July is a Jubilee of Events

This sign in a store window in Dublin gave me a good laugh! At 18, we're all geniuses. By 30, we realize we're idiots! Photo LD Lewis

July is a Jamboree of Events!

Happy July. Like every month, I pick a diverse collection of events you may or may not know about. This month, I highlight Latino music, a 3000-year-old festival, jousting, sharks, bison and eggplant, to name a few. The featured deep dive is the ten-year-strong advocacy campaign, Month Against the Apartheid Wall. Given current events, it is appropriate.

JULY OVERVIEW

July is packed with a diverse range of festivals, fairs, and family-friendly activities. From food fests to sports events, there's something for everyone to enjoy and keep the little ones entertained. The big event is the Summer Olympics, beginning on July 26 and running through August 11, 2024. Of course, heat is at the top of your mind if you're in the Northern Hemisphere. Cuddle up with some cocoa if you're down south.

Alopecia is one of the health themes in July, specifically for women. Buddhists begin their three months of Lent on July 21. It's also Take Your Kids to the Golf Course Week in the United States and Canada, plus Cell Phone Courtesy Month. Perhaps this year, it might improve behavior. Too optimistic?

Overall, July is a sleepy little month as far as events go. However, it does include quite a few Independence Day celebrations. Those are detailed in the Anniversaries section below. As usual, except for the deep dive, these are shortened versions of the complete event information on LEEP Calendar. Let's start with brides...and saving some serious money.



The National Bridal Sale Event is one of the most significant multi-country sales in the world—promptography LD Lewis.

NATIONAL BRIDAL SALE EVENT

Dates: July 13-20, 2024
Location: United States, Canada, México
Champion: Bridal Manufacturers Association

The National Bridal Sale Event, a much-anticipated annual event, occurs across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It allows brides-to-be to purchase their dream wedding gowns at significantly reduced prices.

Launched in 2015, this event seeks to help bridal retailers clear out their inventory while offering brides an exceptional chance to find designer dresses at a fraction of the original cost. This event features hundreds of independently owned bridal shops and boutiques. These stores offer a diverse array of bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and accessories. Each store sets its discounts and deals, making it an exciting and varied shopping experience for brides across North America. You can register your store or find participating stores here.


The Torneo della Quintana is a month-long festival of Medieval culture in Italy—promptography LD Lewis.

TORNEO DELLA QUINTANA

Date: July 6 - August 4, 2024
Location: Italy
Champion: Quintana di Ascoli Piceno

The Torneo della Quintana (Quintana Tournament), a historic jousting tournament, is a significant cultural event held annually in Foligno, Italy. The tournament dates back to the 17th century, with the first recorded event occurring in 1613.

The Quintana was originally a military exercise designed to train knights in lance skills, but it has evolved into a grand celebration of history and community. During the month-long event, two jousts are held, one on the second Saturday of July and the second on the tournament's final day in early August. These events draw thousands of local and international spectators who gather to witness the vibrant pageantry and thrilling competition.


There are over 14 popular varieties of eggplant—promptography LD Lewis.

NATIONAL EGGPLANT MONTH

Date: July 1-31, 2024
Location: United States
Champion: Unofficial Event. No Sponsor.

National Eggplant Month promotes this vegetable's culinary versatility and nutritional benefits, encouraging people to incorporate it into their diets. Eggplant (Solanum melongena), or aubergine, is a species in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Its origins trace back to Asia, most likely India and China, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years.

The earliest written records of eggplant come from ancient Chinese texts dating back to the fifth century. From there, it spread to the Middle East, Africa, and eventually Europe through Arab traders during the Middle Ages. In Europe, eggplant was initially met with suspicion due to its relation to other nightshade plants, some of which are toxic. However, Europeans widely embraced eggplant in the 18th century. Early European settlers brought it to the Americas, which has since become a staple in various regional cuisines.


Algeria's Sebeiba Festival is 3,000 years old and pre-dates the Islamic era—photo Djanet

SEBEIBA FESTIVAL

Date: July 17 - 26, 2024
Location: Algeria
Champion: Algerian Ministry of Tourism and Artisan Crafts

The Sebeiba Festival is an enchanting tradition rooted in the heart of Djanet, an oasis town in the Tassili N'Ajjer National Park of southeastern Algeria. It is a vibrant expression of the region's cultural heritage. This 3,000-year-old annual ten-day festival is a cornerstone of the Tuareg community's social and cultural life. In 2014, the festival became a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity event. It begins on the full day of Ashura, an Islamic holiday, and concludes after ten days. Originating from a historic peace agreement between rival Tuareg tribes centuries ago, the festival celebrates peace and unity. It commences with a solemn ritual called "Takaraket," symbolizing the end of hostilities and the beginning of the festivities.

The heart of Sebeiba lies in its dramatic reenactments of ancient battles. Participants, dressed in traditional indigo robes and brandishing handmade swords and shields, engage in mock fights, showcasing their equestrian skills and martial prowess. This symbolic warfare reminds them of their past struggles and the value of the peace they now cherish.

Premios Juventud is the premier showcase of up-and-coming Latino talent—image Premios Juventud.

PREMIOS JUVENTUD

Date: July 25, 2024
Location: The Americas
Champion: Univision

Premios Juventud (The Best of Youth) is an annual awards show celebrating young talent in the Latin music and entertainment industry since its inception in 2004. Organized by the Spanish-language television network Univision, this event honors achievements in music, film, sports, fashion, and pop culture, focusing on youth-oriented categories. Premios Juventud stands out for its interactive nature. Fans can vote for their favorite nominees across various categories.

This active engagement fosters a strong connection between the audience and their beloved stars, making the event a highly anticipated and engaging experience each year. By spotlighting the achievements and potential of young Latinos, Premios Juventud contributes to the broader narrative of Latin excellence and representation in the entertainment industry.


 Shark Week on the Discovery Channel is a globally anticipated television event.

DISCOVERY SHARK WEEK

Dates: July 7-13, 2024
Location: Worldwide
Champion: The Discovery Channel

Shark Week is the longest-running must-see summer TV event on Discovery Channel. It includes live talk shows, documentaries, and all things sharks.

Aquariums and other forms of amusement tied to oceans and the sea often have specials throughout Shark Week. Shark Week is the programming week that boosted the Discovery Channel to renown. The program began in 1986. Shark Week is available online or via various regional cable providers through the Discovery Channel.


 The ESPY Awards are America's highest honor for Athletes—promptography LD Lewis.

ESPY AWARDS

Date: July 11, 2024
Location: United States
Champion: ESPN

The ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing significant sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments, and saluting the leading performers and performances. The show recognizes achievements in categories such as "Best MLB Player," "Best Team," "Best Female Athlete," and "Best Upset." Inspiring human stories garner three awards: the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

The ESPYS support ESPN's ongoing commitment to the V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano in 1993

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 Bison are native to North America and play an essential role in the history of the continent and its native peoples—Photo Chait Goli

NATIONAL BISON MONTH

Date: July 1-31, 2024
Location: United States
Champion: National Bison Association

National Bison Month is celebrated in July to raise awareness about bison and their contributions to North American heritage. The month celebrates the American bison, often called buffalo and promotes conservation efforts. The initiative was created to promote bisons' historical importance, nutritional benefits, and ecological role in grassland ecosystems. Bison meat is considered highly nutritious due to several factors. It is lower in fat and calories than beef, high in B vitamins (B12, B6), zinc, iron, and selenium and contains Omega-3 fatty acids.

Bison vs Buffalo

Bison and buffalo are distinct animals, though the terms are often used incorrectly and interchangeably in North America. Bison, native to North America and Europe, have a large hump over their shoulders, large heads, and thick fur, particularly around the head and shoulders. Buffalo, native to Africa and Asia, lack the hump, have sleeker bodies, and vary significantly in horn shape and size.


 Fragile X is a genetic disorder often linked to autism and other forms of disability.

FRAGILE X AWARENESS MONTH

Date: July 1-31, 2024
Location: United States
Champion: National Fragile X Foundation

Fragile X Awareness Month explores Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), which is a genetic disorder that causes intellectual disability, behavioral and learning challenges, and various physical characteristics. It is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism.

Fragile X Syndrome begins with a mutation in the FMR1 gene located on the X chromosome. This gene produces a protein called FMRP, essential for normal neural development. In individuals with FXS, a section of the FMR1 gene called the CGG triplet repeat is expanded. Fragile X Syndrome affects both males and females, though males are typically more severely affected due to having only one X chromosome.

 In Males: Approximately 1 in 4,000 to 1 in 7,000 are born with Fragile X.
 In Females: Approximately 1 in 8,000 to 1 in 11,000 are born with Fragile X.


 National Holidays Around the World

ANNIVERSARIES AROUND THE GLOBE

National holidays occur on the anniversaries of these events each year.  

• Canada Day: July 1, 1867
• Curaçao Day: July 26, 1499

  CONSTITUTION DAY  

• Puerto Rico: July 25, 1952
• South Korea: July 17, 1948
• Uruguay: July 18, 1830

  INDEPENDENCE DAY  

• Algeria: July 5, 1962
• Argentina: July 9, 1816
• Bahamas: July 10, 1973
• Belgium: July 21, 1831
• Burundi: July 1, 1962
• Cape Verde: July 5, 1975
• Columbia: July 20, 1810
• Comoros: July 6, 1975
• Kiribati: July 12, 1979
• Liberia: July 26, 1847
• Maldives: July 26, 1965
• Peru: July 28, 1821
• Rwanda: July 1, 1962
• São Tomé and Príncipe: July 12, 1975
• Solomon Islands: July 7, 1978
• Somalia: July 1, 1960
• South Sudan: July 9, 2011
• United States: July 4, 1776
• Vanuatu: July 30, 1980
• Venezuela: July 5, 1811

  THE KING'S BIRTHDAY

• Thailand: July 28, 1952

 LIBERATION DAY  

• Guam: July 21, 1944
• Nicaragua: July 19, 1979
• Suriname: July 1, 1863

  NATIONAL DAY  

• Cuba: July 26, 1953
• Somalia: July 1, 1960

  REPUBLIC DAY  

• Ghana: July 1, 1960
• Malawi: July 6, 1964
• Tunisia: July 25, 1957

  REVOLUTION DAY

   • Egypt: July 23, 1952  

Major Global Sporting Events in July

MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS IN JULY

 

• British Open (Golf)(UK): July 18-21 —United Kingdom
• Copa America (Football): June 14 - July 13 —United States
• EURO 24 (Football): June 14 - July 14 —Germany
• Grand Prix of Great Britain (Auto Racing): July 7 —United Kingdom
• MLB All-Star Game (Baseball): July 16 —United States
• Running of the Bulls (Specialty Sport): July 6-14 —Spain
• Snoopy's Senior World Hockey Tournament: July 12-21 —United States
• Summer Olympics (Multi-sport): July 26 - August 11 —France
• Tour de France (Cycling): June 29 - July 21 —France
• Wimbledon (Tennis): July 1-14 —United Kingdom

 

DEEP DIVE FEATURED EVENT

 Four times longer and twice as high in many places than the Berlin wall, Israel's wall is illegal under international law.

INTERNATIONAL MONTH AGAINST THE APARTHEID WALL

Date: July 1-31, 2024
Location: Worldwide
 Champion: Multiple Sponsors.

In 2014, thirty organizations and coalitions gathered to declare July the Month Against the Apartheid Wall.

The wall, located in Israel and Palestine, consists of concrete or wire fences with buffer zones for military vehicles. On July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion entitled Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Commonly referred to as the Apartheid Wall (in Israel, it is called a security fence or barrier), the wall and its construction were determined illegal under international law. The Court was clear, demanding the wall be removed and Palestinian rights re-established, and it called upon the international community to enforce Israeli compliance. The United States and European countries blocked efforts to enforce the determination. Israel continues to build, expand, and confiscate land with the Apartheid Wall, destroying thousands of Palestinian homes, businesses, and agricultural properties for over thirty years.

DREAMING UP THE WALL

Ariel Sharon first proposed the wall in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. Its purpose is to create specific "facts on the ground" that would complement the annexation of land via the settlement projects instituted after the Six-Day War of 1967. The actual planning of the wall began in 1978, nine years before the First Intifada (uprising) and fifteen years before the first suicide bomber appeared. It was sold to the public as security. In reality, due to 85% of it being built on land not belonging to Israel, it functioned as a land grab and strangled Palestinian life, movement and industry. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin first publicly mentioned the planned wall in 1992.

TWICE AS HIGH AND FOUR TIMES LONGER THAN THE BERLIN WALL
 
  Israel's illegal wall's path—photo Al Jazeera.

The Apartheid Wall is four times longer than the Berlin Wall and up to 25 feet in height, with a large portion built on land not part of Israel. Construction on the wall began in 1994 following the Oslo Accords of September 1993, with 112 miles completed by late 2003. In contrast, the Berlin Wall was 12 feet high and 103 miles long.


 Israel's illegal wall shows Palestine on the right and a Jewish-only road on the left. Settlers litter the Palestinian side with broken glass—photo Films for Action.

The wall and its associated scheme of colonial settlements continue to grow in Palestine, embodying a massive instrument of land annexation, the pillage of natural resources, and displacement. The wall, coupled with Israel's illegal settlements (all "settlements" in the Occupied Territories are war crimes under international law), make it impossible for a contiguous Palestinian state. That is by design.

LEGALIZING APARTHEID

Israeli apartheid accelerates through a network of Jewish-only roads, Jewish-only settlements, and unequal distribution of resources, including water. It is furthered through checkpoints, denial of permits, and a two-tiered legal system throughout the Occupied Territories. In 2018, the Israeli Knesset made apartheid official state policy by passing the Jewish Nation-state bill. This bill states that Israel is home to its Jewish population—exclusively. It is one of over 50 laws in Israel, some dating back to 1949, that legalize apartheid policies and discrimination in Israel or the Occupied Territories. In June 2022, Israel dissolved its government, forcing the fifth election in four years to avoid ending its apartheid policies due to sunset at the end of the month. By dissolving the government, the apartheid laws remained intact.

CURRENT DAY

Since October 2023, the world's focus has been on Gaza. However, in the West Bank, where Israel's wall is most prominent, summary executions, raids, arrests, home razing and attacks by Jewish extremists supported by the military against Palestinian civilians have increased to their highest level since the Second Intifada (2000-2005).

As of June 20, 2024, since October 7, 2023, in the West Bank:  

• 549 people have been killed, including more than 135 children
• 5,200 have been injured
• At least ten villages have been destroyed

The Apartheid Wall plays a significant role in separating, oppressing and controlling the non-Jewish population and its resources for the benefit of the Jewish population. It exemplifies the definition of apartheid. It is important to note that this situation, Israel's occupation and attempted expulsion of the native population, is unique. No conquering army or occupying power in Palestine's 7,000+ year history has ever attempted to remove the people—not the Assyrians, the Ottomans, the Romans, the Crusaders, the British, or the Mamluks—not until 1948. Only the Israelis want the land without the people. Only the Israelis have thrice tried to remove them, the current effort included.

 DEFINITION OF APARTHEID:

Apartheid is a word associated with South Africa before 1992. However, the definition fits the parameters of Israeli law and conduct. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B'Tselem, and dozens of global humanitarian organizations have concluded that Israel is an apartheid state. Its version is markedly more brutal and deadly than that practiced in South Africa. The wall is its most potent symbol.

Apartheid is:

1. An official policy of racial segregation involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against one group of people by another due to their race, origin, faith, or other determining factors.
2. A policy or practice of separating or segregating groups.
3. The condition of being separated from others: segregation.  

WHO ARE THE PALESTINIANS?

Central to the origin myth of the state of Israel is a concentrated effort to erase the people of Palestine, their culture and history. Many Israeli leaders have gone so far as to say the people and the region are an invention of the past century and don't exist. This fallacy is designed to dehumanize the people and pave the way to cleanse the region of non-Jewish inhabitants. It is also a complete lie.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME
Palashtu, Pilistu, Peleset, Philistia, Palaistine, Palestine, Canaan, Canaanite, and Syria-Palaestina are all words historically referencing Palestine and the Palestinians over the past 7000 years. The Hebrew name of Palestine, Philistia in English, appears more than 250 times in the Bible. Palestine exists and, based on archeology, historical maps and manuscripts, pre-dates Abraham, the Israelites, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Palestine has always been a land of people of many faiths and historically covers the southern area of The Levant. The Gaza Strip city of Rafah, originally Rafia, is situated 200 km south of the world's oldest city, Syria's Damascus and 200 km north of Egypt's Giza. Rafah was a key port for trade, transit and commerce on the Mediterranean until the mid-twentieth century. Artifacts on display in the British Museum dating back to circa 3500 BCE bear witness to this thriving society.

Throughout its history, Rafah maintained a steady population since at least 5500 BCE, and possibly as early as 10000 BCE, based upon its proximity to the sea, Damascus and archeological finds in the region.

FIRST HISTORICAL MENTION OF PALESTINE

Palestine and its people are first mentioned by name in Egypt during the reign of Ramses III (1184-1153 BCE) in the Papyrus Harris (c. 1152 BCE), also known as The Great Harris Papyrus. The Peleset, the ancient Egyptian name for today's Palestinians, were a fixed and settled people in many different communities throughout the region. They were not a tribe, which, in the context of Near East anthropology, refers to a related group of nomadic people.

KINGDOMS IN THE BRONZE AGE

The biblical Kingdom of Saul, today often equated with the nation-state of Israel, was initially documented circa 1020 BCE. Kingdoms at the time were not what we envisage today, with castles, armies and vast swaths of land. Kingdom means "my people." They were groups of people who followed a leader numbering as few as 50 to several thousand people living in a village, town or city. The Bronze Age included thousands of little kingdoms throughout Eurasia and Africa. Each had its own gods and customs, with the Israelites being one of many. Today, most of these kings would likely be called mayors, governors, magistrates, chiefs or lords. They did not rule over empires in the sense of King Henry VIII, the Pharaohs of Egypt or the Emperors of Rome. They were more like the mayor of a modest municipality.

CONCLUSION

Millennia before the creation of what became known as Judaism and the later evolutions of Christianity and Islam, The Levant was a center of trade, tying the fertile crescent and Arabia to Egypt, Greece and Africa. It has always been a crossroads of culture and commerce and consistently populated. Historically, people lived there prosperously and in relative peace with one another. Only the events of the past 170 years changed that.

Therein lies the good news.

Historically, people of many faiths lived well together in the region. Each culture and people have ancient ties to the land and a rich history. Modern politics and messianic self-serving religiosity have messed with that dynamic, but an equitable solution will be found. The status quo is unsustainable. A solution is a historical certainty.

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 The next issue will cover events in August 2024. Thank you for the gift of your time. Please support my work by sharing, commenting and subscribing. Until the next issue, enjoy your summer (or winter).

Last updated: Jun 25th 2024