All - Leep Calendar

National Baked Beans Month is an unofficial observance month. The timing may be due to a favorite American picnic food: beans and franks. Beans, legumes, or pulses (dried edible seeds of legume plants) come in various shapes and colors, including brown, white, lima, pinto, black and blackened. Use this month to experiment with different types of beans. For example, try using cranberry beans instead of brown or pinto beans. Cranberry beans are prized for their creamy texture and nutlike taste. They are frequently used in northern Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese cuisines. Or go for the Adzuki, a bean often used in Asian cuisine. Beans are economical, protein-packed, and a great food staple. Once you learn how to cook beans, the options are endless. The Been Council has pictures and definitions of the most common types here: http://www.usdrybeans.com/resources/varieties.

Africa

Jul

Bald Is In Day: July 8

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Bald Is In Day aims to increase awareness about alopecia areata, a balding disease in men and women. This day is a time to educate those affected on how to live with alopecia and make the most of their lives.

Africa

Jul

Bannack Days (US-MT): July 15-16

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Bannack Days are celebrated each year in July in honor of the first capital of Montana, Bannack. Today, Bannack is an authentic ghost town that comes to life for the event. Those attending witness Montana’s mining history through gunfight reenactments and the day-to-day activities of miners who lived there during the Gold Rush. Visitors can also experience 1800s wagon rides and frontier dancing.

Africa

Jul

Barbecued Spareribs Day, Ntl.: July 4

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National Barbecued Spareribs Day occurs on America's Independence Day simply because many people barbecue on this day. You can go pork or beef for spareribs (the Halal and Kosher version). For complete authenticity, they must be drenched in barbecue sauce and shared. Finger licking good!

Africa

Jul

Barbershop Music Day (1945): July 13

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In 1945 Edna Mae Anderson of Tulsa, Oklahoma, invited several women to sing in a group. Their husbands were members of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America. The women wanted to be part of the group, but the men said no. Later that evening, the Sweet Adelines, a group of female acapella singers, was created. This group later expanded to become the Sweet Adelines International. The Adelines created Barbershop Music Day in 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of their organization.

Africa

Jul

Barbie-in-a-Blender Day, Ntl.: July 27

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Barbie in a Blender Day officially ran between 2003 and 2009. It was a protest movement by college students worldwide under the moniker of Freeculture.org. The purpose of the event was to support free speech rights. The Barbie in a Blender project was inspired by a legal case involving a lawsuit filed by Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, against Utah-based artist Tom Forsythe. In 1999 Forsythe created a series of photographs titled “Food Chain Barbie,” portraying nude Barbies in suggestive poses among kitchen appliances. Mattel filed a lawsuit, claiming copyright infringement and demanding Forsythe stop selling prints. On June 30th, 2004, the case was settled. A federal judge ordered Mattel to pay Forsythe $1.8 million in legal fees and court costs, calling Mattel’s suit “frivolous” and “unreasonable.” The Forsythe case highlights the increasing challenges those who wish to comment on popular icons, symbols, or cornerstones of culture face, given that many are trademarks or copyrights of large corporations. “If you want to talk about the problems with society, all of the widely recognized figures are copyrighted,” says Nelson Pavlosky of Freeculture.org. “In the past, cultural icons belonged to everyone…[now] if you want to use a relevant character to critique society, you’ll get burned by companies who can silence you, not by winning in court, but by outspending you and forcing you to cave in or lose all your money.” Though no longer a sponsored event, the whimsical nature of the day and the importance of preserving free speech have forced a continued observance of the day by free speech advocates worldwide.

Africa

Jul

Bastille Day (FR) (1789): July 14

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La Fête Nationale or Bastille Day is National Day in France. It commemorates July 14, 1789, storming of the Bastille, a prison in Paris. Storming the Bastille was one of the first significant acts of armed rebellion during the French Revolution. On July 14, 1790, one year to the day, the revolutionists officially united the French nation. The annual parade in Paris in honor of La Fête Nationale is the oldest annual military parade in Europe.

Africa

Jul

Bathing & Basking Festival, Xi Shai Jie (CN): July 23

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The Bathing and Basking Festival (Xi Shai Jie) is a Chinese tradition that provides the opportunity to clean closets and air out the wardrobe. In Chinese culture, cleanliness is essential. Even sweeping is done for specific reasons and within a particular order to sweep out bad luck or to usher in good luck. Allowing clothing, bedding, and other household items around the house to bask in the sun and bathe in light for a day freshens and removes any bad luck or evil spirits dwelling within.

Africa

Jul

Battle of the Boyne Holiday (UK)(1690): July 12

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Fought on July 1, 1690, the Battle of Boyne was a decisive battle in Irish and English history. King William III, with his English and French Protestant armies, defeated King James’ army of Irish and French Catholics. This occurred on the banks of the River Boyne and halted the re-adoption of Catholicism in England. At the time, the Julian Calendar was in use rather than the Gregorian. Because of this, the holiday is marked in Northern Ireland as a celebration of Protestantism over Catholicism on its Julian date of July 12.

Africa

Jul

Be a Dork Day: July 15

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Be a Dork Day is a license to be weird, arcane, and dorky. Although the 'official' Google definition of a dork describes one as a "dull, slow-witted, or socially inept person," the modern version is quirky. Yes, these eccentrics might not follow the usual trends or be with the in-crowd. Still, dorks are often some of the most extraordinary people around. Being cool is not a requirement to make it in life, so kudos to all dorks who choose to remain faithful to living the life they want!

Africa

Jul

Be Nice to New Jersey Week: July 2-8

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No state receives more lousy press from comedians than New Jersey. Therefore, Lone Star publications decided New Jersey needs a week for the nation to "share the love" and support it as it should be.

Africa

Jul

Beans and Franks Day: July 13

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Beans and Franks Day (or Beanie Weenie Day) falls during the height of BBQ season in the Northern Hemisphere. This day celebrates a cowboy staple, beans, and franks. Best way to celebrate? Cook and serve beans and franks.

Africa

Jul

Beef Tallow Day, Ntl.: July 13

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National Beef Tallow Day premiers in 2018 and promotes the use of healthy, animal-based fats in cooking and baking. This day strategically falls on National French Fry Day. Have you ever had incredibly delicious french fries? If you have, they were likely fried in beef tallow fat, which is ideal for high-heat cooking. With trans-fats, the manufactured synthetic fats, on their way out, people are rediscovering the versatility and flavor of natural animal-based fats like beef tallow.

Africa

Jul

Beer Fest, Diekirch (LU): July 16

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The little nation of Luxembourg is famous for its craft beers. Each year, Diekirch hosts a Beer Festival on the 3rd Sunday of July. 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

Jul

Bereaved Parents Awareness Month, Intl: July

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Bereaved Parents Awareness Month supports bereaved parents. Often people don't know what to say to or do for grieving parents. Sometimes, they turn away and do nothing. We encourage people to return and reach out to bereaved parents and their families. Give them someone who will listen to them without advising them; a shoulder to cry on, and a hug when appropriate. Basically, be there for the bereaved.

Africa