Saturday, August 27, 2005

Hindus in Kashmir valley celebrate Janmashtami in big way

Hindus in Kashmir valley celebrate Janmashtami in big way

Outlook (subscription) - New Delhi,India

Hindus in Kashmir valley today took out processions and offered prayers in temples amid tight security to mark Janamashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. ...

[more stories...]

Friday, August 26, 2005

Janmashtami (Hindu)

Janmashtami is another "schedule alert" day celebrated by Hindus around the world on August 27th.

About Janmashtami

Dwarka all set for festival of Janmashtami. The famous temple of Lord Krishna has been decked up with multicoloured lights, which is visible from 10 km away.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Aug 24 - Ukraine Independence (1991)



Looking north on Maydan Nezalezhnosti in Kiev on Independence Day.


Ukraine proclaimed its independence on August 24, 1991.

About Ukraine

What else happened on August 24th...

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

August 23, 2005: Happy NAW RUZ !!

*** NAW RUZ - Zoroastrian

First day of the Bahá'í and Iranian New Year.

Naw-Ruz (aka Now-Ruz) is celebrated rather like the Christian Easter, with many symbols indicating spring and renewal. A week or so before the holiday lentils are placed in a dish to sprout into a mass of green blades. On the day of Naw-Ruz the family gathers in new or freshly cleaned clothes. The table is decorated with fruit, cakes, coloured eggs and other treats, as well as symbolic objects such as a holy book and a mirror. Among the best known customs of Naw-Ruz is the haft-sin -- the `seven S's'. These are seven objects beginning -- in Persian -- with the letter `S', such as hyacinths, apples, lilies, silver coins, garlic, vinegar and rue, decoratively arranged on a table. A great deal of time is spent exchanging visits with friends and relations. The celebrations end on the thirteenth day of Naw-Ruz with a picnic in the country. The sprouted lentils are thrown into running water, carrying away the bad luck of the previous year.




*** Schedule alert: National holiday or Religious day when individuals may wish to take time off work to observe the holiday.

Brought to you by TCM's Multicultural Calendar

Haiti--August 23, 1791: Uprising of African slaves


Liverpool remembers slave trade

Liverpool was Europe's principal slave port in the 18th century

People in Liverpool were marking the city's darker past with a Slavery Remembrance service on Tuesday.

The multi-faith service to remember the victims of slavery was being held at St Nicholas Church, in the city centre.

Liverpool was regarded as the principal slave port in Europe by the 1740s and the trade contributed much of the city's wealth during the 18th century.

The service is one of many commemorations being held across the world for Slavery Remembrance Day.

It is held each year on 23 August - the anniversary of an uprising in 1791 of African slaves on the Caribbean island of St Domingo, now called Haiti.

Aug 23rd - World Slavery Survives...


World: Slavery Survives, Despite Universal Abolition



UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization, has proclaimed 23 August as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. The date commemorates a revolt in 1791 by slaves in what is now Haiti -- an event considered a decisive victory of slaves against their oppressors. But despite laws in all of the world's countries against slavery, the United Nations says the practice continues in illegal underground forms.

[more...]

Saturday, August 06, 2005

Aug 6, 2005 - Hiroshima Day

Hiroshima Day

This solemn day commemorates the day that United States dropped the first atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. People from different backgrounds unite on this day to declare their commitment to never letting another nuclear bomb be used against humans again.

[source TCM's Multicultural Calendar]

Monday, August 01, 2005

August "schedule alerts" **
















Guests at a Jewish Moroccan wedding are treated to a
traditional Belly Dance. According to tradition, the
women have an amiable competition trying to outdo

each other in the art of this graceful dance.
(Artwork: TCM's Multicultural Calendar - Aug/05)

In August, 2005 the following "schedule alert" events occur***:
*** August 1, 2005
Civic Holiday - Canada
Bank Holiday - Scotland

*** August 27, 2005
Janmashtami - Hindu

*** August 29, 2005
Summer Bank Holiday - U.K., Ireland


Question: What the heck are "schedule alerts"?

Answer: Schedule alerts are National Holidays or Religious days when individuals may want to take time off to observe a holiday. Although there are only 9 or 10 statutory holidays, there are 37 schedule alerts occurring in 2005.

Proactive organizations sensitive to the diversity within their workforce often plan their schedules around these alerts in order to avoid any unnecessary conflicts with employees personal scheduling. They realize that some employees, if they are reticent to disclose their religious or National affiliations, may just call in sick and TAKE the time off.





Celebrate Annual Holidays and Traditions for Motivation and Team Building

Celebrate Annual Holidays and Traditions for Motivation and Team Building

In her blog, Susan Heathfield talks about building employee motivation by creating and celebrating traditions in the workplace. Employee picnics, Christmas parties, etc. are great events to build community at work.