All - Leep Calendar

Islamic History Month in Canada explores the rich heritage of Islam and Muslims within Canada and the world. Officially declared by Canada's Federal parliament in 2007, it's a month of education, tolerance, and exploration.

Africa

Oct

Italian-American Heritage Month (1492): October

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Italian-American Heritage Month has been celebrated each year since 1999. Italian Americans continue to be an essential demographic and part of the success of the United States since their first arrival in 1492. That's right, Christopher Columbus was Italian and the first European* to map the New World after he set foot in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. The continents of North and South America are named after Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1451 - February 22, 1512), an Italian merchant and explorer. The first Italian to immigrate to the US was Pietro Cesare Alberti in 1635, and he settled in what would become New York City. Italian Americans are the seventh largest ethnic group of immigrants to the US. Eighty-four percent of Italians arrived from southern Italy following the American Civil War from 1870-1914. Issues drawing Italians included a need for workers following the war, a lack of opportunity in Europe, and Italy's reunification in 1861. Italian-American Heritage Month aims to honor and celebrate the contributions of this influential group to the nation and our culture. *The Viking explorer Leif Erikson landed in Newfoundland, Canada, in 1000 AD, making him the first European to discover America.

Africa

Oct

Kentucky Apple Festival (US-KY): October 1-2

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The first thing most people will tell you about the Kentucky Apple Festival is all the food you can try, from a tiger ear to fried apple pie. Crafters nationwide offer handmade crafts. Music, exhibits, and various activities round out the festival.

Africa

Oct

Kitchen & Bath Month, Ntl.: October

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National Kitchen and Bath Month by the National Kitchen and Bath Association in 1982. This awareness campaign seeks to educate consumers on the options available to create bathroom and kitchen areas, the two most used rooms in the home. Home improvement stores and manufacturers often provide monthly specials and hold in-store how-to clinics.

Africa

Oct

Learning Disabilities Month, Ntl. (CA/US): October

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October was designated in the United States as Learning Disabilities Month in 1985 through a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan. Learning Disabilities Association of Canada followed suit up north in 1987. Though no longer part of the national health calendar in either nation, it continues to be supported by several organizations and nonprofits throughout both countries. Learning Disabilities Month is a time to educate and inform the public of all that those with disabilities can do and how to support those struggling with learning disabilities in success.

Africa

Oct

Liver Awareness Month, Ntl.: October

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National Liver Awareness Month is devoted to the importance of liver health. The month focuses on the causes and treatments for liver diseases, including hepatitis A, B, and C, cirrhosis, biliary atresia, and liver cancer. The American Liver Foundation also addresses the alarming increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which affects nearly 25 percent of Americans. Canada holds their Liver Disease Awareness Month in March.

Africa

Oct

Lupus Awareness Month (UK): October

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Lupus Awareness Month takes place in October in the United Kingdom every year. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the disease amongst the public and medical profession, as well as to improve the understanding of lupus's impact. By making people more aware of lupus, you can help control its impact. We need your help to raise awareness of lupus, its symptoms, and the effects it can have on people's lives this Lupus Awareness Month.

Africa

Oct

Medical Librarians Month, Ntl.: October

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October is National Medical Librarians Month. Sponsored by the Medical Library Association (MLA), the month honors librarians' contributions to the healthcare field. When people think about healthcare, they immediately think of doctors and nurses, and librarians are the medical heroes who keep the medical profession informed.

Africa

Oct

Medicine Abuse Awareness, Ntl.: October

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National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month by CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) and others seek to raise awareness about the dangers of medicine abuse and help people manage their medicine and health.

Africa

Oct

Menopause Month, World: October

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International Menopause Society hosts World Menopause Day on October 18 and World Menopause Month. A woman is in menopause when it has been 365 since her last menstrual cycle. Most women enter menopause in the late forties to early fifties, though it can happen in a woman’s thirties or sixties. Menopause is preceded by several years of fluctuating hormones and various physical symptoms, including dry skin, hair loss, weight gain, fatigue, night sweats, insomnia, and difficulty with libido.

Africa

Oct

Muslim American Heritage Month (US): October

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Muslim American Heritage Month celebrates and explores the impact and achievements of Muslim Americans in the United States. Canada also observes Muslim Heritage Month in October. Muslim Americans currently account for 1% of the US population (Pew Research 2016) and will continue to grow as a community over the next century. A SHORT HISTORY OF MUSLIM AMERICANS The first Muslim in America came in 1528 when the slave ship he was on was shipwrecked. Estevanico of Morroco washed ashore in today's Galveston, Texas. Native Americans welcomed him, and Estevanico lived his life free, becoming a healer and medicine man. The arrival of slavery in the United States in 1612 brought the first wave of Muslims to American shores, though not willingly. An estimated 30% of the slaves arriving from West Africa were originally Muslim and forced to convert to Christianity. Several Muslim Americans fought in the Revolutionary War, including Bampett Muhamad, Peter Salem, and Yusuf ben Ali. President Jefferson kept a copy of and consulted the Qur'an and other texts in drafting the US Constitution. He was the first acting president to participate in an iftar, breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan with the Ambassador of Tunisia in 1809. The first country in the world to recognize the United States as a nation was a Muslim majority country, the Sultanate of Morocco, in 1777. During the civil rights movement in the United States, segments of African Americans seeking to reclaim their heritage began converting to Islam. Approximately 30% of the current African American Islamic community in the US converted within the past seventy years. The decline and eventual fall of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the first formal wave of Muslims to the United States who were not part of the slave trade. These men and women came predominantly from Syria, Palestine, Yemen, and Turkey. Due to their light skin tone, many changed their names before arriving and did not present as Muslim. They assimilated within white culture, practiced privately, and thus avoided many of the racist laws of the time. After WWII, turbulence in the Middle East and Persia, the establishment of Israel, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the rise in authoritarianism, especially after 1979, have increased the number of Muslims seeking a new life in the United States. The first mosque in the United States was created in 1921 outside of Detroit in the Highland Park neighborhood. The oldest standing mosque in the United States is the Al Sadiq Mosque in Chicago, Illinois, commissioned in 1922. Today, Muslim Americans are a vastly diverse group with 25% of African heritage, 26% Arab, 34% South Asian, and 15% other. Like Christianity, the faith has many different faces. Sunni, Shi'a, and to a lesser degree, Sufi are the primary divisions (think Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox). Within these groups are various interpretations and doctrinal customs, and what binds them together are the five pillars of Islam: Fasting during Ramadan (Sawm) Praying five times a day (Salah) Charity (Zakat) Pilgrimage (Hajj) Belief in one God, with Mohammed as his prophet (Shahada). ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, AND JUDAISM: ABRAHAMIC COUSINS IN FAITH Islam teaches it is a continuation of Hebrew and Christian beliefs, and it follows many of the Hebrew customs of the Old Testament. Examples include: Halal (kosher) eating Structured prayer times and rituals Faith-based law (Jewish Halacha and Islamic Sharia) Conservative dress/head covering Christians and Muslims believe in Jesus Christ, with Islam seeing Him as a prophet rather than the Messiah. When His name is spoken in the faith, like the names of Abraham, Moses, and Mohammed, the words "Peace be upon him" (PBUH) follow. It is a sign of respect. The Virgin Mary is revered above all women in Islam; the virgin birth is acknowledged, as is the crucifixion, but not the resurrection. Both faiths believe Jesus will return. All three faiths recognize the first five books of the Old Testament, The Pentateuch to Christians (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), with some differences in interpretation. The Hebrew faith includes these in its book, the Torah, and Islam has them in its holy book, the Qur'an or Koran. Like Catholicism before the 1960s, when mass was conducted in Latin, Islam is primarily taught in its original language, Arabic. The word for God in Arabic is Allah, and the word for God in Latin is Deus, and both refer to the same God in the Torah and Old Testament. This month is an opportunity to get to know your Muslim neighbors and support them as part of the American dream. Islam entered the American experience before the Mayflower (1620), and it will continue to grow with the nation. By 2050 sociologists expect Islam to surpass Christianity as the most widely worshipped faith in the world. Curious about the Muslim experience in the US? The first four chapters of Peter Oborne's 2022 book, "The Fate of Abraham," covers this and is highly recommended. The description is here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Fate-of-Abraham/Peter-Oborne/9781398501041.

Africa

Oct

National Day, (CN)(1949): October 1

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National Day in China marks the anniversary of October 1, 1949, the official founding of the Peoples Republic of China. This is a national holiday.

Africa

Oct

National Day, (TV)(1978): October 1

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National Day in Tuvalu marks the anniversary of October 1, 1978, the official day the island nation achieved independence from Britain. National Day is a national holiday.

Africa

Oct

Organize Your Medical Information Month: October

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October is the month to get your medical and health information in order. Do you know where your medical records are? Have you had all your immunizations? Staying active and informed about your health care and records ensures you receive the preventative care you need now and if you ever move or change jobs. Use Organize Your Medical Information Month to get your papers in order.

Africa

Oct

Orthodontic Health Month, Ntl.: October

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October is National Orthodontic Health Month. Promoted by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), this month seeks to educate on the services provided by orthodontists and the treatments available.

Africa