Today’s date marks the birthday of the Danish storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen. International Board on Books for Young People, a non-profit Swiss organization trying to get more and more young people to read, has declared this date the International Children’s Book Day.

Andersen's Little Mermaid in Copenhagen harbor

The day was first celebrated in 1967, and it annually includes writing competitions, book awards, and various events bringing authors and young readers together.

This month a handful of countries is celebrating their independence:

Senegal celebrating its independence

Georgia, April 9 – Independence from USSR

Senegal, April 4 – Independence from France

Sierra Leone, April 27 – Independence from UK

Syria, April 17 – Independence from France (also known as the Evacuation Day, for it was on April 17th when the last French soldier was evacuated from Syria)

Togo, April 27 – Independence from UK

Zimbabwe,  April 18 – Independence from UK

Holi is a Hindu spring festival that traditionally celebrates fertility and harvest.

Don't feel offended, it's Holi!

Recently, it has also gained religious elements, marking some of the ancient Hindu legends, such as the legend of Prahalad and Holika.

Although Holi has many origin stories, none of them are quite as fascinating as the celebration its self. On the streets, Holi takes the form of a carnival…

Today is the International Mother Language Day.

There are approximately 7000 different language spoken in the world. It’s crucial to acknowledge and celebrate this spectrum, because according to studies by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) 50% of these languages will disappear in the next few generations. This is mostly due to globalisation. Currently, only a few hundred languages are used in education systems around the world, and less than a hundred languages in the digital world.

Globalization continuously threatens our array of languages. This is why, in 1999, the International Mother Language Day was first proclaimed by the UN and it’s been celebrated every year on February 22nd, since 2000. The date represents the day in 1952 when two students were shot and killed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for demonstrating for the recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the national languages of Pakistan.

The Christian celebration, Lent, begins today. Lent is forty days of reflection and preparation before Easter. It begins with Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is a day to clean one’s soul before Lent. Lent is traditionally a season to fast from food and festivities, and to reflect upon the events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Therefore, on Ash Wednesday, some Roman Catholic and Anglican churches have special services where worshippers are marked with ashes as a symbol of the sorrow of sin. Ash symbolises the fact that death comes to everyone, and that everyone should feel sad for their sins. In addition, ash symbolises the total finality of how, in the bible, God creates Adam from dust and how Adam returns to dust after his death. Hence, the saying, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

During Lent the colour purple is very important. Purple symbolises both the morning of Jesus’ crucifixion and the royalty and sovereignty of his resurrection.

Lent is an old English word that means ‘to lengthen.’ Lent got this name for being a time of spring when days lengthen.

After Lent follows Easter, which is one of the most important and most celebrated Christian festivals.

Other celebrations in February:

Waitangi Day

Independence Days in February

St. Valentine’s Day

Red Hand Day

National Foundation Day: Japan

Setsubun: Japan

The World Day of Social Justice was established on February 20th in 2009 to promote gender equality, fair employment, social well-being, and justice around the world.

In his message last year the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said:

“Social justice is more than an ethical imperative, it is a foundation for national stability and global prosperity. Equal opportunity, solidarity and respect for human rights — these are essential to unlocking the full productive potential of nations and peoples..”

Read more.. »

Congratulations to Zambia  who yesterday won the World
Championship of Nations – The Africa Cup.   And, just as I thought today couldn’t get greyer and gloomier with the our great British weather, along came Patricia, a student of mine at the London Academy of Diplomacy, looking stunningly beautiful in such a bright colourful outfit. Celebrating her county’s success, she brought a touch of sunshine into our lives and her infectious happiness made us smile. Thank you  Zambia – and Patricia, too!

Nirvana Day (also known as Parinirvana Day) is a Mahayana Buddhist day that celebrates the death of the Buddha, or in other words, the day the Buddha finally reached Nirvana at the age of 80. Some celebrate this day on the 8th and others on the 15th of February. So, what is Nirvana? The mental state of Nirvana symbolises the loss of all suffering and want, and freedom from the pain of physical existence. The word its self means ‘to extinguish.’ An enlightened monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, explains…

Every year, on the 15th day of the first Lunar Calendar month the Lantern Festival officially ends the celebrations for Chinese New Year. This year, the festival is on February 7th. The Lantern Festival is celebrated so widely in South-East Asia that it is sometimes called the Second New Year. Examples of countries that celebrate the festival are China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

During the night of the festival thousands of red lanterns are lit and flown into the night sky. Each lantern is individually decorated. Some decorate the lanterns with prayers, whereas some prefer to write riddles. Traditionally, in China, the Lantern Festival is considered a day for lovers. Watch the clip below from Chiang Mai, Thailand to see the beauty in this phenomenon!

Happy Lantern Festival

Today a part of the Muslim world celebrates Milad un Nabi (or Mawlid), the birthday of the Muslim prophet Muhammed. This celebration, 4th of February, is slightly controversial because some Muslims don’t believe that celebrating birthdays is necessary, or even permissible. Despite the divided opinions, however, the majority of Muslims agree that the birth of Muhammed was the most significant event in Islamic history. Thus, those who celebrate it do so with great enthusiasm.

Saudi-Arabia is the only Muslim country where Milad un Nabi is not an official public holiday. In others, Milad un Nabi is sometimes celebrated in a carnival manner.  Streets and mosques are decorated, parents tell their children stories about different aspects of the prophet’s life, and many people donate money, clothes, and food to charity. Milad un Nabi is also celebrated in countries such as India, Indonesia, Russia,Canada, as well as here in the UK.