WAn Advent candle is a candle marked with the days of December up to Christmas Eve. It is typically used in a household rather than a church setting: each day in December the candle is burnt down a little more, to the mark for the day, to show the passing of the days leading up to Christmas. As with reusable Advent calendars, some Advent candles start marking the days from 1 December, rather than the exact beginning of Advent. Some households will make a Christmas decoration out of sprigs of evergreen and Christmas ornaments, with the candle at its centre; others will simply put it in a candlestick. It is usually burned at the family evening meal each day.
WAfghan Independence Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Afghanistan on 19 August to commemorate the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 and relinquishment from protected state status. The treaty granted a complete neutral relation between Afghanistan and Britain. Afghanistan had become a British protectorate after it was defeated in the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
WÅland's Autonomy Day is celebrated annually on 9 June in memory of Åland County Council's first meeting on this date in 1922. Åland's self-government from Finland was established by League of Nations in 1921, after the Åland Movement raised the issue of island reunification with Sweden.
WThe Apple Feast of the Saviour or Apple Spas is an Eastern Slavic folk name for the Feast of the Transfiguration, which is observed on August 19.
WBen-Gurion Day is an Israeli national holiday celebrated annually on the sixth of the Hebrew month of Kislev, to commemorate the life and vision of Zionist leader, and Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.
WBlue Beanie Day is an annual international celebration of web standards which began in 2007. It was originated by Douglas Vos and popularized by Jeffrey Zeldman, the author of Designing with Web Standards. The commemoration, which is accompanied by web developers sharing photographs of themselves in blue beanies, seeks to raise awareness of web design features such as progressive enhancement and accessible, semantic markup and "fight Web Standards Apathy". Users use the hashtag #BlueBeanieDay, change their social media avatars to show themselves in blue headgear, and share information and links to content promoting the open web and online accessibility. The origin of the name of the holiday is the image of Jeffrey Zeldman on the cover of his book wearing a blue toque. Over the years, the Blue Beanie Day also became an action day for web accessibility, for which the correct use of web standards is a basic requirement.
WBlue Christmas in the Western Christian tradition, is a day in the Advent season marking the longest night of the year. On this day, some churches in Western Christian denominations hold a church service that honours people that have lost loved ones and are experiencing grief. These include parishes of Catholicism, Lutheranism, Methodism, Moravianism, and Reformed Christianity. The Holy Eucharist is traditionally a part of the service of worship on this day. This worship service is traditionally held on or around the longest night of the year, which falls on or about December 21, the Winter Solstice. There is an interesting convergence for this day as it is also the traditional feast day for Saint Thomas the Apostle. This linkage invites making some connections between Saint Thomas's struggle to believe in Jesus' resurrection, the long nights just before Christmas, and the struggle with darkness and grief faced by those living with loss.
WThe Day of the Capital City of Kazakhstan is an official public holiday in Kazakhstan. It was established in 2009 and is celebrated on July 6 to celebrate the capital city of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan. The holiday also coincides with the birthday of ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
WA Christmas pageant is a public event conducted in celebration of the Christmas holiday, typically involving an entertainment in the form of a procession, or a Nativity play or other performance.
WConstitution Day is a Ukrainian public holiday celebrated on 28 June since 1996. It commemorates the anniversary of the approval by the Verkhovna Rada of the Constitution of Ukraine on 28 June 1996.
WThe Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice is a public holiday in Argentina, commemorating the victims of the Dirty War. It is held on 24 March, the anniversary of the coup d'état of 1976 that brought the National Reorganization Process to power.
WIn Protestant Christianity, a day of humiliation or fasting was a publicly proclaimed day of fasting and prayer in response to an event thought to signal God's judgement. A day of thanksgiving was a day set aside for public worship in thanksgiving for events believed to signal God's mercy and favor. Such a day might be proclaimed by the civil authority or the church.
WThe Días Patrios, or Patriotic Days, are national holidays celebrated in Guatemala commemorating its struggle for independence. These include:September 15: Independence Day October 20: Day of the 1944 Revolution.
WNational DNA Day is a United States holiday celebrated on April 25. It commemorates the day in 1953 when James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin and colleagues published papers in the journal Nature on the structure of DNA. Furthermore, in early April 2003 it was declared that the Human Genome Project was very close to complete, and "the remaining tiny gaps [we]re considered too costly to fill."
WEvolution Day is a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the initial publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on 24 November 1859. Such celebrations have been held for over a century, but the specific term "Evolution Day" for the anniversary appears to be a neologism which was coined prior to 1997. By highlighting Darwin's contributions to science, the day's events are used to educate about evolutionary biology. It is similar to the better-known Darwin Day, held on the anniversary of his birth. It is unrelated to the secularization campaign by the Giordano Bruno Foundation to have the German public holiday of Ascension Day renamed to "Evolutionstag".
W"Fifty Grand for Christmas" or "50K for Christmas" is a holiday single by Paul Holt. It was released by Sanctuary Records on December 6, 2004. The song was written by Bradley and Stewart James, who also penned Nick Berry's #1 single "Every Loser Wins". The lyrics revolve around a bet that Simon Cowell made with auditionee Paul Holt during auditions for The X Factor, that he would pay him £50,000 if he got a #1 single. Holt was quickly signed by a record label - and backed by X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne - to release "Fifty Grand for Christmas", which only charted at #35 in the UK. The song was a pastiche of Roy Wood's style, though Holt's singing voice is similar to that of Gary Puckett.
WHarvey Milk Day is organized by the Harvey Milk Foundation and celebrated each year on May 22 in memory of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist assassinated in 1978. Harvey Milk was a prominent gay activist during the twentieth century. He ran for office three times before becoming the first openly gay person elected into California public office, where he acted as a city supervisor. Harvey Milk Day came about as a day to remember and teach about Milk's life and his work to stop the discrimination against gays and lesbians.
WThe Independence Day of Azerbaijan is the main state holiday in Azerbaijan. It is celebrated annually on October 18. On this day in 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan adopted a Constitutional Act on the Declaration of Independence of Azerbaijan. The declaration was confirmed by a referendum in December 1991.
WIndependence Day in Somaliland is an annual celebration held on May 18 in Somaliland to mark the polity's declaration of independence from the Somali Democratic Republic, a unilateral proclamation which remains unrecognized the world over. Although internationally recognized as an autonomous area of Somalia, the twentieth anniversary of the territory's self-declared independence was celebrated in 2011 at the National Palace in Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital, with shops closing down for the day.
WIndependence Day of State of Somaliland is an annual celebration and a public holiday in Somaliland and Somalia that commemorates the proclamation of independence of on June 26, 1960. In the late 19th century, the territories of what is now Somalia and Somaliland was divided between Great Britain and Italy. During the Second World War, Somaliland was invaded by Italian troops, but Britain eventually regained control of it.
WInternational Francophonie Day is observed within the International Organization of La Francophonie's 77 member states every March 20 to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture. There are over 369 million French speakers on Earth.
WInternational Kissing Day or World Kiss Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated each year on July 6. The practice originated in the United Kingdom, and was adopted worldwide in the early 2000s.
WInternational Left Handers Day is an international day observed annually on August 13 to celebrate the uniqueness and differences of left handed individuals. The day was first observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of Lefthanders International, Inc.
WInternational Mother Earth Day was established in 2009, by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/63/278. The Resolution was introduced by The Plurinational State of Bolivia and endorsed by over 50 member states. It recognizes that "the Earth and its ecosystems are our home" and that "it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth." The term Mother Earth is used because it "reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit". It is decided to designate April 22 as International Mother Earth Day.
WInternational Translation Day is an international day celebrated every year on 30 September on the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators. The celebrations have been promoted by International Federation of Translators (FIT) ever since it was set up in 1953. In 1991 FIT launched the idea of an officially recognized International Translation Day to show solidarity of the worldwide translation community in an effort to promote the translation profession in different countries. This is an opportunity to display pride in a profession that is becoming increasingly essential in the era of progressing globalization. In line with the celebration of 2019 as International Year of Indigenous Languages, the theme for 2019 was "Translation and Indigenous Languages" and for 2020 is "Finding the words for a world in crisis".
WIvy Day was formerly observed on October 6 in Ireland, in memory of the prominent nationalist politician Charles Stewart Parnell. James Joyce's short story "Ivy Day in the Committee Room" features several Irish politicians who fail to live up to Parnell's memory.
WKetikoti, sometimes spelled as Keti Koti is an annual celebration on 1 July that marks Emancipation Day in Suriname. The day is also known as Manspasi Dei or Prisiri Manspasi, meaning "Emancipation" or "Emancipation Festival".
WLeading the bear is a Slavic carnival tradition. It enjoyed brief popularity in the entire Slavic region, the practice still takes place in the areas of Upper Silesia, especially in the Opole Voivodeship.
WLee–Jackson Day was a state holiday in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia, commemorating Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Its observation was eliminated in 2020, replaced by Election Day as a state holiday.
WLiberation Day is a public holiday in the Netherlands celebrated each year on 5 May to mark the end of the occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. It follows the Remembrance of the Dead (Dodenherdenking) on 4 May.
WMedal of Honor Day is a United States federal observance that is celebrated every year on March 25. It was created to honor the "heroism and sacrifice of Medal of Honor recipients for the United States." The holiday has been celebrated since 1991, when George H. W. Bush signed Public Law 101-564 on November 15, 1990, which was passed by the 101st United States Congress in November 1990, and created it. The holiday was chosen to be celebrated on March 25 to honor the 23 men who participated in the Great Locomotive Chase and received Medals of Honor for it, particularly William Bensinger, Robert Buffum, Elihu H. Mason, Jacob Parrott, William Pittenger, and William H. H. Reddick, who received the first six Medals of Honor on March 25, 1863. The law reads :Whereas the Medal of Honor is the highest distinction that can be awarded by the president, in the name of the congress, to members of the armed forces who have distinguished themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their lives above and beyond the call of duty ... Whereas public awareness of the importance of the Medal of Honor has declined in recent years; and Whereas the designation of National Medal of Honor Day will focus the efforts of national, State, and local organizations striving to foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor recipients."
WMemorial Day in South Korea commemorates all the Korean men and women who have died during military service. In particular, the Battle of Bongoh Town, Battle of Cheongsan-ri, Korean War and the Vietnam War are remembered on this day. It is commemorated on June 6.
WNational Catfish Day is a national observance of the United States celebrating "the value of farm-raised catfish." The day was designated as June 25, 1987, by President Ronald Reagan, who issued the Presidential Proclamation after the U.S. Congress called for the day to be established in House Joint Resolution 178.
WNavy Day is a Chilean national holiday celebrated on May 21 each year. The day was selected to commemorate the Battle of Iquique, which occurred on Wednesday, May 21, 1879 during the War of the Pacific. The day is an official holiday and until 2016 was the traditional day for the Annual Statement of the President of the Republic of Chile, also known as the Mensaje Presidencial or Discurso del 21 de mayo), until it was moved on June 1 in 2017 to avoid major protest actions on that day.
WIn Israel, Navy Day is celebrated on June 30. At this time in 1948 the Port of Haifa was captured by Israel during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. Traditionally, Navy Day is preceded by Memorial Evening.
WDay of the Workers of the Ukrainian Navy is holiday in Ukraine. The holiday celebrates the founding of the Ukrainian Navy. Navy Day is a professional holiday that is celebrated on every first Sunday of July.
WNoor Hossain Day is a national day in Bangladesh observed every 10 November in order to commemorate the martyrdom of Noor Hossain while protesting for the establishment of democracy in the country against the autocratic rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1987. Noor Hossain who was a motor driver by profession was killed by the police force. At the time he was shot, his body carried several slogans in white paint. He wore the slogan "Down with autocracy" on his chest, and on his back, he had written the slogan "Let Democracy Be Free". The day is honored each year as cultural and political organizations sponsor special programs for observance the day. It was first called "Historic November 10 observance" but the Awami League supported the phrase "Noor Hossain Day", by which it is known today.
WFoundation Day is an annual public holiday in Norfolk Island commemorating the arrival of the original British settlers on 6 March 1788.
WObama Day was a holiday celebrated in Kenya in November 2008 in honor of Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 United States presidential election.
WNational Paper Airplane Day is an unofficial observance, celebrated on May 26 each year in the United States to commemorate the simple aeronautical toy.
WPrince Kūhiō Day is an official holiday in the state of Hawaiʻi in the United States. It is celebrated annually on March 26, to mark the birth of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole — heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, prince of the House of Kalākaua, and later territorial delegate to the United States Congress. It was established in 1949 by the legislature of the Territory of Hawaii.
WPrithvi Jayanti is an public holiday which celebrates the birth of Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal and Gorkha. In September 1745, Shah started the unification of Nepal campaign which unified small kingdoms called Chaubisi Rajya and Baise rajya. Every year, President of Nepal visits the statue of Shah in Singha Durbar as part of a ceremony.
WQatar observes several public holidays. The two weekend days are Friday and Saturday. Annual public holidays include:
WYitzhak Rabin Memorial Day is an Israeli day of remembrance observed annually on the twelfth of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, to commemorate the life of Zionist leader and Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and his assassination.
WRatcatcher's Day, Rat-catcher's Day or Rat Catcher's Day is celebrated on 26 June or 22 July, commemorating the myth of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The town of Hamelin in Germany uses the June date and the term "Pied Piper Day". The confusion of dates is because the Brothers Grimm cite 26 June 1284 as the date the Pied Piper led the children out of the town, while the poem by Robert Browning gives it as 22 July 1376. It is a holiday remembering rat-catchers, similar to Secretary's Day and Presidents Day.
WRepublic Day is a public holiday in Northern Cyprus commemorating the declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 15 November 1983. The annual celebrations start at 12:00 am on 14 November and continue in 15 November. On 15 November, celebrations are made in all districts of country and representatives from several countries, especially Turkey visits Northern Cyprus and attend the celebrations. Main celebration locations are the Kemal Atatürk Memorial in Nicosia, Nicosia Martyrs Memorial and tomb of Fazıl Küçük.
WThe Day of the State Flag of Turkmenistan is an official holiday of Turkmenistan.
WThe Day of the State Flag of Tajikistan is an official holiday of Tajikistan. It was established in 2009 and is celebrated on November 24. It celebrates the adoption of the Flag of Tajikistan on November 24, 1992.
WTurkism Day is celebrated on the 3 May since 1945 in memory of the rallies in defense of Nihal Atsız, who was prosecuted for defamation on demands by Sabahattin Ali, who was called a Soviet spy by Atsız in an article he wrote. The manifestation was mainly composed of racists and Turanists who shouted slogans against communists, specifically Sabahattin Ali, in court. Following the manifestation, many participants were arrested and some of them had to stand trial in the Racism-Turanism trial. Reha Oğuz Türkkan, Atsız, Alparslan Türkeş, Nejdet Sançar and others, all imprisoned in the Tophane Military prison, held a reunion on the 3 May 1945 to remember the demonstrations in support of Atsız. This meeting is seen as the beginning of the celebration of a Turkism Day. Turkism day is celebrated by the Turkish Hearths, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Good Party, also some politicians of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). and other Turkish nationalist organisations.
WUN Arabic Language Day is observed annually on December 18. The event was established by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010 seeking "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization". December 18 was chosen as the date for the Arabic language as it is "the day in 1973 when the General Assembly approved Arabic as an official UN language ".
WUnity Day of Yemen is national holiday in Yemen held on May 22. It commemorates the unification of North Yemen and South Yemen, which took place on this date in 1990.
WWalk to Work Day is an annual, national event in Australia encouraging people to walk to work. The event is an initiative of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, and supported by the Australian Government. In 2015, it was held on Friday 13 November.
WWest Virginia Day is a state holiday in the US state of West Virginia. Celebrated annually on June 20, the day celebrates the state's 1863 admission to the Union as a result of the secession of several northwestern counties of Virginia during the American Civil War.
WWorld Aquatics Day is an international day which recognises, and celebrates physical activity in aquatic sports. It was established by the organisation FINA, and takes place on the first weekend of July. This comes just before the 19th July which commemorates the founding of the federation in London, 1908.
WWorld Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. It was inspired by the public interest in Five Billion Day on July 11, 1987, the approximate date on which the world's population reached five billion people. World Population Day aims to increase people's awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.
WWorld Teachers' Day, also known as International Teachers Day, is an international day held annually on 5 October. Established in 1994, it commemorates the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which is a standard-setting instrument that addresses the status and situations of teachers around the world. This recommendation outlines standards relating to education personnel policy, recruitment, and initial training as well as the continuing education of teachers, their employment, and working conditions. World Teachers' Day aims to focus on "appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world" and to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching.