All - Leep Calendar

Christmas and Hanukah cookies are a big part of the holiday season. Cookie Exchange Week is a chance to share your family recipes and traditions with friends and coworkers and learn about theirs. Annually the first work week of December.

Africa

Dec

Older Drivers Safety Week, Ntl.: December 5-9

06:20 AM | -

It is a fact of life that people grow older every day. With increasing age come changes in physical, mental, and sensory abilities that can challenge a person's ability to drive safely. But there are various safe travel options for people of all ages. The real need is a broader awareness of the solutions rather than a narrow focus on the problem. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) believes that occupational therapy practitioners have the skills to evaluate a person's overall ability to operate a vehicle safely and provide rehabilitation, if necessary. Many are specially trained in the full scope of driving rehabilitation. Occupational therapy practitioners work with older adults, their families, and caregivers, offering individualized assessments. They can identify individuals' unique challenges and find strategies to help them live life fully by keeping them active, healthy, and safe in their communities. AOTA's Older Driver Safety Awareness Week promotes the understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensure older adults remain active in the community.

Africa

Dec

Human Rights Week, Ntl. (1948): December 10-17

06:20 AM | -

International Human Rights Day marks the historic anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948. Together with the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (December 16, 1966), these three declarations form the International Bill of Human Rights. Through them, international standards are clear on civil, political, cultural, economic, and social rights that are the birthright of all human beings.

Africa

Dec

Christmas Bird Count (US/UK/CA): December 14-January 5, 2023

06:20 AM | -

Each year the Audubon Society hosts a three-week bird count across the United States and Canada. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count mobilizes over 72,000 volunteer bird counters in more than 2,500 locations across the Western Hemisphere. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that scientists could never accomplish alone. Data compiled locally will record every bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that continues a tradition stretching back more than 100 years. Over 300 peer-reviewed articles have resulted from analysis done with Christmas Bird Count data. Bird-related citizen science efforts are also critical to understanding how birds respond to a changing climate. This documentation enabled Audubon scientists to discover that 314 species of North American birds are threatened by global warming, as reported in Audubon’s groundbreaking Birds and Climate Change Study. The tradition of counting birds combined with modern technology and mapping enables researchers to make discoveries that were not possible in earlier decades. Birders of all ages are welcome to contribute to this fun, nationwide citizen science project, which provides ornithologists with a crucial snapshot of our native bird populations during winter. Each count is performed in a count circle with a diameter of 15 miles. At least ten volunteers, including a compiler to coordinate the process, count in each loop. The volunteers break up into small parties and follow assigned routes, which change little from year to year, counting every bird they see. Some people watch feeders, while others count in defined circles and paths.

Africa

Dec

Halcyon Days: December 14-28

06:20 AM | -

Halcyon Days is an ancient tradition honoring the mythical bird of peace and tranquility, the halcyon. It always occurs during the seven days leading up to the winter solstice and the seven days following it.

Africa

Dec

Navidades, (PR)(C): December 15-January 6

06:20 AM | -

Navidades is the official Christmas season in Puerto Rico. It begins ten days before Christmas and extends until Epiphany (January 6). Celebrations are vast, colorful, and spiced with the unique fusion of Caribbean and Latino culture, music, food, and relatively warm tropical weather.

Africa

Dec

Las Posadas (C): December 16-24

06:20 AM | -

Las Posadas is an evening event that occurs each year during the week of December 16-24. It commemorates the journey of Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus Christ, to Bethlehem and their inability to find lodging once arriving there for the census. Parties are held in homes throughout Mexico, Central, and South America each night. People approaching house parties stand before and sing or say: "In the name of Heaven I ask you for lodging, because She cannot walk, my beloved wife." The host and people inside the house respond: "This is no inn, keep on going. I won't open the door, in case you are a truant." The tradition continues for several verses, with those outside giving clues about who they are. Once the people inside discover who the people outside are, they all enter the home for festivities. Each party wandering from house to house has a little girl dressed as the Virgin Mary and a boy as Joseph. If available, "Mary" rides a donkey. Las Posada parties occur every night and are an excellent way for neighbors to get to know each other and celebrate the season. Posada means "lodging" in Spanish.

Africa

Dec

Simbang Gabi, (PH)(C): December 16-24

06:20 AM | -

Simbang Gabi is the official Christmas prayer tradition in the Philippines. It begins nine days before Christmas and includes nine early dawn and nine evening masses (church services). It is the preparation leading up to Christmas and is celebrated by Filipinos worldwide.

Africa

Dec

Saturnalia: December 17-23

06:20 AM | -

Saturnalia is a festival, which originated in ancient Rome, and celebrates the god of agriculture, Saturnalia. It is partly due to this pagan celebration that the Christian holiday of Christmas occurs on December 25.

Africa

Dec

Hanukkah (J) (166 BC): December 18 -26

06:20 AM | -

Hanukkah is a Hebrew holiday that starts on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually falls during December. Hanukkah, the "Festival of Dedication" or "Festival of Lights," celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians in 166 BC. It also honors the re-dedication of the holy temple in Jerusalem by the Hebrews after the Syrians defiled it. The primary custom during Hanukkah is to light a candle on each night of the festival in a menorah. The candles represent the miracle of the lamp oil, which lasted eight days, far longer than it should have during the battle. Gifts are exchanged each night of Hanukkah. PLEASE NOTE: All Hebrew calendar months and celebrations begin and end at sundown. LEEP Calendar marks Jewish months and events on their first full day. Observant people of the faith will observe the beginning at sunset the day prior.

Africa

Dec

Christmastide: December 25-January 5, 2021

06:20 AM | -

The Twelve Days of Christmas, or Christmastide, is the period between Christmas Day and the Epiphany. Christmas Day is the second most important day in the Christian calendar, second only to Easter, and it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ sometime between 1 BC and 1 AD—there is no year zero. Christians believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Messiah promised to the Israelites and Hebrews, and the world's savior. Christmas means "The mass of Christ." Christmas is observed by over two billion people worldwide. Some denominations observe it on December 25, and others choose January 7, the day after the Epiphany, or March 25, the day an angel told the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. Roman emperor Constantine was the first to declare December 25 as the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in 336 AD, and Pope Julius I confirmed the date a few years later. In reality, Jesus was born in the early spring, as the bible story of the nativity details the spring census, the reason the family traveled to Bethlehem. The actual date of His birth is not in scripture. The Epiphany is on January 6. It is the day God revealed to the magi (the three kings who were not Hebrew. These men traveled to visit the newborn Christ) that Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised and that God manifests within Him, which is significant. Before this event, the covenant of God was with the Hebrews and, before them, the Israelites exclusively. Through a revelation to the magi, God began His covenant with all mankind, allowing every human to choose God rather than having an exclusively chosen people.

Africa

Dec

King Abdulaziz Camel Festival (SA): December 3 - January 5 (est)

06:20 AM | -

The dates of this event have not been confirmed. Created in 2015, the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a 40-day event of camel races, pageants, and various entertainment and cultural events. The event includes the annual Camel Beauty Contest, which pays the winners over $66 million, making it highly competitive. Camel-raising is a bedouin essential going back over 3,000 years. They are used for transportation, milk, meat, and labor. Before the oil era (1938 forward), raising camels was considered the most prestigious of tribal activities. With climate change, camels are increasingly replacing cattle in the Middle East and Africa. Their diet is less constrained, and camels need less water while providing the same benefits to ranchers.

Africa

Dec

Kwanzaa (1966): December 26 - January 1, 2021

06:20 AM | -

Kwanzaa is a celebration of African-American culture that ends with gift-giving and feasting. Created by Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa began in 1966. Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," or "the first fruit of the harvest." It is a time of African-Americans' culture and reconnecting with their African ancestry. The "Nguzo Saba," or "The Seven Principles of African Heritage," is studied throughout the week.

Africa

Dec

Short Film Day, Intl. (1895): December 28

06:20 AM | -

On December 28, 1865, two brothers from Paris, Auguste and Louis Lumière introduced 33 people to the future: film. They showcased to the crowd ten short films, each less than a minute, and changed the world as we know it. Today, movies are a multi-billion dollar entertainment and educational industry. What is the best way to mark this day? Watch a short film. We recommend 1956’s The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse. This Academy Award-winning film, at just 34 minutes, will charm the oldest and youngest members of your family! Header Image: Scene from the Red Balloon, 1956 Janus Films, available through the Criterion Collection.

Africa

Dec

Iffy Piffy Biffy Boo Day (1901): December 5

06:20 AM | -

Iffy Piffy Biffy Boo Day celebrates the work of psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and expert on hypnosis Milton H. Erickson (December 5, 1901 - March 25, 1980). Iffy piffy biffy boo is a nonsense string of words with a powerful objective. "Iffy piffy biffy boo" is a pattern interrupt, a communication strategy first explained by Dr. Erickson that breaks a sequence of behavior or thought without engaging physically. It is a way of changing the subject and refocusing attention. Lawyers, teachers, actors, salespeople, and leaders use this technique effectively to guide the conversation, regain control of a room, or diffuse an escalating situation. A pattern interrupt can be a sudden movement, a change in tempo, tone, or random words. Nonsensical words or unexpected changes not only diffuse the monotony, but you switch the energy and reset the conversation. It is a "do-over" and pattern interrupt perfected! It is also hilarious watching someone attempt to repeat it back to you, and twice the fun if they say it fast! Try it. Iffy piffy biffy boo is a playful version of a pattern interrupt celebrating Dr. Erickson's work. It takes the rut out of routine with a smile. Use iffy piffy biffy boo, or create a unique version for yourself. It is up to you. Annually on his birthday, December 5.

Africa