Sunday, March 22, 2009

Mar 22: Mothering Sunday (U.K.)

Always on the 4th Sunday of Lent.
Multicultural Calendar

March 2009

 
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday is the celebration of motherhood in UK, and takes place on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Traditionally children bring gifts of flowers and chocolates to their mothers. Breakfast in bed is also an expectation, as is a relaxing, carefree day. It originated with the Victorian practice of allowing servants to return home to visit their mothers on this day.
Mothering Sunday
UK


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Saturday, March 14, 2009

March 14: Pi Day (Worldwide)

Pi Day is celebrated today at 1:59 (a.m. or p.m. -- your choice) in recognition of the six-digit approximation: 3.14159.
clipped from twitter.com
Pi Day
March 14: 1:59am or 1:50 pm -- Pi Day. Celebration of 3.14159 http://snurl.com/dsdlu
Eric Snyder
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Thursday, March 12, 2009

March 12: Hola Mohalla / Bikrami (Sikh)

Mock battles are fought and martial arts are displayed in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, who took to armed struggle against tyranny.
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Sunday, March 01, 2009

March: Women's History Month

http://snurl.com/cv7ts

National Women’s History Month began as a single week and as a local event. In 1978, Sonoma County, California, sponsored a women’s history week to promote the teaching of women’s history. The week of March 8th was selected to include ’International Women’s Day.’ This day is rooted in such ideas and events as a woman’s right to vote and a woman’s right to work, women’s strikes for bread, women’s strikes for peace at the end of World War I, and the U.N. Charter declaration of gender equality at the end of World War II. This day is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. In 1981, Congress passed a resolution making the week a national celebration, and in 1987 expanded it to the full month of March.

In Canada, Women’s History month is celebrated in October.
clipped from www.nwhp.org
March is National Women's History Month
clipped from www.nwhp.org
2009 Theme: Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet 

In 2009, the National Women's History Project honors women who have taken the lead in the environmental or "green" movement. We are featuring Rachel Carson, the founder of the contemporary environmental movement, as the iconic model of the theme. Rachel Carson's work provides an admirable model for comparison. The 2009 Honorees are scientists, engineers, business leaders, writers, filmmakers, conservationists, teachers, community organizers, religious or workplace leaders or others whose lives show exceptional vision and leadership to save our planet.

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March 1: Baba Marta (Bulgarian)

An interesting tradition!

On the first day of March and few days afterwards, Bulgarians exchange and wear white and red tassels or small dolls called "Пижо и Пенда" (Pizho and Penda). In Bulgarian folklore the name Baba Marta (in Bulgarian баба Марта meaning Grandma March) is related to a grumpy old lady whose mood swings change very rapidly.

This is an old pagan tradition and remains almost unchanged today. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colours of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring. Many people wear more than one martenitsa. They receive them as presents from relatives, close friends and colleagues. Martenitsa is usually worn pinned on the clothes, near the collar, or tied around the wrist. The tradition calls for wearing the martenitsa until the person sees a stork or a blooming tree. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and as evidence that Baba Marta is in a good moo
clipped from en.wikipedia.org

Martenitsa

Martenitsa (Bulgarian: мартеница /ˈmar.tɛ.ni.ʦa/, plural мартеници, martenitsi) is a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and worn from March 1st until the 22nd March (or the first time an individual sees a stork, swallow or budding tree). The name of the holiday is Baba Marta. "Baba" (баба) is the Bulgarian word for "grandmother" and Mart (март) is the Bulgarian word for the month of March. Baba Marta is a Bulgarian tradition related to welcoming the upcoming spring. The month of March, according to Bulgarian folklore, marks the beginning of springtime. Therefore, the first day of March is a traditional holiday associated with sending off winter and welcoming spring.

Symbolic
Tradition
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Feb 25: Ash Wednesday - Lent begins (Christian)

In 2009, Lent is 46 days, ending on the Saturday before Easter, April 11th.

This day marks the beginning of Lent. Ash symbolizes sorrow for wrong doings and foreheads of churchgoers are marked with the shape of the cross with ashes as a sign of penitence.
Multicultural Calendar

February 2009

25
Ash Wednesday (Lent Begins)
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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Feb 22: Abu Simbel Festival (Egypt)

Built by Ramses II, his temple is angled so that the inner sanctum lights up twice a year on the: once on the anniversary of his rise to the throne and, once on his birthday. Crowds pack in the temple before sunrise to watch the shafts of light illuminate the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amon. The other date for this event is Oct. 22.
Multicultural Calendar

February 2009

Abu Simbel Festival
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Feb 18: Vanna White's 52nd birthday

Betcha didn't know this...!
clipped from en.wikipedia.org

Vanna White

Vanna Marie Rosich
February 18, 1957 (1957-02-18) (age 52)
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States
Occupation
Game show co-host[1]
Early life

White was born Vanna Marie Rosich in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the daughter of Joan Marie and Miguel Angel Rosich.[2] White took the name of her stepfather, Herbert Stackley White Jr., a former real estate agent in North Myrtle Beach.

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Monday, February 16, 2009

Feb 19: Obama Canadian Visit

A Facebook event has been created. Join now to get complete information on this Pro-Obama event.
clipped from www.facebook.com

Obama Canadian Visit

Global
CANADIANS ORGANIZING TOGETHER TO GREET OBAMA - multiple city event coordinators are now working together to share information and help make Obama's Visit a day that CANADA SHINES in the World's Eyes with a WARM WELCOME.
On Thursday Feb 19th, a WELCOME RALLY for President Obama will occur on the lawn in front of Parliament. Other events are planned by different groups in other parts of downtown Ottawa. ***At the dinner hour February 13, the Canadian Press announced that the Harper Government had changed its mind, and will permits us to gather on PARLIAMENT HILL. **UNCONFIRMED reports** suggest that President Obama's motorcade may pass close by. No suggestion yet that he will get out to greet Canadians, and this is still NOT expected.
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Saturday, February 14, 2009

February 14: St. Valentine's Day 2009

What do you know about SAINT Valentine's Day? Red, roses, love, chocolate....

That's about it! It's another one of those events that passes sort of subliminally in and out of our consciousness? Here today... gone tomorrow.

But there is, of course, a basis for the day. It didn't just start up by itself. Check it out here!
Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14. In North America and Europe, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
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Monday, February 09, 2009

Feb 9: Tu B'Shevat - Jewish

ARBOR DAY
This day celebrates Judaism's roots in the Natural world. It is a holiday and known as the New Year for Trees. Special meals include eating the seven fruits of the land - wheat, barley, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives and dates. Trees are also planted.
Multicultural Calendar

February 2009

9
Tu B'Shevat (Arbor Day)
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Feb 9: Full Moon

Folklore
Full Moons are traditionally associated with temporal insomnia, insanity (hence the terms lunacy and lunatic) and various "magical phenomena" such as lycanthropy.

Psychologists, however, have found that there is no strong evidence for effects on human behavior around the time of a full moon. They find that studies are generally not consistent, with some showing a positive effect and others showing a negative effect. In one instance, the December 23, 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal published two studies on dog bite admission to hospitals in England and Australia. The study of the Bradford Royal Infirmary found that dog bites were twice as common during a full moon, whereas the study conducted by the public hospitals in Australia found that they were less likely.
Many neopagans hold a monthly ritual called an Esbat at each full moon, while some people practicing traditional Chinese religions prepare their ritual offerings to their ancestors and deities on every
Multicultural Calendar

February 2009

Full Moon
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Monday, January 26, 2009

Jan 26: New Year - 2009 Year of the Earth Ox

The year of the Ox. This is the year 4707 in the Chinese Lunar calendar and the most important holiday. It is a three-day holiday in China and Hong Kong. The Chinese clean and decorate their homes with the 5 lucky signs of happiness; new clothes are worn and even the poorest buy new shoes, for it is considered bad luck to step down on the ground into old shoes. Vietnamese call it the 'Tet' Festival.

January 2009

Chinese New Year
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Monday, January 19, 2009

Jan 19: Kitchen God Celebration (China)

The custom is based on the traditional farewell ceremony for T'sao Wang, Prince of the Oven, before he leaves for his annual trip to heaven to report on families' good behavior during the year.
Multicultural Calendar

January 2009

19
Kitchen God Celebration
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