All - Leep Calendar

Tyvendedagen in Norway, Saint Knut's Day in Sweden, or Twentieth Day is the official end of the Christmas season. Christmas trees come down and are burned, and holiday décor and greetings are retired until the following year.

Africa

Jan

Ukrainian Day (UA)(1918): January 22

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On January 22, 1918, Ukraine proclaimed its independence from Russia. Freedom would last until 1921, when the Soviet Union took control of the country. In 1991 it regained its independence again. Beginning in February 2014, the region of Crimea fell under Russian occupation again. Russia invaded Ukraine again in February 2022. That war continues, with several eastern provinces currently occupied by Russia.

Africa

Jan

Unchain a Dog Month: January

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With temperatures dropping, animals are vulnerable to frostbite and worse. PETA created National Unchain a Dog Month to alert pet owners to the dangers of leaving their pets chained outside during winter. Animals need shelter, just like people. If you cannot bring your pets inside, make sure they have adequate protection and access to food and water that isn't frozen. Also, watch for stray dogs hiding under cars and cats under car hoods. Cats will often crawl into parked cars' engines to keep warm during winter.

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Jan

Up Helly AA (UK): January 28

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For all you Viking fans, the town of Lerwick, Scotland, has an annual celebration to close out the Yule season you'll love—Up Helly Aa. Up Helly Aa centers on the burning of a Viking Galley each year. In Nordic culture, this was done annually as a sacrifice to the sun god. It's both a festival and an impressive bonfire, the likes you'll never see again—until the next Yuletide. Held annually on the last Tuesday in January.

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Jan

Use Your Gift Card Day, Ntl.: January 18

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Initiated in 2020, National Use Your Gift Card Day encourages people who received gift cards over the holidays and previous to get out and redeem the total amount. Each year, over $500 million in gift card expenditures go unused, which is 2% of the nearly $26 billion spent on gift cards. Put that money where it belongs: in your gift rather than the issuer's pocket. Redeem!

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Jan

Veganuary (US/UK/AU): January

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Veganuary is a charity inspiring people to try veganism during January and continue for the rest of the year in the United Kingdom. Recipes and activities are available on the event's website. What does it mean to go vegan? Vegan is not vegetarian, which means you do not eat meat. Veganism is an austere lifestyle movement requiring practitioners to refrain from eating, using, or enjoying any of the following: 1) No meat, dairy, fish, or eggs. 2) No clothing, home furnishings, or tools made from animals, including leather, fur, wool, bone, or silk. 3) No products tested on animals or made with any animal products. 4) No attending or watching entertainment that uses animals, including film, TV, circuses, zoos, rodeos, hunting, and wild animal parks. This event first ran in 2014.

Africa

Jan

Vietnam Conflict Ends (1973): January 27

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Vietnam Peace Day on January 27th commemorates the end of the Vietnam Conflict with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973, by representatives of the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the Viet Cong. It is a day to reflect on the peace agreement that led to the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, signaling the end of one of the most contentious conflicts of the 20th century. This agreement marked a pivotal moment in the Vietnam Conflict. The accords declared a ceasefire across North and South Vietnam and established terms that led to the withdrawal of US military forces. While the ceasefire and the withdrawal of American troops did not immediately result in peace—fighting continued in various parts of Vietnam until 1975—the signing of the Paris Peace Accords was a significant step toward ending the conflict. The last American died in the war 11 hours before the parties signed the agreement. In the United States, Vietnam Peace Day is a day for veterans, their families, and communities to come together to remember the past and to consider the lessons learned from Vietnam. In Vietnam, the day is not marked. It is important to note that America could have avoided the Vietnam Conflict. Following the First World War, a young Vietnamese diplomat, Hồ Chí Minh, attempted to ally with the United States in 1919 at Versailles based on the 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. At the time, the Japanese and French occupied and threatened the small nation. President Wilson refused, forcing the nation to turn toward communism in search of allies to support them in ending the occupation. It was a decision that would eventually lead to the decades-long conflict, which was never referred to officially as a "war" but ultimately resulted in the death of millions.

Africa

Jan

Vision Board Day, Ntl.: January 11

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Vision Boards are a pictorial representation of goals. Vision Board Day encourages everyone to define their plans for the upcoming year and create a visual reminder of these goals. Vision boards are made by cutting and pasting from magazines and pictures or virtually done on websites and social media. This event was first held in 2016 and created by actor Kellan Lutz and manager Ryan Daly.

Africa

Jan

Walk Your Pet Month: January

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Walk Your Pet Month encourages pet owners to incorporate pet exercise into their New Year resolutions. Like people, domestic pets are increasingly struggling with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Embrace this opportunity to work regular exercise into your life and that of your pets for your health!

Africa

Jan

War on Poverty Day (1964): January 8

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It was on this day in 1964 that President Lyndon B Johnson officially declared war on poverty in the United States with these words: "Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope -- some because of their poverty, and some because of theft color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity. This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join with me in that effort. It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest Nation on earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it. One thousand dollars invested in salvaging an unemployable youth today can return $40,000 or more in his lifetime. Poverty is a national problem, requiring improved national organization and support. But this attack, to be effective, must also be organized at the State and the local level and must be supported and directed by State and local efforts. For the war against poverty will not be won here in Washington. It must be won in the field, in every private home, in every public office, from the courthouse to the White House." _____________ The war continues to this day, with over 45 million people (15%) still living below the poverty line in the United States, according to the latest census report in 2014. At the time, the annual income threshold was $11,490 for a single person and $23,550 for a family of four.

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Jan

Weedless Wednesday, Ntl. (CA): January 22

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Weedless Wednesday occurs during National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW). It refers to abstaining from cannabis for the day to encourage Canadians to quit. NNSW is one of the longest-running initiatives in Canada’s ongoing public health education efforts to help those who want to quit smoking quit. Weedless Wednesday is organized by Canadian Council for Tobacco Control (CCTC).

Africa

Jan

Whipped Cream Day: January 5

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National Whipped Cream Day is an unofficial event with no sponsor. It celebrates the light cream topping, served to kings in the 17th century that has come to top everything from fresh fruits to cakes and pies.

Africa

Jan

Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival (UK): January 10-12

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First held in 1980, this whimsical British festival features a straw bear leading a parade and ushering in the upcoming planting season with a decorated plow. The weekend music, food, and fun are featured, with the straw bear burned on the final day.

Africa

Jan

Wilderness Wildlife Week, Pigeon Forge (US-TN): January 28 - Feb 1

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Pigeon Forge Wilderness Wildlife Week occurs in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee yearly. It includes educational programs (classes, history, art, and music) and guided hikes focused on the interests of children. This event is free and open to the public, and seminars and workshops are offered daily at the LeConte Center.

Africa

Jan

Winnie-the-Pooh Day (1882): January 18

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Winnie-the-Pooh Day marks the anniversary of Alan Alexander Milne's birth on January 18, 1882. He first wrote of Christopher Robin (his son and one of the characters in Winnie-the-Pooh) in the poem 'Vespers' for Vanity Fair in 1923. Vespers led to his first illustrated children's book in 1924. This book featured a story about a Teddy Bear, but it wouldn't be until Christmas Eve 1925 that Winnie-the-Pooh would make his official debut in a bedtime story published in the Evening News. That bedtime story became chapter one of his 1926 book, Winnie-the-Pooh, and the rest is history. Happy Winnie-the-Pooh Day!

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