All - Leep Calendar

Use Less Stuff Day occurs on the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving. Created by packaging expert Bob Lillienfeld, it reminds people to use what they have, only buy what is needed, reduce environmental waste, and save money.

Africa

Nov

Utpanna Ekadashi (H): November 15

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Ekadashi occurs twice a month, each with a different name and significance in its worship of Lord Vishnu. Utpanna or Utpatti Ekadashi falls on the waning moon (Krishan Paksha) fortnight of the Hindu month of Magha. Observance of this vrat removes sins committed during previous and present births (Hindus believe in past lives and reincarnation) via the worship of Lord Vishnu. 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

Nov

Vanilla Cupcake Day, Ntl.: November 10

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National Vanilla Cupcake Day is an unofficial event with no sponsor celebrating the vanilla cupcake.

Africa

Nov

Vegan Day, World: November 1

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The Vegan Society's World Vegan Day kicks off World Vegan Month. November is the chosen month due to Thanksgiving, a feast usually centered on meat entrees, including turkey, ham, and goose. Vegans are against consuming meat, milk, eggs, fish, cheese, and other animal-originating foods. The Vegan Society organizations hold food fairs and festivals throughout the month to convince people to cease eating meat and using animal products (including leather, wool, silk, furs, and skins) by embracing the vegan lifestyle. Vegans believe their lifestyle is better for their health, animals, and the environment. VEGAN VERSUS VEGETARIAN A lot of people who claim to be vegan are actually vegetarians. Knowing the difference between the two is crucial. What does it mean to go vegan? Vegan is an ultra-austere form of vegetarianism, requiring drastic lifestyle changes and staunch adherence. The idea began in 1944 with British woodworker Donald Watson (1911-2005), who coined the term "vegan" and founded the Vegan Society. Unlike vegetarianism, with its roots in ancient religions, veganism is agnostic and tied to the fringes of the animal rights movement. Vegans refrain from eating, using, working with, wearing, or enjoying anything to do with animals meaning: 1) No meat, poultry, game, dairy, fish, eggs, honey, gelatin, or mayonnaise. 2) No clothing, products, or home furnishings made from animals, including leather, fur, wool, or silk. 3) No products tested on animals. 4) No attending or watching entertainment that uses animals, including film, TV, circuses, zoos, rodeos, hunting, and wild animal parks. 5) No animal husbandry. 6) Most, but not all, vegans are antivaccine and anti-medication due to the necessity of testing new drugs and vaccines on animals first. 7) Extreme vegans reject having pets, though this issue is unsettled and debated in the community. In contrast, most vegetarians eat animal products like milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. The key is they don't eat dead animals. Honey is a staple, often replacing sugar in recipes, and vegetarians will wear silk, wool, and leather, visit zoos, enjoy films with animals, and tend to support humane farming. Vegetarians, as a group, do not have issues with medication. Another iteration is pescatarians, people who eat fish but do not eat beef, lamb, pork, game, or poultry.

Africa

Nov

Vegan Month, World: November

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World Vegan Month kicks off the holiday season by encouraging people to go vegan. The Vegan Society organizes food festivals to convince people to cease eating meat and using animal products by embracing the vegan lifestyle. Vegans believe their lifestyle is better for human health, animals, and the environment. VEGAN VERSUS VEGETARIAN Many people who claim to be vegan are just strict vegetarians. Knowing the difference between the two is crucial, particularly if you're dating an avowed vegan or entertaining vegans as guests. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO "GO VEGAN?" Vegan is an ultra-austere form of vegetarianism, requiring drastic lifestyle changes and staunch adherence. The idea began in 1944 with British woodworker Donald Watson (1911-2005), who coined the term "vegan," defined its parameters, and founded the Vegan Society. Unlike vegetarianism, with its roots in ancient religions, veganism is agnostic and tied to the fringes of the animal rights movement. Avowed vegans refrain from eating, using, working with, wearing, or enjoying human activities with animals. There is significant heavy lifting and abstinence if one wants to be vegan rather than vegetarian. Fortunately, veganism was created after internal combustion, so using transportation isn't forbidden. GENERAL VEGAN GUIDELINES 1) No eating meat, poultry, game, dairy, fish, eggs, honey, gelatin, or aioli (mayonnaise). 2) No clothing, products, or home furnishings made from animals, including leather, fur, wool, ivory, bone, shells, or silk. 3) No products tested on animals; no services using animals, including transportation. 4) No attending, participating, or watching entertainment that uses animals, including film, television, circuses, aquariums, zoos, races, sports, rodeos, hunting, and wild animal parks. 5) No animal husbandry. 6) Most vegans, but not all, are antivaccine and anti-medication due to the necessity of testing new drugs and vaccines on animals first. 7) Extreme vegans reject having pets, though the pet issue is unsettled and debated in the community. WHAT IS A VEGETARIAN? In contrast, most vegetarians eat animal products like milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. The key is that vegetarians don't eat dead animals. Honey is a staple, often replacing sugar in recipes. Vegetarians will wear silk, wool, and leather, visit zoos, enjoy films with animals, and support humane farming and ranching. Vegetarians, as a group, do not have issues with medication, and many happily have pets. Pescatarians are a hybrid between omnivores (the majority of global humans who eat plant and animal-based diets) and vegetarians. Pescatarians eat fish but do not eat beef, lamb, pork, game, or poultry.

Africa

Nov

Veteran's Day (US)(1918): November 11

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Veteran's Day is an annual national holiday in the United States that marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. It has been celebrated since 1938 and originated with a congressional resolution. The President officially declares this event each year.

Africa

Nov

Veterans Small Business Week, Ntl.: November 10-14 (est)

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From the Event Champion, The Small Business Administration: "The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) celebrates, connects, and empowers aspiring and current service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouse entrepreneurs during National Veterans Small Business Week. During the first Monday - Friday of November, SBA and its extensive partner network celebrate the strength and resilience of the #VetBiz community by hosting events across the country and sharing information about the resources available to veteran entrepreneurs. Discover transition assistance resources like Boots to Business or connect with your local Veterans Business Outreach Center to develop your business plan, receive marketing tips, and access government contracting opportunities."

Africa

Nov

Vichyssoise Day: November 18

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Vichyssoise Day is an unofficial food holiday in the United States that appeared online within the past decade. Vichyssoise, a chilled leek and potato soup, is a classic dish with a history that traces back to the early 20th century. French chef Louis Diat, who worked at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City, is attributed as its inventor. Born in 1885 near Vichy, a city in central France, Diat grew up in a family that often prepared a traditional hot leek and potato soup. Diat's culinary journey began in his childhood when he started cooking alongside his grandmother. These early experiences laid the foundation for what would later become the iconic Vichyssoise. In 1917, while working at the Ritz-Carlton, Diat reminisced about the leek and potato soup of his childhood. To adapt it for the New York summer, he served it cold and named it "Crème Vichyssoise Glacée." The chilled version was an innovation aimed at the hotel's affluent and discerning clientele, offering a refreshing and elegant option during the city's hot summers. The soup quickly gained popularity among the hotel's guests, becoming a signature dish. Its creamy texture and subtle flavors of leeks, onions, potatoes, and cream struck a balance that appealed to a wide range of palates. Vichyssoise represented a blend of French culinary tradition and modern, cosmopolitan influences, reflecting the evolving tastes of early 20th-century America. As the soup's fame grew, it began to appear in cookbooks and restaurants beyond the walls of the Ritz-Carlton. It became synonymous with sophisticated dining and high-end events and gatherings. Despite its French origins, Vichyssoise became a part of American culinary history, embodying the nation's melting pot culture. Over the years, the recipe for Vichyssoise has seen various adaptations, with chefs adding their unique twists to the classic. However, the core ingredients – leeks, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock – remain central to the dish. Vichyssoise's creation is a testament to the impact of immigrant chefs on American cuisine and highlights the fluid nature of culinary traditions. From his childhood in France, Louis Diat's humble soup evolved into a global culinary icon, bridging cultures and tastes across continents.

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

Nov

Victims of Communism Day (US-FL): November 7

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Victims of Communism Day, November 7, goes into effect in 2022. It comes out of Florida and is part of Governor DeSantis' posturing leading up to the 2024 presidential elections in the United States. The name itself is problematic: Victims of Communism Day. There are as many victims of capitalism as communism, arguably more under capitalism, given it has existed for at least one hundred years longer. However, both are ideas for economic governance, and how the people in power implement each determines whether they're evil or not. Many leaders are driven by self-enrichment and self-promotion, not by altruism and duty to the people they lead. Therein lies the problem. Power, for power's sake, leads to poor decisions, and it doesn't matter which economic policy you choose. DeSantis has the right idea in that we need an open discussion on the economic tools available to us as a nation and those used elsewhere. If we're going to criticize one solution within a day, let's look at all and, at the very least, make sure we understand what we're talking about. CAPITALISM "Capital," as in money and profit, is the key idea behind capitalism. There is only one goal of capitalism: to make a profit, either through selling more, acquiring more, reducing costs, or buying out the competition. The general idea behind capitalism is laissez-faire, which states the market dictates cost and the government does not constrain activities. In capitalism, there is a winner and a loser. The strongest companies in terms of resources and spending survive, though, unlike natural selection, money and size do not guarantee that the best or most innovative organizations continue. Since the objective of capitalism is to make a profit, people and nature are a resource but not the goal. An individual's true value to capitalism is his/her ability to buy, borrow, and create demand. Yet, despite this system being detrimental to the average person, most will defend the system to death because there is a remote possibility, a fleeting hope that he/she could be that one person who beats the odds and become wealthy. That hope is why many will vote and act against their interests on taxes, usury, oversight, and other restrictions on profit. Profit and hope are capitalism's seduction. COMMUNISM Communism came about as an answer to the excesses of capitalism. "Communal" is the keyword in communism. It is an economic idea that says everyone contributes and benefits equally. In theory, all the money, resources, assets, and benefits go into one pot controlled by the government, which is divided equally amongst all the people. Nobody has more or less. Everyone gets enough to get by, and only the government has the authority to decide. That theory doesn't work, either. There is no initiative for innovation, risk, or autonomy. All decisions are made by the government, from where and how you live, to what career you can pursue. Over time, communism erodes the spark that invigorates people, turning them into cogs. You've also got the problem of greed with those running the scheme. Just like capitalism, the leaders stop making decisions for the people and instead look for ways to enrich themselves. Even China adopted capitalistic ideas for its industry while maintaining authoritarian rule over its people to survive. Communism looked fantastic on paper but failed in practice. It promised work, shelter, food, clothing, and equality for life, an enticing idea to the millions thrown into deep poverty during the Industrial Revolution of the late eighteenth and early-to-mid twentieth centuries. Security and safety are communism's seduction. SOCIALISM "Society" is the keyword of socialism. Socialism snuggles between capitalism and communism. Like capitalism, it believes in freedom of choice, commerce, innovation, and markets; it promotes reward for advancement. Like communism, socialism uses money collected through taxes and tariffs to provide goods and services for the population. For example, rather than spending a full 25% of a federal budget on new bombs, invading countries, or colonization, socialism would take a portion of that money and improve schools, health care, parks, roads, and other services that benefit the population. Unlike capitalism, socialism believes organizations require oversight, someone or something to be accountable to prevent abuse, pollution, theft, and skulduggery. It's the old fox policing the chicken coup scenario—not a good idea if you hope to have eggs in the morning. Compassionate caution is socialism's seduction. Even socialism isn't perfect and can be abused, which is why most countries are hybrids. The United States and Europe are predominantly capitalistic and minority socialistic, though Europe leans more toward socialism than the US, particularly in health and elder care. The thing is, capitalism, socialism, and communism are economic ideas, not government structures. You can be a dictator and a capitalist or a communist. You can be a monarch and rule a socialist or capitalist economy and still be tyrannical. CONCLUSION The 50 million who died under Stalin didn't die from communism; they died from tyranny. Thirty-five million were starved to death in 1933-34 because a dictator ordered they starve as punishment for not bending to his will. People starve to death under capitalism, too, daily. It's called lack of money to purchase. Lack of supply. Lack of access. Victims of Communism Day misses the point. Like critical race theory (CRT), it's a non-issue formatted into an issue, an electoral dog whistle, banking on fear, and a lack of understanding and context. The day is meant to teach bias, and close minds rather than stimulate learning, thought, and questions. Each system has its benefits, appeals, downfalls, and opportunities for abuse. No economic solution is a panacea, and none is a villain.

Africa

Nov

Victory Day, (IT)(1918): November 4

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Victory Day in Italy marks the anniversary of November 4, 1918, when the nation signed a treaty with Austria returning Trentino and Trieste to Italy after WWI.

Africa

Nov

Vinegar Day: November 1

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National Vinegar Day, observed annually on November 1st in the United States, is a day dedicated to celebrating vinegar, a versatile and ancient condiment known for its various uses in cooking, cleaning, and health remedies. This day recognizes vinegar's diverse applications and historical significance, which has been a staple in households and industries for centuries. Vinegar originated thousands of years ago. Its primary use has been in cooking, particularly as a key ingredient in dressings, marinades, and pickling processes. On National Vinegar Day, food enthusiasts and chefs often showcase the culinary versatility of vinegar, experimenting with different types like apple cider, balsamic, white, and red wine vinegar in various recipes. Beyond the kitchen, vinegar serves as an eco-friendly cleaner. Advocates for sustainable living use National Vinegar Day to highlight how vinegar can be used as a natural cleaning agent to disinfect surfaces and remove stains without the harmful chemicals found in many commercial products. Health and wellness communities also participate in this day by discussing the potential health benefits of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar serves as a digestion aid for controlling blood sugar levels and promoting heart health with organic enthusiasts. However, these claims often invite scrutiny and call for more scientific research. While National Vinegar Day is not a federally recognized holiday, it garners attention on social media and among various communities. Food blogs, health and wellness websites, and environmental groups often publish articles and posts about the benefits and uses of vinegar, sharing tips, recipes, and historical facts to educate and engage the public.

Africa

Nov

Violence Against Women, International Day to Eliminate (1960): November 25

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International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is a United Nations-sponsored event held annually on the anniversary of the assassination of the three Mirabel sisters in the Dominican Republic on November 25, 1960. The sisters were staunch advocates of women's rights and were executed on the orders of then-ruler Rafael Trujillo. Violence against women is the most extreme form of discrimination. From 2005 to 2016, for 87 countries, 19 percent of women between 15 and 49 years of age said they had experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the previous year. Extreme cases often lead to death. In 2012, almost half of all women who were victims of intentional homicide were killed by an intimate partner or family member, compared to six percent of male victims. Another extreme case of violence against women is female genital mutilation. This practice has declined by 24 percent since 2000 but remains high in 30 countries with representative data. In those countries, a 2015 survey indicated that more than one in three girls between 15 and 19 years of age has undergone the procedure decreased from one in two girls before 2000. Moreover, only over half (52 percent) of women between 15 and 49 years of age who are married or in a relationship make their own decisions about consensual sexual relations and contraceptives and health services based on available data from around 2012 for 45 countries, 43 of which are in developing regions. Research also shows that achieving gender equality helps prevent conflict, and high rates of violence against women correlate with outbreaks of conflict. Despite the evidence, actions for women's inclusion, leadership, and protection remain inadequate. In some areas, there has even been a rollback in progress.

Africa

Nov

Volkstrauertag (DE): November 16

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Volkstrauertag is Germany's memorial day, honoring all those who perished or were victimized in WWI and under the Nazis. It always occurs on a Sunday.

Africa

Nov

Volunteer Managers Day, Intl.: November 5

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First conceived in 1999, International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMDay) was created by Nan Hawthorn as a way to recognize the time, effort, and skills managers and volunteers put into causes. The statement of values is as follows: Volunteer Managers have the skills and knowledge to help people be part of the solution in meeting community needs. Even in cynical times, they practice the art of the possible. Volunteer Managers change lives — both the lives of volunteers and those served by well-led volunteers. It is a life-changing profession. Volunteer managers provide the leadership and direction that allows people to build a good and just society and mend the social fabric. Without professional leadership, people’s time, talents, and efforts could be wasted. A well-run volunteer program shows the community, including potential donors, that the organization is not afraid of public scrutiny and involvement and endeavors to make the most efficient use of monetary assets. Well-led volunteers become an advocacy and public relations force for an agency or program — a force no money could buy.

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