The National Pet Show, or PATS in the United Kingdom, occurs in the early autumn in Telford and in late March in Sandon. The trade show is a popular event in the United Kingdom. It offers an exciting opportunity for pet lovers to gather and appreciate various animals. It's a fun day out for families and a chance to learn more about responsible pet ownership. The event usually features a variety of attractions, including:

SuperDogs Live—An entertaining showcase of the most talented dogs. Animal displays and demonstrations—agility tests, obedience training, or fun animal tricks.

Meet and Greets—a chance for visitors to meet different animals up close, ranging from common pets like dogs and cats to more exotic creatures.

Expert Talks—conducted by veterinarians, animal trainers, and various pet care experts, providing insights into pet behavior, health, training, and general care.

Shopping—pet-related products, from food and toys to accessories and health products. Kids' Zone—interactive and educational activities for children, teaching them about different animals and responsible pet care.

Africa

Jul

Arab American Voter Registration Day, Ntl.: July 7

06:20 AM | -

ARAB-AMERICAN VOTER REGISTRATION DAY

Yalla, Yalla Habibi! Today is Arab American Voter Registration Day in the United States, a campaign designed to ensure that US citizens of Arab ancestry are registered to vote ahead of the general election. Yalla (which sounds like 'Yella') is Arabic for "let's go." #YallaVote, #MyArabVote

As of this writing, in 2020, approximately 4 million Arab Americans are in the United States. Currently, most people of Arab descent will identify as either Asian or Caucasian/non-Hispanic in demographic polls, as the US Census in 2020 does not include a separate designation. Biologically, Arab people are Caucasian.

WHO ARE ARAB AMERICANS?

Arab Americans are a diverse group of people defined by historical and geographic origin: West Asia (aka the Middle East) and North Africa; and the Semitic languages of Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Akkadian, Eblaite, and Amorite, with the last three, no longer used except in academic circles. In case you're wondering, to be "Semitic" has nothing to do with your religion. It means you come from a cultural group that speaks those languages and is of West Asian, North African, or Persian ancestry.

HOW LONG HAVE ARABS BEEN PART OF AMERICA?

Arab Americans have been part of America's fabric since before the Revolutionary War. The earliest immigrants were merchants and traders, mostly of Sephardic heritage (Jewish), arriving individually or in small groups until the mid-nineteenth century. That changed in the 1870s through the early 1900s, with a sizeable Christian migration from areas of the Ottoman Empire. It was a critical growth period in US history.

Unfortunately, xenophobia was very much alive in the United States. Alarmed by so many people arriving from overseas who weren't "white Protestant Christians," including a large influx of Jewish immigrants, the Johnson-Reed Quota Act was passed by Congress in 1924. It virtually ended immigration from Asian countries, including modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. It was one of three immigration laws between 1917 and 1924 that specifically targeted people based on national origin, non-English literacy, race, and religion. The three laws would have a devastating and deadly effect on many people seeking to escape war, oppression, and persecution in the next several decades.

With the establishment of Israel in 1948, the law received revisions from 1952 through 1966. Modifications allowed another 80,000 Arabs, mainly from Palestine and Egypt, to arrive in the US. With immigration rules tight, these immigrants tended to be wealthier than most of their countrymen, light-skinned, and Christian. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ended much of the discriminatory laws used to justify limited immigration to the US of non-Northern European and non-Christian people. From 1967 on, Arab immigrants of the Muslim faith out-numbered those of Christianity, and they arrived from areas seeing increased conflict and hardship, predominantly Palestine and Lebanon.

By the 1990s, large migrations from Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and their cousins, Armenians, Turks, and Persians from Iran and neighboring countries, chose to make the US their new home. As a cultural group in the US, regardless of faith, Arab Americans tend to be highly educated, entrepreneurial, and family-focused, with above-average incomes.

In 2002, the last comprehensive poll, 63% of Arab Americans were Christian, 24% Muslim, and 13% were Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, non-religious, or other faiths.

Africa

Nov

Global Health Equity Week: November 11-15

06:20 AM | -

Global Health Equity Week, formerly National Health Information Technology Week, is in autumn. Join in support of this nationwide awareness week focused on the value of health IT to the United States health care. There is no better time for the health IT community to unite under one umbrella to raise national awareness.

Africa

Apr

Mammal Week, Ntl. (UK): April 22-28

06:20 AM | -

National Mammal Week, previously in October, moved to April in 2024. Organized by the Mammal Society, this event raises awareness for mammals native to the United Kingdom and the issues these animals face. This week, talks, conferences, and a bat walk are some of the activities the public can join in addition to a mammal amateur photography competition. To search for this event on social media, use these hashtags: #NationalMammals and #mammalweek.

Africa

Aug

Friendship Day, Women's Ntl.: August 18

06:20 AM | -

Human beings are social creatures and have always valued the importance of friends in their lives. Women tend to be more social than men—fun fact: The average woman speaks 5,000 words daily, while the average man speaks just 2,200. National Women’s Friendship Day was created and dedicated to female friends and emphasizes the special bond shared between women.

Africa

Aug

Ice Cream Pie Day, Ntl.: August 18

06:20 AM | -

Ice cream pie is what it sounds like, a pastry with ice cream filling and crust made of cookies, wafers, graham crackers, or granola. However you make it, Ice Cream Pie Day is the perfect day to indulge in the summer treat. Ice Cream Pie Day is an unofficial event with no sponsor.

Africa

Aug

Mail Order Catalog Day (1872): August 18

06:20 AM | -

Mail Order Catalog Day marks the anniversary of the premiere of the first catalog, the Montgomery Ward Catalog, in 1872. At the time of its publication, it was revolutionary, a unique marketing and delivery service of goods from the store straight to the customer’s home. Today the internet has made it obsolete. However, every time you order online, you can thank Montgomery Ward. Online shopping is the heritage of the original virtual store called the catalog.

Africa

Aug

Serendipity Day: August 18

06:20 AM | -

Madeleine Kay created Serendipity Day as a day to encourage people to make discoveries they didn't intend. Spread the happiness to others. For those going through difficulty, it aims to assure people that everything will be all right, that events will fall beneficially as long as we are brave enough to try.

Africa

Aug

Soft Serve Ice Cream Day: August 18

06:20 AM | -

Soft Serve Ice Cream Day celebrates the swirled summer treat on a cone. Carvel Ice Cream Company created the first soft serve ice cream cone, which premiered on August 4, 1938, in Kankakee, Illinois.

Africa

Aug

T-Rex World Championships (US-WA): August 17

06:20 AM | -

Emerald Downs, a suburban Seattle venue known for live horse racing, transforms into a prehistoric battleground in late August. Over 200 people donning inflatable Tyrannosaurus rex costumes run down the race track for the annual T-Rex World Championships. The spectacle began in 2017 as a Tri-Guard Pest Control team-building outing. The 2023 races were dedicated to Terry Richards, Tri-Guard's CEO, who died in a small plane crash earlier in the year. Tri-Guard had 40 employees participating in the races. The T-Rex World Championships attracted participants from various states, including Texas, Ohio, Virginia, Louisiana, Oregon, California, and Idaho. Eight heat winners qualified for the Championship, reflecting the national appeal of an event as whimsical as it is competitive. The actual T. rex, which roamed Earth between 65 million and 67 million years ago, remains a subject of scientific study and public fascination, thanks partly to Hollywood's portrayal in the "Jurassic Park" franchise. However, the inflatable-costumed variant is proving to be a thrilling draw at Emerald Downs, where the spirit of competition meets a dash of the fantastical. Whether for team-building or straightforward enjoyment, the T-Rex World Championships has found its place in the contemporary cultural landscape, turning an ordinary track into a theater of dinosaur delight.

Africa

Aug

Zhong Yuan Festival (CN/TW): August 18

06:20 AM | -

The Zhong Yuan (Ghosts) Festival in China is celebrated every year on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calendar. The Zhong Yuan (also known as Zhongyuan Festival by Taoists or Yu Lan Pen Festival by Buddhists) is the day the Chinese respect their ancestors and all who have passed via sacrifices. It is believed that ghosts emerge on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month and visit the living. The Chinese have other festivals throughout the year that honor the dead, and Zhong Yuan is unique as it honors all persons who have passed, not just family.

Africa

Aug

15th of Av (J): August 18/19

06:20 AM | -

Love, glorious love! The 15th of Av is a holiday in the Jewish faith, often referred to as the Jewish Valentine's day, and it is a celebration of love and future redemption. The tradition comes from The Talmud, a collection of books teaching Jewish law (Gemara) and the oral traditions (Mishnah) inscribed between the third and fifth centuries of the common era (CE). It is an encyclopedic collection used in Rabbinic Talmudism (Judaism as practiced after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE). The Talmud describes this night as a time when young Hebrew maidens would dance in the vineyards, and any man seeking a bride could go there and find one. For this reason, the 15th of Av is called Jewish Valentine's Day.

Africa

Aug

Aviation Day, Ntl. (1871): August 19

06:20 AM | -

National Aviation Day honors the field of aviation and occurs each year on the birthday of Orville Wright (August 19, 1871). President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed the day during his administration. Public schools take note of it by having students study the history of aviation and debate its future.

Africa

Aug

Bow Day, Intl.: August 19

06:20 AM | -

International accessories retailer Claire's created International Bow Day before starting the school year. For centuries, bows have adorned clothes, hair, hats, and other accessories. Items like the bowtie are ubiquitous among men, while hair bows, varying in size and placement, often define women's and girls' fashions of the time. Check for special deals with Claire's on this day.

Africa

Aug

Discovery Day, (CA-YT)(1896): August 19

06:20 AM | -

Discovery Day in Canada’s Yukon Territory is celebrated on the Monday nearest to August 16, when gold was discovered in the region in 1896.

Africa