All - Leep Calendar

National Herpes Awareness Day is an initiative of the brand FemiClear. There are two types of genital herpes, HSV-1 and HSV-2. Condoms are the only proven form to mitigate catching genital herpes for the sexually active. Avoiding kissing people with cold sores will lessen the chance of catching versions found outside the genital areas.

From the CDC:
"Genital herpes is a chronic, lifelong viral infection. Two types of HSV can cause genital herpes: HSV-1 and HSV-2. Most cases of recurrent genital herpes are caused by HSV-2, and 11.9% of persons aged 14–49 years are estimated to be infected in the United States (436). However, an increasing proportion of anogenital herpetic infections have been attributed to HSV-1, which is especially prominent among young women and MSM (186,437,438).

The majority of persons infected with HSV-2 have not had the condition diagnosed, many of whom have mild or unrecognized infections but shed the virus intermittently in the anogenital area. Consequently, most genital herpes infections are transmitted by persons unaware that they have the infection or who are asymptomatic when transmission occurs. Management of genital HSV should address the chronic nature of the infection rather than focusing solely on treating acute episodes of genital lesions."

As one in six people worldwide suffers from this medical condition, we figured it was best to let the CDC explain it. You can access the complete information on their website here: https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/herpes.htm

Header Image: George W. Beran, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Herpes Virus under magnification.

Africa

Oct

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day: October 13

06:20 AM | -

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Network promotes metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. The day educates people about the dangers of breast cancer, empowering victims and advocating for better care and prevention.

Africa

Oct

Natural Disaster Reduction, Intl. Day for: October 13

06:20 AM | -

Created in 1989 by the United Nations, the International Day for Disaster Reduction promotes a global risk awareness and disaster reduction culture. It is a celebration of people and communities working toward reducing their exposure to disasters and an awareness campaign focused on the risks they face from fire, flood, earthquakes, extreme weather, volcanos, and other natural occurrences.

Africa

Oct

Scenic Drive Fest, (US-IA): October 13-15

06:20 AM | -

Scenic Drive Fest is a countywide initiative in Van Buren County, Iowa. Scheduled at the peak of fall foliage throughout the county, craft fairs, flea markets, and concerts entice people to get out of the house and enjoy the fall weather.

Africa

Oct

Skeptics Day, Intl.: October 13*

06:20 AM | -

International Skeptics Day is an unofficial holiday celebrating skepticism and innumerable gifts to us. It’s one of two Skeptic’s Days on the calendar, and the first is National Skeptics Day, which occurs in January.

Africa

Oct

Southern Festival of Books (US-TN): October 13-15

06:20 AM | -

The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word(SM) is a three-day Festival celebrated yearly during the second entire weekend of October. It is free and open to the public, and no advance registration or tickets are required. All seating is on a first-come basis. The Festival welcomes more than 200 authors from the nation and in every genre for readings, panel discussions, and book signings. Book lovers can hear from and meet some of America's foremost writers in fiction, history, mystery, food, biography, travel, poetry, and children's literature.

Africa

Oct

Saint Edward's Feast Day (1163): October 13

06:20 AM | -

Saint Edward the Confessor was born to King Ethelred II in Islip, England, in 1003 AD. Though he died in 1066, his remains were transferred to his final resting place on October 13, 1163. This day has been his feast day ever since.

WHY SO MANY FEAST DAYS?

Have you ever noticed that there seem to be feast days for just about everything in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian faiths? There is a reason for that. The church granted feast days to allow all subjects of the Crown to take a day off. As most worked six days a week, feast days provided a break that landowners and nobility couldn't deny. If they tried, they were going against the church, and that you did not do. In medieval times, there were approximately 60 feast days a year. Add this to 52 Sundays, Christmas, and Easter, and workers received a minimum of 114 days off a year.

Contrast that to today. The average American gets 104 weekend days and seven national holidays off work. That's three days less than the commoners of the Dark Ages, just in case you're feeling a little overworked.

Africa

Oct

World Thrombosis Day: October 13

06:20 AM | -

World Thrombosis Day (WTD) is a global awareness that began in 2014. It focuses on thrombosis, its causes, risk factors, signs/symptoms, and evidence-based prevention and treatment. Thrombosis is a fancy word for a blood clot forming in a blood vessel and preventing blood from circulating through your body. Thrombosis can kill or permanently disable.

World Thrombosis Day aims to raise awareness and educate the public about this situation and ultimately reduce the occurrences of death and disability caused by this condition. Annually in October.

Africa

Oct

Bald & Free Day, (Be): October 14

06:20 AM | -

Be Bald and Free Day is another Wellcat-created holiday perfect for the follicly challenged and those who have survived cancer treatment.

Use this day to show off that gleaming and beautiful bald head proudly.

Think of all the money you’re saving on beauty parlors, barbers, shampoo, conditioner, and hair dye, and you’ll never have a bad hair day again!

That’s why it’s called Be Bald and Free Day.

Africa

Oct

Bird Day, Intl. (Caribbean): October 14

06:20 AM | -

International Migratory Bird Day occurs on the second Saturday in May in the U.S. and Canada and on the second Saturday in October in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean each year. But we recognize that this date doesn't work well for all bird events, bird festival organizers, or migratory birds.

To the south, migratory birds have left, heading for breeding sites to the north. Farther north, the birds haven't arrived. We remedied this problem by removing the month and day from our bird education and festival materials, leaving only the year, and reminding groups every day is bird day. Now, IMBD is celebrated almost year-round.

Most US and Canadian events occur in April and May, while fall events are the norm in the Caribbean and Latin America. Public awareness and concern are crucial components of migratory bird conservation. Citizens who are enthusiastic about birds, informed about threats, and empowered to become involved in addressing those threats can significantly contribute to maintaining healthy bird populations. By modeling what can be done and involving people, their interest and involvement in stewardship can grow.

One of the most successful vehicles for public education on migratory birds is International Migratory Bird Day(IMBD). Across the Americas, Bird Day events are great ways to get involved. Materials are available at: http://www.birdday.org/education/download-materials.

Africa

Oct

Chess Day, Ntl.: October 14

06:20 AM | -

The National Chess Federation supports National Chess Day. One day each year, organizers around the country plan tournaments, hold teaching events and promote the game of chess in their communities. It always falls on a Saturday.

Africa

Oct

Dessert Day, Ntl.: October 14

06:20 AM | -

The concept of dessert as part of a meal originated in Andalusia, Córdoba (Spain) on the Iberian Peninsula, circa 840-852 AD. Dessert was the brainchild of what you might call the first rock star-fashionista-inventor-culinary artist of the Common Era, Abu l-Hasan Ali Ibn Nafi, or as he was more commonly known, Ziryab, meaning "Blackbird" in Arabic.

Ziryab was born in 789 AD in what is today Iraq. He is one of the more interesting characters in history, going from slave to the top of the royal court during his life. Thanks to him, we have music schools, toothpaste, deodorant, clothes for different seasons, asparagus, and a three-course meal. (And those are just the top-line events.)

THE THREE-COURSE MEAL

Before Ziryab, dining didn't have much of a protocol. Instead, the food arrived on the table in a pile, and people grabbed whatever they wanted with their hands. Ziryab worked for the royal family in Córdoba. As part of his duties, he sought ways to make events memorable. "Why did dinner have to be dull?" he thought.

Ziryab invented presentation, dressing up the table with fine linens, crystal glasses, and different size spoons. He also reorganized how food arrived on the table, changing it to a procession rather than presenting all dishes simultaneously. At the time, this was revolutionary.

A man of many talents, Ziryab figured out that if you started with a soup (to prep the stomach and get digestion going), then moved on to the main dish of meat, veggies, and starches, the entire meal became an event when topped off with something sweet.

Andalusia's royal court and aristocracy loved this new idea of three courses and making a meal a celebration. The custom of three courses and table dressing soon spread throughout the kingdom, upper classes, and the rest of Europe and the world.

That sweet topping off the meal became known as dessert (about 900 years later when the French donated the word "desservir" or "clear the table" to denote the last item served).

Of course, today's dessert can be a sweet treat, a cup of coffee, tea, or liquor. Today, we tend to eat dessert whenever we want. Still, technically, it's only dessert if it comes at the end of a meal.

Africa

Oct

High Point Market (US-NC): October 14-18

06:20 AM | -

High Point Market is the world's largest furnishings industry trade show, with over 2,000 manufacturers in 11.5 million square feet of showroom and exhibit space in multiple buildings in downtown High Point, North Carolina. Each Market attracts tens of thousands of retail home furnishings buyers, interior designers, architects, and others in the home furnishings industry.

This event typically draws 75,000 design and industry professionals annually and sets the tone for furniture and interior design trends over the next year. High Point Market is wholesale and not open to the general public, and you must obtain a pass to attend.

Africa

Oct

Louisiana Art & Folk Festival, Columbia (US-LA): October 14 (est)

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The Columbia Art and Folk Festival features music, food, and down-home entertainment as the longest-running festival in the state of Louisiana. Annually in October.

Africa

Oct

lowercase day, write in: October 14

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Write in the lowercase day is an answer to WRITE IN ALL CAPS DAY, and a little bit of fun on the internet and via texting. It’s also an excellent opportunity for teachers to capitalize on this opportunity to teach children when to use lowercase, abbreviations, and capitalization.

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