorn Hunters and the annual Snowman Burning on the first day of spring.

Africa

Jan

Ellis Island Day (1892): January 1

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Today marks the anniversary of the opening of Ellis Island on January 1, 1892. Ellis Island was the immigration gateway into the US on the East Coast from the late 19th Century through the mid-20th Century. Approximately 17,000,000 immigrants were admitted through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954, when it closed. Ellis Island was reopened in the fall of 1990 and remains a top tourist attraction in New York City.

Africa

Jan

EM Forster Day (1879): January 1

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EM Forster was born on January 1, 1879, and lived until June 7, 1970. The English author is best known for his novels: Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905), The Longest Journey (1907), Room with a View (1908), Howard's End (1910), and A Passage to India (1924).

Africa

Jan

Euro Day (EU)(2002): January 1

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On this day in 2002, the twelve countries of the European Union signed an agreement to adopt the single currency, the Euro. Today, 19 states within the European Union use the Euro. Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

Africa

Jan

First Foot Day (UK): January 1

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First Foot Day, Scottish in origin, celebrates the first foot to cross the threshold of a home on New Year’s Day. This person is the bringer of good fortune for the coming year. According to tradition, not every first foot can be the harbinger of fortune. He must be a tall, dark-haired gentleman. And the fair-haired gentlemen among us? Wait until the next day to venture out. The superstition considers his arrival as the first, lousy luck for the new year. Hey, it’s a superstition. It doesn’t have to make sense or be politically correct!

Africa

Jan

Foundation Days, (TW)(1912): January 1-2

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Foundation Day in Taiwan marks the anniversary of January 1, 1912, the creation of the Republic of China. Foundation Day is a public holiday.

Africa

Jan

Global Family Day: January 1

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Global Family Day is recognized by the US Congress, UN General Assembly, and a variety of governments and organizations the world over. Global Family Day originated with Linda Grover, who passed away in 2010. She believed that the world needed a secular holiday that everyone could celebrate, not just holidays for different religions or nationalities.

Africa

Jan

Independence Day, (HT)(1804): January 1

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Independence Day in Haiti marks the anniversary of January 1, 1804, when the people declared their independence from France. Independence Da is a national holiday.

Africa

Jan

Independence Day, (SU)(1956): January 1

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Independence Day in Haiti marks the anniversary of January 1, 1804, when the people declared their independence from France. Independence Da is a national holiday.

Africa

Jan

Liberation Day, (CU)(1899/1959): January 1

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Liberation Day in Cuba marks the anniversary of January 1, 1959, the day the government of Batista was overthrown by rebels headed by Fidel Castro. It also marks January 1, 1899, the anniversary of the end of Spanish rule over the island, and liberation Day is a national holiday.

Africa

Jan

Mummers Parade, Philadelphia (US-PA): January 1

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Attracting over 100,000 people annually, the Mummers Parade is a 120-year-old+ tradition featuring over 10,000 men, women, and children dressed in ostentatious costumes twirling, sashaying, pirouetting, and strutting down the city's main streets. Mummers are men and women of all ages who belong to more than 40 organized clubs that make up the parade participants.

The Mummers clubs are split into five categories:

Comics
Wench Brigades
Fancies
String Bands
Fancy Brigades

Each functions mainly to stage their lively performances on New Year's Day and other events throughout the year. Mummery is a Philadelphia tradition spanning generations and originated in ancient Rome. Then laborers celebrated Saturnalia by marching in masks, exchanging gifts, and making light of the day's issues.

Read more at: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/the-mummers-parade.

Africa

Jan

New Year's Day: January 1

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Today is the first day of the year worldwide, and it is a national holiday in most countries. Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year's foods, making resolutions for the New Year, and watching fireworks displays. The earliest recorded festivities in honor of a new year date back some 4,000 years to ancient Babylon.

Emperor Julius Caesar (July 13, 100 BC - March 15, 44 BC) instituted January 1 as the first day of the year to honor the month's namesake, Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. Janus is depicted with two faces, allowing him to look back into the past and forward into the future. Caesar developed the Julian Calendar, which became the calendar of commerce until 1752, when the Gregorian Calendar, created by Pope Gregory XIII, was adopted by the British Empire as the international standard. Up until then, March 25 had been its New Year's Day.

The difference in the two calendars is 11 minutes and 14 seconds, which eventually puts summer in winter and winter in summer over decades. Pope Gregory added a leap day every four years to compensate for the additional time it takes the sun to go around the earth. Why change? Predominantly, Easter didn't fall in the middle of winter and would always occur in the spring. Fun fact: When Britain instituted the calendar in 1752, they had a problem. There were 11 too many days in the calendar. How did they solve this?

In 1752 the month of September lost 11 days, going from September 2 to September 14 in twenty-four hours. Imagine the number of people who over-indulged in alcohol the night of the 2nd and suddenly woke up 11 days later the next morning! Oh my!

Africa

Jan

New Years Celebration (RU): January 1-2

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Es Novim Godom! Russians celebrate the new year in style with a two-day national holiday. Hey, it's a big country! One day is not enough. Traditions include: Family gatherings. Dancing. Special foods to mark the new year. The erection of the annual New Year's Tree in homes and public buildings throughout the nation. This tradition grew from the communist ban on Christmas trees beginning in 1935.

Africa

Jan

NHL Winter Classic (US-WA): January 1

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The NHL Winter Classic is an annual ice hockey competition held by the National Hockey League (NHL). The first Winter Classic occurred in 2008 at the Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. PLEASE NOTE: Treat all televised and venue-specific events (sporting, concerts, trade shows, etc.) as estimated. Several factors can cause an event to move dates at the last minute, including weather, strikes, natural disasters, political upheaval, conflicting programming, pandemics, and current events. Because of this, always verify the event with the promotor before committing resources. LEEP often estimates dates based on the previous year's schedules, as the final dates are unknown until a few months, weeks, or days before the event. If the date is known to be estimated, you will see an (est) following the date in the title.

Africa