Today is Commonwealth Day:

Westminster Abbey

a day to celebrate the 54 independent states of which the British Commonwealth consists off. Out of these 54 states all but Mozambique and Rwanda were officially part of the British Empire.

Commonwealth Day is always celebrated on the second Monday in March. It is not a day to simply celebrate diversity, but also a day to promote international cooperation which aims to improve the lives of citizens in Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth Day is always marked by a multi-faith service in Westminster Abbey in London, in which the Queen gives a speech that is often broadcasted throughout the world.

Maya Angelou, an award-winning American poet and author, was once quoted for saying:

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” The media is full of heroes every day, but today is the day that the world celebrates our she-roes: it’s International Women’s Day!

In some countries, Women's Day is a political event.

Once again, in March, countries around the world are celebrating their independence.

Happy Independence Day to:

Bosnia and Herzegovina – March 1st
Ghana – March 6th
Mauritarius – March 12th
Tunisia – March 20th
Namibia – March 21st
Greece – March 25th
Bangladesh – March 26th

Fairtrade Fortnight begins today!

There are approximately 1.5 million farmers and workers, working across 63 countries producing Fairtrade products. This year, Fairtrade Fortnight, is asking everyone to take a step for Fairtrade. The target is to gain 1.5 million steps, one for each Fairtrade worker and farmer. These steps could simply include buying a new Fairtrade product, hosting a Fairtrade chocolate tasting session with friends, or recommending a Fairtrade product to a friend or a colleague. Basically, taking steps for Fairtrade Fortnight are about making new consumer choices.

Celebrations for Chinese New Year are over but this month, once again, there will be fireworks in countries across the globe.

Twelve countries are celebrating their Independence Days:

Sri Lanka (Feb 4th), New Zealand (Feb 6th), Grenada (Feb 7th), Iran (Feb 11th), Lithuania (Feb 16th), The Gambia (Feb 18th), Saint Lucia (Feb 22nd), Estonia (Feb 24th), Kuwait (Feb 25th), Dominican Republic (Feb 27th), and this month’s youngest country, Kosovo (Feb 17th).

Happy Independence Days to you all!

See Also:

Independence Days for January

Independence Days in November

Today is Red Hand Day. This relatively new day was organized for the first time in 2002 as a coalition to stop the use of child soldiers in wars and armed conflict. The red hand has been used all over the world by many protesters and organizations to say ‘no’ to child recruitment. The goal of the celebration is to draw attention to the issue of child soldiers, thus, on Red Hand Day various public protest and demonstrations take place. As an ongoing public statement the organization is collecting red hand prints. Over the past years more than 350,000 hand prints have been collected…

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.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most important Hindu celebrations. It is perhaps the only Hindu festival which falls on the same date every year, on January 14th.

Makar Sankranti is a joyous occasion because it celebrates the sun god’s journey to the northern hemisphere. The sun and its journey represent spiritual light, knowledge, and virtue, but the day is also a harvest festival.

Makar Sankranti celebrations vary greatly across India, but one of the most popular activities during this time is to fly kites. Watch this video clip on to see how one Indian town celebrates Makar Sankranti:

This January, as well as the New Year, many countries
around the world will be celebrating their independence.
Happy Independence day to you all!

Cameroon, Western Samoa, Haiti, Sudan (January 1^st), Burma (January 4^th), Chad (January 11^th), Australia (January 26^th) and Nauru (January 31^st).

Today is Christmas Day, one of the most important celebrations of the year for two billion Christian’s worldwide.

Christmas Day celebrations vary from place to place, but generally include activities such as going to church, gathering with the family, singing Christmas songs, and giving presents to family and friends. Food, of course, is also an essential part of Christmas, and in most families the high-light of Christmas Day is when everyone gets together to have a large meal.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Have a warm, cosy Christmas!