So, how much cultural competence do you think there is in
cheek kissing? Well, we recently started a conversation on SIETAR Europa’s Linked In group and the plethora of responses confirmed that there are various ways to greet with a kiss. But what may have come as a surprise to some of us was that the ways of kissing don’t only vary from one country to another, but from region to region, from day to night, from male to female, and from one person to the next. What I can conclude from the conversation is that my initially abstract title-phrase, the ‘art’ of cheek kissing, became to perfectly describe this social gesture: a gesture that has no rule-of-thumb, a gesture that is cultural as well as personal.

So, it seems that although cheek kissing is a common greeting across the globe, one has to be truly culturally competent to smoothly master the art of cheek kissing! Read about the differnces and learn that London is a one-kiss city.

Today’s date marks the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross, and the recipient of the world’s first Nobel Price. Today, May 8^th, is the World Red Cross Crescent Day, and days from May 6th to 12th mark an annual Red Cross week.

Today, Red Cross has approximately 97 million volunteers, members, and staff members world wide. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies exist in nearly every country in the world…

Wesak (or Vesak) is one of the most important Buddhist holidays. It is always celebrated during full moon in May, which this year falls onto May 5^th.

Enlightened Buddha

Wesak celebrates the birthday, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The death of the Buddha is not a sad occasion because it simply marks the day when the Buddha finally reached Nirvana, a heavenly state where there is no pain or suffering…

May Day is significant in many different ways. First, May Day, also known as the International Workers’ Day, is a celebration of the labor movement and other left-wing movements.

Maypole Dancing from www.vagabondbaker.com

International Workers’ Day originated in 1886 when workers around the world gathered to demonstrate against impossible working hours and to demand the 8-hour working day. Before this movement it was common for factory workers to work 10-16 hours a day in dangerous, unhealthy conditions. These demonstrations soon achieved their goal and the 8-hour working day was made an official policy. Therefore, in some countries, International Workers’ Day is not only celebrated by labour unions, but by all workers because (setting its socialist roots aside) the day has come to symbolize social justice and international labor rights. Traditional celebrations for International Workers’ Day usually include public demonstrations and organized street marches.

In 1982, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) proposed to the UNESCO to launch an International Day for Monuments and Sites. This day was approved a year later, in 1983, and International Day for Monuments and Sites has been celebrated since on every April 18th.

Douro Vineyards, Portugal

According to UNESCO, the aim of this day is to “explore cultural heritage… and to encourage local communities and individuals to consider the importance of cultural heritage to their lives, identities, and communities.”

Every year the International Day for Monuments and Sites holds a theme. The theme last year, 2011, was Cultural Heritage of Water. This year’s theme, World Heritage and Sustainable Development: the Role of Local Communities, marks the 40th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

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…

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

For us in the West, Valentine’s Day is the day that celebrates love.
St. Valentine has become the patron saint of lovers and on this day we traditionally exchange messages of love, send poems and simple gifts such as chocolates and flowers to our beloved. Traditionally, these are sent anonomously – ‘From Your Valentine’ – which is thought to have come from the farewell note sent from St. Valentine to his gaoler’s daughter just before he was put to death. In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800’s and now the date is very commercialised. The colour Red, Roses and Hearts are the symbols tradtionally associated with this day. Read below for the full history of St. Valentine’s Day.

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…

The three Chinese New Year I spent in Hangzhou (three hours’ drive from
Shanghai) have now muddled into one big celebratory memory: into one giant steamed bun, baozi: into one enormous good luck lantern. Chinese New Year, for me, was always a kind of alien Christmas with its red and gold, music and food, cards and gifts. The place in my mind where I most vividly experience the festivities are the streets surrounding Xihu, West Lake near the centre of the town. There, the crisp rattle of fireworks becomes a part of the air that Hangzhou breathes and the booming and cracking doesn’t pause until the two weeks  are over. My most vivid impressions…

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