All - Leep Calendar

A full moon occurs when the moon is illuminated by the sun and on the opposite side of the earth. Its ecliptic longitude is 180 degrees. For centuries, people have applied names to full moons to track the seasons and as a point of reference. The names listed below come from Native American and Colonial American traditions passed down through generations. Here are the common names for full moons in each month in the Northern Hemisphere (the Southern Hemisphere doesn't do this tradition): January: Wolf Moon—Named after the howling of wolves during the cold winter nights. February: Snow Moon—Named for the typically heavy snowfall. March: Worm Moon—As the ground thaws, earthworms emerge, attracting birds. April: Seed Moon—Time to plant for the fall harvest. May: Flower Moon—Named for the abundance of flowers in May. June: Strawberry Moon— due to the short harvesting season for strawberries in the northeastern United States. July: Buck Moon—when new antlers grow on male deer (bucks). August: Sturgeon Moon—when sturgeon fish are abundant in North America's Great Lakes. September: Harvest Moon—time to harvest crops. October: Hunter's Moon—game is at its fattest, allowing hunters to stock up for the winter months. November: Beaver Moon—when beavers build their winter dams. December: Cold Moon—long, dark, and cold nights. Full moon names vary between cultures, regions, and traditions; several full moons have alternative names. The above are the most common. A blue moon occurs when two full moons are in a single month, and February is the only month in the year that occasionally does not have a full moon. A blood moon describes a total lunar eclipse.

Africa

Apr

Peppercorn Ceremony (1816): April 23

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The Peppercorn Ceremony in Bermuda commemorates the Masonic Lodge payment of one peppercorn to the governor of Bermuda as a rental fee for the Old State House. The tradition occurs in King’s Square in Saint George, Bermuda. Those attending wear colorful costumes, and the town crier rings the bell as the governor arrives in a carriage. A 17-gun salute is followed by the presentation of a single peppercorn on a silver platter upon a velvet cushion to the governor.

Africa

Apr

Picnic Day, Ntl.: April 23

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The goal of National Picnic Day in the United States is to encourage people to get outdoors, move, and eat together in the splendor of nature. Traditionally, picnic food is home-cooked or bought at a market and set up outdoors for family members, organizations, or parties. The origin of picnicking is aristocratic, and these outdoor banquets were popular social events for the elite during Medieval times. The year 1692 is the first time the word picnic appeared in print, in French. Today, picnics have become outdoor parties for two or more people.

Africa

Apr

Saint George's Day (303 AD): April 23

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Saint George, "the Dragonslayer," or George of Lydda, is the patron saint of England. He was born into a wealthy Christian family in Turkey around 280 AD and lived until he was executed at age twenty-three. In 303 AD, the Roman Empire grew increasingly concerned with the proliferation of Christianity and ordered all Christian soldiers expelled. The Emporer then required all remaining Roman soldiers to perform sacrifices to the pagan gods. Saint George, a soldier by this time, refused to relinquish his faith or participate in pagan rituals. George was martyred in Lyyda, Palestine (Lod, Israel since 1948) via beheading on April 23, 303. Within the next forty years, the entirety of the Roman Empire would convert to Christianity following the conversion of Emperor Constantine just nine years later, in 312 AD. The legend of Saint George would grow with the Eastern Orthodox churches. There it is said he saved the king of Libya's daughter from being sacrificed to a dragon in exchange for the population converting from paganism to Christianity. As a reward, the king built a church on the location where Saint George is said to have killed the dragon. He's a saint due to his martyrdom, not for killing a mythical beast.

Africa

Apr

Spanish Language Day (1616): April 23

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Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. The other official languages of the United Nations are English, Chinese, Russian, French, and Arabic. Each language gets its day each year. Spanish Language Day marks the anniversary of the death of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra on April 23, 1616.

Africa

Apr

Take a Chance Day: April 23

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Take a Chance Day is an unofficial holiday with a simple message: Go for it. Take a chance. Nothing happens if you don’t try first. So, if you have an idea or someone you are interested in or want to explore your options, today is the day to go for it. Take a chance on yourself!

Africa

Apr

Talk Like Shakespeare Day (1564): April 23

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Talk Like Shakespeare Day marks the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth on April 23, 1564. His birthday is marked by the United Nation’s English Language Day. Whether you celebrate English or enjoy speaking in sonnets, today is the day to show appreciation for the written word and turn of phrase.

Africa

Apr

Administrative Professionals Day, Ntl.: April 24

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Administrative Professionals Day falls on the Wednesday of Administrative Professionals Week. Since 1952, The International Association of Administrative Professionals has honored office workers by sponsoring Administrative Professionals Week. Each year, administrative professionals are recognized for their skills and loyalty, attributes upon which every office depends. More than 22 million administrative and office support professionals are working in the United States.

Africa

Apr

Animals, Laboratory Animals, World Day for: April 24

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World Day for Laboratory Animals is a United Nations-recognized day commemorating the suffering and killing of millions of innocent animals in testing laboratories worldwide. Each nation has its organizations that choose to participate. Check with local animal rights organizations for local events in your city or country. This event first ran in 1979.

Africa

Apr

Armenian Genocide Day of Remembrance (1915-1923) Intl: April 24

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Most Americans think the holocaust in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s was the first of its kind, believing then was the first time concentration camps were used, mass gassings and cattle cars to transport victims, and it was the first time people were targeted for extermination due to their faith and race. They would be wrong. It happened before. Christians in Armenia suffered a similar fate under the Ottoman Empire 25 years earlier. The Armenian genocide was the precursor, the practice run. It is where many of the future Nazi leaders would get their ideas during WWI. It is believed had the world known about the horrors of what happened to the Armenians, the holocaust may have been avoided. Adolf Hitler stated such, intimating that no one remembered the Armenians; why would they remember the Jews? On April 24, 1915, hundreds of Armenian intellectuals (poets, musicians, publicists, editors, lawyers, doctors, and deputies) were arrested in Constantinople under warrants issued by the government of Young Turks. Exiled, they were then slaughtered. The annihilation of the Armenian intellectuals was part of a systematic plan to exterminate the Armenian people in their homeland, at first under cover of WWI. It was the first state-planned genocide of the 20th century, but not the last. Between 1915 and 1923, the Armenian genocide was conceived and carried out, resulting in the deportation of nearly 2,000,000 Armenians, of whom 1,500,000 men, women, and children were killed, and 500,000 survivors were expelled from their homes and the lands they'd inhabited for well over 2,500 years. To this day, the Turkish government continues to deny the genocide, despite the fact it was the Ottoman Empire and the Kemalists, not the current government of Turkey, that was responsible. It has been a source of political impasse. Very little has been written about this. The best account is in Robert Fisk's "The Great War for Civilisation." Also, in the corridor connecting the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem with the Christian quarter, the survivors have created a postered event timeline for visitors to read and learn from. Many of the shops and stores in the Christian quarter of the old city are owned by Armenian Christians, and the bishops of the local church are quite helpful in answering questions and providing context. A film on Netflix outlines what happened during 1916-1918 called "Ararat." It's highly recommended and will provide a context to this horrific event. It may finally get its due. In March 2014, during an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net, Oscar-winning director of "Schindler's List," Steven Spielberg, noted that he's been collecting information on the Armenian genocide, as well as others that occurred last century, including Rwanda and Cambodia. Read the full Senate Resolution for more details on this event: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:S.RES.410: Learn More at: http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/remembrance_day.php#sthash.l5c7K4dg.dpuf"

Africa

Apr

Easter Rebellion (IE)(1916): April 24

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The Easter Rebellion, also known as the Easter Rising, was an armed insurrection in Dublin, Ireland, from April 24 to April 29, 1916. Irish republicans organized the uprising seeking to end British rule in Ireland and establish an independent Irish Republic. The primary factions of dissent included two groups pressing for Irish independence, the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and the Irish Volunteers, along with the women's nationalists group Cumann na mBan. The rebels seized key buildings in Dublin, including the General Post Office, which served as their headquarters. They declared an Irish Republic and raised the Irish tricolor flag over the building while engaging in street fighting with British troops and police, despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned. With artillery and machine guns, British forces quickly suppressed the uprising, forcing the rebels to surrender after six days of fighting. The leaders of the rebellion were subsequently arrested and tried for treason. Fifteen were executed by firing squad, including the seven Irish Proclamation of Independence signatories. The Easter Rebellion was a significant event in Irish history and marked a turning point in the struggle for Irish independence. It helped to galvanize support for the republican cause and paved the way for the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The leaders of the rebellion, who became known as the "1916 Martyrs," are still revered as heroes by many in Ireland today. AFTER THE REBELLION Northern Ireland remained part of Great Britain after 1949, but its Catholic citizens were discriminated against, leading to growing resentment. Political advocacy and later fighting continued with the formation of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and through the already established political party, the Sinn Féin. The fighting became particularly violent in the 1970s and 80s. This period of fighting between 1969 and 1998 is collectively called "The Troubles." During the 1990s, both groups focused on political rather than military solutions, and on July 28, 2005, the IRA announced they would put down their weapons. The British Government and Northern Ireland achieved peace in the Fall of 2006, 90.5 years after the Easter Rebellion.

Africa

Apr

Guide Dog Day, Intl.: April 24

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International Guide Dog Day raises awareness of the importance of these service animals in helping the blind to participate in society. American Dorothy Harrison Eustis developed the idea for guide dogs in Switzerland following WWI.

Africa

Apr

Immunization Week, World: April 24 - 30

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Immunization saves millions of lives and is one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet, more than 19 million unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children worldwide are at serious risk of these potentially fatal diseases. Of these children, one in ten never received any vaccinations and most likely has never been seen by the health system. World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed to ensure that every person is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Africa

Apr

Meningitis Day, World: April 24

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The Confederation of Meningitis Organizations hosts World Meningitis Day. The day is devoted to raising awareness and promoting solidarity in the fight against Meningitis and the vaccination preventing it.

Africa

Apr

Multilateralism and Diplomacy, Intl Day: April 24

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Multilateralism refers to cooperation between at least three states based on shared norms and values, involving consultation, inclusion, and solidarity. It is a method of cooperation and an organizational framework of the international system. The United Nations plays a central role in multilateralism, with the Charter defining its mission to promote peace, human rights, and international cooperation. Over the years, multilateral processes have expanded, including new actors like NGOs and private organizations. Multilateralism has achieved significant results in areas such as health and arms control, saving lives and advancing human rights. The UN emphasizes conflict prevention through diplomacy and peaceful dispute settlement. In recognition of the importance of multilateralism, the General Assembly proclaimed the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace to promote its benefits and raise awareness about the role of diplomacy in maintaining international peace and security.

Africa