All - Leep Calendar

Read a Fairy Tale Day seeks to remind us of the delightfully happy endings found in fairy tales. You know, those stories where everything works out? The goblins and witches are banished, the boy always gets the girl, and everyone lives happily ever after. Fairy tales have been around since 1300 BC, that is, tales of mythical creatures in ideal situations. However, the type of story we generally associate with the fairytale originated in Europe and the Middle East. At first, these were oral stories passed down from generation to generation, and they proliferated during the Renaissance period with the advent of the printing press. Why this day was chosen instead of February 24 is still being determined. February 24, 1786, Wilhelm Carl Grimm was born, part of The Brothers Grimm, with his brother Jacob. Together they became synonymous with fairy tales. Which is the best-selling fairy tale of all time? Before Disney, that would be "One Thousand and One Nights," which is a compilation of stories gathered over several centuries, including "Scheherazade," "Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," and "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor." "One Thousand and One Nights" is the perfect example of East meets West in folklore, and possibly why it remains popular globally. Everyone of every culture can relate. And boys like them as much as girls. The stories of Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad were created during the 17th and 18th centuries by Europeans traveling or living in the Middle East, most notably Antoine Galland, who translated the original stories from Arabic into French; "Scheherazade" and others in the book were written during Islam's Golden Era, during the 12th and 13th centuries, or derived from oral legends common to West Asia. "One Thousand and One Nights" is a collection of stories that took centuries to compile and required input from nearly every major culture to create the timeless fairy tales generations continue to love. Celebrate Read a Fairy Tale Day. Grab your magic carpet, kiss a frog and ride off into the sunset with the one you love.

Africa

Feb

Telecommuter Appreciation Week, Ntl. (1847): February 26 - March 4

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National Telecommuter Appreciation Week was created in 1993 by the American Telecommuting Association to bring awareness to the positive aspects of having employees work from home one or more days a week. It always falls during the week of Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday, March 3. With the advent of the Internet, telecommuting has become popular by allowing real-time interaction with employees and managers from remote locations worldwide. National labor statistics show the trend toward temporary and remote workforces will continue to grow, with more and more people choosing to work from home. The pandemic of 2020-2022 made this essential. This week highlights the benefits of telecommuting from three viewpoints: The individual, the employer, and society. The key benefits to each group are as follows: The individual and family benefit from saved time, lower commuting expenses, reduced stress, more scheduling flexibility, greater satisfaction regarding work, and the pleasure of spending more time together. The employer benefits from greater productivity, loyalty, and job satisfaction, a stronger focus on job performance, better recruiting and longer retention of the most productive employees, and reduced overhead and facility expenses. Society benefits from reduced traffic congestion minimized air pollution, lower requirements for (and strain on) transportation infrastructure, and decreased demand scarce and non-renewable resources like fossil fuels.

Africa

Feb

America Saves Week: February 27 - March 3

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America Saves Week (also called Military Saves Week when targeted at active service members) is coordinated by America Saves and the America Savings Education Council. The week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote proactive fiscal savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their saving status. The event first ran in 2007.

Africa

Feb

Anosmia Awareness Day: February 27

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Imagine if you couldn't smell anymore. That is what anosmia is, the inability to smell. Some people are born with anosmia, and others acquire it through accident, disease, or misadventure. It has a profound impact on many areas of life. With smell, tasting is more accessible. Smell is used for pleasure as well as a warning against danger. Currently, 6.3 million people in America suffer from anosmia. Anosmia Awareness Day seeks to educate the public about this condition and provide resources for those with it. This event first ran in 2012.

Africa

Feb

Cupcake Day, Ntl. (CA): February 27

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National Cupcake Day in Canada is one of our favorite events in the LEEP Calendar due to the idea's tremendous success in other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and England. How can you miss leveraging cupcakes, puppies, and kittens? The Canadian version began in 2013 and was started by The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) and the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA), with Petsecure pet health insurance underwriting. Cupcakes are donated and sold to raise funds to prevent animal cruelty and help furry friends find good homes. The first year raised over $400,000 in funds. Promotions in Canada include cupcake consumers donating to local animal groups or through participating bakeries. Church groups, social groups, and clubs throw cupcake parties to raise funds or feature cupcake decorating competitions. Photos posted on National Cupcake Day's Facebook page features winner, including best animal, most creative, kids' cupcake, and Valentine's day cupcake. It's a sweet, fun way to get creative and raise animal funds. This event occurs on the last Monday of February.

Africa

Feb

Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Ntl. (UK/US): February 27- March 5

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Eating disorders affect people worldwide. Many factors, including lifestyle, vanity, and social and economic standing, contribute to an eating disorder. The NEDA (US) and BEAT (UK) have set aside this week to focus on this issue, which affects millions of men and women. Steps for avoiding eating disorders include: • Living a healthy life that can inspire others. • Focusing on health and well-being. • Knowing the risk factors for problems with food and weight.

Africa

Feb

Fairtrade Fortnight (UK): February 27- March 12

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Fairtrade Fortnight is when campaigners, businesses, schools, and places of worship show their support for the farmers and workers who grow the United Kingdom's food in developing countries. From breakfasts to banquets and bake-offs to business awards, communities across the UK use their creativity, connections, and local knowledge to open more doors to Fairtrade.

Africa

Feb

Green (Clean) Monday (C): February 27

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Also known as Clean Monday, Green Monday is the first Monday of Lent in the Orthodox Christian faith. It's time to clean the house for the Lent season.

Africa

Feb

Hearing Awareness Week, Ntl. (AU): February 27 - March 5

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Hearing Awareness Week in Australia is the week leading to World Hearing Day. During this week, various healthcare providers offer free hearing check-ups nationwide.

Africa

Feb

Independence Day (DO)(1844): February 27

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Independence Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Dominican Republic from Haitian occupation, February 27, 1844. Independence Day is a national holiday.

Africa

Feb

Kahlua Day, Ntl. (1936): February 27

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Kahlúa (translation “House of the Acolhua people”) is a coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur first produced in Mexico by Pedro Domecq in 1936. The liqueur is often drunk alone, in coffee, or as a topping for desserts like ice cream, cheesecake, and flan. The most popular cocktails for Kahlúa are the B-52, Baby Guinness, Black Russian, Mudslide, White Russian, Espresso Martini, Caribbean Mudslide, and Kodiak. Though we cannot confirm it, we suspect today is National Kahlúa Day to mark the anniversary of its creation in 1936.

Africa

Feb

Lent, Orthodox (C): February 27 - April 13

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The Christian season of Lent is a religious observance that begins 40 days (the days Jesus fasted in the desert and resisted temptation by the devil) on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Maundy Thursday. The purpose of Lent is to prepare for the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abram and the new covenant created with mankind through Jesus Christ. It is a season observed by all Christians, though more stringently in the Catholic and Orthodox faiths. Traditionally there is prayer, penance, and atonement leading up to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is customary to fast during Lent. Fasting can be food or giving up something else of pleasure, such as drinking or smoking, and other temptations like sweets or meat.

Africa

Feb

Moon—First Quarter: February 27

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The first quarter moon occurs when the moon is one-half illuminated by the sun. Each day forward increases the amount of the moon you can see. The first quarter typically occurs seven days after the New Moon.

Africa

Feb

NGO, World Non-Government Organization Day: February 27

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An NGO is an organization that is citizen-based, independent from government influence, and a non-profit. Doctors without Borders is one well-known example. An NGO can be large or a small grassroots initiative operating at a community level. World NGO Day celebrates, commemorates, and collaborates with the contributions of NGOs and the people who serve them. It first ran in 2010.

Africa

Feb

No Brainer Day: February 27

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National No Brainer Day is an unofficial event in the United States, and in LEEP's opinion, it should be a salute to technical writers and their profession. The best way to celebrate it is to look at how you communicate with others when teaching a concept. Can the instructions be simplified? Can you make it a "no-brainer?" It is far more challenging to write simply than detailed. Any professional advertising copywriter will tell you that. Hats off to the professional technical writers who make instructions a no-brainer for us all. December 1959 was the first time the common saying "no-brainer" was used in a cartoon published in the Long Beach Independent to describe the effort it took to learn the game of Gin. Today it has come to mean something is very easy, and you don't need a brain to figure it out. On the opposite end, it can also mean foolishness. A personal note from Laura: Crafting instructions (technical writing) into a no-brainer is more challenging than it sounds. Not to say that a third grader doesn't have a brain. In technical writing, that's the benchmark of education attainment professionals strive to hit to make instructions understandable to the largest segment of the population. Technical writing, which I took at university, is the only writing course I have ever received a poor grade. Technical writing is supposed to be simplistic, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not write below a sixth-grade level! That's what No Brainer Day should be about, a salute to Technical Writing Professionals, and since there is no other purpose to it, that is how we're categorizing it.

Africa