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SEOLLAL THE KOREAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATION As winter begins to thaw and the first new moon appears, families across North and South Korea gather for Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year. More than just the turning of a calendar page, Seollal is a time to honor ancestors, reconnect with family, and reflect on the past and future. Celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar — typically in late January or early February — Seollal spans three days: the day before, the day of, and the day after. While its exact origins are unclear, historians trace Seollal back over 1,000 years to Korea’s Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE), when ancestral rites and seasonal cycles profoundly shaped communal life. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), Seollal became formalized as a key national holiday, blending Confucian traditions with local customs. The centerpiece of Seollal is charye, an ancestral ritual in which families lay out an elaborate table of food to pay respect to their forebears. Dressed in colorful hanbok, traditional Korean clothing, participants bow deeply in a gesture called sebae, offering respect to elders and receiving words of wisdom — and often envelopes of money in return. The festival includes traditional dishes, particularly tteokguk, a rice cake soup. Eating this dish is symbolic: one bowl adds a year to one’s age, reflecting Korea’s traditional age-counting system. Beyond food and rituals, Seollal is a time for games and storytelling. Families play yutnori, a board game involving sticks, and children enjoy spinning tops or flying kites. Many take the opportunity to travel to their hometowns, causing one of the country’s most significant annual travel rushes. Seollal is attended by virtually every Korean family, with participation cutting across generations, classes, and regions. The festival remains a powerful reminder of identity and belonging, even among younger Koreans who may live overseas or prefer modern customs. “It’s a time when we all pause,” said university student Park Min-Seo. “Even if we live busy lives, we return home.” In a rapidly changing Korea, Seollal endures — a fusion of reverence, reunion, and renewal. As families gather in hanbok to bow before photographs of grandparents and pass down stories over steaming soup, the festival continues to weave past and present into a shared cultural fabric.

Africa

Feb

Serpent Day, Ntl.: February 1

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Serpent Day celebrates snakes and the importance they play in the ecosystem. It's also a day to learn about safe handling, caring for, and safety in handling snakes, and it is an especially popular event with boys. HiSSSSSS! Serpent Day is an unofficial event with no sponsor.

Africa

Feb

Setsubun (JP): February 3

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Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival or Bean-Throwing Ceremony) is a traditional Japanese festival celebrating the arrival of spring according to the lunar calendar. Setsubun translates to "seasonal division." This tradition began sometime between 1337 & 1573 AD. Soybeans are a symbol of vitality in Japanese culture. One of the most well-known customs during Setsubun is the "mamemaki" ritual. People scatter roasted soybeans (called "fukumame") both inside and outside their homes while chanting, "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" which means "Out with the demons! In with fortune!" The purpose of this ritual is to drive away evil spirits and invite good luck into the household. Japanese legend says that by scattering beans on this day, bad luck and misfortune shall be banished. Anyone can throw soybeans, but sometimes it is done by a family member who is considered the head of the household or by a designated person representing the demon (oni). In some communities, celebrities or local personalities participate in mamemaki events, adding a festive touch to the celebrations. Another popular aspect of Setsubun is eating "ehōmaki," which are sushi rolls filled with various ingredients. The unique feature of ehōmaki is that it must be consumed in complete silence while facing the year's lucky compass coordinates. The coordinates change annually and are based on the Chinese zodiac sign for the year (in 2024, it will be the Dragon). Legend states that by eating the entire roll without speaking, each person will gain good luck and blessings for the year ahead. Setsubun is not only celebrated in homes but also in temples and shrines throughout Japan. Temples hold large-scale events, attracting crowds who participate in the festive rituals, with celebrities and sumo wrestlers often throwing beans to the assembled crowd, making the event even livelier. While Setsubun is most commonly associated with the bean-throwing ritual, it is also an occasion for reflection and preparation for the coming season, when people clean their homes and make resolutions for the year ahead, setting the stage for a fresh start as spring approaches. Setsubun has been a cherished tradition in Japan for centuries, combining elements of folklore, superstition, and family togetherness. It is a time of joyous celebration and a symbolic way to welcome the arrival of spring while warding off any lingering winter negativity.

Africa

Feb

SexPlus Week (CA): February 9-15

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SexPlus Week, (formerly Sexual and Reproductive Health Week) in Canada is an opportunity to raise awareness of health issues related to sexuality and to educate yourself and others on how to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). STDs are an increasing public health concern. The most common are chlamydia, gonorrhea, and infectious syphilis continue to gain traction, with 80% of chlamydia and 70% of gonorrhea occurring in persons aged 15 to 29 years of age. Health institutions have also noted a significant increase in STD occurrence amongst middle-aged adults (40-59 years) in Canada.

Africa

Feb

Sexual Health Awareness Week, Ntl. (AU): February 14-21

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Sexual Health Awareness Week in Australia encourages young adults between 18 and 30 to broaden their understanding of sexual health and relationships.

Africa

Feb

Shabbat Shekalim (J): February 13/14

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Shabbat Shekalim, or the Sabbath (Saturday) of Shekels, is a Jewish calendar event that occurs prior to Purim. On Shabbat Shekalim, adult males of the Jewish faith read Exodus 30:11-16 and contribute 1/2 of a biblical shekel (seven grams) toward maintaining the Tent of the Meeting. Shabbat Shekalim always begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. In leap years, the Hebrew calendar has two months of Adar. In these years, Shabbat Shekalim is on the Shabbat before the 1st of Adar II. The Jewish Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday.

Africa

Feb

Shabbat Zachor (J): February 27/28

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Shabbat Zachor, “The Sabbath of Remembrance,” is marked beginning at sundown on the Friday before the Jewish holiday of Purim. The traditional Sabbath meal is served, and Deuteronomy 25:17-19 is read, recounting the attack by the Amalek against the Hebrew people.

Africa

Feb

Shower with a Friend Day, Ntl.: February 5

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Winter is the coldest and loneliest season of the year. With dwindling daylight and Valentine's Day at its heart, February can often leave people feeling somber. National Shower with a Friend Day injects humor into the season while educating people on the benefits of showering in fresh, filtered water. Your body absorbs more chlorine through the skin and lungs while showering than while drinking tap water. It can irritate your lungs and have seriously unpleasant side effects over time. Chlorine strips protein from your skin and hair, leaving it dry and itchy. Adding a filter to your shower can significantly reduce the presence of chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, and heavy metals in your water. Your skin will thank you. Your lungs will thank you, and your hair will thank you!

Africa

Feb

Shrove Tuesday (C): February 17

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Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day, Fat Tuesday) was initially a day of repentance and reflection (1 Corinthians 9:27), marking the end of Epiphany and the upcoming season of Lent. It is part of the Carnaval celebration and the final day of debauchery, festivities, and merry-making before 40 days of sacrifice and fasting begin. Up through the Middle Ages, it was prohibited for Christians to eat meats, fats, eggs, milk, and fish during the season of Lent. Families purged the larder so nothing would spoil. In some countries, this day is called Pancake Day, and Christians eat pancakes to mark the day. Shrove is the past tense of the verb "shrive," which means "to present oneself for confession, penance, and absolution." Due to these customs, Shrove Tuesday also became known as Fat Tuesday.

Africa

Feb

Latte Day, Ntl.: February 11*

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Howdy! We're working on the description for this event. It's one of over two thousand events added to the calendar this year. We have verified it is an authentic event and have included the organization behind it for our members. In the meantime, we wanted to make sure you were able to include it in your search for events this month and in this category. We appreciate your patience!

Africa

Feb

Laugh and Get Rich Day: February 8

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Laugh and Get Rich Day is founded by retail marketing expert, motivational speaker, and author Rick Segel. The idea of the holiday is to enjoy what you do for a living and laugh all the way to the bank.

Africa

Feb

Laylat al-Bara'a (M): February 2/3

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Night of Forgiveness, or Laylat al Bara’a, is an Islamic observance. Muslims believe God writes the following year’s destiny for each man, woman, or child on this night. Typically, Muslims stay awake all night praying and commemorating the deceased. For Shia Muslims, this is the birthdate of Imam al-Mahdi, the final imam, in 869 AD.

Africa

Feb

Leadership Day, Ntl.(1947): February 20

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Africa

Feb

League of Women Voters Day (1920): February 14

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The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt on February 14, 1920, at the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention. The struggle to obtain the right to vote for women lasted 72 years. The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women fulfill their new voting responsibilities. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. Today the League of Women Voters is a powerful advocate for various women's rights issues and has upwards of 150,000 members.

Africa

Feb

Learning Disabilities Conference Week, Intl. (US-MO): February 16-18

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For 60 years, educators, families, parents, and community leaders have met for a week to discuss issues, programming, and tactics designed to create successful opportunities for individuals affected by learning disabilities. This conference aims to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations. Based upon the idea that everyone can succeed at school, work, relationships, and community if given the right opportunities and supports they need. PLEASE NOTE: Treat all televised and venue-specific events (sporting, concerts, trade shows, etc.) as estimated. Several factors can cause an event to move dates at the last minute, including weather, strikes, natural disasters, political upheaval, conflicting programming, pandemics, and current events. Because of this, always verify the event with the promotor before committing resources. LEEP often estimates dates based on the previous year's schedules, as the final dates are only a few months, weeks, or days before the event. If the date is known to be estimated, you will see an (est) following the date in the title.

Africa