All - Leep Calendar

Saint Andrew's Day in Scotland commemorates the martyrdom of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, who was crucified on an X-shaped cross on November 30, 60AD. Scotland flies the Saltire flag on public buildings. The ceilidh, a traditional dance, is performed in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dumfries. Saint Andrew was the younger brother of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He was born in Bethesda on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he died in Patras, Greece. MARRIAGE WISHES For a young woman wishing to marry, this day holds special meaning. At midnight on November 30, hopeful brides pray for a future husband, peeling an apple as a continuous ribbon, then throwing it over her shoulder. The position of the peel when it lands determines the first letter of her future husband's name. Then she pours liquid candle wax into a bucket of water. As it cools, its form tells her of her future husband's profession. Scots proposed Saint Andrew's Day be a bank holiday in 2003. The St. Andrew's Day Bank Holiday Act of 2007 passed on November 29, 2006, and was given Royal Assent by the Crown on January 15, 2007. As of 2007, it is an annual bank holiday in Scotland. If November 30 falls on a weekend, the following Monday is the official state holiday. 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

Nov

Stay at Home Because You Are Well Day, Ntl.: November 30

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National Stay at Home Because You Are Well Day is the ultimate excuse to take a "mental health day." Brought to you by the folks at Wellcat.

Africa

Nov

Victims Chemical Warfare, Day of Remembrance of: November 30

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The United Nations supports the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare, and its goal is to promote peace, security, and multilateralism. All sides used chemical weapons extensively during WWI, and they continue to be used today in the form of White Phosphorus and other agents.

Africa

Sep

Sarvapitru Amavasya (H): September 25

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Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Pitru Paksha / Pitr paksha / Pitri paksha) is a day set aside to perform the ritual known as Shraddha (tarpan) or the death rite of ancestors in Hinduism. Hindus believe the souls of the three preceding generations reside in Pitru–Loka, a realm between heaven and earth. The performance of Shraddha by a son during Pitru Paksha ensures that the souls of ancestors enter heaven. Implementation of this ritual can also mitigate an error in which this tribute failed to be performed on the deceased's death anniversary. PLEASE NOTE: We use the Indian civil calendar, the official holiday calendar in India. The Hindu faith has many calendars, each specific to different regions and tribes, with dates and celebrations marked by differing positions of the sun, moon, and stars. Names of months and holidays and the corresponding dates in the Gregorian Calendar may vary widely from one calendar to the next. Determine the proper calendar before attending local events.

Africa

Oct

Solar Eclipse (Partial): October 25

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A solar eclipse is a phenomenon that happens when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and fully or partially blocks the sun. This can only occur when the moon is new, and the eclipse appears differently to each person, depending upon where you are located on the planet.

Africa

Oct

Somvati Amavasya (H): October 25

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In the Hindu religion Somvati Amavas, or Amavasya, means "dark moon" and refers to the new moon phase in Sanskrit. Somvaty Amavasya falls on a Monday. It's believed that fasting on this Amavasya wards off widowhood in women and ensures children in marriage. Washing in a holy river on this day is believed to make a person free from illness. Silence observed throughout the day is considered productive, and donations are to be made to poor children. PLEASE NOTE: We use the Indian civil calendar, the official holiday calendar in India. The Hindu faith has many calendars, each specific to different regions and tribes, with dates and celebrations marked by differing positions of the sun, moon, and stars. Names of months and holidays and the corresponding dates in the Gregorian Calendar may vary widely from one calendar to the next. Determine the proper calendar before attending local events.

Africa

Oct

Sourest Day: October 25

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Sourest Day is a silly holiday, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have meaning and logic. The idea behind Sourest Day is that sometimes there are just reasons for us to be sour. Life does give us lemons from time to time. And while most of the time, we are urged by society to constantly put up a face, smile, and pretend to be happy, on October 25, we are allowed to be grumpy, irritable, and sour for whatever reason. If someone has the guts to come and tell you, "Hey, why are you so grumpy? Smile!" Today you can confidently tell (or even yell at) them, "I'M CELEBRATING SOUREST DAY!" and move on your not-so-merry-way.

Africa

Oct

Bhaiya Dooj (H): October 26

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Bhaiya Dooj (Bhai Dooj, Bhau-Beej, Bhai Tika, or Bhai Phota) is a holiday celebrating sibling love. Anticipated with great enthusiasm, Bhaiya Dooj rounds out the five days of Diwali. In the Hindu lunar calendar, it occurs during the Shukla Paksha of the Kartika month. The origin of this celebration comes from a story about Lord Krishna slaying the evil demon Narkasur, after which he visited his sister Subhadra. She welcomed him with sweets and flowers and applied tilak (tika) on Lord Krishna’s forehead. Brothers call on their married sisters today and enjoy a feast. PLEASE NOTE: We use the Indian civil calendar, the official holiday calendar in India. The Hindu faith has many calendars, each specific to different regions and tribes, with dates and celebrations marked by differing positions of the sun, moon, and stars. Names of months and holidays and the corresponding dates in the Gregorian Calendar may vary widely from one calendar to the next. Determine the proper calendar before attending local events.

Africa

Oct

Chitragupta Puja (H): October 26

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Chitragupta is the patron god of the Hindu community of Kayasthas. The son of Lord Brahma, this is the god who keeps an accounting of all human actions on earth. The day of his observance is also known as Dawat (inkpot) puja. This god decides if you go to heaven or hell. Chitragupta puja occurs on the second day after Diwali, along with Bhaiya Dooj. PLEASE NOTE: We use the Indian civil calendar, the official holiday calendar in India. The Hindu faith has many calendars, each specific to different regions and tribes, with dates and celebrations marked by differing positions of the sun, moon, and stars. Names of months and holidays and the corresponding dates in the Gregorian Calendar may vary widely from one calendar to the next. Determine the proper calendar before attending local events.

Africa

Oct

Deployed, Day of the, Ntl.: October 26

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National Day of the Deployed acknowledges and honors the millions of people on active service in the United States Armed Forces. This event first ran in 2006.

Africa

Oct

Govardhan Puja (H): October 26

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In the Hindu calendar, Govardhan Puja is the first lunar day of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the month of Kartik. Cow dung hillocks symbolizing Mount Govardhan, the mountain lifted by Lord Krishna, are constructed. Women move in a circle around the mounds and offer prayers to Lord Govardhan. The ritual seeks to remind people of the power of nature. PLEASE NOTE: We use the Indian civil calendar, the official holiday calendar in India. The Hindu faith has many calendars, each specific to different regions and tribes, with dates and celebrations marked by differing positions of the sun, moon, and stars. Names of months and holidays and the corresponding dates in the Gregorian Calendar may vary widely from one calendar to the next. Determine the proper calendar before attending local events.

Africa

Oct

Mincemeat Day, Ntl.: October 26

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National Mincemeat Day celebrates mincemeat, a mixture of finely chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits, spices, and sometimes suet (hard fat from beef, lamb, or venison). Alcohol and spices preserve the mincemeat, allowing the harvest to be stored and consumed for up to a decade. During Prohibition, in October 1922, the Old Victory Distillery in Chicago was able to get an exemption to the liquor laws for culinary arts. Mincemeat pies were one of the foods consumed to circumvent the Volstead Act by savvy gourmets, and they helped keep distilleries in business. Mincemeat originated in Palestine, and the spices used came to Europe during the Crusades. It is a spicy, sweet, and savory filling, customarily baked in a pastry and served for dinner or after the main course. Around the late 1700s, it became associated with the holiday season. In the United States, pumpkin, pecan, and mincemeat pies are associated with either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Today's mincemeat may or may not include suet, created instead from finely chopped dried fruits, nuts, and spirits.

Africa

Oct

Moon, Howl at the Moon Night: October 26

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Howl at the Moon Night is a nationwide bar and Happy Hour celebration that occurs a few days before Halloween each year. Contact Howl at the Moon to set up a Happy Hour Party in your city.

Africa

Oct

Mule Day, Ntl. (1785): October 26*

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Today marks the anniversary of the arrival of the first mules from Spain, called Spanish Jacks, on October 25, 1785. They were a gift to the colonies from King Charles III. Mules are hybrids, half donkey and half horse. The mother is traditionally a horse, and the father is a donkey (also known as a jack). The first American-bred mules are believed to have originated with General George Washington, America's first president. Because its hooves are smaller and more upright, mules are suited to the rough terrain and conditions. Unlike horses, mules do not require grain, are less prone to injuries, overeating, and tend to live longer. Though mules may be of either sex, they cannot reproduce.

Africa

Oct

National Day, (AT)(1955): October 26

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National Day in Austria marks the anniversary of October 26, 1955, when Soviet troops withdrew from the country. National Day is a national holiday.

Africa