All - Leep Calendar

The Greeks know how to make a celebration fun. The Day of Agia Domnikes, Midwife's or Women's Day in Greece, is an annual celebration for women of childbearing age. Women own the town and spend the day dining and pampering themselves. Men are required to care for the children and housekeep for the day. In some smaller villages, men caught outside face dousing with a bucket of cold water and are promptly ordered home for the rest of the day. As with many traditions, this day originates in the Bible. It's tied to Saint Agia Domnikes, the midwife believed to have helped the Panagia with the birth of Jesus Christ. Christ's baptism is celebrated on Epiphany in Greece, and the Day of Agia Domnikes occurs two days later. The water ritual evolved from the practice of pouring out water in preparation for giving birth. In past eras, women kissed a sausage or leek and presented gifts to the ceremonial midwife. Today they eat the sausage, drink wine, and soak wandering men in cold water. What fun!

Africa

Jan

Migration Week, Intl.: January 1-7

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The Catholic Church in the United States hosts International Migration Week. It is an opportunity to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, and survivors of human trafficking. Every human originates somewhere, and we live in solidarity. National Migration Week is a global effort to show our migrant, and refugee neighbors love.

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Jan

Milk Bottle & Milkman Day, Ntl. (1878): January 11

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National Milk Bottle & Milkman Day commemorates the first home milk deliveries by a 'milkman' on January 11, 1878, by the New York Dairy Company. The service no longer exists. 'Honey, can you pick up milk on your way home?' is a familiar request in households. So ordinary that supermarkets and convenience stores purposely put milk at the back of their stores, hoping people will have impulse purchases as they browse. One could argue that companies like Fresh Direct and Amazon have become the gig-economy milkmen.

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Jan

Missionary Day (IN-MZ)(1894): January 11

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On January 11, 1894, two Welsh Christian missionaries, Rev JH Lorrain and Rev FW Savidge arrived in the Indian state of Mizoram, where the reverends established India's Presbyterian and Baptist churches. Each year the anniversary of their arrival is celebrated as a state holiday in this predominantly Christian region of India.

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Jan

Moon-1st Quarter: January 28

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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.

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Jan

Moon-3rd Quarter: January 15

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Today is the third quarter of the moon, meaning it is halfway between the full moon and the new moon.

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Jan

Moon-Full: January 6

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January’s full moon is the Wolf Moon or Long Nights Moon. 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.

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Jan

Moon-New: January 21

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The new moon occurs when the moon and the sun have the same elliptical longitude when the moon is at its closest point to the sun in its orbit. From earth, we usually cannot see it. The new moon is considered the first phase.

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Jan

Multicultural Children's Book Day: January 27

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Multicultural Children's Book Day seeks to raise awareness of the diversity in children's literature, allowing all kids to see themselves in books. The Multicultural Children's Book Day mission is to put diverse children's books on shelves and into the hands of children and families across the country. As of 2020, an ideological war rages regarding children's books in the United States. Part of that war silences voices that do not fit a specific racial or theological narrative. The three books in the header, LEEP highly recommends. Doris Pilkington Garimara's "Follow the Rabbit-proof Fence" focuses on the Aboriginal experience of three orphans in 20th-century Australia. There is also a film, "Rabbit-proof Fence," an Australian film from 2002. Erika L. Sánchez's delightful comedic take on growing up as a Mexican-American girl, "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter," takes on the stereotypes within her community and outside of it. And finally, Golbarg Bashi's "P is for Palestine" is a fantastic book that shares the experience of Christian and Muslim children growing up under occupation through the alphabet. Did we mention that "P is for Palestine" continues to be banned by groups interested in maintaining the political status quo? These political interests are TERRIFIED of this book because it humanizes and teaches culture. Who knew children's stories and the alphabet were so powerful? This event first ran in 2014.

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Jan

Mummers Parade, Philadelphia (US-PA): January 1

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Attracting over 100,000 people annually, the Mummers Parade is a 120-year-old+ tradition featuring over 10,000 men, women, and children dressed in ostentatious costumes twirling, sashaying, pirouetting, and strutting down the city's main streets. Mummers are men and women of all ages who belong to more than 40 organized clubs that make up the parade participants. The clubs split into five categories — Comics, Wench Brigades, Fancies, String Bands, and the Fancy Brigades — function mainly to stage their lively performances on New Year's Day and at other events throughout the year. Mummery is a Philadelphia tradition spanning generations and originated in ancient Rome. Then laborers celebrated Saturnalia by marching in masks, exchanging gifts, and making light of the day's issues. Read more at: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/the-mummers-parade.

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Jan

Nanakusa (JP): January 7

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Nanakusa is a Japanese tradition originating during the 600s AD. It features the seven herbs and vegetables given to the emperor at the time for their medicinal value: Aona, Chickweed, Cottonweed, Hotoke-no-za, Parsley, Radish, and Shepherds Purse. These are typically mixed in rice porridge and served on this day as a wish for the family's good health in the coming year.

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Jan

National Day (NR)(1968): January 31

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The island nation of Nauru gained its independence on January 31, 1968, from the trusteeship of Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. National Day in Nauru is a celebration of this anniversary.

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Jan

National Unity Day (NP)(1723): January 11

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National Unity Day celebrates the birthday of Prithivi Narayan Shah (1723-1775), the last ruler of the Gorkha kingdom and the first monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal. He is responsible for unifying the tribes into one nation. National Unity Day is a national holiday.

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Jan

New Year's Day: January 1

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Today is the first day of the year worldwide, and it is a national holiday in most countries. Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year's foods, making resolutions for the New Year, and watching fireworks displays. The earliest recorded festivities in honor of a new year date back some 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. Emperor Julius Caesar (July 13, 100 BC - March 15, 44 BC) instituted January 1 as the first day of the year to honor the month's namesake, Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. Janus is depicted with two faces, allowing him to look back into the past and forward into the future. Caesar developed the Julian Calendar, which became the calendar of commerce until 1752, when the Gregorian Calendar, created by Pope Gregory XIII, was adopted by the British Empire as the international standard. Up until then, March 25 had been its New Year's Day. The difference in the two calendars is 11 minutes and 14 seconds, which eventually puts summer in winter and winter in summer over decades. Pope Gregory added a leap day every four years to compensate for the additional time it takes the sun to go around the earth. Why change? Predominantly, Easter didn't fall in the middle of winter and would always occur in the spring. Fun fact: When Britain instituted the calendar in 1752, they had a problem. There were 11 too many days in the calendar. How did they solve this? In 1752 the month of September lost 11 days, going from September 2 to September 14 in twenty-four hours. Imagine the number of people who over-indulged in alcohol the night of the 2nd and suddenly woke up 11 days later the next morning! Oh my!

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Jan

New Year's Resolution (Business) Month, Intl.: January

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At the beginning of the year, resolve to be more successful and profitable in business throughout the coming year. January is the month in which people brim with enthusiasm and energy. International New Year Business Resolution Month provides the opportunity to create a clean slate and is the perfect opportunity to review your organization's goals and create new ones.

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