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International Tiger Day

Celebrating the Majestic Tiger: A Call to Action on International Tiger Day July 29th marks International Tiger Day, a global event dedicated to raising awareness about the conservation of one of the world's most iconic and endangered species. As the largest of the big cats, tigers hold a special place in the hearts and minds of people around the world. Their sheer power, grace, and distinct striped pattern make them a symbol of strength, beauty, and the delicate balance of our natural world. Unfortunately, the tiger's remarkable presence is under severe threat. Over the past century, tiger populations have declined by a staggering 95%, with only an estimated 3,900 tigers remaining in the wild today. Habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict have all contributed to the dwindling numbers of this magnificent creature, pushing several subspecies to the brink of extinction. International Tiger Day serves as a crucial reminder of the urgent need for global action to ...

Father's Day

Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans - Paternal Advice Father's Day is a holiday honouring one's father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. The holiday complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day and, in some countries, Siblings Day, and Grandparents' Day. The day is held on various dates across the world, and different regions maintain their own traditions of honouring fatherhood. In Catholic countries of Europe, it has been celebrated on 19 March as Saint Joseph's Day since the Middle Ages. In the United States, Father's Day was founded in the state of Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd in 1910. Father's Day is a recognized public holiday in Lithuania and some parts of Spain and was regarded as such in Italy until 1977. It is a national holiday in Estonia, Samoa, and equiv...

World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day was created in 1987 by the World Health Organization's (WHO) Member States to raise awareness of the harms caused by tobacco products. The first World No-Tobacco Day was on April 7, 1988, the 40th anniversary of the WHO, and the goal was to encourage people to quit using tobacco for at least 24 hours. In 1988, the World Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA42.19, which called for World No Tobacco Day to be celebrated annually on May 31. Each year, the WHO links the day to a different tobacco-related theme. The theme for 2024 is "Protecting children from tobacco industry interference". Tobacco growing can contribute to habitat fragmentation, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity. It can also disrupt water cycles, and the chemicals that leach into nearby water sources can kill fish and harm other animals and humans.  World No Tobacco Day, celebrated annually on May 31, is a day to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use ...

The International Day of Families

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 15 as International Day of Families in 1993 through resolution A/RES/47/237. The day was established to celebrate families and raise awareness of the issues they face, such as poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. It also serves as an opportunity to promote awareness of the social, economic, and demographic processes that affect families. The day's theme changes each year, and in 2023, the theme was "Demographic Trends & Families".  The United Nations General Assembly first introduced the idea of International Year of the Family in its resolution 44/82 on December 9, 1989.  The International Day of Families, celebrated on May 15th, recognizes the importance of families in society and raises awareness of issues that affect them. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in 1994 in response to the changing social and economic structures that affect family units.  Fa...

Mother's Day

The origins of Mother's Day in the United States date back to the 19th century. In 1905, Anna Jarvis began a campaign for a national holiday to honor mothers after her own mother died. On May 12, 1907, Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother at her late mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia. The first larger-scale celebration of the holiday was in 1908, when Jarvis held a public memorial for her mother in her hometown.  In 1914, the US president made Mother's Day a national holiday, celebrated on the second Sunday of May.  Mother's Day is observed in different forms throughout the world. In the 16th century, the U.K. observed a day called Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent. In 1920, the government of France began awarding medals to mothers of large families. After the second World War, the government declared the last Sunday in May to be the Day of Mothers.  Mother's Day is a day to honor and appreciate mothers...

Basava Jayanti

He was a 12-century Hindu Kannada poet and philosopher in the year 1134 AD and is also believed to be the founding saint of the section of Lingayat. Basava Jayanti 2024 is celebrated on 14th May, and it is a festival mostly in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Basava Jayanti is a Hindu festival that celebrates the life and teachings of Basavanna, a 12th-century philosopher, poet, and social reformer who founded the Lingayat religion in India. It is celebrated on the third day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha, which usually falls in April or May and coincides with the full moon day. In 2024, Basava Jayanti will be celebrated on May 14. Basava Jayanti is a state holiday in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra, where it is celebrated by Lingayats. The festival marks the beginning of a new age, known as the Basavanna era or the Basaveshwar era. Basavanna believed in a society without caste and equal opportunity for all...

Labour Day

Good day, everyone! I would like to remind you all about Labour Day. Today, we honour the hard work and dedication of all the workers around the world. Labour Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, it is a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers around the world.  It’s a day to recognize and appreciate the contributions of workers in all fields. It’s a special day to recognize the contributions of workers of our society. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the importance of their efforts in shaping our communities. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in New York City on September 5, 1882, by the Central Labor Union. The holiday's origins include the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago, when thousands of workers protested for an eight-hour workday. The riot began on May 1, 1886, and on May 4, a bomb was set off, killing seven police officers and eight civilians. In 1884, the Knights of Labor adopted a resolution to make the first Mond...

Eid Mubarak

  Eid is one of the greatest rituals of Islam. It is celebrated worldwide with great fervor and joy. Eid or Eid al-Fitr is celebrated every year by Muslims because it marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting observed by Muslims worldwide. They break the fast of Ramadan all together on the day of Eid. As said the celebration marks the end of a month-long of fasting, introspection, prayer, and spiritual development. It symbolises the victory of self-control, religiosity, and dedication over worldly wants and is a time for celebration and spiritual rejuvenation. Eid al-Fitr is characterized by being the last day before which the zakat al-Fitr obligatory on Muslims can be paid. On the morning of Eid, about a third of an hour after sunrise, Muslims perform the Eid prayer. Muslims meet on Eid, exchange congratulations, and visit their families and relatives. This is known as the ties of kinship. A Muslim also visits his friends, receives his friends and neighbours, and shows c...

Why is it called holy Saturday?

Holy Saturday is a day of reflection for Christians that commemorates the day Jesus Christ rested in the tomb after his death. It is also known as Easter Eve, Easter Even, Black Saturday, or the Saturday before Easter. Holy Saturday, Christian religious observance that ends the Lenten season, falling on the day before Easter Sunday. The observance commemorates the final day of Christ’s death, which many Christians traditionally associate with his triumphant descent into hell or “to the dead” (see also Apostles’ Creed). Holy Saturday is a day of quiet reflection and anticipation for Christians around the world. It is the day between the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Holy Saturday, also known as Easter Eve, is a time to mourn the death of Jesus and to prepare for his resurrection. In this article, we will explore the history, meaning, observances, facts, and significance of the Easter...

Good Friday

  Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ who, as believed, died for our sins. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, after which he was sentenced to death for claiming to be the Son of God. Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday, or Easter Friday. Here are some fun facts about Good Friday: Good Friday is a religious holiday that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is the most solemn day of the Christian year and is the day before Easter Sunday. Good Friday is called "Good" because followers of Jesus believed that the crucifixion was part of God's plan. On Good Friday, Christians go to church and remember the Lord Jesus. Instead of ringing bells, a sound is made with a wooden knock. People remember God by kissing the cross symbolizing the Lord Jesus Christ. According to popular beliefs, it is considered to be lucky to get a haircut on Good Friday. It is said that getting a haircut on Good Friday w...

Maundy Thursday

  Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, is a Christian holiday that commemorates Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples and the washing of his feet. The term "Maundy" comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means "command". The holiday is observed on the Thursday before Easter and is the fifth day of Holy Week, which also includes Holy Wednesday and Good Friday.  During the Last Supper, Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34). He also washed the feet of his disciples, which symbolizes humility and service. This tradition has been carried down through many centuries and is now a beloved tradition in many parts of the world.  Maundy Thursday is a time to reflect on the life and death of Jesus Christ. The holiday is marked by various rituals and celebrations, including the Eucharist, which is a ritual commemoration of Jesus' Last Su...

Holi: Festival of Colors

  Every spring, people across India and around the world celebrate the Hindu festival Holi, throwing colored water and powders on one another in joyous celebration. On this one day—the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Phalguna—societal rankings such as caste, gender, age, and status are eschewed in the spirit of making merry together, and everyone is fair game to be doused with color. Holi’s traditions vary throughout the country and have their roots in Indian mythology. In many places the festival is associated with the legend of Hiranyakashipu, a demon king in ancient India. Hiranyakashipu enlisted the help of his sister, Holika, to kill his son, Prahlada, a devoted worshipper of Vishnu. In an attempt to burn Prahlada, Holika sat with him on a pyre while wearing a cloak that protected her from the fire. But the cloak protected Prahlada instead, and Holika burned. Later that night Vishnu succeeded in killing Hiranyakashipu, and the episode was heralded as a ...

Palm Sunday

  Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday commemorates the Christian belief in the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when he was greeted by cheering crowds waving palm branches that they set out on the ground along his path, according to the Bible. As soon as the Church obtained her freedom in the fourth century, the faithful in Jerusalem re-enacted the solemn entry of Christ into their city on the Sunday before Easter, holding a procession in which they carried branches and sang the Hosanna (Matthew 21, 1-11). In the early Latin Church, people attending Mass on this Sunday would hold aloft twigs of olives, which were not, however, blessed in those days. This Palm Sunday procession, and the blessing of palms, seems to have originated in the Frankish Kingd...

World Water Day

  World Water Day is celebrated annually on March 22nd to raise awareness about the importance and need to protect water. The United Nations General Assembly first proposed the day in 1992 during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first World Water Day was celebrated in 1993. This day was first formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. In December 1992, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/47/193 by which 22 March of each year was declared World Day for Water. In 1993, the first World Water Day was observed. An archive of previous World Water Day campaign websites also exists. https://hyltonupshon.wixsite.com/creative-edge/post/world-water-day

International Day of Happiness

  International Day of Happiness The International Day of Happiness is celebrated on March 20th every year. The United Nations General Assembly established the day in 2012 to help people realize the importance of happiness. Before the International Day of Happiness was established, together with Luis Gallardo, President of the World Happiness Foundation, Jayme Illien founded "Happytalism." Illien ran a campaign at the United Nations from 2006 to 2012 to encourage and advance the primacy of happiness, well-being, and democracy. In 2011, Jayme Illien proposed the idea of the International Day of Happiness at the United Nations General Assembly. He wanted the United Nations General Assembly to promote Happiness economics around the world by improving the economic development of all countries. The idea was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. On 19 July 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed UN resolution 65/309, Happiness Toward A Holistic Appro...

Durga Puja

Durga Puja, or the annual celebration of Hindu goddess Durga, is one of India’s grandest festivals. It is a multiple-day celebration varying from 6 days in some parts of the country to 10 days in others. In most of Northern India the festival is celebrated as Navratri (nine nights). Regardless of these variations, the last four days of Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Vijay Dashami, are particularly important and accordingly celebrated with much splendor around the country. In most parts of the country, the festival commemorates the victory of the goddess over a demon called Mahishasura. As told by Hindu mythology, the demon was set out to wage war against the gods and it was up to Durga to slay him and protect earth. She began her battle against the demon on the seventh day of Navratri, known as Maha Saptami and slayed him by the final day of Vijay Dashami. The goddess, known to Hindus as the ‘destroyer of evil’, is characterized by her ten arms carrying various lethal weap...

Daughter's Day

What is Daughter's Day? Daughters Day is, as the name clearly says, a day to celebrates our daughters. Different countries celebrate it on different days and in India it is celebrated on the last Sunday of September. This year that falls on 26th September. Why is it celebrated? Children are a blessing, whether male, female, or other. They should be cherished daily however it's nice to take a day out to honour them in particular, after all, there is a mother's day and a father's day to celebrate parents. History of Daughters Day One shouldn't need a reason to celebrate children or justify a day put aside to celebrate the blessing of a daughter. However, many unjustly patriarchal societies still view female children as inferior to male ones. So governments of some countries, in an attempt to encourage equality, decided to add daughter's day as a nationally acknowledged festival. Every citizen is equal in front of the government and law and this thinking needed to ...